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IDS Machining Uses State-Of-The-Art Tools And Software To Provide Superior Parts For Their Customers |
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IDS Machining just does it right. They purchase the best machine tool equipment and accompanying software, and with their superior tools, they maximize their output per employee. In fact, their ratio of machines to employees is an astounding 3:1, which means that machines are producing parts while an employee is performing a set-up on another machine…and another.
The company is a family owned, woman-owned business, with husband and wife Mark and Lynette Palmer running the company on a day-to-day basis. (IDS is also a pet friendly establishment with canine family members Emily and Brandie helping at the shop regularly.) The company offers precision CNC machining (mill and lathe), Wire EDM and Sinker EDM machining, and they are expert in mold making (vacuum form, lost wax and silicon injection) and die making (smashing, forming and tool and die). This small business is renowned for its R&D work, and they support customers who require low quantity production runs. Their customers span many states west of the Mississippi, and they produce parts with such materials as stainless steel, tool steels, aluminum, nylon, plastic, and even have manufactured composite parts.
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Mark says, “We offer general project advice, approaches to cost-effective tooling, drawing evaluations, and will even build a prototype and small runs to allow you the flexibility of making changes and fine tuning your project before going into production.”
Mark prepared himself to own a machine shop for his whole life. From the time he was a child, Mark took appliances and bicycles apart, just to put them together. Both Mark’s father and grandfather were machinists by trade, and Mark learned from the best. Mark says, “I learned machining and fabrication from my family members, and just knew that machining was my love.”
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After high school, Mark studied Manufacturing Engineering at Weber State University. He trained as an employee at a plastic injection molding company, and he spent 13 years working at an investment casting house, building molds (many were for the Aerospace Industry). Later, he went on to build new tooling for production for a manufacturer of mountain climbing equipment. Mark admits his years working for injection molding and investment-casting companies has been invaluable to his ability to support his customers. Mark’s wife Lynette is a credentialed and trained dental assistant, and her trade required precision and detail that is also mandatory for precision machining. When Lynette left her career to begin a new one, she went to work for a precision machine shop years before IDS Machining was opened. When she joined Mark at IDS Machining, she was already a skilled machinist.
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Mark always had a plan to start his own business. While working for a mountain climbing equipment manufacturer by day, Mark and a partner worked weekends and evenings establishing a business that offered both machine shop capabilities while simultaneously supporting machine shops in the region as a distributor of a CAD/CAM software.
Business grew for Mark and his partner’s company, and Mark was able to leave his full time job to dedicate his time to supporting customers full time. When Mark’s partner and he made the decision to each open their own business, Mark launched his new company, called IDS Machining, in Clearfield, Utah, miles from Salt Lake City.
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IDS Machining opened for business with a small number of machines, not new, and largely manual. Customers who knew Mark from his many years at different companies willingly added IDS Machining to their list of suppliers. Lynette says, “We have been blessed with steady business from loyal customers.”
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When your company is run by a Journeyman caliber machinist, an investment casting expert and a mold maker, and that company offers superior service, including on-time delivery, business just naturally comes to you. And so it did with IDS Machining. Mark says, “About 9 years ago, we were prepared to purchase some superior new precision machine tools.” The company contacted several machine tool dealers in Utah. Lynette adds, “Local support was key to our decision making, as we had already experienced the impact of purchasing machine tools that didn’t offer local service. It meant down time that we couldn’t afford.” The company that won IDS Machining’s new machine tool business was Smith Machinery. Mark says, “From the start, we saw really great service from Smith Machinery, and our Mazak mill and lathes are outstanding machine tools.” Lynette added, “We continue to evaluate several machine tools each time we are in the market for new machines, but the fact that we know the Mazak controls, coupled with the fact that we get great service, means we continue to buy machine tools from Smith Machinery.”
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Lynette says, “We were having our 4th Mazak machine delivered, and I was clearing out the floor and cleaning to prepare for the new installation. Mark got busy with a customer when the machine arrived, and Clark Smith, owner of Smith Machinery, was there with us for the installation. I was rushing around trying to get the floor ready and Clark picked up the floor scraper & broom to clean the area. I just couldn’t believe it. Not only was he helping (in his clean clothes) to clean the shop area, but also the fact that he was there with us for the delivery and installation was just amazing. It was outstanding.”
When it came time to purchase a new EDM machine (their Sinker EDM had died), Mark and Lynette made the decision to purchase their new EDM from Smith Machinery. “We hadn’t run a Mitsubishi EDM, but we were so confident in the support we would receive from Smith Machinery that we knew our decision was sound. We’re pretty much a ‘Smith Machinery’ shop today.
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David Soares, Sales Engineer at Smith Machinery, supports IDS Machining. “We have a great rapport with David”, Mark says, “and we are confident with each and every machine we purchase from the Smith Machinery team.” Lynette adds, “We have a ratio of 3 machines per employee, and to run multiple machines simultaneously, you need the best in class machine tools, coupled with great CAD/CAM software, and of course experienced machinists. You get this with IDS Machining.”
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Call IDS Machining for an expert machine shop that offers Journeyman caliber mold making. They can be reached at 801-779-9662 or visit IDSMachining.com Article courtesy of A2Z Metalworker |
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41 West Guest Avenue
Salt Lake City, UT 84115
Phone: 801-263-6403
Fax: 801-263-6404
Email: smc@smithmachinetools.com
Salt Lake City, UT 84115
Phone: 801-263-6403
Fax: 801-263-6404
Email: smc@smithmachinetools.com