Page 28 - 3D Metal Printing Winter 2018

3D FEATURE
A Different Kind of
Company, From Start to Finish
Through its owner’s vision, this New York manufacturer has embraced sustainability
and a unique blend of processes. It’s also adopted new tumble-finishing technology for post- processing 3D-printed parts. BY LOUIS A. KREN, SENIOR EDITOR
Manufacturers, just like people, have unique outlooks and per- sonalities. Though all are in busi- ness to be successful and profitable, the path traveled varies greatly. Suffice to say that Harbec, an Ontario, NY, maker of prototypes, tooling, machined compo- nents and injection-molded parts, not
only followed a less-traveled path, it swung the scythe and carved the path itself. And, just as the personalities of manufacturers often take on the person- alities of their owners, there’s no doubt that Harbec has done that, too.
Bob Bechtold, Harbec’s founder, has had a unique outlook on life and work from his early years. As detailed by Fuze- Hub, the Manufacturing Extension Part- nership Program Center for New York State, Bechtold as a child was fascinated by “the magic of energy,” as he put it, and tinkered with kites, airplane models and magnifying glasses to capture the sun’s rays. After high school, he became just as interested in toolmaking, taking on an apprenticeship and growing his toolmak- ing skills through a three-year U.S. Army hitch followed by work as a journeyman
New finishing technology enables Harbec, Ontario, NY, to dramatically reduce post- processing time and costs for 3D- printed parts.
toolmaker. He then used his knowledge and experience to teach college and trade- school courses in machining and precision measurement. Witnessing firsthand the growing influence of NC and then CNC machining, he reasoned that the toolmak- er of the future not only would need a toolbox, but a computer as well.
His vision of a smart, tech-savvy future led him to launch Harbec in 1977. He would operate a traditional business in a decidedly untraditional way. From its markets to its products to even its energy-conservation and sustainability efforts, Harbec continues, successfully, to carve a unique path.
In 50,000 sq. ft. of manufacturing space, the company’s 135 employees work across three shifts in a unique setting that includes leading-edge air/energy-recla- mation systems and electricity-producing
26 | 3D METAL PRINTING • WINTER 2018
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