Cope’s Arizona Team: the Southwest’s New Solution for Lead Times

Post-Pandemic Demand + Freight Challenges = Lead Time Issues

Cope Plastics has recently expanded into the Southwest region of the U.S. The two new business units consist of a Sales Branch and a separate Fabrication Facility. They are both located in the Greater Phoenix, Arizona area, which is far from Cope’s Corporate Office and Branch System in the Midwest. Making timely parts for customers in the Southwest is a challenge when the order has to travel across the Rocky Mountains. 

Additionally, the post-pandemic demand for performance polymer shapes and fabricated parts became so strong that it has strained the capacity of the entire industry.

 Enter: The HAAS VF4SS Mill 

Our team in the Southwest developed their own solution to fix their independent lead times, which led them to purchase a HAAS VF4SS mill. The addition of the new 4th axis CNC mill will not only add capacity, but also allow Cope Plastics to ship parts to West Coast customers faster and eliminate the freight challenges created by distance and the crossing of the Rocky Mountains. Prior to the purchase of the new HAAS mill, the Fabrication Facility was limited to CNC routers and custom fabrication. With the addition of the new mill, seventy-five percent of Cope’s operational capabilities can now be replicated in Phoenix. Our Southwest Region now operates three CNC machines, multiple hand tools, table saws, heat bending capabilities, hand routers, and a large high production CNC beam saw that can cut stacked sheets.

The mill allows our Arizona team to produce tighter tolerance parts and is excellent at creating smaller parts that can be hard to hold on a CNC router. This machine gives them thread tapping capabilities as well as multi-profile 4 axis contour milling. They are also able to make their own fixtures out of aluminum or other metals, giving them greater capabilities and higher production efficiencies. This mill is designed for high-capacity milling, drilling, tapping, and surfacing… all of these functions are achieved according to demanding tolerances. The machine is incredibly rigid providing smooth cut finishes. The large open work table gives flexibility to quickly set up vises in the best locations for a job.

The HAAS VF4SS has the option to run coolant on parts that contain features where heat can be a problem. Great care has been given in choosing eco-friendly coolants that are safe for all plastic category groups being machined, achieving top quality parts with smooth accurate finishes…every time. It has the capability to run parts with features on the top and bottom. The upgrade in accuracy and precision tolerancing sets the mill miles apart from even the best CNC routers. It can do way more and much faster. The machine is easy to set up and only takes one person to man the machine all day.

Our Arizona team is very efficient; they usually will have one person running 3-5 machines each day. Cope has invested in some of the industry’s top CAD/CAM software giving us a distinct advantage in capabilities, accuracy, and efficiency. We also have some of the finest tooling, vises, and clamps that allow us to create components that our competition can’t make. Our machinist and programmer work closely together using their creativity to make difficult parts possible. Follow the link to further explore how new machines at Cope Plastics is increasing productivity. 

The Market Leader in Shorter Lead Times

Adding this CNC mill has allowed us to be able to navigate and improve upon the long lead times hitting the entire industry. It is our objective to be the market leader in shorter lead times. The team’s goal is to be the first to market in high quality products. This machine gives them options… depending on the part’s size, features, and tolerances they can choose the mill or routers to best fulfill the order. 

The addition of this mill eliminates the limits of local industries that we can serve. We can now market to an abundance of aerospace, silicon, semiconductor, agriculture, transportation, and defense companies, among others. Adding this machine makes Cope-Arizona more of a market basket option.  Click on the link to read how the plastics industry is out performing the metal industry. 

 “High Quality Parts are Cope’s Heritage … “

The CNC Mill has also opened additional doors previously closed. The team in the Southwest is highly trained and eager to fulfill any and all needs regarding industries in Aerospace, Defense/Military, and Semiconductors. This addition is about creating opportunities and being able to compete for applications in any market. 

According to Gary French, our Chandler Branch Manufacturing Manager;

“Anyone can be the cheapest… It is our goal as the Cope- Arizona team to be the best. We can and will exceed our customers’ expectations in quality, timely delivery all at a great value. Having this new machinery helps us to meet that goal in a big way! High quality fabricated parts are Cope’s heritage; we honor this by expanding that level of service to the southwest with great energy.” 

 This team has created their own future and are eager to serve all markets in the Performance Plastics Industry. Follow this link to learn more about their fabrication capabilities.

Reach out to them regarding any and all of your performance plastic needs.   

Chandler, AZ: Gary French | 480-597-3393 | gfrench@copeplastics.com

Goodyear, AZ: Travis Gooden | 623-535-9905 | tgooden@copeplastics.com 

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