Machining
The Company's first machine tools were purchased used, in 1989. A visit to the machine shop at GEM is a walk through twentieth century history of American metal c
utting. Vintage of the Company's lathes ranges from one manufactured in 1896 to one purchased new by its first owner in 1992. Capacity of the lathes ranges from fourteen-inch swing with forty inch between centers, to one with sixty-inch swing and eight feet between centers and one with thirty-six inch swing and twenty-four feet between centers. Moving ahead historically, a visitor would arrive at two 1950s vintage spiral cut gear shapers. These machines, which do not use any electronics, are fully automatic. After a blank is fastened to the table, one of these shapers can cut all the teeth in spiral cut gear without human intervention. GEM uses the gear shapers to cut teeth on internal splines used for fryer and blancher hood jack drive mechanism. Milling operations are performed by late twentieth century CNC machining centers. The oldest of these was manufactured in 1985. The latest addition was purchased new in 2000. The largest, purchased new in 1999 to machine sections of fryer kettles, can process parts up to ten feet two inches long by eighty-two inches wide. Maximum vertical tool travel is twenty-seven inches. In addition, the machine shop has honing and tool grinding capabilities. Development of the machine shop has enabled GEM to manufacture more sophisticated equipment and upgrade existing product line. Blancher belt side chain links are now precision machined, resulting in longer life. All holes and slots that effect oil flow in fryer kettles are machined.