News | C&B Machinery

MFG Day 2023

Monday, October 9, 2023 | News

Manufacturing Day 2023 was a Success!

C&B Machinery, in coordination with the Livingston Educational Service Agency (LESA) and Ann Arbor Spark, was given the privilege of hosting 2 local high school groups on October 5, 2023 as part of the national event coordinated by The Manufacturing Institute.

Manufacturing Day is an annual event celebrated nationally in early October. According to the Manufacturing Day website, ‘MFG Day is manufacturing’s biggest annual opportunity to inspire the next generation, positively shift perceptions about our industry, and build the foundation for the manufacturing workforce of the future.’

By participating in Manufacturing Day, C&B Machinery provided high school students with experiences and insights into the world of manufacturing, a wonderful way to inspire and educate the next generation of industry leaders.

About 35 students visited our facility accompanied by their teachers and spent about 1-2 hours learning more about C&B. The first group were students taking an engineering class offered at Brighton High School. The second group were students taking an Auto Shop class at Brighton High School.

For this year’s event, we chose to focus on 3 careers and areas of work we do at C&B: Controls Engineering, Mechanical Engineering/Design and Service Technician/Machine Builder. Students were split into smaller groups to learn more about the Controls Engineer and Mechanical Engineer roles. We then brought the entire group back together in the shop to watch our Swing Arm Double Disc Grinding Machine at work grinding customer parts for a trial production run lead by two of our Service Technicians/Machine Builders. By focusing on specific careers and areas of work within C&B, we gave the students a targeted and meaningful exposure to a few different roles and responsibilities in our company.

C&B Machinery was honored to participate in Manufacturing Day 2023! We look forward to more events like this in the future. We are preparing to host students for Job Shadow Day at the end of October.

C&B Machinery is dedicated to investing in the future workforce and helping young individuals discover the potential within the manufacturing industry. Hosting events like Manufacturing Day and Job Shadow Day are crucial steps towards building a skilled and motivated workforce for the future.

Employee Spotlight – Bob Waddell

Monday, September 18, 2023 | News

Bob Waddell – Machine Builder

Bob has been a integral part of C&B for over 17 years. We are grateful to have him on our team and figured it was time to shine the spotlight on him.

What is the story behind how you came to work at C&B Machinery?

I began my work as a machine builder in 1979. I worked for about 4 companies and was very loyal to each one. I found myself looking for a new job when the owner either decided to retire or passed away.

About 17 years ago, I had finished up at a job and was looking for another one. I had worked in the building that C&B was occupying in Livonia and saw the sign that said they were machine builders. I stopped in, knocked on the door, told them about my experience and was hired.

Since coming to C&B, what has been your favorite project?

I don’t have a favorite project that stands out to me.

As a machine builder, the newest project is always the most challenging. I do prefer to build a brand-new machine over a rebuild, mainly because a rebuild has many challenges, is dirtier work and there tend to be more complications. You can pretty much guarantee there will be bolts that won’t come out and other areas that no longer function.

What about robots? How do you like incorporating them into your machines?

I have been working with robots for over 30 years. This is not new technology to machine builders. Successful automation requires collaboration with the programmers and controls engineers and you work together with each other’s strengths.

Hot Sauce Meter – Mild, Medium, Hot, Fire

Open the bottle, but don’t pour it on.

As mild as you can get.

How did you get involved in the grinding industry?

When I came to C&B, I did not have any experience building grinding machines. I had general, industrial machine building experience. I had to learn from others and used my aptitude for machine building to figure things out. It wasn’t that different.

I did have a lot of alignment experience prior to C&B and that has been valuable in my role here.

Town you call home:

Born and raised in Ohio. Moved to Michigan around 19 years old and lived in Plymouth for 10 years. That is the place that felt most like home, though I have not lived there in 30 years. We rented a house near Kellogg Park and enjoyed the events and activities in the area.

What advice would you give to someone thinking about manufacturing as a career?

To become a machine builder, experience is not a requirement. If you try to become a machine builder, you will know pretty quickly if you have an aptitude for it or not. I found that I did, but have seen thousands of people try it and many do not.

The main requirements are good work ethic and a willingness to learn. You have to be able to work with others and be trained. Be open to learning and don’t be afraid to ask questions.

Manufacturing can provide a good career, if the work fits your personality. Working for a smaller company, like C&B, there is nowhere to hide. Everyone pulls their weight and does their job well. There is a lot of teamwork.

Blue & Gold (U of M) or Green & White (MSU)?

Maize and Blue. My wife did graduate from MSU, but she seems to cheer for the blue and gold, too.

What roles have you held at C&B? What does your current role entail?

I have only held the title of Machine Builder. There are many pieces to this role. I go out on service calls as a Service Technician because I am an expert on machines and how they are built. I am able to troubleshoot the issues pretty easily.

I also work with new employees and office staff to teach and train regarding how the machines are built and how they work. I enjoy this aspect of my job, as well.

Get Your Grind On – C&B Grinding School

Wednesday, August 30, 2023 | News

C&B Machinery has implemented a new program for our employees. Grinding School was born from the realization that we were missing out on a huge opportunity: cross-training our shop employees. Cross-training is beneficial in so many ways that we knew we HAD to start this program. C&B believes this will benefit not only our company internally, but will be a benefit to our customers, as well.

In a small to mid-size manufacturing company, training an employee to do more than one specific job is vital. Without cross-training, you run the risk of an employee leaving the company, for whatever the reason, and you won’t have another one to step in and fulfill the tasks of their role until a new employee is hired and fully trained. This not only affects the company, but can also have an adverse affect on the customer.

Increased knowledge in multiple job roles, continuous improvement and teamwork are just a few of the benefits employees and companies can realize when a cross-training program is implemented. The employees who are teaching, as well as, the employees who are learning feel more engaged. The teaching employees have an opportunity to share their knowledge on a specific topic, which may require some planning and preparation. Employees who are being taught are given an opportunity to ask questions and take time to completely understand a concept, where in a normal ‘work’ setting that may not always be the case.

Research shows that when an employee feels more engaged there is a higher probability of him/her doing their job more effectively and efficiently. C&B will continue to seek out opportunities and listen to our employees’ requests to help provide the training and education they need and desire to be the best in their role.

C&B Machinery is a Builder of Grinding Machines. We build new machines plus remanufacture, retrofit, rebuild and re-engineer used machines. Bring us your grinding machine and we will collaborate to make it the machine to fit your current grinding needs.

Employee Spotlight – Craig Attard

Thursday, June 8, 2023 | News

Craig Attard – Purchasing / Spare Parts Manager

Craig just moved into a new role at C&B. What better time to put him in the spotlight!

What is the story behind how you came to work at C&B Machinery?

I was familiar with C&B because they were a previous customer of mine from my former employer. I knew the company and that there was a good crew of people here.

Since coming to C&B, what has been your favorite project?

The New Clamp Bore Machine Project – it has been an important product advancement for the company and I have learned a lot from the project management side of the project, as well.

Hot Sauce Meter – Mild, Medium, Hot, Fire

Medium – lots of flavor but not too much heat

How did you get involved in the grinding industry?

My first job was assembling for Wheel Dressing Incorporated. I worked there for 22 years. Future opportunities came from my connections within the grinding industry.

Town you call home:

Not where I live now: Dearborn Heights, MI

What advice would you give to someone thinking about manufacturing as a career?

Go into an area that you enjoy. I work in manufacturing because I enjoy building and fixing things. I am mechanically inclined. Look into a career where you have a talent.
I started working in assembly, then moved to inside sales, then engineering. You can climb the ladder in manufacturing, if you put in the effort.
I encourage looking at manufacturing for job opportunities. Everything needs to be built. There is a lot of variety in the manufacturing industry. I once had a position where I might call on the medical industry, automotive industry and military industry all in one day. There are opportunities for advancement unlike you see in many other industries. The variety of products is unlimited. Not everything in manufacturing is related to the automotive industry.

Blue & Gold (U of M) or Green & White (MSU)?

Blue & Gold

What roles have you held at C&B? What does your current role entail?

I started in an Inside Sales/Project Management role. About a month ago, I moved to Purchasing and Spare Parts Manager.
In my current role, I work with customers to help keep their machines running. I do this by working with them to identify the machine parts they need for repairs or maintenance. I work with our vendors to ensure timely delivery of parts to our customers.
Working with our vendors helps me keep current with product offerings and lead times. This helps me do a better job overall.

Job Shadow Day – March 2023

Wednesday, April 12, 2023 | News

C&B Machinery was given the privilege of hosting 3 local high school students on March 8 for Job Shadow Day. Job Shadow Day is an event hosted by the Livingston Educational Service Agency (LESA) and its Career Development Center. This is a bi-annual event that provides an opportunity for businesses to open their doors to local students who are interested in the work they do.

C&B Machinery has a long history in Livingston County and has worked with LESA in the past. For the 2023 event, we had the opportunity to host 2 Brighton High School students and 1 Hartland High School Student. The students attend the Manufacturing program through the Livingston Career & Technical Education Center. Unlike a general tour, the students were able to experience hands-on learning. They were able to try hand scraping, learn more about the grinding process and talk with machinists, engineers, and other staff about what they do and ask questions about C&B.

C&B Machinery was honored to be a part of this event and we look forward to more events like this in the future. We are aware that our future success will be in the talented youth of tomorrow and want to be a part of building relationships with LESA and all students who show an interest in Manufacturing.

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Double Disc Grinder Alignment Issues

Thursday, February 24, 2022 | News

All machines require a certain level of alignment that is directly proportional to the tolerances expected of the finished workpiece. Double Disc Grinding Machines are capable of final part tolerances in the .0001”-.0005” range, depending on the application, making machine alignments critical. Over time these alignments are negatively affected by wear, improper adjustments, poor maintenance, etc., and may require proper adjustments to resolve part quality issues.

Typical Part Quality Issues

Size/Height: Trouble maintaining part size.
Parallelism: Parts not grinding parallel due to machine setup issues.
Flatness: Parts not grinding flat due to machine setup issues.
Swipes, swiping, dubbing, shiny spots, and/or inconsistent grind patterns.
Localized burns, hot spots, or poor surface finish.

Possible Machine Issues

Spindle In-Feed Assembly Worn Out or Misaligned
Dresser Assembly Misaligned or Setup Issues
Spindle Heads Misaligned, Worn Out, or Bearing Issues
Guides Misaligned in relation to each other or the grinding wheels.
Tooling / Feed Mechanism Misaligned in relation to the guides and grinding wheels.

Misalignments in various mechanisms manifest themselves in the part geometry and finish. Poor parallelism, poor flatness, and burning in a limited area of the part can all indicate a misalignment condition. Swiping is when one certain area of the parts has an uneven mark, different grind patterns, or a limited area with a poor surface finish. These can all be symptoms of machine misalignments or worn-out assemblies.

Adjusting one area of the machine can cause problems in other areas, so the machine must be thought of as a system. Problems can result from the wheels being misaligned relative to each other. The dresser can be misaligned relative to the wheels. The guides must also be properly aligned relative to each other and also in relation to the wheels. The tooling/part feed mechanism must also be considered to achieve a properly aligned system and the tightest tolerances with a quality finish.

Our Service Technicians have the training, tools, and experience to keep your machine’s output at its best. Let one of C&B’s trained service technicians bring your machine back into alignment and get your production back to producing quality parts today!

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