Black River Falls, Wis. — Joe Lane, Continuous Improvement Manager of D&S Manufacturing, will serve as a presenter at the AWS National Robotic Arc Welding Conference & Exhibition 2013, announces Michael Dougherty, D&S Manufacturing President. The theme for this year's conference will be "People Make the Difference: Recipes for Robotic Arc Welding Solutions."

Lane's presentation, "A Project Approach to the Successful Implementation of Robotic Welding Cells," will highlight the project approach D&S Manufacturing has adopted to engage employees in all aspects of robotic arc welding cell implementation, along with the rewards it can bring to a robotic welding program and the challenges that are faced along the way. By using a group to make decisions the focus is on people, from all departments, working together in close cooperation with a common philosophy. Playing an active role in this cross functional team approach, Lane led an ensemble of eleven D&S employees in the selection and integration of a robotic welding cell to dramatically increase the welding envelope. Critical to the success of this venture, Lane emphasized, is the need to provide leadership to establish clear guidelines. By utilizing a team approach to equipment selection and utilization, employees are ready to embrace new equipment and technology even before it is installed. "The team approach may be a longer process, but it instills a feeling of ownership within the team" Lane explained.

Lane's dedication to continual improvement of D&S's manufacturing growth is seen in his active role in The American Welding Society's (AWS) D16 Committee on Robotic and Automatic Welding. An American Welding Society Certified Welding Inspector, Lane earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Manufacturing Engineering from the University of Wisconsin - Stout.

For additional information about the National Robotic Arc Welding Conference, June 4th and 5th, visit www.aws.org/sections/milwaukee.

For more than 40 years, ISO 9001:2008 certified D&S Manufacturing has served as a custom manufacturer of exceptional quality large scale components, assemblies and complete weldments for a broad cross section of well-respected corporations that include Caterpillar, Oshkosh Corporation, Parkson, The Trane Company and CNH. The company's extensive capabilities include technologically superior machining, laser, high definition plasma and oxy-fuel cutting, as well as manual and robotic welding. These resources are complemented by diverse value-added services ranging from liquid spray painting, powder coating and shot blasting to assembly and testing. A dedicated and highly skilled workforce lives a commitment to superior project management, exceptional quality, accountability, teamwork and continuous improvement, which empowers the company to live its slogan, D&S …. Solid™.

For more information, please contact John Barkley, General Manager, D&S Manufacturing, P. O. Box 279, Black River Falls, WI, 54615, 715-284-5376, ext. 307 or fax 715-284-4084. Send e-mail to jbarkley@dsmfg.com, and visit D&S Manufacturing's Web site at www.dsmfg.com.