​Marc Chauvette started Freedom Machine 12 years ago part time in his garage. As a trained R&D model maker and test equipment designer, he found a nice business doing prototype work for the aerospace and electronics companies that operate in New Hampshire. Things were going so well that he took the plunge 6 years ago and went after this business full time. While he was successful, he found that his operating costs were squeezing his margins. His 2 axis knee mills were fine for one or two prototypes, but he couldn't secure the production contracts that would generate a more stable cash flow. He realized he needed a Vertical Machining Center.

His first purchase just didn’t work out. With a standard G-code control, Marc, who had no programming experience, was faced with having to hire a class ’A’ CNC machinist to run the machine or invest heavily in a CAM system and incur the overhead of a full time programmer to make the machine operational. As a small company, he just could not do it. With the market turning soft, Marc was in danger of losing his business he had worked so hard to build. Fortunately, he discovered Hurco and the capabilities of the integrated control. Marc is the first to admit he is not a computer wiz, but he is an excellent machinist. What he found in the Hurco control was conversational, a programming method that spoke his language instead of G-code. From the first day he was producing programs and parts, meeting customer schedules, and making money.

Key Hurco Advantage

Marc sees the Hurco as his ‘friend’. It speaks his language and allows him to control his business. During the recent downturn, Marc watched as a number of well-known local shops went under. Marc knew he had to grow his business but keep costs, especially overhead, at a minimum. The Hurco VMX30 with conversational programming has shown him a way to succeed. The performance, in terms of speed and accuracy, of the Hurco matches up very well with competitive equipment costing thousands more. So he can compete. He has added customers with his new production capability and the ability to process small lots efficiently.

Summary

As it has proven for over 25 years, the fully integrated Hurco control on the Hurco VMX machining center provides users with unmatched capabilities in processing short to medium lot sizes with no overhead. All the programming and editing are done on the shop floor in plain English. No G-codes or macros. No off-line programs to post process and edit. Marc is in control of his business. He can find people to run his machine because it is so simple to use. His costs and overhead are under control and he can move from the prototype contract to productions runs seamlessly and profitably.