Comparison shopping (see our photo gallery)

If you’re searching for a machine tool but aren’t sure which supplier offers the best choice for your application, then you may well have participated in the recent Joint Distributor Open House May 4 and 5 in southern Ontario.

In its sixth year, the unique regional event, which now draws manufacturers from across the country, offers people the opportunity to compare machine tools from different suppliers during a two-day event.

More than 500 manufacturers visited the participating suppliers—DMG Canada, Mississauga, ON; Elliott Matsuura, Oakville, ON; EMEC Machine Tools, Mississauga, ON; Ferro Technique, Mississauga, ON; and SST-Canada, Mississauga, ON. In total, there were more than 55 machines under power representing all the major technologies, from basic CNC lathes and mills, to a variety of machining centres.

The most significant difference between last year’s event and this year is the optimism among both machine tool suppliers and manufacturers.

Here’s a look at the 2011 Joint Open House.

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Gary Hollinger just started his company, Fine Line Control in Mississauga, ON, six months ago. Canadian Metalworking spoke with him at Elliott Matsuura’s facility. Unlike many walking the facility, he had purchased his AgieCharmille Cut20 wire EDM a couple of weeks ago and had dropped by to pay for the machine. His focus will be supplying tooling for the fine black industry.

“I had a 15-year-old AgieCharmilles EDM that I got from Elliott previsously and it’s been trying to get it going, but I found that Elliott was great in servicing it and now with my new business I needed another EDM so I just purchased the Cut20 from Elliott.”

Hollinger is one of many new customers for Elliott Matsuura. Indeed, Frank Haydar, president of Canada’s largest machine tool distributor, says “the first quarter of this year was our second best first quarter ever that’s saying a lot because we had some really good years in the late 90s and early 2000. I think a lot of it has to do with the improving economy. Many of our customers are getting contracts and are in need of machines.”

At SST-Canada, Canadian Metalworking caught up with a busy Juergen Moeglich, president of the Makino machine tool distribution company. Moeglich came up with the idea of a joint distributor open house six years while working for another machine tool distributor. Over the years, the event has grown to include today’s five participants. Asked if he thinks it will get bigger, he says “the problem with getting bigger is that can’t just have it in two days. You can cover four or five open houses in a reasonable amount of time in one or one and a half days, but if you get to six or seven participants, then you get people coming in just for five minutes and then going to other places because they want to see all the machines.”

Instead, with the current supplier participants, customers are able to take their time looking at machines and if they’re interested in one, they can speak to product managers and get details.

“So far attendance for us has been steady and I like it that way because we can dedicate time to customers. We sold a Murata machine today, but it’s not a customer that just saw it and bought it today. People don’t typically come to open houses to buy the first time they see a machine. The whole purpose of open houses is to give customers an overview of the supplier they’re thinking of purchasing a machine tool from. They can do research on the machine—that’s where we compete on a technical level—and find out what type of parts inventory, service and maintenance is available from each company.”

Mike Phung, who oversees plant operations for B&R Machine, Mississauga, ON, asked two of his machinists to join him for the joint distributor open house. Canadian Metalworking spoke with Phung at DMG Canada’s facility.

“Some of the machines I’ve seen today are fabulous, especially the five axis. We’re looking to purchase this machine, the Ecoline CTX 510 turning machine. The machine fits our envelope in terms of size, horsepower and performance. And of course the price caught my attention tool. It’s always good though to get a second opinion and who better to get that from than the people who are going to run the machines? That’s why I brought two of our machinists with me today.”

Like many job shops who survived the recession, B&R diversified its customer base, says Phung. Aerospace was its primary business focus, but after the recession the company found new markets.

“Now aerospace is a smaller portion of our business. We build and assemble automated machines, such as battery making machines. We have a lot of different machines in our shops, such as Hardinge, Hurco, Haas, DMGs and Mazaks. We actually purchased a DMG machine at an auction. It was an older model, but it was in excellent condition and we saved ourselves a ton of money. The good thing is that DMG services the refurbished machines tool.”

There was a steady flow of customers at Ferro Techniques’ facility too. Indeed, the customers there during Canadian Metalworking’s visit were busy discussing machine tools with representatives.

Brent Patton was happy to see customers. Patton, who works with AirCell, Mississauga, ON, sells weatherproof compressed air systems for manufacturers. His company was one of several ancillary suppliers with tabletop exhibits at Ferro’s facility. He was eager to discuss his product, which essentially frees up floor space for manufacturers by placing all compressed air equipment outside in a temperature-controlled room.

While EMEC was the last stop for Canadian Metalworking at the end of the day, customers were still streaming in to view the machines under power. Among EMEC’s line of Okuma machine tools, there was a video demonstration of a simultaneous five axis machine manufactured by German machine tool maker Grob. Robert J. Ruelle, account director of standard machines for the company, which has a manufacturing operation in Bluffton, OH, came up from the US to talk to customers interested in simultaneous five axis machining.

“Other manufacturers have simultaneous five axis, but Grob’s machine is a high precision machine and we’ve taken into account a lot of details in design with regards to ergonomics for the machine tool operator.”

Martin Craven, area manager for EMEC, echoes the optimism voiced by Elliott Matsuura’s Frank Haydar. He says business has been very good and several of his customers that attended the joint open house are also optimistic about business and are looking at new machinery.