Sharples

Close up of Whetsone Workshop LLC at Friedman Hall Silicon Bronze Milled

By 2004, Sharples had two lasers, computer numerically controlled (CNC) bending equipment, and its leadership was seeking to increase efficiency and throughput in the shop. It was decided that the solution entailed adding another laser cutter to free up the needed production time for the other two laser cutting machines designed to cut wooden dieboards. Using foresight, the company invested in a flying optic-style laser cutter which would be dedicated to cutting metal.

As a result, Sharples’ core business of manufacturing steel rule dies started operating with a new-found efficiency on the production floor. At the same time, this investment also brought new opportunities in metal cutting. To complement the new capacity to laser cut metal, the company next invested in an abrasive waterjet cutter. Servicing a diversity of many industries helped to usher in Sharples’ contract cutting services.

Sharples’ level of customer service is the core reason for its tremendous success in the providing cutting services to its manufacturing customers. The company’s first big jobs for waterjet and laser cutting came from existing clients who were thrilled to learn that Sharples could now provide this service as well as steel rule dies with the same level of quality and on-time delivery that they had grown accustomed to.

In 2009, Sharples implemented a powerful, customizable, and client-accessible enterprise resource planning (ERP) software for job tracking. This software allows Sharples to maintain an extensive library of customer specifications and job history information. In 2015, leadership again expanded Sharples’ capabilities to include CNC milling. Cutting plastics, composites, wood, aluminum, and rigid foam core became a crucial complement to the company’s existing laser and waterjet cutting.

And, in 2020, Sharples enhanced its waterjet cutting capability by installing a 5-axis abrasive waterjet machine. In the company’s quest to continually evolve, a second milling machine was added to its CNC milling department to expand capacity and throughput. Contract cutting services from Sharples include laser, waterjet and milling for large-scale as well as small projects.

The company’s clients rely on Sharples’ ability to provide a quick turnaround on quotes, prototypes, and finished parts. Sharples also offers on-site computer-aided design (CAD) to bring Sharples work with engineering and purchasing departments to meet customer deliveries and production goals – from small to large release orders.

Waterjet cutting is a highly effective way to cut a multitude of materials. Sharples has moved ahead of its competition by investing in waterjets with advanced features such as high-speed cutting, large bed capacity and abrasive cutting. Sharples utilizes superior, up-to- date software that provides uniformity, and problem- free reordering. From cutting seal gaskets for sealing tools to various metals and composite materials, nearly anything can be waterjet cut. Sharples can cut customer- supplied material and it also stocks a variety of different materials as well.

Sharples can cut blanks for finish machining or finished parts from materials such as stainless steel, copper, steel, aluminum, granite, or glass. Non-abrasive waterjet cutting is available for cutting rubber, foam, and gaskets. Other services include quick quotes, quality inspections, and advanced nesting.

A major advantage when using abrasive waterjet cutting is that the process cuts with no heat. Multiple proximity cuts can be made with no risk of distortion or changes in temper to any heat-treated metals. By mixing garnet into an extremely high-pressure water stream up to 60,000 psi, abrasive waterjet cutting can provide a clean cut in material up to six inches thick. Sharples can cut aluminum, steel, and stainless steel, among other materials, by abrasive waterjet for both customer tooling and standalone part manufacturing process.

Waterjet cutting can produce different finished edges based on customer requirement – from rough striated edge to virtually striation free. Nonabrasive waterjet cutting is also available for cutting rubber, foam, and gaskets. Through this application, Sharples serves major industries such as aerospace, packaging design, displays, automotive, sound proofing, and electronic/gasket manufacturers.

• Reverse engineering
• Cut virtually any material
• No heat added
• High position accuracy
• Taper compensation up for tilted angles • Material up to 6” thick
• Large bed size for optimum yield
• Cut blanks prior to further machining
• Superior nesting software
• Small or large runs
• Multiple machines

Sharples can cut all types of metal within a close tolerance. Cutting materials that are stainless steel, aluminum, or steel is easily achieved with the speed and accuracy of the laser. Sharples can laser-cut steel up to 3/8”, stainless steel up to 1/4”, and thin aluminum burr- free, with minimal heat-affected zone. This dedicated metal-cutting laser-cutting guarantees clean and accurate finished pieces.

Sharples has three dedicated laser machines – the newest of which was added in 2020 – for cutting wood and some plastics. Whether it is a series of finished parts, templates, or tooling, Sharples can laser cut small complex details that would either be impossible or extremely expensive to cut with conventional tooling. Parts can also be scribed with reference identification to aid in production.

• Minimal heat affected zone
• Clean accurate parts, burr free
• Better alternative to machining
• Some material in-house
• Multiple shifts and machines
• Quick turnarounds

Clients with metalwork orders can also take advantage of Sharples’ tumble finishing service for smoothing and polishing rough surfaces. Bead blasting is also available to achieve a surface finish that is both rough and consistent.

Sharples offers CNC Milling with the capability to cut plastics, composites, wood, aluminum, and rigid foam core on its two large-format machines. Experienced operators ensure every job is produced to exact specifications, and each job is previewed by the CAD design department to process and nest the layout to maximize the best material yield. Our stringent quality control systems ensure every job is made to your exact specifications.

• Large work area
• Custom parts made from samples, CAD files, prints, or sketches
• Quick turnarounds
• Small or large runs
• Vacuum table
• Camera registration option
• Post machining inspection with 100% inspection reports available
• Laser and waterjet cutting also available

Quality is of utmost importance at Sharples. There is a minimum of three to five inspection steps during the manufacturing process, from design to final inspection. Upon customer request, Sharples can prepare a customized inspection report to accompany the tooling or parts. Finished parts are inspected all the way through the cutting process, from raw material to first article of inspection.

Following job ticket information and customer specifications, Sharples provides customers with their own inspection forms which completes the final inspection. Every customer is different. Every job is different. Sharples keeps customer specifications readily available to all departments at every stage of the manufacturing process, and specifications are continuously updated as customer preferences, equipment and guidelines change.

Sharples also offers document certification through a coordinate measuring table that generates digital readouts to provide data on finished parts and tools. For steel rule die customers, Sharples also offers CNC measuring of the overall sizes of die’s knife at multiple points with a CNC probe, providing accurate reports for close tolerance dies.

Sharples serves various industries worldwide by offering the best innovation to its clients through efficient, quick turnarounds and exceptional customer service. The company achieves success by consistently investing in equipment, cross training all employees, documenting outside and inside processes and having all employees understand all the services that Sharples offers.

The Sharples team is trained to recognize the need for executing projects efficiently on a daily basis and to understand expectations of timeliness and a commitment to quality. Processes are consistently reviewed internally to identify opportunities for improvement on the way information is gathered from customers or by internal processes. Sharples educates employees to understand utilization of all equipment and labor optimally with the goal to provide the most value to the customer.

Serving over 10 countries worldwide, Sharples continually works on efficient and economical solutions to help customers operate more efficiently. When you work with Sharples you are not using a vendor, you are working with a partner. Discover what so many customers for so many decades
have experienced by working with this family owned business.

211 John Dietsch Square
North Attleboro. MA 02763
Phone: 508-695-5656
sales@sharplesdie.com
www.sharplesdie.com