Whether you need to add a new piece of equipment, replace an old workhorse, design a new manufacturing plant from scratch, your dream shop in your basement or man cave, or upgrade your manufacturing capabilities from all manual to CNC. KBC Tools & Machinery has the abrasive chop saws, bandsaws, belt and disc sanders, CNC lathes & milling machines, drill presses, grinders, lathes, conventional milling machines, sheet metal machines, and more.
KBC has a full line of machinery for maintenance, repair, and production from KBC Brand product, name brand suppliers, and world class manufacturers, such as: Roll-In-Saw, Kalamazoo, Kent USA, JET, Palmgren, Tennsmith, Edwards Iron Worker, and more.
Here are 3 tips when purchasing a new piece of machinery for your shop:
1. Order the full combo. You know that the best time to paint and carpet a new house is before you move in, not after you have all your artwork on the walls and the furniture in place. Well, the best time to add a power table feed, quill feed, and DRO to your new milling machine is before it ships from KBC. Our highly trained journeymen will install your Newall or Mitutoyo digital read out, power feed, and quill feed with the greatest of care, precision, and a ton of experience so that when your new machine arrives you can get the most out of it from the get go. (p.s. - don’t forget your machine mounts too!)
2. If you can’t go all the way, go as far as you can. If you’re ready to start automating your machining, but your budget just won’t go all the way to the machine of your dreams, then a CNC vertical milling machine with a 2 or 3 axis Acu-Rite CNC control unit is your way to CNC automation. With easy to use and program controls combined with every machinist’s vast experience using a manual vertical machine, you will be up and ready to start machining asap at a fraction of the cost of a conventional CNC unit. KBC’s Vertical milling machines with Acu-Rite CNC controls are installed by Acu-Rite professionals, so you don’t have to sweat the learning curve for installation.
3. Hey, let’s be honest here. What’s your machining profile?
a. I take care of my machines like they’re my babies. Oiling, cleaning, inspection, and maintenance on a daily, weekly, and monthly basis. These machines make my livelihood, and I want them to last 20, 30, 40 plus years. Since you are in it for the long haul, figure out the maximum machining specs that you would like to machine to so that you don’t have to send out your oversized pieces to another shop, and buy the best and biggest machine you can lease or buy.
b. I’m into now, not later. My machines need to produce for the job at hand. I will do the maintenance required to keep everything going, but nothing towards preventative maintenance as we’re just too busy to stop. Since you are in it for the short term, figure out what you need for the job at hand, and buy for that job. Nothing less, and nothing more. When you’re finished with that job, whether it be months, years, or decades, you can find another use for the machine.
c. I push the limits. I love to figure out how to push the limits of speed, feed, max workloads, and size limitations. Ok, so now is the time to make the financial gamble and roll the dice to see how long you need a machine to last before it dies or needs a complete overhaul or adjust your expectations and buy the right machine for your job and your shop. If you are planning on working a machine 24/7 then you should be buying a workhorse, not a light duty piece of equipment. If you buy the light duty piece of equipment, you should budget now for replacement or overhaul. Take a moment and think it over – are your expectations of your equipment realistic?
If you have a suggestion what to consider when buying machinery with KBC, email us at sales@kbctools.com.
