Manufacturers of all sizes have a clear mandate: Do more with less. Labor is hard to find, budgets are tight and customers still expect high quality and fast turnaround times.

Against that backdrop, companies like Acu-Rite Solutions are making products that are designed to help make precision machining more accessible, efficient and reliable for users at all skill levels.

“We’re always thinking about how to keep the next generation of manual machine tool users engaged in the trade,” says John Parker, business development machine tool and product manager for Acu-Rite Solutions parent company Heidenhain Corp.

“We want to make them excited about the products and tools that they’re working with.”

Plus, by extending the capability of existing manual machine tools, shops can improve accuracy and productivity without immediately investing in new equipment.

Today, the Acu-Rite Solutions portfolio ranges from traditional digital readout systems (DROs) that make manual machines more accurate to entry‑level controls that give older equipment CNC‑style capabilities and an iPad-based system aimed at training the next generation.

Boosting Shop Productivity with MILLPWR Control

For many machine shops, adding a DRO to a manual machine is the first step toward modernizing their equipment.

“What comes next,” Parker says, “is an entry-level control platform that takes the manual machine tool with a digital readout to the next level.”

Sold under the MILLPWR brand, the company’s entry-level CNC controller offers 2- and 3-axis options.

“We’re basically taking this manual machine that doesn’t have anything on it, and we’re putting motors and drives and a control on it to make it a CNC-controlled machine that can be conversational,” Parker says. “You can also import G-code programs and DXF files into it.”

The result is a machine that can run more automated, repeatable operations without requiring the investment of a high‑end CNC. For shop owners and operations managers, that can be a more manageable and cost‑effective way to increase output, especially when budgets are tight.

The same philosophy applies to turning work. TURNPWR is Acu-Rite’s lathe control, which gives machine shops a similar “step‑up” path on their manual lathes.

MSC plays a role in the integration of these products. Acu-Rite Solutions builds the systems and then MSC’s customer fulfillment center in Mableton, Georgia, installs them on new machines so that customers receive equipment that’s ready to go on day one, Parker says.

Bringing Tablets to the Shop Floor

Acu‑Rite Solutions isn’t just focused on production shops. Parker says the company is also thinking about how to attract and train the next generation of machinists.

To that end, the company has introduced an iOS app called droPWR that takes the familiar concept of a DRO and puts it on a device that many students and younger workers are already familiar with: the iPad.

Instead of using a traditional dedicated display mounted to the machine, a worker uses a small Bluetooth-enabled device connected to measurement scales on the machine. That module sends data wirelessly to the iPad, where the droPWR app displays positions and other information.

“This represents one of the most innovative new solutions our team has developed,” Parker says.

The droPWR app has drawn particular interest from schools and training centers, he says.

“A school here in my hometown has purchased eight of these,” he says. “The instructor really likes that he can send the students an email and they can pick up their assignment in the evening right on the tablet. From there, they can open the app, create a program using the information provided in the email, load it into the digital readout and machine the part.”

The app has also attracted interest from owners of small machine shops, many of whom own older equipment with built‑in DROs that are now obsolete or failing. The droPWR app gives them a way to modernize those machines without completely replacing the original electronics.

“If somebody’s just looking for a DRO replacement, and they have a tablet, they’re going to save money. All they have to do is download the app from the App Store and buy the device, which is more cost-effective than a complete digital readout system or DRO upgrade,” Parker says.

ROI, Durability and U.S.-Based Manufacturing

While new technologies are expanding what DRO systems can do, core purchasing decisions in machine shops continue to be driven by durability, reliability and return on investment (ROI).

Acu-Rite Solutions positions its products as industrial-grade solutions designed for demanding machining environments where accuracy and uptime are critical.

“There are plenty of bargain digital readouts on the market, but performance, reliability and long-term value aren’t found in the bargain bin,” Parker says.

In contrast, Acu-Rite Solutions products are designed for long-term use in production environments and are supported by a two-year warranty. The systems are also backed by U.S.-based manufacturing and support infrastructure, which is an important factor for many industrial buyers.

“Manufacturers like that our products are designed, developed, manufactured, sold and supported right here in the U.S.,” he says.

When it comes to ROI, Parker says Acu-Rite Solutions aims to make that calculation easier with an online ROI calculator that lets users plug in their own assumptions about labor, time saved and scrap reduction.

“Generally, what people find is that it’s usually as little as 30 days to pay off one of these digital readout systems,” Parker says.