ShopSolutions Case Histories of Manufacturing Problem Solving
Miller Welding Doubles Down on Laser Processing
I
t wasn’t too long ago that Brad Miller, vice president-opera- tions, Miller Welding & Machine Co. (MWM; Brookville, PA) was quite cautious about new large equipment installation, and rightfully so. Such major investments aren’t to be taken on lightly. You have to look before you leap is how you might look at it. In all, MWM has experienced 49 years of incremental growth, so its discretion in investment is unimpeachable. By ex- ercising caution, the company has been doing something right. But within the last decade, the pace of change has increased as MWM’s operations and its role as a leading metals contract manufacturer continued to see substantial growth.
been punctuated over the years by measured advancement, adding operations piecemeal when necessary, and beginning to integrate into manufacturing in the early 1980s. As it stands today, MWM is churning out complete fabricated assemblies, covering a complete range of capabilities including laser cutting, metalforming, robotic welding, machining, powder coating, and even mechanical assembly. The components com- ing out of MWM’s plants are finished and ready to incorporate at point-of-use on the OEM’s production line, primarily heavy construction, mining, and material handling companies. “Mitsubishi gets credit for inspiring us,” said Miller. “I’ve been more eager to initiate new equipment growth thanks, in part, to how seamless the laser and cell/automation installa- tions have been. We have a major new machine tool installation happening right now and are continuing to refine our balance of a skilled workforce and automated capabilities. We did our homework on it, of course, but our experience with our Mitsubi- shi lasers certainly affected my attitude toward automation, and made us all a little more receptive to the project.” The company’s relationship with Mitsubishi Laser began in 2004, when MWM realized that it would need the accuracy of laser-cut parts to grow its future robotic operations. Without accurate components, you can’t get accurate welds, and robot- ics requires, above all, precision parts. MWM’s first purchase
Finished boom assembly emerges from the automated powder-coat line utilizing laser-cut parts up to 0.5” (1.27-mm) thick processed at Miller Welding & Machine Co. on a Mitsubishi 3015 LVP-45CF laser with an R 4500-W resonator.
MWM has been up to the challenge. From its modest be- ginnings in 1963, the company now employs nearly 500 peo- ple and rests on a combined 500,000 ft2 (46.451 m2) of shop space among its three facilities with an additional 55 acres (22 hectares) of expansion capacity. The evolution from small reconditioning shop to fully integrated manufacturing unit has
was a Mitsubishi LVP 3718 with a 4000-W resonator and a CO2 laser-cutting system. As usual, MWM did due diligence on the investment, ultimately finding that Mitsubishi Laser offered a lower operating cost that would pay off over time. “Having the lasers has helped us eliminate additional operations throughout the manufacturing process. I can’t imagine being in our business without at least one laser. It would be such a disadvantage. You’d be left out,” Miller said. “We are able to control our own destiny with our in-house machines, and react much more quickly to the changes in our customers’ demands. Being able to be more vertically integrated as a supplier has been a huge advantage.”