Swiss Precision Blog

In the world of precision machining, one of the top industries we create feature-rich parts for is the medical industry. To ensure high-quality, uniform components, there are various certifications that must be obtained, which include specific certifications through the International Organization for Standardization (ISO).  While there are some ISO certifications that pertain to machining and

With every project we work on, a crucial part of SPM’s process is Design for Manufacturing, or DFM. Incorporating DFM into our workflow ensures customer satisfaction, which is at the top of our priority list. Learn more about what Design for Manufacturing stands for and how it affects quality control—another major pillar of our process.

Here at Swiss Precision Machining (SPM), we started our shop over 40 years ago with just two Swiss-style cam machines. Today, we boast over 70 Swiss-turn machines—in addition to state-of-the-art specialty machines made by another well-known supplier and innovator of precision machinery, Willemin-Macodel. From the Willemin 408MT models to our newer acquisition, the Willemin 508MT2,

Everything we do revolves around precision and strict quality standards here at Swiss Precision Machining, LLC (SPM). We pride ourselves on our ability to provide you with perfect components for all of your project needs, so you’ll hear us use the terms quality planning, quality control, and quality assurance frequently. Each of these concepts refers

Swiss Precision Machining, LLC thrives on diversity. We are a team of people from many backgrounds with a wide variety of perspectives. We depend on each other for creative solutions, and are inspired by the dedication each person brings to their work and to our clients. We’d like to take a minute to introduce you

As a leader in medical and dental machining and manufacturing, our precision parts and components are expertly crafted at tight tolerances on state-of-the-art machines to ensure high-quality output every time. With passionate dedication and expertise to the high precision machining industry, Swiss Precision Machining (SPM) is defining medical standards within the industry. From the machinery

People lose teeth for a variety of reasons: gum disease, cavities, accidents. Tooth loss affects speech, eating ability, and appearance. Severe tooth loss can be painful and impact a person’s overall health and psychological well-being. It’s often accompanied by underlying infections from injuries or serious illness and lack of access to proper dental care.  Scott’s

It’s been a year like no other. Against the backdrop of a global pandemic, Swiss Precision Machining, LLC celebrated its 41st year in business. We didn’t stop for a minute, continuing to serve our customers with the quality we pride ourselves in and the quality they’ve come to expect. As we look back, here are

Quality control is the make-or-break function in precision machining. Swiss Precision Machining, LLC’s quality control team is responsible for ensuring that our customers get exactly what they want. Quality control is a way of life here and something that we are very passionate about. We took a few minutes to talk with Gabriela Baker, quality

Precision manufacturing is the execution arm of precision engineering. Precision engineering focuses on the design and development of highly accurate components. Precision manufacturing takes the original intent and design and converts it into a workable component part.  High dimensional accuracy is its chief concern characterized by ever smaller parts with very high tolerances. Engineering focuses

Manufacturing drives the world around us. Many of the highest tech industries can legitimately say that they are moving at the speed of manufacturing. Each day in a modern manufacturing plant is supersonic, complex, and innovative. At the center of all this productive energy is the manufacturing engineer. On any given day, manufacturing engineers are

Osteogenesis imperfecta (OI), more commonly known as brittle bone disease, is a genetic disorder that causes soft bones. Children with this condition have bones that break easily or don’t form normally and they usually experience multiple bone fractures during their lifetime. Recent advances in pediatric orthopedic implants are improving the quality of life for these

Was Rosie the Riveter a good role model for women in manufacturing or not? The jury may still be out on that one. On the one hand, she represents strength, optimism, and opportunity. On the other, she communicates some outdated ideas of manufacturing as exhausting, dirty work. Today’s manufacturing jobs are highly skilled in clean

As famous as the Disney company is now, there was a time when they were struggling to make ends meet. But Walt was convinced that investing in his employees would give him the edge he needed to set the standard in animation. “The first thing I did when I got a little money to experiment,”

The Willemin 408MT is a multi-process machining center dedicated to machining parts with complex geometry from bar stock or slugs. We spent a few minutes talking with Willemin expert, Scott Goudie, to learn why the Willemin is so efficient and what advantages it brings to SPM’s customers. When did you get your first Willemin? Exactly

Severe scoliosis, left untreated, leads to significant spinal deformity resulting in pain and damage to internal organs. It is caused by an abnormal development of the bones of the spine and nearly always requires surgery. The surgical treatment for scoliosis begins in our shop in Wheeling, IL. Our work starts with the spinal hooks, bone

For years numerical control machines made the automatic control of machining tools possible in a basic way. They were controlled by G-codes that positioned the tools, but it wasn’t possible to change the parameters which limited the features of the end product. The first computer-aided machining systems became available in the 1970s and by the

COVID-19 Press Release from Swiss Precision Machining, LLC, Wheeling, IL For Immediate Release Date:  March 17, 2020 Contact: Joseph A. Haupers, Sales Director jhaupers@spmswiss.com C. 847.530.7689 O. 847.647.7111 Protective Measures in Response to COVID-19 As we address the challenging and rapidly changing circumstances caused by COVID-19, our top two priorities at Swiss Precision Machining, LLC

As we celebrate our 40th year in business, Swiss Precision Machining, LLC is pleased to announce that Stephanie LaVezzi has joined the company as our new Sales Manager. Stephanie comes to SPM from LaVezzi Precision where she had been developing and growing their medical machining business since 1992. Stephanie began her sales career at the

Back in 1979 gas was 88 cents a gallon, a newspaper would set you back two dimes, and you could buy a 1971 used Ford Pinto for $750. Also in 1979, Swiss Precision Machining, LLC was founded by Mike Haupers with two machines and two employees. Mike had grown up in the business. His father

As the year comes to a close, SPM is looking back at the state of manufacturing in 2019 and looking ahead at the trends that will shape our future in 2020. Here is what we’re paying attention to. Manufacturing in 2019 Overall, executive confidence in the future dropped in 2019 compared to 2018. However, a

Computer numerical control (CNC) programmers develop programs for precision CNC machines in order to cut and shape component parts for manufactured goods such as cars, airplanes, and medical devices. In a nutshell, their work instructs machines to produce parts. “To determine the sequence of actions needed to make a part, CNC programmers evaluate the specifications

In the 21st century, we take metal for granted. Not just steel and aluminum and copper, but titanium and the multitude of steel and copper alloys that make modern life possible. Complex surgical devices and permanent implants in the human body have been made possible by the evolution of sophisticated metals and alloys. The surprising

CNC machining is the best career you’ve never heard of. It pays well, has excellent long-term employment prospects, and offers interesting work. And you don’t need a college degree to get started. According to collegecalc.org, the average in-state tuition for Illinois public colleges is almost $9,500 a year. For a private college, it’s almost $30,000

To browse through a catalog of dental instruments is to take a journey back in time to the 19th century — or so it seems. There are pliers, wire cutters, probes, picks, awls, forceps, extracting forceps. After a few minutes, it’s easy to let your imagination run away with you, especially if you’ve always wanted to be

If you were asked what is the most important manufacturing process of the 21st century, what would you say? Perhaps 3D printing would come to mind or laser engraving or possibly something to do with semiconductor fabrication. But we would argue that none of these manufacturing processes has the power to change the world in

Medical device design and manufacturing requires expertise in three engineering disciplines: mechanical, electrical, and software. As a provider of medical machined parts, we operate within the mechanical engineering discipline. The planning stages of medical device design include research and discovery, specification development, prototyping, and documented testing. We work with our customers throughout all phases of

The global market for medical devices is expected to reach $543.9B in revenue by 2020. With the move toward minimally invasive surgery and micro-machined parts, medical device manufacturing is expected to experience growth for years to come. The medical technology industry invests heavily in research and development to keep up with the innovation and constant pressure

In this edition of “More Than Machining: A Look Inside SPM”, we talk to Althea Gregory, Human Resources Manager at Swiss Precision Machining, LLC. Althea joined SPM in 1997 and has been with the company for more than 21 years. There are few people better qualified to give an inside look at life inside SPM.

Corrosion The word corrode comes from the Latin “corrodo which means ‘I gnaw (to pieces)’, from cor- (‘completely’) + rodo (‘I gnaw’). According to the Google dictionary, corrode means to “destroy or damage slowly by chemical action”. Certainly, no one wants to see that happen to an important metal component part of a critical device,

Precision medical machining requires strict quality control, highly skilled programmers and operators, and rigorous attention to detail. Our team of expert precision machinists has decades of experience completing the most advanced, intricate and complex projects in the medical device industry. Precision Medical Machining The medical breakthroughs of our generation have happened, in part, because of

Ask Colleen Shirey and she’ll tell you that robotic surgery is the only way to go. Robotically-assisted surgical devices are changing the experience of surgery for both doctors and patients with minimally invasive, robot-assisted technology. Robotic surgical systems allow surgeons to work through a few small incisions using tiny instruments and precise motion control inside

Meet production engineer Brittany Johnson. Discover what drives her passion and how customer satisfaction is paramount to our success. Brittany’s passion for her work helps ensure our products are of the highest quality our customers have come to expect. Brittany shares how her interest in machining stems back to her childhood. After graduating college, she

Earlier this year, we acquired a Willemin Precision Machining Center – Model 408MT and trained our team on all of its capabilities. Watch one of our employees walk you through all the Willemin can do!

This year we attended Design-2-Part in Schaumburg, IL. Watch us showcase some of our favorite machined parts while we talk through our capabilities. Contact us today if you’d like to hear more about our capabilities.

We sat down with a long time employee, Jon Baker, to get his take on working at SPM and we have to say, we appreciate his kind words. Jon speaks to our commitment to our employees and the growth of Swiss Precision Machining, LLC. We’ve been in business for nearly 40 years and to echo

We’re just over halfway through 2018 and we thought it’d be a great time to revisit our old post What Manufacturers Need to Know in 2018. In addition to revisiting some of those themes, we took on a few topics that have been mentioned in the news recently. Technology & Innovation: Earlier this year, we

There are a lot of companies that claim they partner with their clients, but what does that actually mean? At SPM we aim to form a true partnership with every client we work with and it means a few different, but very specific things to us. Partnership True partnership can’t be one-sided. The components of

When customers are shopping around for machine shops to assist with their manufacturing project, they’ll often see phrases like “precision machining, “high precision,” and “ultraprecision” without much clarification on what these terms mean or what makes a machine shop qualified to handle a high precision job.    In the manufacturing industry, “high precision machining” typically

In no other industry is precision more necessary than in the medical and surgical fields. In many cases, the parts manufactured by Swiss Precision Machining, LLC are used in life saving procedures. We have a long history with high precision medical parts machining. Our roots are in dental and medical and we were on the

Jen Haupers grew up with machining in her life. We sat down with her to discuss her background, SPM’s definition of quality, and how she sees technology fitting into the future of the business. As Swiss Precision Machining, LLC’s Quality Control Manager, Jen Haupers is committed to providing SPM clients with quality products. “It’s something that

Mike Haupers, President of Swiss Precision Machining, LLC, has been machining dental tools since he was in the seventh grade. His father was a dental instrument maker and ran a machine shop out of their basement. There, Mike learned what it meant to make a quality dental instrument and SPM’s long history of dental tool

Joe Haupers has been part of the SPM legacy since the beginning. We sat down with Joe to discuss his history with the company and discovered so much more. In the early days of SPM, Joe spent his days working in the office and his evenings working the machines. He’s held many positions within the

Swiss Precision Machining, LLC is excited to announce that we are now offering new machines, capabilities, and services. We are always striving to stay on the cutting edge of manufacturing technology and development. Sometimes that means we get to bring in the latest equipment. That time is now! More often than not our machine shop

At Swiss Precision Machining, LLC, we’ve seen the way manufacturing has shaped this country first hand. While manufacturers face unique and fast-paced challenges like never before, the team at SPM sees a bright future ahead for manufacturing in the United States. For manufacturers that want to face today’s market challenges head-on, and experience growth in

As the weather starts to cool and holiday plans are made, the Swiss Precision Machining, LLC team is reflecting on another incredible year of machining. With more than 30 years of precision Swiss Screw machining under our belts, there’s a long list of important milestones, manufacturing partners, and team members who have shaped our machining

The Swiss Precision Machining, LLC sales team is on the road again! We’re thrilled to be exhibiting at the 2017 Medical Design & Manufacturing (MD&M) show in Minneapolis, Minnesota, November 8-9th. MD&M is now entering its 23rd year and we’ve been partners with this industry-leading tradeshow for more than seven years. As Medtech’s largest event,

At Swiss Precision Machining, LLC, we’ve built an incredible team of machinists, engineers, and office staff that keep our machining shop pushing forward. Many of our staff members have been with us since the early days of our founding, more than 30 years ago. Other SPM team members have taken full advantage of the ability

Chicago, Illinois is home to deep-dish pizza, Oprah, Second City Comedy, the Chicago Bears, and Swiss Precision Machining, LLC. Our Machining team has proudly called Chicago our home for more than 30 years. When we opened our doors in 1979, SPM joined the thousands of industrial manufacturers who helped make Chicago the manufacturing hub of

In 1962, America met The Jetsons. This family of futuristic travelers stole the hearts of millions, over 40 years ago. Most people wouldn’t have dreamed that the lives of George, Judy, Jane, and Elroy weren’t as far away as they seemed. While we aren’t jet setting through space yet, car technology is evolving at the

Our dedication to quality goes beyond the parts we build. At Swiss Precision Machining, LLC, we’re proud to have a number of team members who have been with us since day one, nearly 40 years ago. From the start, our Founder, Mike Haupers, understood that a company is only as strong as the people behind

At SPM, our team prides themselves on machining the best CNC Swiss Precision machined part possible for every client, on every job. To ensure we’re delivering the best machining services the industry can offer, we regularly pursue certifications and examinations of those services. Our Chicago based machine shop has two important ISO certifications, ISO 9001

Swiss Precision Machining, LLC has more than 30 years experience working with manufacturing partners to machine parts using the latest CNC Machining, Laser Machining, Swiss Screw Machining and more. The story behind Swiss Precision Machining, LLC goes back more than 30 years and started, very modestly, in a basement of a home in Chicago, Illinois.

The opportunity to hop on a plane and fly around the world is almost second-nature these days. It’s easy to forget that not that long ago the Wright Brothers were on a sandy beach in North Carolina desperately trying to get their flying machine off the ground. We all know the story of the two

When we say “Precision is the name and the heart of our company,” we mean it. At Swiss Precision Machining, LLC, our team is dedicated to ensuring the parts we machine are precisely and perfectly cut every time. Whether we’re machining dental tools, aerospace components or parts for surgical robotics, each and every part is

SPM knows how quickly technology changes in the world of CNC precision machining. We work diligently to ensure every part we machine exceeds industry and client expectations. It’s at the heart of what we do. In order to keep up with the machining manufacturing industry, we push ourselves internally to create, research and implement the

Swiss Precision Machining, LLC first opened its doors in the Chicago area with just 2 employees and 2 Swiss style CAM machines nearly 30 years ago. Today, SPM has evolved into an industry-leading, ISO 9001:2008 and ISO 13485:2003 certified machining facility that has more than 130 employees and 90 precision machines in an 83,000 sq.

Historians tell us that the first bow and arrow dates as far back as 2340 B.C. For over 10,000 years, archery was a vital military and hunting skill that many used to survive across the world. Today, archery has become almost an art form. Hunters continue to use a bow and arrow to conquer their

The staff at Swiss Precision Machining, LLC continues to move our business of more than 30 years forward and we couldn’t be prouder to call them family. In this blog series we’re highlighting our team. We invite you to get to know the people behind the products. Team Member Name: Joseph (Joe) Haupers Position: Sales

When you think of aerospace technology you probably picture a large jet airliner or maybe your mind goes to a scene out of Top Gun. Either way, you’re not wrong but tomorrow’s aerospace technology also includes the manufacturing and use of UAV’s (Unmanned Aerial Vehicle) or drones as they’re better known. Drone delivery is the

SPM Inc. has made some big changes recently, which makes way for a lot more this year. Swiss Precision Machining, LLC has moved into a brand new facility in Wheeling, Illinois that is nearly triple the size of their previous building in Niles. This location includes seven acres and a 200+ car parking lot, giving

Robotic surgery has made waves and is already altering the medical landscape for the better. The robotic surgery concept is still relatively new, but the process of robots taking over the manual motions of surgery from a trained surgeon has been growing in popularity and use.  At Swiss Precision Machining, LLC we produce the high

While the recession in the United States is no longer a looming reality, its repercussions are still felt across multiple industries and sectors. But on closer inspection a fascinating conundrum comes to light. On one hand people are applying to over 200 jobs a year in an attempt to secure work, and on the other

Every year on April 22nd, events are held all around the world to demonstrate support for environmental protection.  This day is officially known as Earth Day and is celebrated in over 190 countries.  The goal of Earth Day is to bring attention to harmful pollution that is hurting the environment, as well as promote steps

Branded a job-killer when it was introduced, the Medical Device Excise Tax was temporarily suspended starting January 1st of 2016, until the end of 2017. The tax was created to impose an excise tax on the sale of certain medical devices by the manufacturer or importer of the device.  This tax had been fought over

The manufacturing sector has been riding a rollercoaster when it comes to jobs over the last few years. During the global recession, there was a massive loss of jobs, but since recovery began, manufacturing has been seeing growth in stops and starts. In 2015, a net gain of 33,000 jobs was seen in manufacturing.  The

Unprecedented demand for medical equipment and healthcare services are forecasted for the very near future. In fact, the medical industry is booming, and is considered to be “recession-proof” because of its importance. The aging population is probably one of the most significant trends affecting the medical industry right now. Recent news reports quote U.S. Census

The re-emergence of the manufacturing sector has, unfortunately, highlighted the fact that America has some skills gap issues to work on moving forward. The most obvious of these issues has been shown to be fitting skilled workers into the right job. Due to the spread of manufacturing, the evolution of necessary skills, and new processes,

Safety at work is often viewed as a compliance practice—something businesses are forced to contend with to avoid legal hassles. But its genuine importance lies elsewhere. It is universally accepted that employees who return home to their families safely and sound are more productive, loyal, and accountable. Yet the institutionalization of workplace safety is mired

The Need For STEM The fact is this: Without an educated and skilled pool of domestic workers, firms such as Swiss Precision Machining, LLC would soon cease to exist. It is vital that we, as concerned citizens and certainly as parents, encourage those who are leaders in education to institute a vigorous national agenda promoting

Swiss Precision Machining, LLC has been part of the Illinois manufacturing community for over 30 years, and in that time, we have seen the rise and the fall of manufacturing in the state. It might surprise you to know that Illinois is one of the most important states in the United States in regards to

At Swiss Precision Machining, LLC, we specialize in two methods of CNC Machining – Swiss, and Vertical Machining. Today, we’ll take a look at what CNC Swiss machining is and how you can benefit from our usage of Swiss machining. What is CNC Swiss Machining? CNC Swiss Machining involves the use of a Swiss-style lathe.

The gingival recession is not a chronic disease. However it is capable of marring the beauty and perfection of a smile resulting in exposed roots of teeth. It is a common problem in individuals over the age of 40 and it has been estimated that almost half the adults in the United States suffer from

According to a study initiated by the ElectroniCast Consultants, U.S.A fiber optic collimator sales are expected to surge over a five year period from 2013 right through to 2018. The hard numbers say that the average spike every year can be as high as 45%. This phenomenal growth mustn’t be viewed in isolation as it

SPM started in 1979, and its Quality Department [much like most starts-up companies], did more Quality Control Activity, rather than Quality Assurance. Quality Control Activity, by definition requires a lot of inspecting, sorting and rework. This approach is adequate in the beginning, but over time is very costly. Over time, SPM has adopted a Quality

At Swiss Precision Machining, LLC, our capabilities include applications within the medical device industry. By utilizing the latest technology in CNC Swiss Style Screw Machines and CNC Vertical Machining Centers, we are able to stay competitive while still offering quality products. We’re proud to be involved in this most-important of industries. As such, we follow

The sharp loss of manufacturing jobs has triggered legitimate concern that America’s best days are behind us. And in the years 2001 through 2008, about 40,000 U.S. manufacturing plants closed, resulting in the loss of good-paying jobs. From 2001 to 2007, 2.3 million jobs were lost just from the U.S.’s huge trade deficit with China.

For many years, mills shut down to move operations overseas. For the most part, these moves were done to take advantage of cheap labor in foreign countries—labor so cheap that it offset the logistical challenges, freight costs and quality issues that exist in operating a manufacturing facility overseas. But recently, we are seeing companies learn

In manufacturing, there’s so much more to your business than making a good product. Equally important is getting out there, making face-to-face connections, networking, and showcasing your products to the right audience. Of course one of the best ways to do this is by attending and exhibiting at an industry trade show. In fact, according

Oftentimes, customers in need of our services have questions about the difference between CNC Swiss machining and CNC vertical machining. They wonder how similar they are, and which is right for them. While there are distinct advantages and applications for both types of CNC machining, they are actually completely different processes, and choosing which one

Employee health and safety are critical in manufacturing and are not something to be taken lightly. Employers must adhere to strict guidelines covering many areas and types of safety. In fact, OSHA just recently added a new chapter to their technical manual, addressing noise. This aims to give guidance and information on noise hazards and

Times are changing, and the dental industry is paying attention! According to a recent article on DentalEconomics.com, “three primary factors — economics, demand, and supply — will converge to shape the industry’s future.” The article also reveals that by 2025, patient demographics will be greatly changed: Census data shows that the number of people ages

Today’s conversations about American manufacturing are revolving around its welcome comeback. Following years of outsourcing and subsequent loss of business to overseas competitors, we are now seeing a return of manufacturing to our shores. The reasons for this are not arbitrary, and it’s not accidental. According to experts, and articles such as this one, the

A century ago, Ford Motor Company revolutionized the production industry by introducing the concept of automation in the form of an assembly line. It allowed them to produce their cars 8 times faster and made the work environment much safer for employees. Since then, we’ve figured out how to make production even faster by using

We’ve always believed that offering our customers the type of service and solutions that go the extra mile is a “win-win” scenario for everyone involved. A recent article on Inc.com, 10 Things Every Customer Wants, confirms our beliefs. Author Geoffrey James cites new research explaining why customers buy from one vendor rather than another. Topping

The miracles of science, technology, and healthcare have all converged in the form of robotic surgery over the past few years.  It is not that doctors are being replaced by robots, but rather, precise and extremely tiny surgical procedures are being undertaken with the use of robotic surgical tools. The increased use of robotic surgery

After a very difficult and devastating recession, it does appear that the American economy is beginning to gain some traction.  Although things are turning positive in many aspects, it still is a struggle in some sectors.  In manufacturing, there are signs of not only an uptick in orders, but also some signs that there is