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When Repair is Not an Option



"Spindle repair and rebuild is the heart of what we do at GTI Spindle Technology, and we pride ourselves on being able to handle any spindle that comes through our door. All spindles can be repaired, though the associated cost for some can eclipse that of a brand-new spindle. When this happens, we turn to Peron Spindle for a replacement," said a company spokesperson.

GTI is the exclusive North American reseller for Peron Spindle, with the two companies working together since 2013. "GTI sought a relationship with Peron because of its diverse product line and complete spindle knowledge as well as its high standard of quality craftsmanship," said the spokesperson.

Peron spindles feature heavily in the aerospace, automotive and OEM sectors where GTI specializes. Peron offers high frequency I.D. grinding spindles utilized in this sector, and this type of spindle plays a critical production role for many of GTI's customers. By providing Peron replacement spindles, GTI gets customers back up and running with minimal downtime.

Should customers have an obsolete spindle and replacements are no longer manufactured, using an existing spindle, Peron can reverse engineer a completely new spindle-saving customers time and money without having to retrofit or replace machinery. Peron also does not require a set production run to manufacture spindles, enabling them to fabricate one-off spindles.

"The relationship between GTI and Peron Spindle has saved our customers thousands," said the spokesperson. "As with any customer, GTI has to understand their needs and their problems, and most of all have them trust in our ability to address these issues. We have a spindle design tech that has worked with one such company for over 30 years."

This company has 30 plus machines with GTI repaired spindles. Each machine has a grind spindle and a dresser spindle. Peron has built duplicate replacements for both types of spindles. In order to maintain production, they have always maintained a supply of spare spindles. Spindle life is far from a finite number and it can vary from a few weeks to as much as two years. "A spindle can always be repaired-it is just a matter of making this cost effective," said the spokesperson. "Some companies will purchase new spindles when the repair cost is more than 50% of a new replacement, while others will allow repair spindles cost to go as high as 75% before replacing."

As repair costs for these spindles increased due to age and other factors, GTI took the initiative to discuss replacing some of the higher cost repairs with new spindles. "GTI's knowledge of the spindles comes from the many repairs we have done, and our engineering expertise allowed GTI to approach Peron with spindle specifications for a design that would require no changes to the machines," said the spokesperson. "In going to Peron with specifications that would make the new spindle a direct replacement and getting a quote for replacing those high cost repairs, GTI was in a position to present a clear, cost-effective proposal."

In this case, GTI did an analysis of some of the high cost spindle repairs to determine which spindles should be replaced. Not only were the most recent cost reviewed, but several years of spindle repair history was taken into consideration. Spindles that had a long history of expensive repairs were candidates for replacement, as opposed to a spindle that had only a recent, one-time high cost repair.

Based on the cost of a new replacement spindle, a dollar figure was assigned that made a spindle repair questionable. GTI provided a list of spindles that fit this criterion and suggested a quantity of spindles to be replaced as well as a cost justification for the replacement. The three main factors to be considered for replacement were a direct replacement spindle, cost of repairs versus new spindles and lost production. Therefore, the cost justification was based on new spindle cost, old spindle repair cost and lost production due to spare spindles not being available.

A total of four new spindles were purchased and are now in use, manufacturing product alongside the original spindles. Additional new spindles are to be considered as the older spindles become too expensive to repair; some of these spindles are over 25 years old.

"Machines are comprised of a whole host of pieces, of which a spindle is the most crucial component. GTI's relationship with Peron allows us to provide outstanding customer service and supply high quality spindles when repair is not an option," added the spokesperson.

For more information contact:

GTI Spindle Technology

33 Zachary Road

Manchester, NH 03063

888-473-9675 / 603-669-5993

info@gtispindle.com

www.gtispindle.com

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