- Sep 3
- 3 min read

Coleman Manufactures in a New Light

An American brand for over 100 years, Coleman is a name that we’re not only all familiar with, but a name that is synonymous with outdoor fun.

W.C. Coleman was a young man, selling typewriters when he spotted a new type of lamplight in a drugstore window in Brockton, Alabama. This new light burned with a strong, steady, white flame and was fueled by gasoline. The standard lamp of the era burned kerosene and produced a smoky flickering yellowish light. W.C. was stricken with very poor eyesight and was very interested in the new, steady, white light that enabled him to read even the smallest print in books and on medicine bottles.

He saw potential in the new light and through his vision a new company was born that would put America’s farms and ranches in a new light.

For over its 100 years, Coleman expanded and became a part of most everyone's life through its broad range of camping and outdoor products. Through all of the years and diversification, the Coleman lantern remained the core of what the company was "all about" and when it came time in 2014 to upgrade its competitiveness so it could remain in its leadership position in this important area, it began looking for equipment and partners to team with.

The Challenge!

Coleman was facing a manufacturing challenge. Old equipment needed to be replaced. A cost effective solution was needed for the production of their gas lanterns and other small outdoor appliances; a solution that would reduce operations, handling and cycle time, take up minimal floor space, give them better tolerances and greater ROI. The manufacturing team at Coleman in Maize, Kansas, looked at a number of CNC products. They selected the Eurotech SwissTurn Gepard 42SLY for several reasons.

“We chose the Eurotech Gepard,” said Mark Lester, Coleman’s Production Manager, “because it had more technology and was priced very competitively. It had a compact size and took up minimal floor space, it came with Eurotech’s free lifetime training and guaranteed satisfaction. In addition, we really liked the hybrid feature that gave us the quick change from guide to non-guide bushing, as well as the live tool capacity.”

The Solution!

The Eurotech Gepard 42SLY is a 7-axis Swiss type auto lathe with 5,000 rpm on main and sub spindle, convertible from guide to non-guide bushing. It can be set up to accept any major brand guide bushing and collet and with features such as full horsepower back working, C-Axis on main and back spindle and disc brake on main and sub. The local service team from Eurotech’s distributor, Kansas Oklahoma Machine Tools, Inc. (KOMT), coupled with Eurotech’s Free lifetime training were a big plus in the decision process. “The machine was working great and the training was excellent. We were in production the same week of the installation and are still learning and increasing productivity each week,” said Mark.

The Eurotech Gepard solved our manufacturing problems. It took up minimal floor space, eliminated handling, improved accuracy and saved 37% in our cycle time. We now machine parts in one operation and with the free training are still increasing our productivity.” -Mark Lester, Production Manager, Coleman