Want To See What 5-Axis + Automation Success Looks Like?
Look no further than Quali-Mac.
If you have a need for precision aerospace, industrial, or defense parts, Quali-Mac (Bloomington, Minnesota) won’t let you down. Armed with state-of-the-art equipment and supremely knowledgeable employees, the company maintains 95% on-time deliveries while happily making continued investments in their machines and their team.
It’s a recipe that has brought them consistent success, and Brady Bjorgaard (President of Quali-Mac) is not changing the formula anytime soon. “I learned a while back that if you’re not willing to invest in employees and technology, you’re going to be left in the dust,” he said.
This is where Ellison and DN Solutions enter the Quali-Mac story.
Making the Switch to DN Solutions
Quali-Mac and Ellison first partnered up all the way back in 1992. It’s been a strong and longstanding story ever since, with the relationship serving as the constant—even as machine tool brands in the Ellison portfolio evolved.
Over those decades, Quali-Mac honed its 5-axis capability. Prior to bringing a trio of DN Solutions (formerly Doosan Machine Tools) 5-axis offerings, the shop was running Mazak 5-axis equipment. Eventually, they realized they needed something more robust and accurate, so they struck up a conversation with Jason Pawelk, Sales Engineer at Ellison Minnesota.
“We sold them their first couple of lathes, two Lynx 2100LSYB machines, in 2018 and 2019,” Pawelk said. “Since then, they’ve acquired additional milling and 5-axis machines, and it’s paying off. They’re growing fast.”
That growth is due in large part to Quali-Mac’s emphasis on pairing 5-axis capability with automation. “We’re always looking at how we can minimize human touches on parts,” said Bjorgaard. “With 5-axis, we can machine multiple faces in one setup.”
The Game-Changer: DVF 5000 and the Automatic Work Changer
The first DVF 5000 with AWC arrived in late 2020, and within two years, Quali-Mac had a couple more on the floor. A standalone DVF 5000 was installed in November 2021, and a third DVF 5000 with AWC showed up a month later
Quali-Mac is a high mix, low volume job shop with a typical lot size of 40 to 50 aluminum pieces, many of which are eventually repeated. With that HMLV environment, it’s been a godsend having the 5-axis DVF 5000 on the floor.
“All three of our DVF machines have 120-tool magazines, so we can keep tools loaded in between jobs and call up old programs when the repeat is a go,” Bjorgaard said. “That makes it easy to jump right back in.”
With the generous magazine sizes, single-setup capability and tool breakage probes on the DVF 5000, Quali-Mac is routinely beating competitors on lead times. The machines run unattended for hours, and Bjorgaard and his team come back to pallets of finished parts.
The Ellison and DN Solutions Sweet Spot
DN Solutions touts Machine Greatness as the company tagline, and that’s been Quali-Mac’s experience with their two Lynx machines, three DVF 5-axis, and a DNM 4000 vertical machining center.
On top of the machine quality, Bjorgaard has also seen impressive experience and attention to detail from his Ellison Technologies support team. “They’ve been a good partner for us. They understand the business and what it takes to be a successful manufacturer,” he said. “Communication and responsiveness have been top-notch. There is no one in front of them.”
“They definitely take care of us, with one example being a 24 to 48 hour turnaround on service calls. It cuts down our downtime. We can’t afford to have a week of downtime; resetting jobs on different machines kills us.”
Those Who Keep Up Clean Up
As the years pass, Bjorgaard knows that Quali-Mac cannot rest on its laurels. Having new and exciting technology is a magnet for talent. “We have a team of sharp individuals here who make the most out of this technology, so keeping up with that technology is key for us. We’ll always look to run the latest and greatest as much as we can.”
If you want an infusion of new technology to catch the eye of the talent that you need, look no further. Our team expertly helps you find it, install it and run it for years on end, so talk to Ellison today.
