Celebrating National Manufacturing Day

1 CommentStillion Industries, , , ,

Our company has a special honor related to National Manufacturing day this year,  We are so excited to have been nominated in the 2020 Coolest Thing Made in Michigan this year!  Hosted by the Michigan Manufacturing association highlights the coolest products made in Michigan! Please Vote for Electro Arc Metal Disintegrators National Manufacturing day is celebrated on the first Friday of October, and will fall on October 7 this year.  Manufacturing is essential to every industry aiding in every step of our daily routines.  In the United States alone, manufacturing contributed $2.33 trillion to the economy in only quarter one in 2019 according to the National Association of Manufacturers. MFG day aims to inspire education and company awareness of the essential nature of manufacturing careers.  While COVID-19 has affected the US economy and workforce, over the last four years the US has experienced the best manufacturing growth in the last 30 years. The National Association of Manufactures states that there are currently 12.75 million manufacturing workers in the United States, accounting for 8.6% of the US workforce. This demand will continue to increase over the next 10 years. As stated on the Whitehouse’s website Proclamation: “Since the founding of our Nation, Americans have been renowned for their craftsmanship and productivity. On National Manufacturing Day, we celebrate our dedicated American workers who carry on this legacy, recognizing that manufacturing is a cornerstone of our economic prosperity and national security. The workmanship and ingenuity of American manufacturers make “Made in the U.S.A.” an enduring stamp of patriotism and excellence, and we will always support the men and women whose work ensures that American manufacturing is second to none.” Stillion Industries is a small manufacturing facility. Our Machine Shop provides a variety of custom made parts for a variety of industries including those deemed essential during the pandemic. Supporting local businesses and farmers, we provide essential components at fair prices. Stillion Industries manufacturers Electro Arc Metal Disintegrators We are carrying on the Electro Arc legacy by manufacturing the Electro Arc Metal disintegrator machine line including our popular portable 2-S and the heavy-duty DC-powered Bolt Eater.  Electro Arc has been building the world’s best metal disintegrators for tap and drill removal since 1947. The original AC patented process was developed by Electro Arc. The entire line of metal disintegrators aids manufacturing industries such as automotive, power, aerospace, mining and more. We also continue to manufacture the Ames Portable Hardness tester lines of products produced by Electro Arc for over 50 years.  These portable hardness testers are also a key component to a vast array of industries relying on quick and accurate results.  All of our products are handmade here in Dexter Michigan by our staff to meet the highest quality standards.  Our products have a reputation for their longevity and dependability. Now, more than ever, it’s vital to champion manufacturing in the US and the career opportunities that it can provide—especially for STEM educators and students.

What are the Challenges of Manufacturing and Stocking your Own Parts?

2 CommentsStillion Industries, , ,

Stillion Industries has been machining parts in Southeast Michigan since 1972.  To meet increased demand from regular customers we have purchased new machines in the past few years.  These new machines have helped us increase our capabilities and efficiency.  Stillion Industries’ operations have moved a few times over the years.  Most recently, the expansion of our location occurred in 2014. Stillion Industries’ property consists of 5 buildings with one building dedicated to machining, one dedicated to building Electro Arc machines and testers, and another one dedicated to producing Molybdenum electrodes. We purchased Electro Arc in 2019, increasing our internal demand for machined parts.  Electro Arc used Stillion Industries as a vendor for years. So we are familiar with many of the new parts we make for the Electro Arc product lines. The metal disintegrator machines are composed of hundreds of parts. We now machine about 60% of the parts needed for those machines in-house. Our Ames testers are 97% machined in-house. We have been able to improve our manufacturing process for these parts over the past 3 years. As with any major change, the process of integrating Electro Arc operations into the existing Stillion Industries location was tricky. Electro Arc had been in business for 72 years when we acquired it. The number of items that needed to be integrated into our operations was significant. Integrating new staff and staff roles into the machine shop changed our operations completely. Going from offering services to offering products and services required new software, training, and coordination while maintaining existing operations. Three years later, we continue to improve our systems and manufacturing processes. A Look Inside Stillion Industries https://youtu.be/PsykXjx33PM Our main challenge in stocking our own parts has been balancing internal work with outside work. Supply chain issues have also created scheduling delays.  In many cases, we must wait for other jobs to finish in order to complete a job for our metal disintegrators or Ames testers.  Since each tool and machine is custom-made, our turnaround time can be delayed due to a lack of parts. Obviously, this is less than satisfactory for our customers who are also waiting for our products which require parts and products both from our own machine shop and outside sources. While we can stock our Ames hardness testers ahead of time, we have not been able to stock the metal disintegrators as a shelf-ready item to order.  The investment per machine is significant and since we offer over 40 different models, with  custom options for building power, we cannot pre-fabricate these machines.  Changes in the economy have affected our buyer behavior and we haven’t been able to anticipate the volume of new orders.  We have also explored offering refurbished metal disintegrators for sale.  This is advantageous for customers who would not normally be able to afford a new machine. We offer machine refurbishing services for machine owners as well.  Our first refurbished machine was in new condition and was sold with a 1-year warranty. Used machines found on the market through avenues like Ebay won’t offer this benefit.  Electro Arc had elected not to offer refurbished machines in the past.  Stillion Industries is exploring the possibility of offering refurbished metal disintegrators regularly. As an additional option, we are considering offering a buy-back program for owners of metal disintegrators who would otherwise sell their machines through third-party machine sellers.  This way, the machines can be factory certified and we can continue to offer used machines for sale. All Parts Manufactured by Stillion Industeries are Made in Michigan Shop Ames and Electro Arc Products online: All Ames Ames, Superficial Portable Rockwell Testers Ames Model 4-2S Portable Hardness Tester ☆☆☆☆☆$3,916.47Add to Cart Ames, Test Blocks Ames Superficial Brass Test Block ☆☆☆☆☆$188.38Add to Cart Ames, Standard Portable Rockwell Testers Model 8 Ames Portable Hardness Tester ☆☆☆☆☆Add to Cart Load More End of Content. All Electro Arc Collet, Electro Arc, Electro Arc Accessories Collet .118 ☆☆☆☆☆$58.56Add to Cart Electro Arc, Electro Arc Accessories, Molybdenum Electrode Molybdenum Electrode 0.375-S ☆☆☆☆☆Add to Cart Electro Arc, Electro Arc Accessories, Molybdenum Electrode Molybdenum Electrode 0.020 ☆☆☆☆☆Add to Cart Load More End of Content.