Accurate Fishing Increases Production 10x with HAIMER Shrink Fit

The following story was recently published in the HAIMER blog. We’re sharing it for inspiration, and also a hot tip for any saltwater anglers out there!

David and Douglas Nilsen are identical twins and the 3rd generation to run Accurate Grinding & Mfg. Corporation, which was originally dedicated to making aerospace components. In 1990, the company entered the sportfishing tackle market. The new venture was called Accurate Fishing Products.

Making a Name in Sportfishing

The introduction of their patented TwinDrag™ system in 1997 really put the company on the sportfishing map. Traditional fishing reels apply drag to only one side of the spool, which is like trying to stop your car with brakes only on one side. TwinDrag™ allows for equal pressure on both sides of the reel, thus permitting more stable loads for smoother drags. Accurate has since expanded its high-tech reel series to include seven blue-water models and over 60 light-tackle models. 

MUST SEE: Watch this brief video to see the story of Accurate Fishing.

Finding a Way in the USA

All the company’s products are 100% American made. With runs of 300 parts per night, any runout errors would be disastrous. In addition to runout, the soft nature of the material placed a premium on surface finish quality.

To move forward, the company needed toolholders that offered extreme repeatability and the collet holders the company was using were not up to the task. Achieving perfect alignment with the center of their spindles was near impossible. Constant refinement was always needed to maintain adequate accuracy and machining lights out was a risky proposition. To further help maintain accuracy, time-consuming secondary processes of disassembling, soaking and cleaning the collets and nuts were also utilized. Despite all the time invested, scrap and part finishes were still an issue with their mechanical collet chucks.

Repeatability Issues Solved

David and Douglas soon spoke with HAIMER sales representative Jordan Tetzlaff about five years ago. “He was very patient,” said David. “He would drop by and help us with one thing and then another. About two years ago, he recommended the shrink fit system as a solution to achieve the kind of output we were looking for.”

The switch made all the difference in the world. The shrink fit system brought the company the speed, tool life, finish and most notably, repeatability that allowed them run lights-out manufacturing with total confidence. No moving or wearable components in the holders meant their high degree of runout accuracy, balance accuracy and rigidity never deviated.

“Jordan coached us through the system and helped us along,” remarked Douglas. “At first the operators were just a little put off by the new technology. But once they realized they were done cleaning collets and nuts, and scrapping parts, they quickly jumped on board.” With the shrink fit, production quickly increased ten-fold. “All our problems just went away,” added David. “With the HAIMER toolholders, we shrink the tools, place them in the spindle and walk away with no worries.”

Keeping the American Dream Alive

Like their grandfather and father, David and Douglas are machinists at heart. Their experience, combined with innovative designs and a switch to HAIMER shrink fit products, helped the company experience a 70% growth rate for FY 2016. They are still growing at 35% year to date – without any increase in overhead. Their achievement as one of the few remaining U.S.-based manufacturers of sport fishing reels proves that with the proper focus on technology and productivity, American companies can not only compete, but excel, in the competitive global marketplace.