Feature Articles....................................................1

Reata Adds To Its Mazak Machining Centers With The Newest VARIAXIS i-300

“We do the difficult parts that keep our customers up at night” — Grady Cope, Reata Engineering and Machine Works

Grady with Intern Yannick Wongphabut from the Cherry Creek Innovation Campus Part run on the new VARIAXIS i300 AWC machine. The number of operations reduced from 6 to 1

There’s a reason why Reata, after nearly three decades in business, can handle complex and highly engineered parts. “We have the machines, the software, the talent and the processes that equip us to handle these difficult parts,” says Cope. Reata, an ISO 9001/ AS9100 certified company, supports customers in the medical and aerospace industries and delivers complete assemblies and subassemblies. Cope has a background in mechanical engineering, and Reata’s team of engineers works to assist customers with design.

Cope believes in the value of adopting innovative new technology. In 2011, he accepted the position of Chairman of the National Tooling and Machining Association (NTMA), which gave him the opportunity to travel to shops throughout the United States. “All around the country, nearly all of the highly successful shops were focused on automation. They invested in machine tools that afforded them the ability to run lights out, to minimize set ups, and to reduce their workforce needs,” says Cope. He saw the financial and technical benefits of investing in automation first-hand.

During one trip as NTMA Chairman, Cope visited Mazak’s US factory in Florence, Kentucky. During a lunch session he was seated next to Brian Papke, then-president of Mazak’s US operations. “When we talked, Brian asked why I didn’t own a Mazak,” Cope says. When Cope returned to Englewood, the local Mazak distributor, Action Machinery, had a salesperson at his door the next day. With an education on Mazak technology coupled with Mazak-provided financing, Cope purchased his first Mazak in 2011. “It was a Mazak INTEGREX i-200s CNC Multi-Tasking machine that combines a turning center and machining center for full 5-axis machining and Done-In-One manufacturing,” says Randy Breitenbach, owner of Action Machinery.

Since that first purchase, Mazak has become Reata’s standard for machine tools. Says Cope, “We selected a superior machine tool for our business, one that offers some of the best automation technology around. Mazak machines are just outstanding for hard parts. In our business, consistency with the machining centers and the machine tool dealer we buy from in our shop is beneficial in so many ways.” This consistency helps to speed up training for new employees, who only need to get familiar with one control. Cope also says that creating partnerships with dealers and builders allows for better service and more opportunity to learn about upcoming technology.

Cope and the Reata team work to stay ahead of the technological curve. One of their recent acquisitions was the Mazak VARIAXIS i-300 AWC (Auto Work Changer), a highly versatile full simultaneous 5-axis Vertical Machining Center with a large tool storage capacity and an automatic pallet changing system.

AJ, Grady and Randy in front of the VARIAXIS i300 AWC machine

Reata was an early US adopter of the machine tool after its introduction in 2018. “Engineers from Mazak Japan came to our shop to gain feedback on how we were using the machine. They are very interested in using feedback from actual users to continue to improve their machines,” says Cope.

The VARIAXIS i-300 AWC has been an outstanding addition to Reata’s shop, Cope says. “Its 204 tools and 40 pallets with a robot on one machine offers the productivity equivalent to 3 vertical mills running 24x7. And where we would need 4 people to run 24x7 on the VARIAXIS i-300, without it we would require 12 people on the vertical mills.”

Cope says that the team at Action Machinery provides excellent service to his company, with a strong emphasis on training. “Randy [Breitenbach] and his team recognize that the Mazak machine their customers invest in will only produce the best parts in the most economic manner if they understand the machine completely,” says Cope. After Reata’s VARIAXIS i-300 was delivered during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, Action Machinery sent Applications Engineer AJ Tucker to their shop. Since hotels weren’t available, Tucker stayed in his trailer for a week to assist with set up and training. Cope says Tucker was invaluable to the team – he helped get their first parts up and running on the machine, and he provided informal training on “The team at Reata is very accepting of new technology – in fact they embrace it. Reata recognizes that monitoring and understanding machine tool utilization is a key factor in optimizing operations,” says Tucker.

The Reata team isn’t immune to the staffing challenges every machine shop faces, though Cope has adopted forward-thinking strategies to solve this problem as well. Cope says women constitute one of US manufacturing’s largest pools of untapped talent. A Deloitte study estimated that women make up about 50% of US workers, yet they comprise less than one third of the manufacturing workforce. At Reata, 65% of women are employed in leadership roles – twice the industry norm. “If you aren’t hiring and promoting women in your manufacturing entity,” says Cope, “you are missing out on half the talent in the US.”

Cope also recognizes the importance of encouraging the next generation of machinists. He sits on the board of the National Institute for Metalworking Skills (NIMS), where 24 students have completed journey level credentials this year. Reata collaborates with Career Wise and the Cherry Creek Innovation Center, organizations that provide educational opportunities for young and aspiring machinists. Reata also currently employs 5 apprentices and interns pursuing careers in engineering and machining, supported by a dedicated employee mentor.

Reata Engineering and Machine Works demonstrates the benefits of automation and innovation. Cope says automation enables the company to employ smarter people and pay higher wages. “We want people to join our company who seek challenges, who enjoy technology and who have selected manufacturing as their career choice.” Cope appreciates that superior machinists are attracted to shops with the latest in machine tool technology. “Our Mazak machine tools provide this for our team.”

If you are often frustrated with your search for machine shops that can make complex aerospace or medical parts, contact Reata Engineering and Machine Works. They have the tools, the team, and the processes to make superior parts. Contact them at (303) 936-1350 or visit ReataEng.com

With offices in Englewood, Colorado and Salt Lake City, Action Machinery carries the fine Mazak line of machine tools. To hear how they can help you automate your shop to increase customer satisfaction and simultaneously increase profitability, contact them at: 303-532-2900 or 801-973-7201. You can also learn more by visiting Action-Machinery.com