Mitutoyo helps Gnosjö Automatsvarvning achieve competitive gain

Gnosjö Automatsvarvning is a family-owned business based in Småland, Sweden. Founded in 1974,  the company produces turned parts for a number of different industries, not least the automotive industry, which is a large and important industry with high demands on tolerances and verification. More than half of production is exported worldwide.

“We work with bars from 4 to 80 mm diameter, and in batches from 50 to several million,” says CEO Linda Fransson.

Fransson has worked in the family business her entire professional life. At 18 years old, she completed her high school graduation project with support from the manufacturer. Gnosjö Automatsvarvning had then, in 1992, purchased its first measuring machine from Mitutoyo. Taking the lead and testing new technology has permeated the business throughout the years.

“We have challenged Mitutoyo several times over the years and they’ve always given us what we need,” states Fransson.

Gnosjö Automatsvarvning has around 60 employees and has worked hard to automate the verification process as much as possible. This means that everyone should be able to use the equipment, which places high demands on automation, structure and order.

“Each product has its own program, created in Mitutoyo’s software.”

The operator, who knows both the machine and the part best, carries out the verification of each individual component, and this places high demands on both user-friendliness and durability of equipment.

“Our equipment from Mitutoyo consists of everything from callipers and micrometres to advanced CMMs, contour gauges and surface roughness solutions,” reveals Fransson. “All the equipment we need for measurement and verification comes exclusively from Mitutoyo. We’ve tried other suppliers in some areas but haven’t found anyone who can provide the quality we require.”

The machinery includes RA-2200 CNC Extreme, RA-2200AS, LSM, CV-3100H4, RA-2100AS, PJ-H30, SV-3100S4, MeasurLink, U-WAVE and two LEGEX measuring machines that can handle tolerances that few others in the world can handle.

“We can measure accuracy down to 0.45 μm, which is an accuracy that not many others can manage or even need, but for us it’s crucial to be able to deliver our parts,” she comments. “Our LEGEX machines are so crucial that we’ve chosen to invest in two identical ones. This back-up  ethos means we don’t have to stop production if something happens to one of the machines.”

A well-functioning statistics platform is a necessity for Gnosjö Automatsvarvning. It’s used to monitor variations in tool wear but also to control the production process.

“The system stores data from our measurements, so we can both monitor in real time and use it later for analysis. With a unique measurement program for each part, we systematise how we measure so that operators cannot decide how parts should be verified.”

The company is gradually moving away from the old software in favour of Measurlink, both from Mitutoyo.

Proximity to service and expertise is important for a small company like Gnosjö Automatsvarvning. Mitutoyo has an office in Värnamo, just a 30 minute drive, and can quickly be on site in emergency situations.

When Gnosjö Automatsvarvning updates its equipment or receives inquiries from customers about new requirements and tolerances, Mitutoyo is involved early in the process. Together, the companies find solutions that allow Gnosjö Automatsvarvning to deliver with 100% quality and on time.

“The challenges we have are very much about thinking outside the box and that’s why we want to surround ourselves with suppliers who are experts in their field,” remarks Fransson. “We’ve also evaluated other suppliers but have concluded that with Mitutoyo we get the overall solution which suits us best and that we can be confident with over time. In cases where we’ve chosen other suppliers, it concerns equipment that Mitutoyo does not have in its range.”

She looks forward to continued cooperation with Mitutoyo, where the next step is to update the statistics system to find the smartest way to verify.

“I only see opportunities for our future co-operation. We’ll need new, faster technology with AI technology as part of the decision-making process.”