*Black River Falls, Wis. — Michael Dougherty, President of D&S Manufacturing, recently announced the company’s investment in a cell system that will feature a Toyoda FA800 Horizontal Machining Center and two six axis ABB robotic welding units.
According to Rob Bucek, Production Control Manager, the robust 61,100 lb. Toyoda FA800 was selected by a team of D&S employees, which included machinists and welding cell operators. “When evaluating a variety of equipment manufacturers, our objective was to determine where technology had taken the machine tool industry. The group quickly focused on Toyoda because the FA800, which is used by large OEM manufacturers and features an 800 mm pallet, provides D&S with the increased capacity necessary to accommodate higher production runs,” Bucek stated.
D&S is experiencing significant demand in the horizontal machining area and the installation of the Toyoda FA800 in advance of the robotic welding systems will enable D&S to address current production constraints.
Joe Lane, Continuous Improvement Manager, commented that the capacity and size envelope of the company’s existing ABB robot welders are an ideal match to D&S’s current manufacturing requirements. Therefore, D&S is purchasing two of these same units and incorporating them within the new cell configuration. The two new robotic welding units will flank the new horizontal machining center. This will enable D&S to efficiently manufacture two unrelated components at the same time, dramatically increasing productivity rates.
Lane concluded, “The production hours logged for our existing cell system have significantly surpassed our expectations. As a result, both cell systems will be actively utilized to ensure the D&S team continues to meet the delivery commitments we have made to our customers.”
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 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.