Most parts that come through R.H. Bolick & Company move across more than one machine before they’re finished. Turning, milling, and surface grinding all happen in the same shop, and we’ve provided machining services in Hickory, NC since 1970. Rush jobs, including the “we’ve got a machine down” calls, are usually ready within 24 to 48 hours of drop off. Standard work typically runs about two weeks.
We turn a lot of shafts. When a caller needs a shaft made, we ask how big and how long first, because every lathe has limits. Our two CNC turning centers both run with LNS bar feeders:
We also run three manual lathes.
Our mill room runs four Haas toolroom mills, plus a 4th-axis indexer that rotates the part so we can machine more than one side in a single setup:
Toolroom mills suit the one-off and short-run parts that fill most of our schedule. If you’re not sure your part fits, send the dimensions and we’ll tell you plainly whether it does.
Some parts need a flatter surface or a finer finish than milling leaves. Our surface grinding services cover that step, so those parts stay in the same shop between operations. We run a Chevalier FSG-3A1224 automatic surface grinder with a 12” x 24” table.
We also heat treat tool steel in-house. Our ovens are sized for smaller parts and small quantities. For a tool steel part that fits, the heat treating and grinding happen here along with the machining.
Most jobs start as an engineering drawing, a rough concept, or a worn part pulled straight off a machine that needs to be remade. We can work from any of them.
For parts with a lot of fine detail, we program in Fusion 360, Autodesk’s CAD/CAM software, to model the part in 3D and generate the tool paths the machine follows. We don’t use it on every job, just the ones complex enough to need it. Fusion 360 is widely taught in technical schools, so a lot of people in the trades already know it.
We’re a job shop: we’ll run one part as readily as a long production order. Small batch CNC machining, from a single replacement part to a short run of a component, is a regular part of our week.
On a short run, most of the cost comes from setup. Each job needs its own fixtures and machine settings, and afterward the machine goes back to its standard setup for the next job. On two parts, that setup time is spread across very little runtime. We’ll walk you through what drives your quote when you call.
Larger orders ship in scheduled batches. One recent order of about 10,000 parts moved out over several months to match what the customer could take.
A growing share of our work comes from these industries:
Fiber-optic manufacturers around Hickory, and the companies that build equipment for them
Paving and heavy equipment makers
Specialty machine builders who need CNC work their own shops can’t run, including a customer that refurbishes older German saw-blade sharpening machines and converts them to CNC
Need welding or a fabricated frame too? See our Welding Services.
Parts cut on our Water Jet Cutting table can move straight to the mills for finishing.
Send your part’s dimensions and we’ll confirm the fit against our turning centers’ capacity.
Our surface grinder has a 12” x 24” table. For parts near that size, send the dimensions and we’ll confirm the fit.
We machine most common metals and steer away from Inconel. Call with your material and we’ll confirm the fit.
Yes. One- and two-piece jobs are routine for us. Setup is a bigger share of the cost on small runs, so we’ll explain your quote before work starts.
Either works. Send an engineering drawing or bring the worn or broken part to the shop. Walk-ins are welcome during business hours.
Most rush jobs are ready within 24 to 48 hours of drop-off, depending on how complex the part is. Standard work typically runs about two weeks.
Yes, for tool steel parts that fit our ovens. We’re set up for small parts and small quantities.
Send a drawing or describe the part, and you’ll hear back within 24 hours. Contact us to start a quote for machining services, or bring the part by our shop in Hickory.
