January 2015 - In This Issue:
UPCOMING EVENTS
There are several exciting events coming up around the state, including the next Manufacturer's Edge installment of Beers & Gears -- Southern Colorado style!
STAY CONNECTED - HIRSH PRECISION PRODUCTS
Jan 15 @ 5:00pm-8:00pm
Hirsh Precision Machining
$25 fee includes post tour appetizers and beverages

Please join friends and other members of APICS Northern Colorado for a great networking event at Hirsh Precision Machining.

STATE GRANT OPPORTUNITIES PRESENTATION
Jan 29 @ 2:30pm
2nd Floor Wells Fargo Tower
Colorado Springs

Harry Horowitz, Senior Manager for Advanced Industries at OEDIT (Office of Economic Development and International Trade), will be coming to Colorado Springs to present on the specifics of the Advanced Industries grants funded by the State of Colorado.  

 

Register here

DENVER SATURDAY SEMINAR
Jan 31 @ 9:30am - 4:00pm
The United States Patent and Trademark Office

This free event will provide valuable information about various types of intellectual property protection and the patent process. This is an opportunity for one-on-one conversations with USPTO representatives and a town hall panel at the close of the day.

 

Register here

BEERS & GEARS
Feb 10 @ 5-7:30pm
Colorado Mountain Brewery
600 South 21st Street #180
Colorado Springs, CO 80904

Get an exclusive behind-the-scenes peek into the process of making beer. Space is limited to the first 100 people, so be sure to register today!

 

Register here

LEARN SWISS TURNING
9-Week Class
Starts Feb 10
FRCC Advanced Technology Center

Class Includes:
  • 1-week Intro to 5-Axis Milling (Hardinge GX 250)
  • 1-week Intro to C-Axis Lathe (Hardinge GS 200 with live tooling)
  • 7-week In-depth Training on Citizen A20
Tuition: $2,495

 

Register here

STAY CONNECTED - SPARKFUN ELECTRONICS TOUR
Feb 12 @ 11:30am-2:30pm
SparkFun Electronics
$25 fee includes post tour appetizers and beverages

Please join friends and other members of APICS Northern Colorado for a great networking event at SparkFun Electronics.

Exciting Machining Optimization Program (MOP) 

Program will help Colorado manufacturers reduce existing set-up and run time while cutting costs 
Manufacturer's Edge is partnering with CCAT, Inc. to offer a Machine Optimization Program (MOP).  CCAT is looking for 10 manufacturers around the country to participate in Phase I of the Machining Optimization Program (MOP), which is sponsored in full by the US Air Force Research Lab (AFRL).  There is no cost to participate.
 
The Machining Optimization Program was developed by CCAT in support of the United States Air Force's (USAF) need for affordable manufacturability.  MOP will optimize machining operations for manufacturers making parts for the USAF and their sub-tier supply chain.
 
To pilot this opportunity,Manufacturer's Edge is working with Faustson Tool  in Arvada, Colorado to reduce their machining time and costs associated with complex F-35 parts. 


"In this era affordability is the ticket and in an effort to achieve this we are honored to be able to work with the EDGE, CCAT and USAF to determine if we can achieve more optimization which is money and if not as a business leader we also have an opportunity to validate the idea that we are fully optimized on this program. Either way it's a win/win for all parties involved. We either learn some new techniques that achieve optimization and benefit our end customers efforts to cost reduce without quality impacts and/or can truly market the fact that Colorado does house machine shops that are fully optimized and cutting edge (no pun intended)."

- Heidi Hostetter, Director of Operations
Faustson Tool 
 
 
Why should you do a MOP project?
  • Increase material removal rate for aerospace alloys up to 70%
  • Increase tool life up to 12xReduce power consumption average and peak KWH
 

Learn more about the MOP program 

A Retrospective on U.S. Manufacturing in 2014

Let's take one final look at the key trends that kept U.S. manufacturing in the news in 2014...
Industry Growth in 2014:

2014 was a critical year for American manufacturers. We experienced a lot of industry growth, and we are becoming increasingly optimistic. Month after month, indicators were pointing to manufacturing's comeback and the momentum has clearly shifted in our favor. Consider the following data from the latest Federal Reserve report:

  • U.S. manufacturing output rose 1.1 percent in November
  • This was the biggest increase in nine months
  • Utilities production, which addresses the demand for heat, water, etc. increased 5.1 percent
  • Factory output has now exceeded pre-recession levels (2007)

The latest Bureau of Labor Statistics jobs report for November also stated that manufacturing employment rose by over 28,000 jobs, which was the largest increase in a year!


Read the full article here 

Upcoming Public Lean Office Seminar

Apply Lean waste reduction to Administrative Processes through hands-on simulation

Date: March 19, 2015

Event Location: CREED   

Address: 14062 Denver West Parkway, Golden, CO 80401  

 

Participants will:

  • Be able to define Lean and begin to apply Lean to Administrative Processes
  • Differentiate between value added and non-value added activities in administrative process
  • Identify waste and how it impacts Administrative Processes
  • Identify the common Lean tools that can best apply to Administrative Processes
  • Create a Current State Value Stream Map for less complex Administrative Processes

Register here 
Icelantic
Company Week and Manufacturer's Edge Innovative Manufacturer
Annelise Loevlie and Ben Anderson
photos Jonathan Castner
By Chris Meehan
www.icelanticskis.com
Founded: 2005
Privately owned
Employees: 12 full-time

CEO Annelise Loevlie and founder Ben Anderson are carving perfect turns by making skis in Colorado.

When Icelantic began making skis in Colorado nearly a decade ago, it was one of the first ski companies to manufacture in the U.S.

 

The company was founded by friends Ben Anderson (who began building skis in his parents' garage), Travis Parr, and Travis Cook. Annelise Loevlie, Icelantic's CEO, was also friends with the founders but came on in an official capacity later."We all grew up together in Idaho Springs and Evergreen," Loevlie says.

 

When the founders decided to start a ski company there were no domestically manufactured skis in the U.S., according to Loevlie. Knowing the barriers to entry, especially manufacturing equipment, were as steep as a black-diamond slope they knew they had to find a manufacturing partner.

 

"It took three or four years for Never Summer to start making our skis," Loevlie says."A lot of us grew up riding Never Summer snowboards and Never Summer has always been a really well respected manufacturer in Colorado."

 

The Never Summer partnership and quality has allowed Icelantic to offer their "Bomb Proof" two-year, no-questions-asked, warranty."A two-year warranty is a big deal in the ski industry."...

 

Read the full article

 

Visit Icelantic website

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