CONTRACT MANUFACTURING PROFILE
Second Shift ALWS has grown to the point that it now operates a second shift. The company’s four drivers are on the road all day, bringing work in and ship- ping repaired and refurbished molds and parts out. Customers are located across Michigan, in nearby states such as Ohio and Indiana, as well as states further out, such as South Carolina. ALWS has a tracking system to moni- tor shipments. Its production facility has an 8-ton (7.2-t) crane for loading and unloading the large tooling. ALWS also offers expedited services on a “case-by-case basis” for customers requiring a “special turnaround,” ac- cording to the company’s web site. The company conducts four types of welding: laser welding, micro TIG
Employees of Absolute Laser Welding Solutions man three welding stations at its Sterling Heights, MI, shop.
welding, TIG welding and MIG (metal inert gas) welding. Laser welding uses a wire “as small as a human hair” and is done under a microscope, according to ALWS’s web site. It’s the most precise type of welding offered by the company. The other welding services are for applications that don’t
require the same level of precision. Micro TIG is for “welds requiring moderate buildup with
high precision,” according to the company web site. “It is quicker and less expensive than laser welding.”
The company owners also aren’t resting. “We’re not afraid of competition but we know it’s coming,” Wipp said.
TIG is used “for applying material for larger engineering changes and damaged areas that are too extensive for laser welding to be cost effective or time effi cient.” MIG is a lower cost type of welding “used on less critical welds,” according to the web site. ALWS’ furnace, which was mentioned earlier, is 72 × 72 × 72" (180 × 180 × 180 cm). It holds up to 25,000 lb (11,340 kg). The furnace is used for stress-relieving parts after they have been machined or subjected to large weld applications as well as being used for pre- and post-heating for large tools for TIG and MIG welding.
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AdvancedManufacturing.org | January 2016 Hands On
The co-owners are hands on. They’re on the shop fl oor, wearing the same work clothes as their employees. Gall said business is so good he has ordered a fourth laser machine. The ALWS owners know the stakes for their customers in getting molds, dies and other parts refurbished in a timely manner. “If we don’t get it fi xed, it can stop the assembly line,” Gall said.
Like other manufacturers, the ALWS co-owners also grapple with fi nding skilled workers. “They don’t teach this in the schools,” Wipp said. “There is no school in metro Detroit that teaches laser welding.” As a result, the owners do their own training. “We can teach these guys the way I like it,” Wipp said. ALWS may need new quarters sooner than later. “We’re looking to expand in a year-and-a-half, two years,” Wipp said. The company owners also aren’t resting. “We’re not afraid of competition but we know it’s coming,” Wipp said.
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Absolute Laser Welding Solutions LLC 586-932-2597 /
alwsllc.com
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