Is a Re-manufactured Blanchard Grinder right for you?

Before Photo

We receive a lot of calls from customers inquiring with us about re-manufactured Blanchard Grinders.  Not so much about the process , but more in regards to pricing.  My standard line is that it is not is not "cheap" to have us re-manufacture your machine nor is it it quick.  On average the smaller sized machines like the 20" to 42" will take any where from 15-18 weeks to "build".  The larger machines like the 60" and up can take as long as 22-30 weeks from start to finish.  In regards to pricing they are probably 60-70% of what a new machine would cost.  Now of course a new one would be full CNC, but then this is not an option most of ouor customers are looking for.

Before Photo

Unlike a CNC Vertical mill or lathe, a re-manufactured Blanchard once in place in your operation, a well maintained Blanchard should run trouble free for many, many years.  And in regards to the question of buying used versus buying re-manufactured, it most of the time boils down to one thought process: "Do you want to run parts every day or do you want to have your process disrupted with repairs?  Some of these repairs can be extremely costly and once you start soaking money into your used machine it becomes harder and harder to justify a different option.

We just finished a 26HD-48, 48" Blanchard for a customer out in Washington.  This machine came in worn from many years of productive use but the owner wanted to hold better tolerances and was tired of it racking up the repairs.  We just ran this machine off for him and it is holding .0002" (two tenths of a thousand) over the 48" chuck flatness.  This is the type of work that we get from our 15 Blanchard Technicians every day.

After Photo

Click here to take a look at the video of the 48" machine completed...do you have a machine that is ready for a re-manufacture?  Of course if it is not in your budget for a machine like this we still have many parts in stock as well as chuck controls and segment holders.  We also provide gear box exchanges, spindle rebuilds, magnetic chuck repair and re-surfacing on site repair.  If you would like more information regarding ouor Blanchard Trade in or re-manufacture program. click this link or contact our sales staff at sales@fpmiller.oom 

WWW.FPMILLER.COM    517-787-3100

Depleted Depreciation affects you....Section 179 Deduction

I am sitting here this morning listening to our technicians re-manufacturing Blanchard Grinders out in our facility. These are awesome built machines that will ship to small mom and pop shops as well as fortune 500+ shops all over the country and abroad.  I thought it might be a good day to stand on a soap box and bring attention to a huge change in the depreciation tax code for 2014 for all of us machinery folks and manufacturers alike.

At the end of the 2013, the Section 179 Deduction that allowed you to write off up to $500,000 of new and used Capital Equipment purchases plus 50% of anything over $500,000 in the first year reverted back menial $25,000.  The MDNA (Machinery Dealers National Organization) upon questioning some of our government officials have been told that this is not a priority right now, instead their focus is JOBS?  I agree that while making new opportunities for jobs is very important, so are the machines and equipment used to do those jobs.  Lets face it, with the advent of new and changing technology in the machining industry the equipment that you are purchasing this year for your facilities will be outdated by technology in two or three years, yet under the current depreciation code you will be depreciating it for the next 7 -10 years.  

In my opinion, it is up to all of us to contact our senators and congressman and let them know how important it is to review Section 179 deduction limit.  Capital Equipment purchases mean new jobs as well as allowing manufacturers to be competitive in the marketplace.

Note: These are my opinions only, feel free to comment, dislike of file in the can.  But if you want to contact me send me an e-mail.

Thanks for listening,

Craig L. Ward-C.E.A.

General Manager

I have decided to try a little different spin on our e-blasts, if you know someone who might be intersted in seeing this pass our blog site along.  This also gives you some insight into one part of our business here at F. P. Miller Company.  Please feel free to comment on this new blog!

Craig L. Ward-C.E.A.
General Manager
cward@fpmiller.com

Good Morning Blanchard Users FP Miller Company specializes in Blanchard Grinders, rebulding and resale. If you would like more information on any of these machines listed below, contact our sales staff. We are looking to purchase any surplus machinery that you have including VBM, HBM, Big Swing Lathes, CNC VMC, CNC HMC and Etc.  Give us a call! Sincerely, F. P. Miller Company 517-787-3100

Blanchard #11AD-16, 16" Automatic Vertical Spindle Grinder Chuck: 16" Dia., Electro-Magnetic Maximum Swing Inside Water Guards: 20"  Maximum Height Under Wheel: 12"  Wheel Speed: 1200 RPM  Variable Table Speeds: 15 To 75 RPM  Variable Servo Vertical Down Feed: 0.0001 to .100 IPM  Digital Control with Servo Motor for Feed and Traverse, Fine Feed, Auto Spark Out, Digital Readout  15 HP Spindle Motor  Variable Power D.C. Chuck Control  Trabon Automatic Grease Lubrication System  New table infeed rack & pinion  New machine base hardened way inserts  New turcite installed in machine saddle WANTED: Blanchard Grinders  #11's 60" Model 32-60 100" Model 54-100   120" Model 60-120 Please contact Sales 517-787-3100 fpmiller@fpmiller.com      Blanchard #11AD-20, 20" Vertical Rotary Surface Grinder Chuck: 20" Dia., Swing Inside Water Guards: 21", Height Under Wheel: 12", Wheel Speed: 1200 RPM, Cylinder Type Grinding Wheel: 11" x 9" x 5" High Digital Control with Servo Motor for Feed and Traverse, Fine Feed, Auto Spark Out, Digital Readout 15 HP Spindle Motor Fully Automatic Hard Logic Control (All Electric) Trabon Automatic Lubrication System Diamond Wheel new hardened base ways installed phenolic material replaced on bottom of saddle installed new rack and pinion rebuilt table traverse gearbox stainless steel water guards all new coolant system (pipes, hoses & valves) Cleaned, painted and tested  Blanchard #20-36, 36" Vertical Spindle Rotary Surface Grinder Currently Being Rebuilt 36" Magnetic Chuck Diameter, Approximately .263" Chuck Life 18" Approximate Range Over Chuck With New Wheel 20" Diameter of Wheel Chuck, Solid Wheel Style (6) Ranges of Chuck Speeds, 6, 9, 12, 18, 25, 33 RPM Feed 0.004 - 0.080 IPM 720 RPM Wheel Speed 30 HP, 3 Phase, 60 Cycle, 230/420 Volt Blanchard #22D-42 Vertical Spindle Rotary Surface Grinder Rebuild Almost Finished 42" Magnetic Chuck Diameter 18" Approximate Range Over Chuck With New Segments 22" Diameter of Wheel Chuck, Cortland 5 Segment Wheel 48" Swing Inside Water Guards 720 RPM Wheel Speed (6) Ranges of Chuck Speeds 5,7,10,15,20 & 27 RPM Automatic Downfeeds Feed 0 to 70 IN/MIN 40 HP, 3 Phase, 60 Cycle, 440 Volt, 705 RPM Dry Base Machine (requires External Coolant System) Completely New Updated Electrical Panel and Components Blanchard #22AK42, 42" CNC Vertical Spindle Rotary Surface Grinder Currently being rebuilt and retrofitted 22" Grinding Wheel Diameter 42" Magnetic Chuck Diameter, Approximately 3/8" Chuck Step 44" Swing Inside Water Guards 24" Vertical Range,Standard 3000 LBS. Maximum Load on Chuck 50 HP Grinding Wheel Horsepower Totally rebuilt #22AK-42 Automatic Blanchard Rotary Surface Grinder. The work will consist of a mechanical rebuild and Electrical CNC package, drives and programming Blanchard #32D-60, 60" Vertical Spindle Rotary Surface Grinder Currently Being Rebuilt 60" Diameter Magnetic Chuck Approximately 3/4" Chuck life 66" Swing 32" Segmented Wheel 30" Height Over Chuck 4 Table Speeds of 5.6, 8.7, 12.9, and 20.7 RPM Power down feeds from .004" to .080" Min. Power Raising & Lowering of grinding head Pendent Control Spindle Drive Motor, 100HP, 3/60/440 Volt and Electrical Controls We can Repair your Blanchard Grinder Call for Details (517) 787-3100 Blanchard #36HD-66, 66" Geared Head Vertical Spindle Rotary Grinder Currently being rebuilt 66" Magnetic Chuck, 5/8" Chuck Life 84" Swing Inside Water Guards 36" Vertical Height 200 HP Main Grinding Spindle 36" Diameter Grinding Wheel Cortland Style 8 Segment Grinding Chuck 5.6 to 20.1 Chuck Rotation Speeds RPM .004 to .080 Down Feed Rates IPM (Pick-Feed) One Shot Lube System On Head Bijur Oil Lube System (Base Ways)

_____________________________________________      Blanchard Rotary Surface Grinders     Springfield Vertical Universal Grinders     CNC Machining Centers and Lathes     AMEA Certified Appraiser on Staff     We Buy Surplus Equipment - Let Us Know What You Have Contact Sales for more information. Email: fpmiller@fpmiller.com Phone: (517) 787-3100 Web: FPMiller.com

"Built in America"

Last week I had the pleasure of attending the MDNA (Machinery Dealers National Association) convention out in San Diego, CA.  We had one of the biggest turn-outs of all times with 240 used machinery dealers and auctioneers in attendance.  Please consider your MDNA dealer for your next purchase or selling of your surplus equipment.  The buzz in the crowd was overwhelming in regards to great business times and all the work that is heading back to the good old USA.  One of our events scheduled for the week was a tour of the USS Midway Aircraft Carrier floating Museum.  This was an incredible view into the complexities and order of a floating city of 4500 crew.  The sheer size of this carrier was incredible and every one that got off that ship from our group felt a sense of chest pounding for our military here in the USA.

When I returned from that night, I turned on the television and like an explanation mark on the evening, there was a story on the news about a business back in Detroit, MI that is making flat panel televisions.  The company is Element and they are using a lot of ex-automotive workers in the assembly lines to assemble these televisions.  The packaging is a stand out in itself, red, white and blue with "Built in the USA" all over it! 

This same "Built in America" concept we have taken here at F. P. Miller Company.  As most of you know from my previous posts, we specialize in Re-Manufacturing Blanchard Grinders.  These machines have been around since 1916 with over 16,000 machines built and are recognized in the industry as the standard for grinding, the word "Blanchard Ground" is used as commonly as "Crescent Wrench".  Now of course we are not building these machines new, but we are totally re-manufacturing the used ones into "Like New" machines that hold, in most cases, tolerances greater that when they were originally manufactured.  Our technicians take pride in the build outs and our success is shown in the numbers of machines that we are providing our satisfied customers.  Finishing out or fiscal year in March, we shipped a record number of  Blanchard Grinders checking in at 20 machines, Re-Manufactured in the USA!

If you are interested in seeing more of our Blogs as they are written, feel free to +1 and "recommend" us our sign up to follow our Blog page.  Comments are always welcome, as well as you can link to our Facebook Page or Twitter.

Craig L. Ward-C.E.A.
General Manager

"Ramblin" Man

Well we are two months into the new year, which means we have one month left in our fiscal year. As our year is wrapping up I can reflect on how busy we have been here at F. P. Miller Company. At times it is overwhelming, but the focus that we must all have is providing "A #1" quality machines to the customers that we support. As we get more and more busy, so do the vendors that we rely on to do our machining, supply us with our components and materials. Who said manufacturing in Michigan is dead? They should try and get someone to turn around some machining in a timely fashion, this state is rockin'!

You have seen the big machines that we do here, but I thought it would be appropriate to show a small machine, there for I have placed a photo in this blog of a 16" Blanchard that we recently finished re-manufacturing. We also get a number of projects in that include just parts and pieces of machines. For example we have a column and head off an 84" Blanchard that we are rebuilding right now, we also get a number of saddles and magnets in for rebuild.

There is one other thing that I wanted to address in this blog and that is the lack of good used machines on the market. It is just tough to find good used CNC machines, Press Brakes, Shears and etc right now on the market place. We are actively pursuing all machines as well as entire plants that would be available for sale. If you know of someone that has something for sale, give one of our salesmen a call and we will pursue it. If we are able to purchase it, we will compensate you for the lead!

If you are interested in getting updated on what is going on here at F. P. Miller Company, please sign up to get notifications of our http://blog.fpmiller.com BLOG, Follow us on https://twitter.com/#!/fpmillercoTWITTER or friend us on http://www.facebook.com/fpmillercoFACEBOOK or you may also feel free to visit our http://www.fpmiller.com web page and review our inventory.

Have a great week!

Craig L. Ward

General Manager

Da Big One is Done!

I thought it would be fitting to put a photo in my blog of the 66HD-100, 100” Blanchard that we just finished for a customer in Warren, MI. This was a labor of love and hate at times for our dedicated staff, many modifications were made as we built this machine out.

Just to name a few, we lengthened the bed and ways, we added a hydraulic cylinder for saddle traverse, Variable Frequency Drive and gear box for table rotation and modified the swing inside the water guards to over 132 inches to name a few. It was a massive project that would take over 3000 man hours and involve many of our highly qualified service personnel. But as we all know the “proof is in the pudding” and when it came down to run off the machine there was no denying that the folks at F. P. Miller Company know their Blanchard Grinders. After setting the tram with the column and head and grinding in the magnetic chuck this grinder was flat to within .001” across the 100” chuck.

The photo is a great example to show off some of what we do every day here at F. P. Miller Company as well as put in a good word for our employees, who are some of the highest skilled individuals in their field and prove it every time we ship a machine out of our place. Quality workmanship does not come by accident; it is achieved with years of experience and dedication to providing the best possible product possible.

So happy holidays to all if you have some spare time between the holiday eating and gift giving, click on your computer, and “friend us on Facebook, Follow us on Twitter, +1 our blogs or just feel free to browse our web site, where you can see our finished products and watch videos of our machines running.

Wishing you all a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Craig L. Ward

DECEMBER HOUSEKEEPING

I have been blogging for some time now about our company, so to begin this week’s blog I want to draw your attention to the top of the blog, I have placed a photo of what we are working on inside the “four walls” of F. P. Miller Company.

Back from the long Thanksgiving week-end, full of good food and a few pounds extra weight, it is time to get some work done and stay to task. It definitely seems as though we move through the last month of the year, so do the various distractions. No doubt everyone has the holidays on their minds, shopping, eating, driving, snow and etc., this is all good of course, but I would like to bring your attention back to the business at hand.

December is a great month to attend to those things that get forgotten during year, like preventive maintenance for example. When it comes to Blanchard Grinders it may be time to clean the dreaded beast, check the lube lines, replace or repair worn water guards and check the fluid levels. For your CNC machines, have you had a Renishaw Ball Bar analysis performed in the last year? This is a good practice to identify the run out in your machines and repair ball screws and ways before they fail in mid production. Of course the one thing that can put an end to your production in an instant has nothing to do with your machinery, of course I am speaking about your Air Compressor (s). These units are used every day in your plants and are as critical to your operations as is electricity. If you have not performed regular maintenance (Oil and separator filter change) this may be a good time to schedule a visit from our air compressor technicians, we service all brands and styles.

Of course, if you have been under a rock and are not aware of HR-5297, it is aimed at helping small business, and among other provisions it raises Section 179 expensing levels to $500,000 (and the phase-out threshold amount to $2 million) The $500,000 amount applies to the cost of depreciable tangible personal property purchased for use in the active conduct of a trade or business. Hey as always, limitations apply so contact your tax adviser for complete details about HR-5297.

Lastly, do you have surplus equipment that has been sitting in your plant, not in use? Take a look around and see what you have that you would like to turn into cash and contact our sales staff. Take another spare moment in your day and click on these links to be a “fan” on our Facebook page,“follow us on Twitter, stay up to date on our Blogs or book mark our web site for all our services and machines.

Contact us

Have great Week!

Craig L. Ward

General Manager