Jayson Dekmar

Building an automated American manufacturing company.

Owner @ LOK Grips

[Jayson Dekmar @JaysonDekmar]

@CalebChamberla6 @pronounced_kyle Brother CNCs and Brother printers - the best

[Jayson Dekmar @JaysonDekmar]

@photoncmndr @JasonPremoMFG Sounds like a good start. Some of our processes create super fine chips that have required some extra filtering on some of our machines. Next step would be automated coolant top-offs but we're probably a ways out on that still.

[Jayson Dekmar @JaysonDekmar]

@photoncmndr @JasonPremoMFG What's your plan for dealing with the chips? That's been our biggest issue automating

[Jayson Dekmar @JaysonDekmar]

@JasonPremoMFG I'd estimate we need one operator for each three to four machines. Over the last year our sales are up around 40% but cost of labor is around +16%. Trying to optimize and be efficient as we can to achieve chynuhh busting low prices for our customers. 🇺🇸

[Jayson Dekmar @JaysonDekmar]

2,000,875 tool changes on one Haas VF-3.
Lights-out on a RoboJob cell since early 2023. No operator. ~80% uptime, 168 hours a week.
The robot gets the attention. The machine grinding out change after change, day and night, is the real story.

[Jayson Dekmar @JaysonDekmar]

@CalebChamberla6 This is a pretty good description of our business model as well. We had 24,000 customers last year. Only 30% of our revenue comes from OEM/contract manufacturing larger orders.

[Jayson Dekmar @JaysonDekmar]

@EV_Trapper Have you looked into NOSTR?

[Jayson Dekmar @JaysonDekmar]

@nantoke6 Nothing wrong with high attention to detail

[Jayson Dekmar @JaysonDekmar]

@DearS_o_n That's terrible advice. How about you act the wage that you want to earn? What's your goal? Strive for that. If your current employer doesn't recognize it, then move on. Otherwise this is a good way to become a loser.

[Jayson Dekmar @JaysonDekmar]

@dirtman Chip Breaker would help make these chips more compact and manageable. Definitely not great letting chips build up like that.

[Jayson Dekmar @JaysonDekmar]

@gen3industrial @EricVallieres84 This is what you want

[Jayson Dekmar @JaysonDekmar]

Never mirror a company's logo when engraving it. That's not their logo anymore and most won't appreciate it.

[Jayson Dekmar @JaysonDekmar]

@10_X_eng @SkinnyfatTony I like to collaborate with claude on ideas then use it for in depth market research to see what is currently selling, what common complaints it sees about those products, what it thinks could be improved on, ect.

[Jayson Dekmar @JaysonDekmar]

@10_X_eng @SkinnyfatTony What are you interested in? Design and make something your interested in, build a brand around it, sell it online. Easier said than done, but this is how I pulled myself out from doing job shop work

[Jayson Dekmar @JaysonDekmar]

LOK Grips' mission: To build the standard for American manufacturing, in everything we do, alongside our community

[Jayson Dekmar @JaysonDekmar]

@KennethCassel Our Brother machines have 5 month lead times. We need to order special order them from Japan with 27k spindle. Definitely complicates things

[Jayson Dekmar @JaysonDekmar]

2k11 grip in progress

[Jayson Dekmar @JaysonDekmar]

When not set in high accuracy, brother machines take some liberties to cut corners and smooth out the tool path. It wound up creating a nice looking texture here. Very clean machining with our new Regofix Powergrip tool holders too.

[Jayson Dekmar @JaysonDekmar]

@connorkapoor My oldest one is over 10 years now. We probably have at least 8 scattered around the shop. Bulletproof and they work great with cheap toner refills from Amazon.

Now we have Brother CNC machines too. They're also very reliable

[Jayson Dekmar @JaysonDekmar]

@photoncmndr @GuseMrsco What about for programming in general? Are you using it to program as part of your normal work flow?