Welcome to the first issue of The Carmex Courier, a publication dedicated to keeping our customers and friends updated on the latest in thread milling and turning. We hope you find our case histories, product bulletins, and timely features both informative and entertaining, and we invite you to contact us with comments and suggestions.

I think most of us would agree with the old saying, “The only thing that is constant is change,” but we rarely take the time to reflect on the way in which change happens.

For instance, we talk about how “the computer” has changed the world, but consider how much the computer, and especially computer technology has changed in a little more than 50 years.

When it comes to American manufacturing, the change has been even more dramatic. At present, American manufacturing is thriving, not through the mass production of simple parts but through the small to medium batch creation of complex parts made from new and exotic alloys.

Unfortunately, even some of those involved in the production of these parts have not fully come to the realization that, to produce them efficiently, new and different tooling is called for. Every day, our salespeople and representatives help individuals accept the fact that new technologies demand new tools and methods. In fact, we find ourselves very often not selling against competitors but selling against the past.

Trying to create high-precision threads with traditional taps is not unlike attempting to machine titanium on an old-fashioned knee mill. You might be able to do it, but it will not be efficient, you’ll waste a lot of time, and you’ll have a lot of scrap. By helping customers see that thread milling is the right alternative for today’s parts, we hope that we have done more than simply make a sale.

Progress has been no less dramatic in thread turning. The use of the latest designs, materials and coatings has presented unprecedented advances, both in precision production and quality. New and specialized techniques, such as thread whirling, are meeting the most stringent demands of the latest technologies.

It is our goal to open our customers’ eyes to the big picture and cause them to reevaluate a machine’s processes and tools in light of new capabilities, vastly improved materials, and modern production standards.

In so doing, it’s our goal not just to create a new customer but to bring positive change and an awareness of its possibilities to those we serve.