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FAQ Overview
This page provides answers to frequently-asked questions about ITI and its products. Questions cover basic material to help you
to understand the machine tool industry and specific information about ITI's leadership role as a custom machine tool builder.
Machine Tool Industry
What is a Machine Tool
Answer: Machine Tools, are stationary power-driven machines used to
shape or form solid materials, especially metals. The shaping is accomplished by removing material from a workpiece or by pressing it into the desired shape. Machine tools form the basis of modern industry and are
used either directly or indirectly in the manufacture of machine and tool parts.
Machine tools may be classified under three main categories: conventional chip-making machine tools, presses, and unconventional machine tools. Conventional chip-making tools shape the workpiece by cutting away the
unwanted portion in the form of chips. Presses employ a number of different shaping processes, including shearing, pressing, or drawing (elongating).
Unconventional machine tools employ light, electrical, chemical, and sonic energy; superheated gases; and high-energy particle beams to shape the
exotic materials and alloys that have been developed to meet the needs of modern technology.
For more information, see http://www.darex.com/machtool.htm
For which machine tool processes does ITI excel.
Answer: ITI has broad experience in the largest variety of machine tool process. In particular, ITI's differentiating capability is in high-speed, high
tolerance machine tool operations. Most recently, ITI has deployed systems that use high speed machining (with removal rates in the pounds per minute
range), high precision (tolerances in the .0001 inch range), and CBN grinding.
Describe the custom machine tool market
Answer: The typical customers for custom machine tools are either Fortune 500 companies with well-established product lines and high-volume production requirements or subcontractors with long term production
contracts. Another segment of customers is composed of smaller companies with their own product lines, producing parts in high volume. These companies are from almost all segments of the manufacturing community.
The predominate industries using this equipment are automotive, appliance, computer, medical, military, aerospace, construction, transportation, and agriculture.
The machinery required to support these industries falls into the following three segments.
- Low End ($0 to $100K) where the financial risk of the product is not too large, and the technology is pedestrian. There are few barriers for entry into this market. Many small shops have the capability to design
and build these machines. Quality is typically low and price is extremely important.
- Mid Range ($100K - $3 Million) where the financial risk for the purchaser is a major consideration. In this market, individuals literally risk their jobs when they make a decision to buy a machine. Failure
could mean a substantial cost impact to the end user. This segment has price shoppers, but mostly purchasers are looking for assurance that the machinery will perform and depend on the reputation of the
builder and their performance record more than price. The companies selling in this market must invest a substantial amount of resources into developing the expertise and skills required to build
these machines. While the basic technology is fairly well-established, the companies in this arena must stay on the leading edge of the latest technology to remain competitive.
The financial risk for the purchasers in this market requires them to depend on the reputation of the machine builder and the quality of the machinery they build.
- High End (Multiple $ Millions) where companies automate major sections of plants, or build complete plants. This segment is restricted to a few major builders such as Cross and Trecker. Purchase is
highly risky for the purchasing company. Their competitiveness, and even their future, is dependent on the results. Price is secondary, the customer needs assurance, and they only go to builders who have
proven that they have the capabilities for these large programs.
What is ITI's position in the custom machine tool marketplace?
Answer: ITI has positioned itself across the mid range of these categories. It has developed an engineering expertise positioned on the leading edge of
the latest technology. ITI's nationwide sales program uses sales engineers along with engineering staff to answer its customers' needs with innovative
and unsurpassed machine building experience. ITI's reputation is recognized nationwide as a premium custom machine tool builder. ITI's reputation
is supported by a long track record of innovative design, on time delivery, and the superior performance of machines successfully producing customers' products.
ITI does build equipment that falls in the low end segment, but will not sacrifice their quality standards to compete with some of the low end
builders. Providing customers with quality products is a criteria ITI will not deviate from. ITI is not pursuing the High End market and does not identify it as a viable objective for this company.
Machine Controls
What machine controller technologies does ITI use
Answer: ITI machines use combinations of Computer Numeric Controllers for CNC operations, Programmable Logic Controllers (PLC) for machine
control, and robotic controllers for robotic part handling. ITI routinely uses a wide variety of PLC models. ITI works with its customers to assure that
the controls we use can be quickly integrated into your plant-wide control, maintenance, and management functions.
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