New Technology Hits the Ground Running

Our new MC80 machine has been in the UCEC shop for a few weeks and it’s already making a positive difference in production times. Operations Support Manager Zach Fothergill has been the primary programmer on the newest piece of technology in the shop. He says the machine is “kind of like a new employee” that must be scheduled in along with the rest of the (human) UCEC team.

“I examine the projects coming up for the week and I consider several factors in deciding whether or not to use the MC80 on a particular job,” Zach says. If he does utilize the MC80, Zach knows that the shop will enjoy a minimum of 25 percent time savings and far more once the shop is fully trained. Projects that don’t use the machine are hand-crafted just steps away in the shop.

Zac Fothergill spends a lot of his time with the new MC80, programming it and learning new features. 

The new machine helps UCEC keep costs lower by increasing shop capacity, all without adding people or overhead. In addition, the machine allows UCEC to shift resources nimbly, further decreasing production time.

In person, the MC80 is thrilling to watch as its robotic arm selects the correct drill bit, drills holes through metal and then caps them with a quiet whir and hum.

Zach is also still discovering new capabilities each day he works with the machine. “It’s amazing what it can do,” he says, “And the valuable benefits technology like this brings to our customers.”

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