Industry Watch: Business

THE L.S. STARRETT COMPANY (ATHOL, MA) . . .
acquired Bytewise Development Corporation (Columbus, GA), which designs, develops and manufactures non-contact, industrial measurement systems and software that capture the external geometric profile of a product and analyze that data to meet measurement and/or quality control requirements. Bytewise will continue to operate under its brand name as a wholly-owned subsidiary of The L.S. Starrett Company. Bytewise was advised on the transaction by Arlington Capital Advisors.

“We are excited about the acquisition of Bytewise, which expands our strategic focus to provide engineered solutions for industry and will be accretive to our business. Their industry leading laser technology is consistent with our reputation for providing the finest in precision measuring instruments that meet the industry’s most stringent standards while expanding our reach in new markets. Nine of the top ten tire manufacturers and four of the top six non-tire rubber companies are their customers and have systems currently in operation in 24 countries around the globe. We are confident that this technology can be leveraged across select segments of our product portfolio to benefit many current and future customers,” said Douglas A. Starrett, the president and CEO of Starrett.

Russell D. Carreker, the chief executive officer of Bytewise, commented, “Today is a great day for us, our employees and our customers. Joining forces here is going to position us to maximize the talent our team members bring to work every day and to take advantage of the opportunities that exist in the markets that we serve. Additionally, we believe that being a part of Starrett will quickly open many new markets to our innovative and industry-leading products. Most importantly, we feel very fortunate to become a part of their family. We are confident that the similarities that exist in our core beliefs that relate to how we want to take care of our customers and our team members will allow us to work together very well and enjoy great success over the coming years.” www.starrett.com

WAUKESHA® METAL PRODUCTS (SUSSEX, WI) . . .
received the 2011 Zierick Manufacturing Corporation Productivity Award for its efforts to significantly reduce the price and increase productivity for high-volume stainless steel cassettes that hold dental instruments. This award is part of the Precision Metalforming Association (PMA; Independence, OH) Awards of Excellence in Metalforming.

Waukesha® Metal Products provides high-quality precision tools, stamping, fabrication, value-added services and assembled components to a diverse customer base that includes the automotive, industrial power, point of sale, telecommunications, electrical controls, lighting, aerospace, military, and dental and medical equipment industries.

Due to cosmetic and burr-free requirements on the brushed-finish type 304 stainless steel, existing cassettes had been manufactured using a labor-intensive seven-step fabrication process that included sanding, removing PVC protective coating, using protective film and taking extreme care to ensure scratch-free surfaces. Initial consensus was that it would be impossible to produce the part complete in a progressive die, so the concept was to eliminate some operations by making the flat blanks in the progressive die, use a timesaver machine to deburr and then form in a form tool or press brake. The concept would save the customer 10 percent to 20 percent.

However, after further review, the engineering staff realized the parts could be successfully produced complete in a progressive die. The cassettes were requoted using a full progressive die process with no additional steps involved for removing scratches or burrs before the final electropolish process. Although somewhat skeptical, the customer agreed to release one tool out of the package to build a progressive die for the highest volume cassette, since that would offer the greatest cost savings.

The completed tool incorporates unique design elements, including non-marking form details and coin stations to completely remove burrs from cutting. Sensor technology built into the tool includes short feed/long feed, part out and stripper sensors on each corner. Waukesha also tested several tool coatings to find the optimum combination of steel type and coating for the form details. These features, combined with the ability to program the servo-press ram speed during forming, have yielded burr-free finished parts stamped complete in a progressive die without any visible wipe/form marks. The finished parts have far exceeded the customer’s expectations for quality and consistency.

The dramatically improved process resulted in a quick six-month ROI for the customer and the 70 percent reduction in price per part has allowed the parts to immediately become competitive for export to the Asian market. Waukesha also was awarded a second tool build by the customer, due to the overwhelming success of the initial project. In addition to the 70 percent cost savings to the customer, Waukesha has benefited from a 30 percent savings in raw material costs due to the process change. The company also reduced the direct labor hours needed to produce a typical order from 75 hours to less than three hours.

The Productivity Award is one of eight Awards of Excellence in Metalforming presented annually by PMA. Sponsored by Zierick Manufacturing Corp. (Mount Kisco, NY), the award recognizes outstanding achievement by a manufacturer in the development and implementation of programs, processes and use of assets that lead to significant improvements in productivity. Along with recognition in industry publications and at events, Waukesha® Metal Products will receive a $1,500 cash prize.

PMA is the full-service trade association representing the $113 billion metalforming industry of North America – the industry that creates precision metal products using stamping, fabricating, spinning, slide forming and roll forming technologies, and other value-added processes. Its nearly 1,000 member companies also include suppliers of equipment, materials and services to the industry. www.waukeshametal.com, www.pma.org

EXTECH INSTRUMENTS (NASHUA, NH) . . .
relocated its headquarters to an all-new facility in Nashua to accommodate strong growth and to serve customers better in the years ahead. The company announced the move, along with the Billerica, MA operations of parent company FLIR Systems’ Commercial Systems. The November opening of the state-of-the-art headquarters signals a significant milestone towards a unified organization that can better equip customers with innovative, revolutionary and affordable thermal imagers as well as the best in handheld test and measurement.

Arpineh Mullaney, the vice president for Extech, commented on the relocation, “As a test equipment company with a forty-year history of innovation, we are excited to embark on the next four decades with a facility that better positions us to continue our leadership in the test and measurement market.” In the coming months, the Nashua location will house the eastern U.S. operations for FLIR’s Commercial Systems division, supporting the FLIR and Extech brands as well as FLIR’s marine systems division, Raymarine.

The new location will house administrative and corporate offices, customer service and technical support, marketing and sales, quality control, NIST calibration laboratories, repair services, and an extensive warehouse. The company’s educational institute, the Infrared Training Center, will also be moving to the Nashua location in January. www.extech.com/instruments

HARRIS PRODUCTS GROUP (MASON, OH) . . .
recently attended the Big 5 Show in the Dubai World Trade Centre in November to promote its commitment to the international market for cutting, brazing, soldering and welding alloys and equipment. Approximately 2,500 exhibitors from more than 70 countries were there to guide participants through the exhibit floor and more than 80 hands-on seminars in addition to dozens of live, interactive demonstrations. Company president Dave Nangle personally attended the show, with a busy schedule of meetings with distributors, buyers and users.

Big 5 is the largest building and construction show in the Middle East and North Africa. Professionals from around the world are expected to attend the show and connect with other industry experts to discuss the pressing current issues, challenges and opportunities that are affecting the industry. As a manufacturer of brazing, soldering, welding and cutting equipment and alloys, Harris – a Lincoln Electric Company (Cleveland, OH) – has participated in the show for several years. The company has sold quality, U.S.-made alloy products in the region for more than 25 years. Recently other equipment, such as HVAC brazing kits and other gas, cutting, brazing, soldering and welding equipment that is manufactured in Europe, have become popular among customers. www.harrisproductsgroup.com, www.thebig5.ae