"The conversational control on the Okuma LB-15 helped me make my decision. It was so easy to go into the machine and write the programs. I did not have to spend additional dollars to purchase an off-line system or a PC when I started, and the learning curve on the Okuma LB-15 was very short."

Since installation almost two years ago, this machine has far exceeded expectations. "We have taken jobs with proven processes that we have run on modern 2 axis single spindle lathes in the past, and with no changes to feeds or speeds recognized tremendous gains!" Jay tells us, "An example is the job we are running on it presently.

If you are not making chips, you are not making money. Machine uptime and machine accuracy are vital to your business and this begins with ensuring your machine maintenance program is being followed. Hartwig believes our customers trust us to provide quality equipment but also to keep it running.

The credit crunch could provide the impetus we need to answer a question that has defeated policymakers for more than 50 years: how can manufacturing be encouraged to create wealth as part of a competitive, high value American economy?