Profix

Profix, a Leitz tooling solution, saves customer over $10,000 in costs per month on one machine line and subsequently eliminates costly machine downtimes!

An inquiry from customer regarding a "less expensive insert provider" resulted in Leitz offering a replacement finger-jointing system that was a solution for a customer's specific application needs. This customer was breaking knives on the OEM supplied tool every 4 hrs resulting in 2 changeovers per day. It was our challenge to prove the economic solution of Profix.

Our Challenge

  • Provide exchangeable knife finger-jointing system that would stand up to the stand up to the demands of industrial horizontal finger-jointing in hard Maple without time-wasting tool changes during the shift
  • Eliminate time-wasting knife changes during shifts
  • Eliminate the high cost of "throw-away" insert knives
  • Increase machine output and productivity
  • Decrease waste from damaged parts and parts that do not fit
  • Provide pay-off of new tooling investment in less than one year
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Machine and application details

  • Machine: Industrial horizontal finger-jointing machine line
  • Application: Finger-jointing in hard Maple with construction grade fit
  • Product: Solid hard wood butcher block tops
  • RPM: 4,800
  • Feed Speed: 15 Meters per minute
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The Leitz solution

  • Leitz Profix exchangeable knife system
  • Serviceable knives (up to 20 re-grinds)
  • Robust, dependable design even in finger joint profiles
  • Knife changes possible right on the spindle in minutes
  • Constant diameter, profile and axial positions.  No spindle movements after re-grind!
  • Optimum grade of carbide exact for application
  • No special set-up stands, fixtures or optical equipment needed for knife changes
  • Exceeds industry standard accuracy
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The Results

  • Pay-off on new tooling investment in 6 weeks.  We exceeded the customer’s expectations by 46 weeks!
  • Tool changes went from 2 times per day to 2 times every two weeks
  • Productivity increased by over 30%
  • The customer decreased the labor in this operation by one person.  They filled a needed position in another operation with this person and didn’t have to hire.
  • Tooling cost went from nearly $12,000 per month to under $2,000 per month
  • Optimizing the finger geometry resulted in stronger joint strength
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