In addition to building the culture , the company has been developing their Industry 4.0 components such as measurement capabilities and automation . They ’ ve implemented robotic systems for repetitive work , and they have added data measurement to every process .
Manufacturing Engineer , Alex Benson , said that he and another engineer are working on an accuracy improvement project to ensure that the data goals match reality . He said that like many companies , “ I think data reporting is one of the most significant improvements for the company in the next few years .”
Lee said that data improvement , from an overarching perspective , has many variables at play . “ We want all of our machines to talk to our ERP system for real-time data ; we want to incorporate data around the factory with standardized technology — like automation between robots ,” he said . He also wants to see all information systems in the cloud . Employees will manage the data and data systems to “ better manage bottlenecks and communicate with customers long before a problem occurs ,” he added .
Outside of Boeing , customers of Tool Gauge include Triumph Group , Inc ., Jamco , Sekisui , Spirit Aerosystems , Safran , and Technifab .
Injection molding is foundational at Tool Gauge . Benson said they have 19 molding machines ranging from 37 to 1,250 tons . Lee said that they do some work in 3D printing , but that the strength of injection molding is uncompromised . Lee said that 99 percent of materials chosen for injection molding projects are required by the customer , “ They are high performance , and can handle high heat .”
JUNE | JULY 2021 ISSUE NO . 21 27