Boulevard Machine used a $95,838 grant from MMAP to purchase a new Haas high-performance vertical machining center (VF5-SS) which allowed them to expand their work in highly technical industries by driving efficiency and expanding the company’s ability to produce around the clock.
Key Stats:
| Location: | Westfield/Hampden County |
| Company Size: | 25 employees |
| MMAP Grant Amount: | $95,838 |
| Grant Date: | January 2022 |
| Partner: | MassHire Workforce Board Hampden County |
| Job Impact: | 3 New Machinists Hired |
| Benefits: | Expanded capability to handle projects up to 48 pieces; less man-hours in front of machines, expanding productivity; ability to set the machine to run overnight, increasing their competitiveness to deliver on projects. |
Company background: Boulevard Machine is a woman-owned and certified precision machining facility that offers production, complex precision machining for Tier 1 aerospace, defense, space and other technical markets.
Problem: Boulevard Machine President Susan Kasa, said the small manufacturing company traditionally focused on early-stage work, working closely with clients in highly-technical sectors on new product development to work the introduction shop working with customers to work the kinks out of the complex parts during the prototyping phase. The competitive work required close inspection of parts with many pieces being done one at a time and, with workers tied to the machines stifled productivity. “There’s a lot of collaboration and teamwork that goes on to make these products,” said Kasa, highlighting the connection between machinists and programmers on the shop floor.
Solution: The MMAP award was the first state grant that the company ever pursued, allowing them to purchase a new Haas VF5-SS, which became one of the largest workstations at the company. One of the first projects Boulevard put into the machine consisted of 48 pieces, similar to what a manufacturer would do in a pallet-capable machine, which Boulevard does not have. The new Haas vertical machining center allowed the company to do 24 pieces, a first run in the morning and then reset the machine to do a 24-piece run in the evening. This allowed the company to run “lights out,” expanding the productivity of their workers and the efficiency in producing specific products, which made them more competitive with new and existing customer accounts.
Over the last three to four years, the company has added to its traditional prototype work to handle more sustainable production projects, the work developing the prototype phase.
“It’s allowed us to move to a different level where we can run multiple pieces at one time, versus the old fashioned load of one piece at a time. It has allowed us to be more efficient in our operations.” – Susan Kasa, president, Boulevard Machine
Learn more about Boulevard Machine: boulevardmachine.com