March Industry Watch: Business

OMAX CORPORATION (KENT, WA) . . .
booked a $2 million-plus order from the U.S. Government for several of the company’s JetMachining® Centers. The order, which spanned the fourth quarter of 2010, involved several standard and two customized machines for shipment to various branches of the Department of Defense, including NASA, The Military Academy at West Point, and The Naval Academy at Annapolis. Two customized abrasive waterjet cutting systems are slated for NASA and an Army arsenal.

For NASA, company engineers modified a machine’s Z-axis height to meet a specific project’s requirements. The abrasive waterjet machine for the Army arsenal was custom designed to include a DualBRIDGE system, four waterjet heads, and quad pumps.

The company has been supplying equipment to the U.S. Government since 1997. With more than 40 machines located in various facilities worldwide, the U.S. Air Force is one of its largest customers. Other Government branches using abrasive waterjet cutting systems include the U.S. Army, U.S. Coast Guard, U.S. Navy, USDA, FAA, and NIST. And most countrywide NASA facilities house at least one abrasive waterjet machine.

The strong relationship with the U.S. Government grew from the partnership the company has built with Phillips Corporation – Federal Division. Since 1948, Phillips Corporation – Federal has sold metalworking and manufacturing solutions to the U.S. Government and its related agencies, exclusively.

Most of the U.S. Government’s OMAX machines are used for upkeep of legacy equipment. The machines cut metal and aircraft aluminum for airframe maintenance, titanium for artillery, and plating for U.S. Army transport vehicles. “What we’ve learned from attending numerous DoD maintenance conferences and seminars is that the government is stressing a need for legacy equipment upkeep. This message is especially emphasized to military branch metals technicians, who rely on our abrasive waterjet systems to carry out that initiative,” said Steve Brown, OMAX Major Account Manager for government, college, and university customers. www.omax.com

PHILADELPHIA UNIVERSITY (PHILADELPHIA, PA) and
MAG (NEW YORK, NY)…
are establishing the Philadelphia University MAG Composites Institute for research and development of new textile-based composites that could have wide application in industry, including the aerospace, automotive and energy sectors.

The new research institute will be funded in part by $1.1 million from MAG, whose chairman and chief executive officer is Dr. Eng. Mo I. Meidar, a Philadelphia University alumnus and member of the University Board of Trustees. In addition to the Philadelphia University MAG Composites Institute, the funding also will support a new B.S. in Engineering program with a concentration in composites, one of the only such programs in the country. The first courses in composites will be offered in fall 2011.

“Our partnership with MAG to support new and important research in composite materials and expand our academic programming in engineering has myriad advantages for both the company and the University, as well as for our students and faculty and the industries that are likely to benefit from the development of new textile-composite materials,” said Philadelphia University President Stephen Spinelli Jr., Ph.D. “It’s a perfect example of an industry leader and a professional university partnering to create extraordinary opportunities in engineering science and education.”

“An educated workforce in advanced composites technology will see increasing opportunities for generations to come. The Philadelphia University MAG Composites Institute represents our commitment to expand the level of research and education in this field,” said Mo Meidar, Chairman and CEO of MAG. “We are driven to support new business opportunities serving a multitude of industries, and we believe this partnership will be a key factor in achieving the full potential for new applications of composite materials.”

Composites play an increasingly important role in industrial applications across a wide range of fields, “because they are lighter than steel or aluminum and thus provide engineers with a lightweight alternative for use in a broad array of structures for aerospace, automotive and wind-energy applications,” said David Brookstein, Sc.D., Philadelphia University’s executive dean for university research. For example, vehicles that weigh less tend to have better fuel efficiency than their heavier counterparts.

In particular, “woven and braided textiles have been used for fiber reinforcement in composites for many years,” Brookstein noted. For instance, Boeing announced that up to 50 percent of the primary structure – including the fuselage and wing – of its new 787 Dreamliner airplane will be made of composite materials. Brookstein said some of these are textile-based composites.

“We applaud and encourage the Philadelphia University vision of expanding its resources, student opportunities and industry involvement in composite technologies,” said Robert Vitlip, associate technical fellow, Composites Manufacturing Technology at Boeing Philadelphia. “It is our shared belief that an investment in technology growth is required to secure an industry competitive and economic advantage.”

The Philadelphia University MAG Composites Institute will use analytical tools, such as finite element analysis, to design and research new textile-based composites from both two-dimensional and three-dimensional textile performs. And Brookstein said, “adding composites to our B.S. in Engineering program will provide our students with an engineering education that is rich in the basics of mechanical engineering, and which has the added value of a composites concentration.”

The Philadelphia University MAG Composites Institute builds on the University’s legacy as the nation’s first textile school and its considerable expertise in advanced textile-related research. In fall 2009, Philadelphia University established the Biomedical Textile Structures Laboratory to develop textile-based products for medical use and in 2004 established the Laboratory for Engineering Human Protection to assist the military in designing and developing new protection systems for military personnel.

“The creation of this Institute embodies the innovation made possible by the intersection of industry-leading partners and the integrative learning approach of our new College of Design, Engineering and Commerce,” said D.R. Widder, Philadelphia University’s executive director of innovation. www.mag-ias.com, www.PhilaU.edu

OKUMA AMERICA CORPORATION (CHARLOTTE, NC)…
announced that Riten Industries, Inc. (Washington Court House, OH), the world’s largest manufacturer of live and dead centers and face drivers, has joined Partners in THINC. With a full-time staff of experienced design engineers and the latest in CAD technology to support and enhance their capabilities, Riten is able to offer customers complete turnkey design services for a variety of special applications.

Tom Downs, Regional Sales Manager, stated, “We are excited to join the Partners in THINC team and are looking forward to helping manufacturers and improving and complementing the capabilities of the Okuma machine tools.” In addition to a standard product offering, this manufacturer can design and produce customized products and has a dedicated full-time department for repairing and rebuilding used live and dead centers. www.partnersinthinc.com, www.riten.com, www.okuma.com

QUALITY CONTROLLED MANUFACTURING INC.
(QCMI) (SAN DIEGO, CA)…
was awarded the prestigious United Technologies Corporation (UTC) Supplier Gold award. QCMI is the only complex machining company in the continental United States to achieve UTC Supplier Gold over two consecutive years. Using stringent criteria, the program acknowledges a supplier for their exceptional performance over at least 12 consecutive months.

The UTC Supplier Gold process is a method for aligning and linking the entire value stream around customer-focused metrics. One of the key benefits of the process is the facilitation and acceleration of performance improvements. The rigorous criteria address the applicant’s quality, delivery, lean practices and customer satisfaction. Participation is voluntary and nominations for the Supplier Gold assessment process must come from UTC divisions or the corporate office.

The Hamilton Sundstrand Supply Chain Management team re-nominated the manufacturer for the Supplier Gold recertification process. Upon UTC’s acceptance of the nomination, QCMI documented performance levels over a 12-month time period. Performance excellence was determined through supplier excellence criteria (quality and delivery), market feedback analysis, lean assessment and an on-site validation visit by the Supplier Gold Team.

The standalone initiative required QCMI to actively utilize quality and lean tools. The following assessments were included: certified quality clinic system; relentless root cause analysis and corrective action (RRCA); process certification; standardized work processes; set up reduction; value stream mapping; continuous improvement; 5S (sort, set-in-order, shine, standardize, sustain) methodologies; and total production maintenance.

In the category of supplier excellence/quality, QCMI reported zero escapes (or customer returns) over 12 months. And, for superior excellence/customer defined delivery, QCMI reported Best in Class at 99.4 percent (2009 and 2010). Out of a possible 500 score for UTC manufacturing operations’ lean assessment category, QCMI scored 440, with 350 the qualifying target. In addition, QCMI achieved a six out of seven in the “ease of doing business” market feedback analysis category.

With this recertification QCMI remains in the ranks of a prestigious group of industry suppliers including, but not limited to, Mitsubishi, Samsung, Kawasaki and Honeywell. Supplier Gold status suppliers work with UTC subsidiaries such as Hamilton Sundstrand, Pratt & Whitney, Sikorsky, Carrier, Otis and UTC Power, UTC Fire & Security and others.

“Achieving UTC Supplier Gold status two consecutive years would not have been possible without the dedication and commitment of our entire company, along with the continued support we receive from Hamilton Sundstrand,” said Bob Grande, President and CEO of QCMI. “Our entire organization is extremely proud of our Supplier Gold recertification. We understand this elite status must be earned each year. The Supplier Gold status and everything it represents, including quality, delivery, lean manufacturing and continuous improvement is not a destination but a never ending journey.” www.qcmfginc.com

RELIANCE STEEL & ALUMINUM CO. (LOS ANGELES, CA)…
acquired the outstanding capital stock of Lampros Steel, Inc. and a related interest in Lampros Steel Plate Distribution LLC. Lampros Steel is a steel service center company specializing in structural steel shapes with a facility located in Portland, OR. Lampros Steel Plate owns a 50 percent interest in a partnership, LSI Plate, that is a distributor of carbon steel plate with locations in California and Oregon.

Lampros Steel was founded in 1983 by Milt and Marcus Lampros, and the partnership was founded in 1999. The combined 2009 revenues of Lampros Steel and LSI Plate were $29 million. Lampros will operate as a subsidiary of American Metals Corporation, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Reliance Steel & Aluminum Co. Current management will remain in place with Milt Lampros serving as President of Lampros Steel.

“We look forward to the addition of Lampros Steel as a part of Reliance. Lampros has a strong reputation for customer service in the Pacific Northwest area and will complement our network of facilities,” said David H. Hannah, Chairman and CEO of Reliance. www.rsac.com

HYDRO ALUMINUM (MONETT, MO)…
continues to undergo significant upgrades to its extrusion plant operations and infrastructure to improve product quality, increase efficiency and reduce waste. The 200,000 sq ft facility is upgrading its vertical wet paint line and converting to a chrome pretreatment system that will be fully operational in March. These changes will improve product quality and system performance.

In early 2011, the company will complete a $1.5 million upgrade to the handling system for one of its 7 in extrusion presses. This will improve product surface quality, reduce scrap, and increase productivity. Over the last 15 months, the Monett facility revamped its material handling and aging processes, consolidated fabrication operations previously located at Cassville, MO, and expanded second-stage manufacturing capabilities.

An expansion of an existing furnace, completed in December 2010, significantly increased the facility’s remelt capacity for recycling aluminum. The plant also ceased manufacturing the M2000 sliding patio door product line, which was sold to Architectural Metals Inc. of St. Louis, to focus its extrusion business on parts and assemblies.

“These investments, along with the addition of engineering personnel, allow us to assist customers with increasingly diverse requirements, and to take our quality and service to new levels,” said Rhonda Wright, Extrusion North America unit vice president and general manager in the Central Region. “While some in the aluminum industry remain hunkered down, Hydro continues to invest in its facilities and personnel so that we can support our customers.” www.hydro.com/northamerica