In a job shop, no two days are ever the same—and that’s precisely why the job is such a perfect fit for so many. Stumpf Waterjet, founded by brothers Ben, Alex and Ted and dad Leo, is the quintessential job shop: a team that loves a good challenge and is open to just about any type of work.
From aluminum castings, to parts for the packaging industry, to helping local farmers reverse engineer parts for their equipment, Stumpf Waterjet has seen just about everything. “We love the tough projects, and we refuse to be pigeon-holed,” said Ben.
Why Hurco? It’s Just So Easy.
After graduating from high school, Ben attended Fox Valley Technical College in nearby Appleton. While working nights at a local job shop, he saw the power of the Hurco conversational control on the shop’s VMX64 machining center. When the shop upgraded to a larger DCX22 gantry mill, Ben was promoted to the lead operator on that machine.
Ted also pursued a career in machining, starting out working on a Hurco VM ONE before moving over to a VM10 and VMX42. And Alex went to the University of Wisconsin - Whitewater, where he studied business.
In 2019, the family saw an opportunity to start their own shop. As the company name suggests, they were initially focused on waterjet parts, but soon needed to increase their machining capabilities. Since Ben and Ted had deep experience with Hurco machines, their choice was an easy one, and they picked up two VMC30 machining centers in 2021.
“The Hurco machines are easy to learn, easy to use, easy to program,” said Ben. “They are rigid machines and do what you need them to do.” Ben estimates that they use the conversational control for 95% of jobs, and program offline in Fusion 360 when more complicated 3D work is required.
VMX42 Joins the Team
As business picked up, the brothers added a VMX42 machining center to their arsenal in 2023. In addition to the larger 24” Y and Z travels (vs 20” on their VM30 machines), the new VMX brought a range of upgrades over their existing VM machines. More robust castings and larger roller ways delivered improved rigidity, while faster spindles, faster tool changes and better acceleration/deceleration rates allowed Stumpf to get parts done faster. The 40 tool magazine (up from 20 tools on their VM30 machines) is always fully loaded, reducing changeover and setup times. “I rarely have to load a tool anymore,” said Ted.
Stumpf Waterjet optioned their VMX mill with the 3D Mold package, which gives operators the ability to quickly program 3D geometries at the control. While not a replacement for their CAD/CAM software, 3D Mold is a powerful tool that helps job shops like Stumpf do more with their conversational control. “I love the 3D functionality,” said Ted. “We use it a lot for cutting custom chamfers and angles on parts using standard tools; previously, we would have needed custom tools.”
The Future: More Work They’re Proud Of
We asked the Stumpfs about a Hurco-made part they were proud of, and Ben quickly cited a custom carburetor spacer made for his dad’s Ford Ranchero project car. Leo has been a fan of the platform for years, and having a shop filled with accurate and reliable Hurco equipment makes customization a piece of cake.
As for what tomorrow will bring, the brothers know to expect the unexpected. It’s the job shop life, after all. “Running our own business is great,” Ben said. “We really enjoy working for ourselves. It’s challenging, but we keep pushing.”
If you have a similar mindset and high-mix, low-volume mix, do what Stumpf Waterjet did and talk to Hurco about your application. You’ll be glad you did.
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