A new vertical machining center has dramatically increased production at Birmingham Rail’s plant in Youngstown, Ohio.

“The new mill is capable of completing the full process of making switch plates, which has eliminated moving the plates between various stations and more than doubled our throughput in the process,” said SCOTT CALHOUN, director of switch material.

The heavy-duty, three-axis unit cuts the 1” thick steel plates with ease and uses feedback such as temperature and torque to maximize the cutting speed and extend tool life.

“It was taking about 45 minutes to produce a single switch plate, and this machine has reduced that to about six minutes,” said ERIC CARTER, vice president and general manager. “Our switch plate team no longer has to work nights and weekends to keep up with demand.”

More growth is anticipated now that the new machine is in place. “With our expanded capacity, we look forward to serving more customers and becoming a key supplier of trackwork in the North American market,” said Eric. “Placing modern equipment in the hands of the skilled team at our Youngstown facility is a key part of our growth strategy.”