How Integration Sets BC Apart

Posted on July 06, 2023 by Boston Centerless

When it comes to precision machining, integration sets Boston Centerless apart as most other machine shops simply cannot provide the range of in-house services and precision products that we offer. When our precision grinding is combined with our value-added services and vendor managed inventory programs, our customers realize reduced costs, decreased lead times, and enhanced quality. At Boston Centerless, our integrated products and services deliver world-class supply chain management for our customers.

What is Vertical Integration?

Manufacturers are constantly under pressure to reduce costs while maintaining excellent quality. To achieve these objectives, some companies are strategically integrating along the supply chain. There are two types of integrated supply chain models: horizontal and vertical. Horizontal integration is the acquisition of competitors in order to expand control at a given point in the supply chain. For example, one manufacturer acquires another manufacturer for growth opportunities at a specific stage of the supply chain. Conversely, vertical integration occurs when a company acquires and controls additional stages of the supply chain. When partnering with an integrated service provider like Boston Centerless, value-added services become an extension of the precision grinding process – delivering a complete manufacturing solution. As your one-stop shop, we have the capabilities, capacity, quality assurance standards, and resources to support all of your precision machining needs.

How Integration Expands Our Offerings Beyond Grinding

Optimization of the supply chain is a challenge for every company. A company’s supply chain starts with raw material acquisition and ends when the customer receives the final product – and is comprised of all of the suppliers that participate in the sourcing, inventory, grinding, services to treat the bar, and distribution processes.

As markets become increasingly competitive, integration becomes more of a necessity. By acquiring additional stages in the precision machining supply chain, Boston Centerless is able to increase control, leading to lower risks, higher efficiency, and lower costs – all of which provide a critical competitive edge for our customers. Below are a few examples of how our integration sets us apart from other precision machining shops – all of these services are offered in-house, reducing the lead times and costs for our customers. Also, it is important to note that Boston Centerless is able to include all of our material and services for one bar under a single PO. This is a huge differentiator as oftentimes these services each require a separate PO. With a single PO, our customers are able to avoid the time requirements – and headaches - that often come with tracking numerous POs.

Material Selection: the team at Boston Centerless is able to perform our centerless grinding services on raw materials that we procure as well as materials supplied by our customers. We stock an extensive volume of raw and pre-ground material inventory in-house, and we work with our customers to identify the best material options for their needs.
On-site Inventories: Boston Centerless has 3 distribution centers that are strategically located. Our customers are able to take advantage of a myriad of finished goods that are held at these centers, minimizing the lead times of our products. Our locations include Woburn, MA; Minneapolis, MN; and Fort Wayne, IN.
Lapping: this service is similar to grinding but delivers an even higher level of precision and is able to achieve incredibly tight tolerances. In fact, our lapping service is able to grind to 5 millionths of an inch (0.000005″).
Straightening: Boston Centerless offers straightening services for our precision bar, and we are implementing a process that enables us to turn coils into straight bars. This step will further vertically integrate our services and enable us to be even more responsive to our customers’ needs.

Cut Lengths: Boston Centerless can cut bar to the desired length for our customers.
Chamfering: we are able to chamfer the ends of our bar, improving the ease of handling and machinability of our products.

Laser Marking: we currently offer laser marking for our precision bar and are looking for opportunities to incorporate automation into our processes to offer even quicker laser marking services.

Heat Treating: we offer heat treating to improve the machinability and enhance the physical properties of our precision bar.

Material Testing and Validation: testing and validation is one of the key reasons why Boston Centerless is a one-stop shop for our customers. Our in-house services allow our customers to avoid the time and cost typically associated with shipping bar to a third party for testing. We offer a variety of testing methods including ultrasonic testing, eddy current, XRF analysis as well as hardness and mechanical tensile strength testing.
Vendor Managed Inventory (VMIs): our team creates custom VMI programs to ensure our customers have the necessary inventory on hand when they need it. Additionally, the economies of scale with our programs substantially reduce overall inventory costs. We offer the following VMI programs:

Kanban and JIT
Blanket Order Release
Hold-for-Release
Dock to Stock

Would your team benefit from the integrated precision machining services at Boston Centerless?

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The Value of Partnering with an Integrated Precision Machining Shop

Over time, companies often find they have developed a large supply chain that can be challenging and time-consuming to manage. Working with an integrated supplier, like Boston Centerless, enables our customers to consolidate their supply base, resulting in a more efficient supply chain. Here are a few of the ways integrated providers add value:

More Flexibility: integration allows manufacturers to be more nimble and responsive to changing market conditions and customer demands. Their distribution networks are in place to seamlessly move goods as necessary. Integration also provides an economy of scale that is not possible for non-integrated suppliers. Manufacturers are able to use their size for negotiating power and to buy in bulk – resulting in lower per unit costs.
Lower Costs: decreased expenses are a key benefit of integration. The cost savings come from a variety of sources depending on the integration model, but can include lower shipping and logistics expenses, decreased inventory and storage costs, fewer quality issues, as well as the competitive edge of reaching the marketplace faster.
Fewer Disruptions: simply put, the more stages of the supply chain that are controlled, the fewer disruptions and delays occur. Integrated manufacturers control more of their supply chain and have less surprises - and are able to more effectively manage any problems that arise. Similarly, integration allows manufacturers to even more closely track and control quality – resulting in fewer off-spec or returned products and a better overall customer experience.

About Boston Centerless

Boston Centerless provides solutions that enhance our customer’s manufacturing processes. With 65 years of precision grinding expertise, we grind the tightest tolerances in the industry. We have proven experience with an extensive range of materials, and our manufacturing solutions include:

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