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Manufacturing Trends Shape Pace’s 2017 Goals

December 20, 2016

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As 2016 comes to a close, everyone is inevitably curious about what the new year will bring. Arnie Fulton, Pace’s vice president of engineering, provided insight on manufacturing trends that will influence the company strategy in 2017.

  1. Automation Continues – Collaborative robots are a trend that has received a lot of attention in industry publications. The great thing about these robots is that they are designed to work alongside our associates. We have found they are easier to program and safer to use than conventional robots. Pace will continue to implement automatic equipment, and our main focus will be on the further utilization of collaborative robot applications.
  1. Larger 3-D Printing Presence – Pace dabbled in 3-D printing this year, but we really want to grow that over the next 12 months. The trials completed this past year have been quite successful. We’ve used 3D printing for both die components and machining fixtures, and we will be expanding to castings next.
  1. Focused on Thermal Control – One of our goals for 2017 is to delve even more into the process of controlling the die temperature for the purpose of improving the quality of die castings. Further understanding of the thermodynamic process will result in an improved consistency, which will lead to an improved product.
  1. Integration of Laser Manufacturing – Laser manufacturing is not new to Pace Industries, but there is opportunity for it to continue to evolve and become more integrated throughout our company over the next year. We are currently in the process of researching and developing its use within our facilities, and the goal is to complete that research in 2017 so we can begin implementation. As a company, we are eager to incorporate laser manufacturing into a variety of functions, including the repair of tooling and machine components, extending the life of casting dies and even fabricating new parts for increased performance.

 

Given that we pride ourselves on exceeding expectations with our work, it is no surprise that our 2017 objectives reflect constant improvement in areas we are familiar with. We are dedicated to achieving and excelling at these upcoming trends, and continuing to identify new areas for opportunity. That is how we will remain dedicated to providing uncommon solutions to our customers in 2017 and in the many years to follow.

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Manufacturing Day – Preparing Students for Success

December 1, 2016

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This is our Product Tech Division in Maple Lake, MN. Pace Product Tech Division is an integrated magnesium resource for product development from concept to solution.

Here at Pace Industries, we recognize the importance of being passionate about your work, which is why we participate in Manufacturing Day. For three years now, we have invited students into several of our production facilities to give them a glimpse into modern manufacturing and to inspire them to pursue it as a career.

This year, we had a total of 1,228 students visit Pace Industries during October. Attendees ranged from 7th grader through college-aged students. Each Friday in October, at least one of our facilities held a Manufacturing Day event. The Harrison Division hosted two days due to the high volume of students involved in the area. Ethan Robinson, our workforce coordinator, is responsible for connecting with schools and confirming their participation. “I contact about 75 schools in the United States, including technical schools, universities and high schools,” said Robinson.

This is Robinson’s second year coordinating Manufacturing Day, and his learnings from 2015 helped shape his plans for 2016. “Last year, we really focused on the products that we made because we wanted to awe the students,” Robinson reminisces. “After talking to them last year, we learned that what they want to know about is careers.” With that knowledge, he decided to revamp the Manufacturing Day material to be more job-focused. During the students’ visit, we chose to highlight positions that we predict will be in demand when they are completing school and entering the workforce. “We’re looking to get the word out to let kids know manufacturing is a viable career path,” said Robinson.  Robotics is becoming a more prominent part of the industry so there is a lot of encouragement to pursue some kind of automation training.

During Manufacturing Day, students go on a plant tour in which they are able to see every part of the facility and learn about the different machines we work with. Afterwards, they are given the opportunity to ask associates questions they may have about the work and career opportunities available at Pace. When they leave our facility, we hope they walk away with useful information about careers they may have not formerly considered as well as how to pursue them.

We are very proud of the work we do here, and every year we look forward to the opportunity to ignite a similar passion in students that could soon help us grow professionally. As Robinson states, “The kind of work we do requires us to be proactive so we have decided to prepare the surrounding areas for the work we’re going to have. In just three short years, we can already see an impact. We’ve seen a definite uptick in the number of students applying for internships and youth apprenticeships at Pace.”

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Bob D’Ortona, vice president at our Cambridge Division in North Billerica, MA, gives a tour to students from Shawsheen Valley Technical High School. They are looking at an Aluminum melting furnace with 20,000 pound capacity.

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Lee Kittle, die cast manager at Pace Industries, Port City Division in Muskegon, MI, hosts students from the Muskegon Area Technological Center.  He is showing them an 850 ton die cast machine.

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Hannah Niblett, talent sourcing specialist, poses with a group of Harrison High School students at our Arkansas based Harrison Division.

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Bob D’Ortona doing tours with one of our QC engineers, Anne-Marie Buchenan. They are discussing and viewing a Mori Seiki NHX 5000 horizontal machining center.

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Product Tech Division – Lynne McIntosh, safety manager, shows Maple Lake High School students the S56 Vertical Machining Center in the tool room. 

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Product Tech Division – Homeschooled students and some from Maple Lake High School listen to a presentation about our products, career opportunities within Pace and educational paths they should take for those careers.

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