Matsuura’s automation and lights-out machining deliver precise parts, shorter lead times, and combined operations with smaller footprints at Jarvis Manufacturing in Silicon Valley.

Jarvis Manufacturing, located in San Jose, CA, has been fulfilling the precision machining requirements of the Bay Area for over 65 years. Their advanced CNC machine tools provide Jarvis with capability to machine complex parts to unrivaled quality. From design consulting, to prototyping, and seamless transition to production and assembly, Jarvis Manufacturing has been a trusted supply chain partner with leading high-tech, medical, and oilfield companies.

Expensive Real Estate Costs in Silicon Valley

“Our Matsuuras have multiple functions and combine many operations in one footprint, and that has been a big benefit,” said Sam Kulaar VP of Operations, Jarvis Manufacturing. “We live in the top 10, if not top five, most expensive area in the United States, and we bought the Matsuura MAM72-35V and MX-330 PC10 machines over the past two years because of the combined operations and footprints.”

“The footprints are so much smaller, and the amount of work they can do within that much footprint is just amazing,” Kulaar explained.

Jarvis Manufacturing’s modern and flexible manufacturing facility can machine parts from aluminum, stainless steels, plastics and hard to machine metals and super alloys. Jarvis Manufacturing found great success with Matsuura’s multiple pallets and the ability to run unattended, while holding tight tolerances.

The Answer to Today’s Labor Shortages

The manufacturing industry continues to face shortages in skilled labor, causing machines to run for less time or be shut down more frequently. When machines aren’t running, it’s lost revenue and manufacturers are stressed because they cannot meet their production needs.

“From the time we bought these two machines, we’ve been able to combine work from our three or four vertical machines and put them into this one machine,” Kulaar explained.

Matsuura has developed and manufactured cutting-edge machine tools since 1935. From high-speed machining to full 5-axis, vertical, horizontal, linear motor or multi-tasking CNC machine tools, Matsuura has spearheaded the design of automated, unmanned, high accuracy CNC machine tools for a wide range of industries.

“We’re combining three, four, five operations into one operation and the machines are running unattended,” Kulaar  said. “The operator who runs the MAM72-35V, he runs four machines at a time, including two Matsuura verticals.”

Jarvis Manufacturing effectively achieves automation by combining operations. This approach to reducing set-up time, reducing labor content and combining of operations does not need to be expensive, nor time intensive to implement. 5-axis machines today are simpler, less expensive, and easier to program than in years past.

“With the MX-330 PC10 and the MAM72-35V, the operator only has to attend to maybe twice a day, twice in his shift, just to load new parts if we’re not doing a setup.”

Through lights-out operation, Jarvis Manufacturing increases production capacity, maintains complex 5-axis machining, and versatile functionality in all machining environments, variable-part variable-volume production and reliable extended unmanned operation and excellence in quality.

“So that’s been one of the biggest benefits for us because the labor shortages are always a challenge. And having an operator run four machines, and all four machines producing beautiful in tolerance/in spec parts, that is just great,” Kulaar said. “We have four Matsuura machines, including two VX-1000 machines, which we have had for about eight years. And the amount of work that they’ve been producing, the beautiful parts we’re running, including all kinds of exotic alloys, and their spindles are so solid, and the machines are built so rigid.”

The Matsuura VX Series includes technologically advanced vertical machining centers available at an investment cost contradicting their quality, versatility and heritage from the world’s first pioneer of true vertical CNC machining centers. The VX Series are robust, high-value, high-performance vertical machining centers delivering exceptional quality and performance, and having the latest, state-of-the-art technology, unsurpassed in accuracy, speed and rigidity. The VX machines are fully equipped, combining features which have previously been options, and ready for your demanding and arduous machining center environment.

Matsuura Heritage

For nearly a century, Matsuura has provided manufacturing solutions and new technologies, while remaining true to our heritage.

“My grandfather started the company in 1935, so I am third generation. This is a family business and we are very relationship oriented,” Katsutoshi Matsuura, President of Matsuura machinery Corporation said.

At Matsuura Machinery USA Inc., we continue to build upon and innovate within our organizational structure, enhancing production efficiency, and creating next-generation businesses.

Matsuura today produces a wide range of exceptional high-speed machining centers covering all industry sectors including: horizontals and verticals in all sizes, configured with 3 to 5 axis, single table, multi pallet systems, tool changers, our superb range of ultra-high speed linear motor machines and the Matsuura LUMEX Series which combines selective laser sintering (SLS) along with high speed milling (HSM) commonly called Hybrid AM.

“When we were looking into our first pallet full 5-axis machine, Matsuura was always at the top,” said Kulaar.

Exclusive Matsuura Distributor, Selway Machine Tool

“Our local distributor, Selway Machine Tool, helps us with our machines and assisted in the selection of our MAM72-35V and MX-330 PC10,” Kulaar explained.

Exclusive Matsuura Distributor, Selway Machine Tool, worked alongside Matsuura, providing a depth of support and experience to achieve the best complete solution for Jarvis Manufacturing’s unique production process, ensuring that their manufacturing requirements were met.

Selway Machine Tool is the exclusive distributor of Matsuura products on the West Coast, offering a wide variety of manufacturing solutions including machine tools, accessories, automation, service, and application support.

Matsuura’s Unmanned & Automated Pallet Pool CNC Machining

While some manufacturers outsource to reduce production costs, more progressive companies seek flexibility in their manufacturing processes to manage costs and expand their customer bases. This flexibility supports financial resilience in difficult economic times.

Automatically managing tools and pallets with software enables high-mix, low-volume production – where parts with a high value are produced on a single machining center – that can flexibly respond to the machining needs of the market.

True flexibility empowers manufacturers to stay in tune with their market, replacing rigid and static operating models with levels of control and responsiveness never previously possible.

“When we got our first 5-axis machine, the MX-330 PC10,  we had 90 tools, 10 pallets and we were running,” Kulaar explained. “We loaded the MX-330 PC10 up, we were super excited because we picked up work from our verticals right away.

Cost Benefit Analysis on a Machine that Does Not Stop

“About a year into having the MX-330 PC10, we did a cost analysis study and began logging the cycle time and how much it’s running,” Kulaar exclaimed. “We quickly realized that the machine doesn’t stop, the spindle doesn’t stop, and we were cutting 24 hours!”

The Matsuura Name Speaks for Itself

“We immediately thought, the name Matsuura speaks for itself,” Kulaar explained.

Since 1935 Matsuura has been providing manufacturing solutions and new technologies to the world, today we remain true to our heritage.

Across generations and under the pioneering spirit of our founder and First President, Toshio Matsuura, and his son, Masanori, we continue to work together to create success, innovate to meet customer needs, take pride in working safely, and be a leader that shapes the industry.

Today, third generation President, Katsutoshi Matsuura and his son Yuto, continue this tradition expanding the business to meet rising global demands for groundbreaking manufacturing solutions.

Pallets and Tools to Meet Demanding Production Goals

“Seeing that the MX-330 PC10 does not stop, we wanted a bigger version of it, with even more pallets and tools,” Kulaar said. “So that’s when we decided to purchase the MAM72-35V with 33 pallets, 330 tools, and you know, both of these small brother, big brother, and just been over like bread and butter.”

Meet even the most demanding of production goals with the MAM72-35V. High accuracy, repeatability, a large pallet changer, and unattended operation support high mix, low volume production at any time.

The MAM72-35V can withstand continuous production for up to 72 hours. It’s designed to handle a greater workpiece size than existing Matsuura models with its tailstock option and extra support for long workpieces and tall tombstone fixtures. MAM72-35V: 30+ years of Matsuura expertise distilled into one machine.

“These machines are producing so many more new parts and are keeping our other three or four verticals busy all day long,” Kulaar explained.

Meeting Customer Demands for Precision and Delivery

“With my Matsuura 5-axis machines, I’m able to support much shorter lead times for parts, including complicated ones, within a two to three day turn around,” said Kulaar. 

Precision & Repeatability

“And the beauty of these Matsuura machines is the repeatability is so great, and so is the precision,” explained Kulaar. “If your program is done right, the parts will be right the first time.”

The MX-330 PC10 makes efficient, cost-effective production possible with a minimal footprint, large pallet pool, and unmanned automation system.

Job Shop Dream Machine

“We thought that Matsuura was not for us initially, that their machines were only for high production,” Kulaar said. “We would always go to trade shows, see these big blue machines with multiple pallets with the high value, and incorrectly thought these are made only for a higher production.”

“But since we got these 5-axis Matsuuras, I mean, they have totally changed my perception because these ARE job shop machines.,” Kulaar continued.

“We definitely run some production overnight and around the weekends, where we unload all the pallets, then they run Saturday, Sunday,” Kulaar said. “But during the daytime, if somebody wants a quick part, these are my machines.”

“These Matsuuras really are Job Shop Dream Machines!”

“I have all the tools in my tool library on my computer when I’m programming and I know which tools are there and the work holding,” Kulaar explained. It gets rid of so many like human errors or manual labor that you have to do on every part.”

Automation is the Answer

Matsuura’s original automation and unmanned running systems can provide a solution to labor shortages by using working hours effectively. These systems can be installed as an option for Matsuura’s 3-axis/5-axis machining centers to automate tool changes and pallet changes using programs, drastically improving the productivity in your facility.

“The only way you can survive in this economy is by automation,” Kulaar said. “So we have this one machine is doing the work of four machines without an attendant being here and hat’s the only way that we can give our customers a price break on our parts.”

Contact Jarvis Manufacturing HERE.

More on Selway Machine Tool: Selway Machine Tool was founded in 1963 by Roy Selway. The company began representing Matsuura products in 1978.  Many of the Matsuura 5-axis machining centers sold by Selway Machine Tool are producing parts for the Aerospace, Medical and Semi-conductor industries. The company continues to expand its operations, functioning in the same performance driven environments as its customers, focusing on providing value added products and services.

Selway Machine Tool sold the first Matsuura Horizontal with Multi-pallet System in the U.S. and has installed thousands of Matsuura Machining Centers on the West Coast.

Matsuura Machinery USA, Inc., located in St. Paul, MN is the U.S. subsidiary of Matsuura Machinery Corporation in Japan. Since 1935, Matsuura has been the forerunner in designing innovative technology and manufacturing solutions to a variety of industries around the globe. Matsuura Machinery USA, Inc. delivers unmatched excellence in 5-axis, vertical, horizontal, linear motor, multi-tasking CNC machine tools and machines with a powder bed metal AM platform with machining capability. Matsuura Machinery USA, Inc. provides the service, applications and technical field support that have always been the Matsuura standard for business.