In today’s global marketplace, the competitive pressure on American manufacturers is intense. The challenge for Hardinge was to design and produce a new machine tool in record time, at an extremely competitive price. By using the latest design tool technology, Hardinge was able to meet this challenge. 

            Like many companies in the manufacturing industry, Hardinge Inc. is affected by the new global economy where exchange rates, competition from foreign markets, the U.S. recession, and the ability to create inexpensive, yet high-quality products are critical business challenges. The machine tool industry in which Hardinge competes is highly competitive, particularly from the Japanese and German markets. In addition, due to the complex nature of the machine tool industry, design times can be long, making it difficult to quickly create a product in response to an immediate opportunity. If the U.S. industry is to maintain manufacturing competence, it is critical that it finds new ways to design and produce machines to hold off foreign competition.

            This new global economy has had a devastating effect on the U.S. manufacturing industry. For Hardinge U.S. machine operations, a paradigm-shift in the way that business is conducted was essential for sustained growth. From product conception through serial production, the whole business cycle had to be redeveloped to operate more efficiently.

            Hardinge has a diverse customer base in the automotive, aerospace and medical industries; from tier-one automotive suppliers to small job shops. Its product offering ranges from simple, 2-axis lathe, to multitasking lathes that are available with options to address multiple spindles and turrets as well as X, Y, Z and C machine axes. Pricing ranges from $35,000 for non-CNC tool room lathes to $300,000 for advanced multitasking machines. Hardinge also offers machine tools for vertical turning and vertical machining centers, as well as a wide range of high-quality work-holding products. This diverse product offering had at one time offered customers one-stop-shopping, however today price drives the majority of purchasing decisions.

            Hardinge decided to take on the price-sensitive market by introducing a lathe that is highly functional and accurate, but very affordable. The new ELITE product would complement the baseline and high-end lathes currently offered, expanding Hardinge’s market share and drawing from the...

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