The Polish company Fanar supplies a wide range of cutting tools for threading, drilling, milling and turning, but it specialises in tools or machining holes.

The company’s customers operate in a wide variety of industries, including automotive, aerospace, medical and home appliances.

Fanar has always invested in the latest manufacturing technology to ensure that it can offer the latest product developments.

However, last year the company realised that if it was going to remain ahead in the market, it needed to minimise lead times when manufacturing complex cutting tools.

Technical director Dariusz Ptaszkiewicz said: “In the era of e-bay, people are accustomed to the convenience of on-line shopping, where products are delivered within two or three days.

“It can be challenging when customers purchasing specialist cutting tools expect this type of service. We needed to find a way to meet their expectations without compromising on quality.”

“We looked for a grinding-machine supplier that could provide a solution offering fast change-overs, precision and repeatability — plus a software package that was intuitive to use and didn’t require highly skilled programmers.”

He finally selected an MX7 Linear from Anca (www.anca.com), after being convinced by a number of the machine’s features, including: polymer concrete base, linear motors, the ability to prepare tool (wheels) on the machine and an integrated measuring system.

“These features meant we would be able to achieve our goal of 72hr delivery with a grinding machine of the highest standard. I am excited that Fanar is now in a position where we can consider orders that we avoided in the past.

“The Anca technology means we have the capacity to produce complex tools of the highest quality with minimal risk. We have achieved our goal of significantly reducing lead times and production costs, while opening new potential markets for our business.”