Precision Blanking and Round Bar Stock Machining: A Perfect Partnership

Do you think you’re saving on manufacturing costs by processing your own bar stock into blanks? Think again, because bringing certain machining operations in-house isn’t always the right move.

While taking material prep into your own hands may seem like a smart choice to keep your manufacturing business in the green, the truth is that onsite prep work can cost businesses tens of thousands of dollars annually, if not more. Many of these costs aren’t obvious at first glance, but make themselves known as you dig deeper into productivity metrics. For every machine that’s used to grind, cut, or otherwise shape material into a blank, that’s one machine that’s not being used to create an end product.

With that in mind, manufacturers may want to seriously consider outsourcing their material prep operations like grinding and blanking. A supplier with blanking capabilities can help not only eliminate the hidden costs of onsite prep, but also increase productivity on your shop floor. With the right material processing partner—like Boston Centerless—manufacturers of all kinds can reap the benefits of pre-cut blanks for tight tolerance machining.

How Centerless Ground Stock Enhances Precision Machining

Precision manufacturing, such as that which uses Swiss CNC machines, is made possible by the use of high quality materials. Quality extends to not just the composition of the material, but also to its physical dimensions, surface finish, and overall consistency. Choosing the right material sets the foundation for the quality of work that can be achieved, whether you’re machining watch components or precision aerospace parts. In more demanding applications such as those seen in the aerospace and medical industries, material quality is instrumental to creating products that guarantee customer satisfaction.

Starting with precision material, like centerless ground bar stock, makes it simple and feasible for machine operators to achieve the quality that meets demand. At Boston Centerless we’re known for our precision bar stock, AccuRod®—but what many customers don’t know is that we offer cut-to-length bars as well, including pre-cut blanks.

Features like straightness and roundness of round bar stock can have a greater impact on machining time
than you might think. Explore the effects of these physical traits on efficiency, scrap rates, and more.

How Pre-Cut Blanks Boost Manufacturing Agility

With pre-cut blanks, it should be easy for manufacturers to just set their material and let the machine do its job. The ideal blank will satisfy all requirements for dimensions, roundness, straightness, and surface finish. However, that’s not always the case.

Manufacturers who order blanks without properly vetting their supplier may come face to face with a situation where the reality does not meet their expectations. Not all blanks are made equal, meaning there’s a chance that there may be significant variances between different batches, or even between each unit. Some blanks may even need to be machined into spec before they can be used, defeating the purpose of what’s supposed to be a quick setup solution.

On the other hand, working with a supplier that delivers as promised can do wonders for precision manufacturers. With a reliable source of quality blanks, machinists can shave minutes off of their working times per each part. Precision blanking not only supports greater throughput and productivity, but also gives manufacturers the ability to scale their operations in ways previously not possible.

That’s why it’s important to choose a supplier that provides high precision blanks, especially for manufacturers working with tight tolerances.

Want to know how manufacturers maintain high quality at scale? Find out more about
how precision blanking empowers high-volume manufacturing.

The Problem With Managing Multiple Providers

Centerless ground bar stock and pre-cut blanks both clearly benefit manufacturers across countless precision focused industries. Yet, getting the best of both worlds can be a challenge for manufacturers who source each service from a different provider. It’s not uncommon for businesses to employ a multi-step process which looks something like:

1. Stock material is shipped to a grinder.
2. The grinder ships the material to the manufacturer.
3. The manufacturer validates the quality of the ground material.
4. The ground material is shipped out for blanking.
5. The material is blanked then sent back to the manufacturer.
6. The manufacturer validates the quality of the finished blanks.
7. If needed, the manufacturer preps the blanks to the proper starting shape and dimensions.

… and that back-and-forth all happens before machining can even begin. A process such as the one outlined above is not only costly and time consuming, but it also presents many risks for supply chain complications. The stock or blanks can get damaged or lost during any of the shipping periods, and traceability becomes more complicated across multiple vendors. This can also result in financial complications with a collection of various POs from different servicers involved in the process.

One Roof, Several Services

Getting pre-cut blanks for machining doesn’t need to be such a complicated ordeal. In fact, it can be quite simple.

At Boston Centerless, we’ve made it our mission to deliver the value, reliability, and peace of mind that our customers deserve. It starts with always providing precision materials, shaped to your exact tolerances and free of faults—but that’s only the beginning. We don’t just straighten and grind materials. We blank. We test and validate. We manage material stock and ship all orders in a timely manner. Our customers don’t have to worry about tracking down their shipments and herding POs. They choose us, and we handle it all to empower their precision machining processes.

Need a supplier you can count on? Find out why our customers
choose Boston Centerless as their partner in precision.