Macrodyne continues to invest in this capacity through both organic growth and strategic acquisition to ensure it has the capabilities to address the rapidly changing needs of industry in the wake of Industry 4.0. The company integrates technology and innovation to bridge the gap between legacy machines that are built to last and the advanced capabilities of Industry 4.0 to unlock the potential of optimized manufacturing processes for customers in North America and around the world.

A global strategy
One element that is common amongst industry leaders is the willingness to invest in internal capacity to sustain and encourage growth. This is especially true of Macrodyne, which, under its new leadership, has infused a renewed sense of energy and purpose into the company over the last five years.

As part of Macrodyne, Dunkes GmbH, a well-established German press manufacturer with a history dating back to 1960, has roots that afford it a strong reputation in the European market. Both companies are built upon sound engineering, but Macrodyne’s engineering expertise gives it the ability to customize to suit, whereas Dunkes’ solutions are more out-of-the-box, which makes the relationship between the two compatible and complementary.

According to Director of Business Development Jeffrey Walsh, the acquisition of Dunkes has afforded Macrodyne several new technologies that will give it access to new industries and sectors within which it can position itself as a leader.

As Walsh says, “We’re sharing technologies and we’re treating it as one global company while maintaining Dunkes’ brand name and all the goodwill they have. They brought some pretty unique technology to the forefront that we didn’t have.”

Macrodyne is also working on building strategic relationships in North America to strengthen its foothold in the market. The company has carefully curated joint ventures in the United States and Mexico, giving it the opportunity to have boots on the ground for its customers in the U.S. while expanding its influence south of the Mexican border.

“That allows us to manufacture in both the U.S. and Mexico, enabling us to better serve those markets because we can build more efficiently. They also do our support and installations,” explains Walsh of a model of growth that is serving Macrodyne well.

Tech-enabled growth
While Macrodyne expands its international presence, growth is also taking place closer to home. To supplement the engineering and manufacturing capabilities at its headquarters in Concord, Ontario, it added an automation operation in Kingston, Ontario.

Walsh explains that the Kingston office is, “solely focused on automation: custom machine design, robotics, material handling, all the peripherals that are required to support a press both upstream and downstream.”

The ability to supply customers with a turnkey solution will empower Macrodyne to undertake even larger projects than it does at present, possibly even doubling project size, which is impressive considering its presses can range up to 30,000 tons. This is extremely valuable as Macrodyne manufactures hydraulic presses for countless advanced manufacturing applications and its presses can be integrated with virtually any ancillary equipment, including press loading/unloading devices, transfer systems, robots, and fully automated die storage and retrieval systems.

One of its newest and most impressive capabilities is Gas Oscillation Enhanced Superplastic Forming (GO-SPF), a disruptive technology that is referred to as the next generation of superplastic forming, transforming what used to take hours into mere minutes. GO-SPF changes the game by adding gas oscillations to traditional SPF, integrating a Gas Oscillation System (GOS) and a Supersonic Fluidic Oscillator (SFO), along with pressure controllers and sensors, resulting in improved formability that exceeds both SPF and Quick Plastic Forming (QPF). Impressively, GO-SPF enables greater formability of alloy sheets, which supports the formation of more geometrically complex parts of higher quality, and does so more efficiently and cost-effectively than traditional superplastic forming. The result is a groundbreaking technology that can boost manufacturing speed.

Walsh offers some insight into the innovation, which is already being leveraged by world-class aerospace companies: “We’re changing the way that the gas flows into the forming process and instead of a process taking, say, 15 minutes, we can do it in one to two minutes, substantially reducing the time it takes to produce parts. Another process might take an hour or two for titanium components and we’re now doing that in 20 minutes.” As opposed to blowing the gas, it is oscillated at the same time, essentially massaging and stress-relieving the material as it is being formed. This allows the material to be formed at a much higher rate.

For 10 years, GO-SPF underwent extensive research, trial and error, and rigorous testing, and during this period, it has proven itself to be a formidable powerhouse in the industry. It enhances material properties, allowing for better elongation and thickness uniformity, resulting in faster production with lower energy consumption—a true win-win. “GO-SPF not only speeds up production but also improves the quality of the parts we produce. It’s a breakthrough that addresses long-standing industry challenges,” says Walsh.

GO-SPF technology has the ability to redefine manufacturing, enabling companies to be more efficient, save money, and create parts that are currently unattainable with existing processes.

Another innovative application is servo-hydraulic presses, which is not a new technology, but one that has been tucked away in the Dunkes vaults waiting to be discovered and marketed to the world, which is exactly what Macrodyne has done. The force of these presses is controlled by servo valves, which are directed by proprietary software and state-of-the-art control systems that promote greater accuracy, repeatability, and speed, which is the kind of value advanced manufacturing needs.

New markets, new horizons
As the market evolves and the needs of industry change, so too does Macrodyne. While the engineering strength of the company remains the same, the applications where it can apply only continue to grow.

In the U.S. there is a major push to strengthen domestic manufacturing and reinforce supply chains to ensure they are no longer vulnerable to global disruptions. This includes significant federal funding for battery production for electric vehicles (EV) as well as semiconductors, which are necessary for automotive production—markets where Macrodyne has found a way to play with specialized manufacturing processes.

“We’re employing a lot of new technologies to develop different styles of batteries for EV and grid storage applications, so we’re developing new processes and new manufacturing techniques to allow the manufacturing of them; as companies develop and invent new batteries, they need new ways to assemble them or manufacture them,” Walsh shares.

He goes on to explain that Macrodyne recently implemented the first of four presses that are used to manufacture semiconductor targets. “They’ll take a 400-pound billet of lithium or one of these really funky alloys, and then our press will knead that material like a bakery would knead bread until they’ve arranged all the grain structures into uniformed orientation. Those billets are then cut and turned into semiconductor targets that they spray atomized materials onto.”

Macrodyne has built a completely autonomous manufacturing cell with a 10,000-ton press and automated mobile robots (AMR) that deliver raw material and remove the finished product. “The system can run lights-out so all the ovens, the robots, the quality control, the quenching, the laser inspection, the automatic cool changing—everything to manufacture these products,” explains Walsh.

While some of the applications and technologies are certainly interesting, others are considered necessary to national security. The ongoing wars that are taking place around the world have led to an uptick of work in military and defense applications as well.

“The U.S. is depleting a lot of their stockpile of munitions and equipment, tanks, military personnel carriers, so all the supply chains are being taxed right now to manufacture more and more of these materials because they are being used,” Walsh says of Macrodyne’s efforts to support the replenishment of parts for submarines and the like.

Unlocking potential in the age of data
Beyond geopolitical challenges, Industry 4.0 has also introduced new variables that manufacturers must consider, particularly those with legacy equipment who are confronted by the need to upgrade, retrofit, and integrate modern technology. The company has developed a predictive maintenance system that leverages artificial intelligence (AI) to effectively monitor manufacturing processes: the speed and temperature of motors, vibrations, force, heat of lubricants, electronic and mechanical devices—anything that can generate actionable data that can be used to inform the decision-making process in the interest of optimization.

“We capture all of the data and then, with AI, we can actually start to predict when a motor is going to fail, instead of waiting for a motor to fail: this motor has been vibrating, this motor is getting hotter, this motor is taking more electricity, it’s drawing more power.” These are all indications of eventual motor failure, so instead of waiting for an unplanned shutdown to repair or replace the motor, Macrodyne can have inventory on hand and can perform a planned shutdown before a failure occurs. This proactive approach limits costly downtime and provides peace of mind and profitability.

“With the software package that we’re developing for predictive maintenance, we’re doing it for our own internal purposes of our equipment, but we can even monitor hardware and systems that customers have in their building. Their legacy equipment can now be monitored, and they can start to see the benefits of this predictive maintenance and AI to actually look over machines that are decades old,” explains Walsh.

Service and support after the sale have always been another important part of the value proposition Macrodyne offers, but investments like these will be key for its customers to integrate modern and legacy systems to meet increasing demand amidst a historic skilled labor shortage. For this reason, and so many more, Macrodyne ceases to be a hydraulic press manufacturer and instead assumes the role of manufacturing partner, one that has an astute understanding of the needs of industry and how best to unlock the potential of the manufacturing sector.

The post Unlocking the Potential of Manufacturing<p class="company">Macrodyne Technologies</p> appeared first on Manufacturing In Focus.

Don Wickstrum was. Driven by his interest in technology, he founded Quest Industrial in his garage, taking on the challenge of integrating robotics into packaging and food handling applications, specifically Wisconsin’s world-famous cheese and dairy industry.

As the company expanded its team and invested in the machinery to meet client demand, it grew to the point where Don and Mary Wickstrum had to buy a new building.

And then, in 2019, the successful, full-service robotic integrator was acquired by ProMach. With over 45 go-to-market product brands and more than 150,000 machines in the field, ProMach is one of the world’s best-in-class production line and packaging companies, providing turnkey solutions to small manufacturers and Fortune 500 companies alike in food and beverage, personal care, pharmaceutical, household goods, and other sectors.

“We’ve grown really rapidly from somebody’s garage into three different buildings that we build our machines out of,” says Justin Linxwiler, Director of Sales.

Buoyed by the strength and robotics expertise of multi-billion-dollar ProMach, Quest works with ProMach’s family of dozens of best-in-class product brands to provide a host of solutions, including direct food handling, case packing, palletizing, automated guided vehicles, after-sales service, and more.

From its base in Monroe, Wisconsin, Quest provides customers with industrial automation equipment. Focused on robotics and vision guidance, Quest is an award-winning FANUC (Fuju Automatic Numerical Control—one of the world’s largest robotics companies) Authorized System Integrator and Certified Vision Specialist. With accumulated decades of combined experience in its team, Quest provides industrial automation equipment for clients in sectors including cheese and dairy, produce, consumer packaged goods, frozen foods, beverages, snack food, and pet food.

Designing, engineering, and manufacturing robotics and vision-guidance systems, Quest is a one-stop shop for robotic products, including pick and place, case packing, and palletizing systems renowned for accuracy, consistency, and optimizing production line efficiency.

Pick, place, pack, palletize
For manufacturers and food processors, one of the biggest challenges with conveyors is finding and grabbing food products like raw chicken and other proteins, cheese, corn, and cucumbers, which are often scattered all over the place and need to be located. To do this, and depending on application, Quest’s equipment uses 2D, 3D, and AI vision.

Additionally, to ensure soft products like raw chicken breasts and bread are handled safely yet securely, Quest’s QP100 robotic picking system is ideal. Incorporating FANUC robotics’ DR-3iB/6 stainless food-grade delta robot along with a soft gripper end-of-arm tool, “this solution is capable of direct food contact with U.S. Department of Agriculture and USDA Dairy compliant and washdown designs,” according to Quest. “AI vision allows Quest to program the robot and end of arm tooling to handle products on an infeed that are both random and/or piled.”

If soft protein products are squeezed too hard, they will be ruined, which is why the company uses vision and soft grippers. Palletizing, on the other hand, requires only sensors to pick and place boxes.

Customer needs
Drawing on the strength of ProMach, Quest provides clients with specialized and proprietary packaging solutions for everything from flexible bags and pouches to compartment trays, display cases, cartons, vacuum packs, and more. Made from durable materials designed for longevity and convenient sanitization, Quest’s family of primary packaging solutions includes the Quik Pick QP100 Robotic Primary Food Handling, Quik Fill QF100 Primary Tray Loading, and its series of proprietary recipe creation systems.

Quest is hands-on, working with customers from packaging system design to completion and installation, service, and more. Factory-trained service technicians perform preventative maintenance, and alternative service plans are available to match every client’s requirements. “It’s about doing whatever customers need, and we’re willing to be there,” says Linxwiler.

Clients contact Quest both to modernize existing systems and to acquire brand-new machinery. And for customers who need technical support, training, or spare parts, speedy and professional service is available via Quest’s after-hours emergency hotline.

Saving space
Known for its cost-effective, highly reliable machinery, Quest also has a reputation for ongoing technological innovation. Along with creating long-lasting and user-friendly products, Quest realizes that every inch of floor space counts. Customers often have vertical space available in their facilities, but not valuable horizontal space. In this case, the company has the ability to build its palletizing solutions up, rather than out.

Space-saving skid-based palletizers have an inclined conveyance, which means utilizing space upward, rather than down below. Products come in from a normal conveyor, go up an incline conveyor, and the palletizing system is also built upward.

Similarly to case packing, systems are manufactured to be as compact as possible. “It’s one of those things where an automated system is going to take up a decent amount of space, but it will take up less space than 15 people standing there manually loading cases,” comments Linxwiler. “You just have a little system with two robots doing what 10 people used to do, and you’re going to save a lot of space that way too.”

With four product lines, Quest is seeing plenty of interest with its Quik Pack robotic case packing solutions. Although there’s a lot of competition in other robotic applications, there’s much less in case packing, and few others can do it as well as Quest, with its leading-edge vision systems and other innovations.

The vertical difference
“What really sets us apart is flexibility,” says Linxwiler. “If you picture bags in a case vertically and horizontally, we can do that all on one system. You don’t have to buy one system to do the vertical and another to do the horizontal; we can do it all in one.”

Just as robotic systems continue to evolve, manufacturing is also changing, with large display cases gaining popularity with major stores like Costco and Sam’s Club. Quest’s machines can handle virtually any size, weight, or type of case, including box store display cases. “That sets us apart,” Linxwiler says, “and there’s a huge priority to push that solution, to make sure manufacturers in a variety of industries know it’s available.”

At Quest, customers can choose from a mix of custom and standard pre-engineered systems for their case-packing and palletizing solutions. Sometimes, customers see a cost-effective standard-engineered system that is perfect for their needs; sometimes they take a standard configuration and change it a little, or a lot. While this is slightly more expensive, it is still more cost-effective than starting from scratch.

The third option is an application for which there is no standard configuration—completely new and different and created from the ground up by Quest’s engineers. “We’ve had great success with all three tiers of that process,” shares Linxwiler.

As a part of ProMach, Quest can provide turnkey solutions and take advantage of the strength of almost 50 brands. To customers, this means an array of case erectors, case sealers, stretch wrappers, labelers, and more. Machines for wrapping, filling, liquid filling, sealing, and labeling can all be integrated within ProMach.

“This really extends our capabilities, not just within the end of line, but also with primary handling as well,” explains Linxwiler, citing the example of small cucumbers. Before they arrive at grocery stores, small cucumbers must be picked off a belt and gently placed on small foam trays, which are then over-wrapped, packed into cases, and palletized. Instead of multiple, inefficient processes, Quest and ProMach can do it all, saving clients time and money.

The way to grow
In the future, Linxwiler sees ProMach growing both organically and through acquisition. This year alone, ProMach acquired Italy-based MBF—a global leader in filling solutions for the wine and spirits industries—and Mexico’s Etiflex, a leading producer of RFID labels, tickets, and pressure-sensitive labels. Today, the company has brands all over Europe, Asia, and North and South America, and continues to grow across the globe.

Quest and ProMach continue to attract new clients through their information-packed website and videos, and by targeting customers dealing with issues like labor challenges and keeping up with demand. With a presence at Pack Expo International in Chicago this November, Quest will showcase its many robotics, packaging, and food handling solutions to many new potential clients.

Exciting times ahead!

The post The Industry Experts in Fast and Faultless Food Handling<p class="company">Quest Industrial</p> appeared first on Manufacturing In Focus.

After speaking in 2023, Manufacturing in Focus sat back down with Marketing Manager Matthew Pereira to gain more insights into how Mainway Handling Systems optimizes its customers’ operations, highlighting the company’s commitment to excellence and adaptability in a rapidly changing market.

One of Mainway Handling Systems’ key strengths is its extensive industry knowledge and experience, particularly within the Canadian market. As Pereira explains, “We have years of experience—decades of experience in the Canadian market specifically. This is crucial because there’s a lot of nuance within the Canadian market, even between provinces, such as building codes and the weights and measures regulations, to name a couple.” Understanding these nuances is essential, especially in today’s world, where e-commerce and online orders are more prevalent than ever.

The COVID-19 pandemic accelerated this shift toward e-commerce, fundamentally changing consumer shopping habits. “The pandemic really exploded the market,” Pereira notes. “Consumers have developed a habit of online ordering for everything from groceries to pharmaceuticals.” This surge in online activity has added significant complexity to shipping and distribution processes.

The increase in online orders has made automation more complex. “It is becoming a much more varied context for automation now,” Pereira says. “Previously, automation was mostly about warehouses, conveyors, and moving your product. But now, there are so many variables to consider, such as temperature control, overnight delivery, and handling different types and sizes of items.” The demand for customized solutions has never been higher, as warehouse operators strive to meet growing expectations while maintaining efficiency.

Pereira emphasizes the importance of flawless operations in maintaining customer satisfaction. “All of this leads to tighter margins,” he explains. “A single error in warehouse and systems design or automation can cause a domino effect, resulting in unhappy customers and increased returns.” Mainway Handling Systems addresses these challenges by positioning itself as a one-stop shop, providing customers with a seamless experience from start to finish.

One of Mainway Handling Systems’ primary goals is to minimize physical handling of products. “We aim to take the handling out of material handling,” Pereira states. “The less physical contact with the product, the safer and more secure it is, reducing the risk of damage. This increases accuracy and ensures customers receive their packages promptly.”

Automation also enhances safety and efficiency, reducing the likelihood of human error and minimizing labor costs. By leveraging state-of-the-art technology, Mainway Handling Systems ensures that its solutions align with the highest industry standards, making the company a preferred partner for companies looking to streamline their operations.

A critical component of Mainway Handling Systems’ offerings is the controls of the system or the warehouse management system, which acts as the “brain” of the operation. This system coordinates the internal functions of the system, manages internal inventory, labels the package, and provides many more functions, in many instances ensuring everything runs smoothly. “Our warehouse management system is crucial for customers utilizing a systems integrator like Mainway Handling,” Pereira explains.

The company’s expertise in creating customized solutions sets it apart. “No two warehouses are alike, even within the same company,” Pereira notes. “Our approach starts with collaboration, treating our clients as partners rather than just customers.” This collaborative approach ensures that Mainway Handling Systems understands each client’s unique requirements and designs tailored solutions to meet those needs.

Mainway Handling Systems excels at delivering customized solutions that enhance efficiency and accuracy while supporting business growth. “We design systems that can be adapted as our clients’ throughput grows, without disrupting their current operations,” Pereira explains. This ability to scale and adapt is a significant advantage, ensuring that clients can continue to evolve without facing major operational hurdles.

The company’s one-stop shop approach extends to designing and manufacturing its conveyor systems. Its 24-volt motor-driven roller conveyor features run-on-demand zones, plug-and-play options, and ergonomic designs. Most of the components are sourced and manufactured in Ontario, allowing Mainway Handling Systems to proudly display the Ontario Made seal. This local manufacturing ensures superior quality and gives the company control over lead times and supply chain reliability.

Mainway Handling Systems’ success is also attributed to its strategic partnerships with industry leaders. These collaborations enhance the company’s ability to provide comprehensive solutions for various spaces, including warehouses up to a million square feet. Notable partners include Modula, Packsize, Intralox, FMH, Ryson, and URBX. These relationships enable Mainway Handling to offer diverse solutions, ensuring the best possible outcomes for each client’s unique needs.

Mainway Handling Systems’ commitment to flexibility and openness is a cornerstone of its approach. By considering various options and maintaining an open mind, the company consistently delivers targeted solutions that meet individual customer requirements. This approach has garnered trust from a wide range of prestigious clients, including FedEx, DHL, Longo’s, Shoppers Drug Mart, Decathlon, BookDepot, Canpar/Loomis Express, Carquest, Walmart, Yusen Logistic, and IKEA.

The company’s dedication to customer satisfaction extends beyond installation, providing value-added follow-up services including preventative maintenance, parts supply, service, retrofits, mechanical and electrical work, installations, relocation, and emergency repairs. This comprehensive support ensures that clients can rely on Mainway Handling Systems for all their automation needs throughout the duration of the project and well after installation.

Looking ahead, Pereira is optimistic about the company’s future. “I would say the future is still very bright,” he shares. “We are focusing on the parcel, e-commerce, final mile, and 3PL logistics sectors, which are experiencing exponential growth in North America.”

Mainway Handling Systems is well-positioned to become an industry leader in larger, more sophisticated sortation systems. “The systems we are seeing are more sophisticated from control, operations, software, and technology standpoints,” Pereira explains. This expertise sets the company apart, allowing it to address the complex demands of modern logistics and e-commerce.

After building a strong foundation in these areas, Mainway Handling Systems is poised to become “a leader of warehouse automation in Canada when it comes to sortation and e-commerce.” As the company continues to innovate and expand, it remains a key player to watch in the evolving world of logistics and automation.

With its unwavering commitment to innovation, customer satisfaction, and industry leadership, Mainway Handling Systems is set to redefine warehouse automation and logistics solutions. As e-commerce and online sales continue to surge, the company’s expertise and adaptability position it for continued success and growth in the years to come.

The post Optimizing Operations<p class="company">Mainway Handling Systems</p> appeared first on Manufacturing In Focus.