Tawas Tool Company turns 50 years old

EAST TAWAS — Tawas Tool Company celebrated 50 years of being in business last Saturday, Oct. 15. To celebrate, they hosted an open house at Plant II for the public and employees.

Tawas Tool are a subsidiary of the Start Cutter Company based in Farmington Hills. They are a 95 year old company located throughout the world, with businesses in Mexico and Brazil, to name a few.

“Everybody’s familiar with their transmission in their car,” said General Manager Tom Giglio. “We cut the gears that cut that.”

Every tool needs to be cut from some other tool, which poses a unique problem: How does a plant make the tools that cut other tools?

The tools that cut out other tools are generally known as hobs. They are hardened gear like cylinders that spin at high speeds, cutting steel or other material to form a finished specification. Hobs are great because they last long and can cut uniform shapes. Many steel parts are cut from hobs. Almost all gears are cut from them. Many cutting tools that require uniform teeth, like saw blades, are cut out from a hob too.

Hobs need to be harder than the material they’re cutting, usually steel, to overcome the tremendous forces on the blade. Otherwise, they won’t cut and certainly won’t last long enough to manufacture parts on an industrial scale.

“The material is at the harder end of the steel hardness scale. It’s about the same level as carbide, or hardened steel,” said Giglio.

The process involves many steps, but it boils down to three phases.

First, the metal they use comes in at a softer, more malleable stage. Workers at Tawas tool cut the material in a cutting machine to the desired shape.

Then comes hardening. They heat treat these hobs in big ovens, cooking the steel to temperatures around 1600 to 1700 degrees Fahrenheit.

“We cooked a turkey in it once!” said Josh Hopkins, Manufacturing Engineer.

This step also involves tempering the steel multiple times.

Finally, they grind the tools to give them a sharp edge.

Many times the parts may go back and forth between stages, but the process generally follows those stages.

The tools go out to many different manufacturers for many different uses. Clients include auto manufacturers like CAT, Ford and GM. They had a few hobs going to these factories on the floor as they held their open house.

Noah Vanderveen, another Manufacturing Engineer, has worked at Tawas Tool Company for nine years. He said while the work is fast paced it’s never repetitive.

“It’s not like you’re doing the same part every time for hours on end at other manufacturing plants,” said Vanderveen. “Every part is different, and you have to use your critical thinking skills. It’s about just being adaptive to whatever part you’re working on.”

Vanderveen said this requirement to make different parts almost every time gave him great insight into the manufacturing process. He would say the job has given him a great resume.

“I would say this job is about being able to manage and learn all aspects of manufacturing. For anybody who worked here, they would be able to manage any floor.”

For those interested in learning more about Tawas Tool Company, they are located at 980 Aulerich Rd. They can be reached by telephone at 989-362-0414, or website via star-su.com.

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