No component of American business has felt a more devastating impact from the 2001 recession and the events of September 11 than the aerospace industry. Despite declining revenues and increased downtime among many industry players, Excel Manufacturing is busier than ever with business up by 30 percent.

Excel is a leading supplier of machined metal structural parts based in Wichita, Kansas. Installing and implementing a new Makino Machining Complex (MMC) automated palletized machining system marked the company's commitment to increase efficiencies in time to meet customers' increasing demands. Excel is now seeing the industry begin to bounce back in alignment with its plans for future growth.

"The aerospace industry is cyclical," says Marwan Hammouri, Vice President and General Manager for Excel Manufacturing. "Depending on what industry leader you talk to, ‘it's four years up, four years down,' or "five up, five down.' There may be a difference in the number; but there is a consensus that the industry is cyclical."

Prior to September 11, Hammouri says, Excel executives speculated that business would drop in 2002. Industry experts later said it could be 12 to 18 months before the industry rebounds. Hammouri considers this cycle time normal for his industry and says his company began preparing for this downturn based on Excel's early speculations. Enhancing its machining processes was a core part of Excel's survival strategy.

"We're looking at different directions of growth," Hammouri says. "In early 2001, we completed the installation of the two Makino A88 machines. Later in the year, even after the September 11th tragedy, we purchased two additional 5-axis machines, and contracted for a new building that would double our manufacturing facility. When sales are up, and operations are running at a fast-pace, it is difficult to grow and expand. So, the timing was right for this type of investment."

MORE PRODUCT IN LESS TIME

Before installing the Makino equipment, Excel would spend excess time resetting its machines to produce multiple runs and small lot sizes of product. With the Makino machines now in place, raw product can be placed on a machine one time without any re-tooling or resetting of the machine. Even though Excel has completed only 30 percent of its transition of product to the Makino machines, Hammouri says the company has already increased productivity and reduced setup time.

"We have already migrated more than 80 setups to the new Makino MMC with the Model B2 software cell controller. The programming characteristics maximize production output while effectively monitoring multi-machine production requirements," Hammouri says. "The PC-based system is designed to handle a wide variety of parts and provide for flexible production management. This means that we have eliminated setup time from 80 operations for as long as we produce the product. As we complete transition of product to the cell, we expect over 200 different setups."

AN INDUSTRY LEADER

Founded in 1975, Excel Manufacturing, Inc. is widely recognized throughout Wichita's aerospace community as the leader in high-speed machining (HMC). Excel entered the HMC market in 1988 and currently boasts the largest quantity of high-speed machines in a single shop throughout the Wichita area. The company specializes in complex precision machining, turning, sub-assemblies, and sheet metal fabrication for major domestic and international aviation and aerospace industries. Additionally, the supplier is known for its 3-, 4-, and 5-axis high-speed machining and assembly capabilities.

Excel has survived in a very turbulent industry primarily because it knows what it takes to produce its products and serve its customers efficiently. The timing of its investments in key manufacturing technologies has helped it to succeed. While the company limits its raw materials to aluminum and some titanium, it produces products for companies in both the private and commercial aerospace industries. Key customers include Cessna, Raytheon, Lear Jet, and nine divisions of Boeing. Additionally, Sikorsky Aircraft is one of Excel's main high-speed machining customers.

"We also manufacture products for two non-aerospace companies," Hammouri says. "One is called IFR in Wichita, and the other is Banctec in Texas. We have three divisions of our company: two in Wichita, and the third in Texas. The Texas division specializes in fabrication and assembly of sheet metal products."

MACHINING FOR SUCCESS

Regardless of the industry, Excel has focused its efforts on always being able to meet its customers' demands. This same attitude led the company to purchase and install its Makino machining complex (MMC) in December 2000. The system consists of two A88 high-speed 4-axis horizontal machining centers, 20 individual pallets, and an automatic guided vehicle (AGV) for transferring work to and from the machines. The system is designed for "lights out" operation and will be under power seven days a week, 24 hours a day. The initial 20-pallet configuration will provide approximately 100 different setups tooled and ready for production with zero setup time. This cell can easily be expanded to meet future growth opportunities.

"This is the first FMS cell in the company," Hammouri says. "Approximately 30 percent of the time, the cell runs with no operator, and because of the configuration, a single operator can actually run both machines. So, we are not only reducing our setup time, but also the cost of operating the machine. We have also seen an increase in the consistency of our product quality since we no longer have to re-setup the operations."

THE RIGHT INVESTMENT

The Makino system gave Excel the accuracy, productivity and flexibility needed to meet their customer requirements. The company required a solution that could enable it to increase productivity and deliver accurate price quotes to its customers quickly. Makino's A88 machining center offered the reliability and productivity necessary to assure Excel that its quotes would be competitive and achievable.

"Return on investment becomes less of an issue when we take into consideration the growth of the business and the increase in productivity," Hammouri says. "It's generally figured that companies that outlast the down cycle are the ones that do the strategic investing. The exposure we get from this type of equipment results in new business opportunities. And being more productive, able to produce product for less cost, will attract new business."

Since implementing the new Makino system, Hammouri says, Excel's business has increased significantly. He says it is difficult to know whether or not the increase can be attributed to a single new technology at a time when the company has initiated so many technology and process improvements.

"The Makino system definitely had something to do with our decisions on how to support our customers and grow the business," Hammouri says. "It's a dynamic system that has certain features that are not available on any of our other equipment, and it definitely gives us an edge because we are more responsive to our customers needs. The system opens the door for new growth opportunities."

Hammouri says Excel has developed a partnership with Makino that will enable Excel to deliver increased productivity, new products, and overall added value to its customers at a time when attaining a competitive edge will be crucial to achieving success.

"Makino has been very proactive through the installation and training process, as well as the maintenance issues after the installation," Hammouri says. "The response time has been very good. And those are very critical aspects we consider for buying a new system." Hammouri says that so far the relationship has worked out well. "It's our first experience with Makino, and we haven't regretted anything we've done."

More importantly, Hammouri says, Excel's customers see the value in the relationship Excel and Makino have forged. "Every customer that has seen the Makino system was impressed. They like to see their suppliers investing in quality equipment that produces the quality parts they demand."

Excel is now seeing the industry begin to bounce back in alignment with their growth plans. They are busier than ever as they prepare for the economic resurgence expected in 2002.

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