ARCH Cutting Tools Flushing BU is striving toward world-class performance in the indexable cutting tool industry through technical expertise, customer-focused solutions, quality discipline, and operational improvement.

Executive Summary

ARCH Cutting Tools struggled with delayed manufacturing data, higher than acceptable scrap rates, and lagging on-time deliveries due to disconnected shop floor processes. By implementing Harmoni’s comprehensive factory orchestration platform, the company achieved real-time observability, automated labor tracking, and rigorous process control. 

As a result, ARCH improved its on-time delivery rate, drastically reduced scrap, and saved thousands of dollars monthly, becoming a top-performing facility within its corporate network.

Introduction

In the competitive world of precision manufacturing, efficiency and accuracy are the lifeblood of a successful operation. For ARCH Cutting Tools, a leading manufacturer of custom and standard cutting tools, maintaining high standards across complex jobs is critical. At their Flushing, Michigan facility, seasoned experts like John Carstensen, Senior Technical Advisor with 29 years at the company, and William English, CNC Program Manager, oversee a bustling shop floor. Despite their deep manufacturing expertise, the team faced systemic hurdles that limited their potential, prompting a search for a solution that could truly synchronize programming, engineering, scheduling, and shop floor operations.

The Opportunity

Prior to partnering with Harmoni, ARCH Cutting Tools was operating through a period of transition, including leadership changes and evolving expectations across the business. Like many growing manufacturing organizations, ARCH was working to improve visibility, consistency, and accountability across its operations.

At the time, the facility relied on a legacy Manufacturing Execution System (MES) that was inconsistent and did not always provide the timely, actionable information needed to manage performance in real time. Operators and managers often had to depend on end-of-month ERP reporting to evaluate job results. By then, opportunities to make in-process corrections had often passed, which made it difficult to consistently understand true job performance or refine quoting accuracy.

This lack of real-time insight also contributed to variation in job estimates and actual running times. For more complex work, such as large 24-inch cutters, reported cycle times could vary significantly from one run to another, making it challenging to price customer work with confidence.

ARCH also had opportunities to improve version control and workflow discipline. In some cases, programs were transferred manually using thumb drives, which increased the risk of outdated revisions being used at the machine. Customer-supplied hardware, samples, and engineering items could be difficult to track as they moved through the facility, and tool crib usage lacked the visibility needed to fully understand consumption patterns across shifts.

These challenges affected overall performance, including scrap, delivery reliability, backlog management, and month-end pressure. On-time delivery had fallen well below the company’s expectations, and the backlog had grown significantly. The result was a stressful operating environment where teams were working hard, but without the systems and real-time information needed to consistently stay ahead of problems.

Harmoni provided ARCH with an opportunity to modernize this environment by improving visibility, strengthening process control, and giving leadership and operators better access to the information needed to make timely, informed decisions.

The Solution

Determined to overhaul their operations, ARCH Cutting Tools turned to Harmoni. Recognizing that factory orchestration requires synchronizing all departments, Harmoni collaborated directly with ARCH’s operators to implement a system built around their specific needs. The transformation focused on three core pillars: labor automation, process control, and observability.

Labor Automation

Harmoni eliminated the friction of manual time-tracking and data entry. With auto-clocking features, the system now manages 6,000 to 7,000 clock events a month automatically. Programs are no longer loaded via error-prone thumb drives; instead, programmers send revision-controlled files directly to the machines through the Harmoni device. Additionally, ARCH implemented RFID tracking for incoming hardware and materials. As soon as parts enter the facility, they are tagged, tracked, and automatically recognized when they approach a Harmoni monitor at a workstation.

Process Control

To combat scrap and inconsistent quality, Harmoni digitized and locked down ARCH’s workflows. Work instructions, programs, and digital check sheets are all tied securely to specific part numbers and revision controls.

Operators can no longer pull tools without an active job number, and tool lists dictate exactly what is required for each setup, preventing unnecessary tool changes and waste during off shifts.

Observability

Harmoni helped ARCH bring greater visibility and consistency to the shop floor by replacing disconnected and delayed data sources with a centralized, real-time dashboard.

With terminals at each machine, operators gained direct access to current work instructions, OEE metrics, and revision history. This made it easier for teams to work from the correct information, understand performance in real time, and respond more quickly when conditions changed.

Visual indicators on the shop floor also gave managers and team leaders a clearer view of machine status throughout the day. Machines running as expected could be quickly identified, while machines requiring support were easier to spot and address. This improved the team’s ability to prioritize assistance, reduce delays, and make more informed decisions in the moment.

Result

The implementation of Harmoni helped ARCH Cutting Tools’ Flushing facility make meaningful operational improvements and establish a stronger foundation for performance, visibility, and accountability.

Key measurable outcomes included:

1. Improved On-Time Delivery: Arch Flushing says Harmoni played a big part in improving On-time delivery well into the 80% percentile and still improving! It is giving the team greater consistency in meeting customer commitments.
2. Reduced Scrap: Scrap levels can create significant operational challenges. Arch Flushing substantially reduced scrap as a result of Harmoni’s digital process controls, improving revision management, and automating program loading.
3. Massive Backlog Reduction: Reduced a once-significant backlog to record low levels, helping the facility regain control of production flow and customer demand.
4. Immediate Cost Savings: Achieved thousands of dollars in recurring monthly savings through automated labor tracking and substantial reductions in tooling costs.

The cultural shift has been equally profound. End-of-month panic has been replaced by consistent, over-budget performance.

“With all the automation Harmoni offers, we’ve seen measurable gains in ROI almost immediately,” says William English, CNC Program Manager. “Harmoni has taken our process control to a completely different level. It has created a level of accountability and consistency that is hard to put a price on. Digital in-process check sheets ensure that quality is verified at every critical step, not just at the end.”

English also praises the system’s visibility: “Every Monday, our team receives tailored reports that break down performance by job and by employee. That visibility has improved everything from quoting accuracy to how we allocate people and machines. We can clearly see who runs what best and where our efficiencies are, allowing us to make smarter decisions faster.”

Success has not gone unnoticed. Of the 18 Business Units within their corporate umbrella, ARCH’s Flushing facility is now one of the leading Business Units that is recognized for Raising the Bar in Flashings BU.