Mechatronics – Tool Gauge

See You Soon at AIX 2019 in Hamburg, Germany!

Muriel Guilbert — Tue, 12 Mar 2019 20:35:24 +0000

Tool Gauge is excited to announce that we will be exhibiting again at the Aircraft Interiors Expo in Hamburg, Germany from April 2 – 4, 2019. We will be representing Washington State alongside 10 other aerospace companies under Choose Washington at booth 6E80 / J inside the Hanse-Pavilion.

AIX is an annual event showcasing cabin interiors, in-flight entertainment, connectivity, passenger experience, and passenger services and will draw more than 16,000 industry attendees from 103 countries, 1,000 airline buyers representing 268 carriers, and featuring more than 550 exhibitors. Senior buyers, CEOs, fleet managers and other decision makers will be onsite to inform attendees about the latest aerospace products and services, from cockpit doors, galleys and lighting to fasteners, overhead storage, and seating.

If you’re attending the expo, please stop by and visit the Tool Gauge booth to discuss your plastic and metal assembly needs. To schedule an appointment in advance, please email Jim Lee, General Manager, or call +1.253.473.2740.

We look forward to speaking with you!

The post See You Soon at AIX 2019 in Hamburg, Germany! appeared first on Tool Gauge.

Facility expansion update – Fall 2018

admin — Wed, 17 Oct 2018 13:41:43 +0000

Our Tacoma aerospace manufacturing facility expansion is going according to plan! Our building demolition phase was completed by the end of September 2018 and we are on track to break ground on new construction in October 2018. Our new facility’s first floor will feature a customer lobby featuring historical Tool Gauge story boards, pictures, and artifacts, as well as employee lockers and a lunch area. The second floor will house two conference rooms, six offices, and 14 work spaces. Our key expansion objectives are as follows:

• An additional 80,000 sq. ft. in our plastics division
• Expansion of our plastics press size range
• Broadening of our secondary operations to improve flow and ergonomic assembly
• Installation of a new, state-of-the-art vertical paint system
• An additional 2,000 sq. ft. for CNC equipment within our metals division
• Implementation of multiple collaborative robots (cobots)

Once our new facility is complete, we expect to create between 100 and 150 new jobs over the next five years for the Tacoma-Pierce County region. We will grow from 135 employees currently to approximately 235 by 2024, adding full-time, apprenticeship, and internship positions in machining, molding, assembly, and engineering.

Just like many businesses going through such an extensive company expansion, we have learned a few lessons along the way, including:

• We visited other local peer aerospace companies to verify best practices.
• We found out that plans take longer than projected.
• We learned to not delay – we need to hire now for the future.
• We need to continuously think automation and LEAN practices.
• We created new benefits package to attract new talent.
• We implemented key performance indicators (KPIs) measuring safety, quality, delivery, cost, and training – measure, report, share in Plastics and Metals Operations, Tool Maintenance, and Secondary Operations.
• We immediately integrated change into our evolving culture.

Estimated expansion timeline

• June 2019: Phase 1 of construction complete
• Late 2019: Phase 2 of construction complete
• Fall 2019: Inauguration of new manufacturing facility

Follow live expansion updates

We invite you to follow our construction progress on our live workzone cam at https://bit.ly/2NpvscM.

To discuss your plastic and metal assembly manufacturing needs, please email our General Manager Jim Lee.

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Interview with Namrata Roy, Engineering Intern at Tool Gauge

admin — Tue, 10 Jul 2018 17:11:30 +0000

Tell us a little bit about yourself, Namrata. What do you study and where?

I just finished my third year of mechanical engineering at Principia College in Elsah, IL as part of a dual degree program with the University of North Dakota (ABET mechanical engineering degree).

What attracted you about interning at Tool Gauge this summer?

Before this summer, I did not have any insight on what it would be like to work in an aerospace supplier. For my final year at university, I am choosing between three concentrations within my mechanical major – manufacturing, design, and aviation. When I found out about Tool Gauge, it seemed like a good match where I could learn more about the manufacturing industry. Also, I had a connection to Tool Gauge who seemed to have a lot of positive things to say about the company, so I decided to apply and here I am for a solid 11-week summer internship!

Which Tool Gauge department are you assigned to and what kind of projects are you working on?

I have been assigned to the company’s Plastics Engineering Department. I will be working on 2D drawings creation in SolidWorks and ERM system set-ups while shadowing and assisting project management.

Where are you from originally and why did you choose to work so far away from home?

My whole family lives in Bangladesh, but I have been studying in the U.S. since high school. I used to live in Bellevue, WA with a host family for the past six years until recently when my host parents had to move to Italy. So the Pacific Northwest has become my home away from home for the summer. I will go back to IL in August for my last year of college.

What kind of job will you be seeking after you graduate?

I am hoping to work as a project manager or a mechanical engineer for an engineering firm. Law school is also on my radar where I hope to study patent and contract law.

Would you recommend an internship at Tool Gauge and why?

I would definitely recommend an internship at Tool Gauge because it is a safe environment for growth and learning. Everyone I have worked with so far, from project managers and process engineers to quality assurance and manufacturing staff, have been great mentors to me, willing to share their experiences and knowledge about the industry and answer my endless questions to help me understand how Tool Gauge parts and assemblies come together. I could not have asked for a better fit for my internship.

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Tool Gauge evaluates cobots

admin — Thu, 12 Apr 2018 18:13:46 +0000

Today’s smaller aerospace manufacturers face challenges on many different levels. They have difficulty hiring due to a wide shortage of factory floor talent to carry out assembly work or tend to machines. To remain competitive on the global stage, they need to keep their manufacturing costs under control, especially as new aircraft programs come online. For many, the best growth path forward is to embrace automation and mechatronics to be able to continue to offer competitive value for the global aerospace supply chain.

Robots have become more affordable and can be configured to do a wide range of operations across the enterprise which preserves margins and makes ROI faster and much more attractive. Aerospace manufacturers will be adding more skilled positions supporting robotics and automation that will change the production line landscape and encourage assembly workers to increasingly adapt to evolving technologies. Robotics provide compelling advantages on the hiring front, offering training opportunities for young people out of high school or technical school who have an interest in mechatronics and automation.

To prepare for this automation transformation, Tool Gauge has started evaluating the medium-sized UR5 collaborative robot (or cobot) designed to work in close proximity with humans by Danish manufacturer Universal Robots. It promises quick, easy set-up and multiple applications without the constraints of traditional industrial robots. It is easy to program and has the ability to sense when a person comes in close proximity in which case it either slows down or stops completely. As part of our 2019 Tacoma manufacturing facility expansion, we foresee using collaborative robots on injection molding machines, CNC metal machining, and in secondary operations for a wide range of applications, specifically repetitive motion work, load / unload, assemblies, etc. Our three main application areas will be larger presses, so we can make all interior aerospace parts, integrated paint line, and robotics themselves as a way to provide a more attractive work environment for our employees. This will enable us to keep our operations in Tacoma, Wash. as well as continue to create living wage jobs and contribute to the economic development of the South Sound region.

Learn more about Tool Gauge and robotics in this MRO Network article >>

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