Escolar Documentos
Profissional Documentos
Cultura Documentos
ROBOT
S
2001 Midwest Rd., Suite 106
Oak Brook, IL 60523-1335
Change Service Requested
Prsrt Std
US Postage
PAID
Michigan City, IN
Permit #3
President's Message
From Steve Moreland
Steve Moreland
President, Automatic Spring Products
stevemoreland@automaticspring.com
Tom Armstrong, Duer/Carolina Coil Torsten Buchwald, KernLiebers USA Ann Davey, John Evans Sons Mark DiVenere,
Gemco Manufacturing Chris Fazio, Diamond Wire Spring
Kurt Gillespie, Century Spring Richard Guimont, Liberty Spring
Gene Huber Jr, Winamac Coil Spring Miko Kabeshita, Ark
Technologies Charly Klein, Fox Valley Spring Bill Krauss,
Vulcan Spring Don Lowe, Peterson Spring Bill Marcum,
MW Industries Richard Rubenstein, Plymouth Spring Dan
Sceli, Peterson Spring JR Strok, Mohawk Spring Bill Torres,
Gibbs Wire and Steel Jeff Wharin, Bohne Spring
Intelligent Process
& Quality Control
0
0)44
)
Since
1893...
:WYPUN*VPSPUN
-VYTPUN
4HJOPULZ
>PYL)LUKPUN
-VYTPUN
4HJOPULZ
0) 44
.
.
>PYL:[YHPNO[LUPUN*\[[PUN
,UK>VYRPUN4HJOPULZ
;\IL)LUKPUN
-VYTPUN
4HJOPULZ
5HPS*OHPU
-LUJL
4HJOPULZ
Contents
19
27
FEATURES
19 Robots and the Spring Industry
By Gary McCoy
27 Flashback
Introduction to Robotics
By G.C. Macri
47
DEPARTMENTS
2 Presidents Message
Passing the Gavel
7 Global Highlights
COLUMNS
By John Passante
10 Regional Spring
Association Report
51 Springmaker Spotlight
Leading His Team to Victory:
A Profile of Norm Rodriques
and Springfield Spring
By Gary McCoy
57 Book Corner
59 Inside SMI
61 New Products
63 Advertisers Index
51
4 / SPRINGS / Winter 2014
64 Snapshot
Jim Callaghan
CSX Hybrid
CSX
CSX & CSX Hybrid From complicated to REALLY difcult spring making requirements,
the Herdon CSX Series and CSX Hybrid Series make the difcult easy. Equipped as a standard 16-axis All
Servo former they both signicantly reduce set-up times while increasing production rates. Couple that
with rotary wire and multiple single and dual servo spinners the impossible suddenly becomes possible at
an affordable price. No matter what level of spring making requirement youre being asked to perform, RK
Tradings line of CSX and CSX Hybrid machines offer something for everyone and make the difcult easy.
WWW.RKTRADINGUSA.COM
847-640-9771
iStockphoto.com/DNY59
Global
Highlights
North America
O n Novemb er 1, 2013, Lapha m-H ickey Ste el
Corporation purchased the assets of Industrial Spring
Steel. Industrial Spring Steel, located in Philadelphia,
Pa., was founded in 1958 and is a supplier of high carbon
tempered and annealed spring steel primarily throughout
the East Coast.
Lapham-Hickey Steel is a family owned and operated
full line service center that was founded in 1926 in
Chicago, Ill. The acquisition of Industrial Spring Steel will
strengthen Lapham-Hickeys presence and coverage on
the East Coast, and as a leading provider
of high carbon tempered and annealed
spring steels throughout the country.
We couldnt be more excited to welcome
Industrial Spring Steel their employees,
customers and all partnerships to the
Lapham-Hickey family, said Brian Hickey,
who will assume the responsibilities of
general manager for Industrial Spring Steel
in Philadelphia. Lapham-Hickey has a
rich history with the Spring Manufacturers
Institute and its member companies and we
look forward to increasing our service levels to this industry.
David Devoe, operations manager and general manager
of Plymouth Spring Company, Inc. in Bristol, Conn., was
presented with the annual Quality Recognition Award
sponsored by the Hartford Section of the American Society
for Quality (ASQ) in June.
Devoe was recognized for his contribution in helping
establish Plymouth Springs Lean Journey in 2011 and his
achievement results since. During that time, Plymouth
Spring has increased their on-time delivery by 20 percent,
while keeping reject rates below expectations, and at the
same time increasing sales growth by 10 percent.
The Hartford Section of ASQ honors individuals and
teams with this award annually for their contributions to
their associations and businesses. The American Society
for Quality is a 108,000-member professional association
headqua r tered in Milwaukee, Wis. t hat adva nces
individual, organizational, and community excellence
worldwide through quality improvement, learning, and
knowledge exchange.
More information on the Hartford Section of ASQ can
be found on the sections website www.asqhartford.org.
Global Highlights
Ready,
to Roll,
Reel Time.
8 / SPRINGS / Winter 2014
Global Highlights
International
iStockphoto.com/Scott Hirko
Regional Spring
Association Report
CASMI Holds SpringWorld Dinner
Looking toward October 2014,
the Chicago Association of Spring
Ma nufacturers (CASMI) held its
SpringWorld 2014 Kickoff dinner
on Thursday, October 17, 2013 at
the Donald E. Stephens Convention
Center in Rosemont, Ill.
CASMI executive director Tom
Renk said SpringWorld 2014 will
feature several new innovations to
enhance the experience for attendees
and exhibitors. SpringWorld 2014
will be held at Donald E. Stephens
Convention Center October 810.
The SpringWorld 2014 kickoff
dinner featured a presentation by
SMI president Steve Moreland, who
said international competition is a
reality in todays spring marketplace.
He shared his experience of traveling
to Europe and learning more about
t he composit ion of
the worldwide spring
market.
After Morelands
presentation, special
guest speaker, Nick
H a l l e y, a r e t i r e d
U.S. Army Brigadier
General, talked about
leadership and the war
against radical Islam.
In regards to the
subject of leadership,
Halley said leaders must improve
their leadership quota. He advised
that leaders must be good listeners
and lead by example all the time.
He concluded his remarks with
information from his book, Terrorism
The Target is You! The War Against
Radical Islam.
C A S M I c lo s e d o u t it s 2013
schedule with its member dinner/
holiday party on December 12 at The
Great Escape in Schiller Park, Ill.
For more information, visit www.
casmi-springworld.org.
A WORLD OF SPRINGS
Available in low volume quantities.
Avoid no-bids or timely set up on short runs. Century
Spring is a great source for filling low volume or
prototype demands. Our stock parts ship
same day at a very low minimum.
To learn more or to request a free stock spring
catalog, inquire at info@centuryspring.com
or by calling us at (800) 237-5225 Mon-Fri
6:00am - 4:30pm PST.
Compression Extension Die Disc Drawbar
H-Clips Tapered Torsion Urethane
&$60,LVSURXG
WRFKHHUIRUDOORIWKH&KDPSLRQV
RIWKH6SULQJ0DQXIDFWXULQJ
,QGXVWU\0DQXIDFWXUHUVDQG
6XSSOLHUV
:HUH3URXGWR%HRQ<RXU7HDP
-RLQXVIRU635,1*:25/'
'RQDOG(6WHSKHQV&RQYHQWLRQ&HQWHU
5RVHPRQW,/
2FWREHU
)RULQIRUPDWLRQYLVLWRXUZHEVLWHRUFDOO
ZZZFDVPLVSULQJZRUOGRUJ
12 / SPRINGS / Winter 2014
OSHA Inspections:
How You Were Chosen and What to Expect
By Jim Wood
iStockphoto.com/oytun karadayi
www.wire.de
Wire, Cable,
Fibre Optic,
Wire Products
and Machinery
Spring
Making
Fastener
Technology
Mesh Welding
Machinery
Cautionary Tale:
Stainless Steel Turns 100 Years Old
By Mark Hayes
iStockphoto.com/DSGpro
Mark Hayes is technical advisor to the Institute of Spring Technology (IST) in Sheffield,
England. He is also the principal trainer for
the spring training courses that the Institute
offers globally. Readers are encouraged
to contact IST with comments about this
cautionary tale, and with subjects that they
would like to be addressed in future tales e-mail ist@ist.org.uk
www.alloywire.com
$ '75$',1*//&
6SULQJ&RLOHUV
:LUH%HQGHUV
$XWR'HFRLOHUV
6&$'$6\VWHPV
$ '75$',1*//&6RXWK0DLQ6WUHHW5RFN&UHHN2KLR86$
SPRINGS / Winter 2014 / 17
VDOHV#DGWUDGLQJOOFFRPZZZDGWUDGLQJOOFFRP
ROBOTS
and the Spring Industry
By Gary McCoy
Article photos provided courtesy of Productivity, Inc. and are used by permission.
0$3(63,$12675,1*&203$1<
32%2;_(/,=$%(7+7217186$
_)$; _LQIR#PDSHVZLUHFRP
*DOIDQLVDUHJLVWHUHGWUDGHPDUNRI*DOIDQ,QIRUPDWLRQ&HQWHU,QF
Environmental Benefits
Moreland says Automatic Spring Products Corporation
oration
n
r thee
re
uses robots in heat treating applications, where
i rable.
environment is hot and the job is not the most desirable.
So we have higher functioning robots that work in ourr
u
uctive
e
heat treating areas which allows us to be more productive
n
and competitive, plus we have a higher level of precision
and technology, said Moreland.
We arent asking a worker to be in an undesirable work
environment, and he says with a laugh, and the robot
doesnt care! The robot is happy to do its work in whatever
environment we place it in. And it will do it repetitively
and will do it without the labor costs.
Automatic Spring Products Corporation also uses
pick and place robots to extract parts out of machines, so
wire forms dont tangle. These kinds of applications are
prevalent throughout our manufacturing environment
and it takes a job that once was boring and monotonous,
explained Moreland. It eliminates that job and we are
able to retrain those employees to higher level work and
activities, so we both win.
Dan Sceli, president and CEO of Peterson Spring, says
his former company, The Woodbridge Group, where he
was a president, used robots at their 64 plants. He said
the robots were primarily used for mixing and pouring
liquid foam into heated, moving tools in specic patterns
for ow. Currently, Peterson Spring is not using robots at
their facilities.
Sceli says he doesnt see as many applications in the
spring industry for using robots, but is open to the idea
where it makes sense. He said areas like packaging could be
implemented down the road where the cost/benets align.
Practical Considerations
When considering whether a robotic system is right for
your company, Engles suggests three things springmakers
should consider: repeatability, process stream and
simplicity.
You have to have a repeatable, sustainable ow of
work, advises Engles. Robotics doesnt lend itself to
traditional job shop work, where you only do a job once
and then its gone and you never see it again.
In his experience repeatable set ups are important.
You have to do enough homeworkeither towards a
nite number of parts that go through a particular cell
repeatedly with just set up changeovers from time to time,
or you have to have a core process ow through a grouping
of machines or operations. Thats consistent with a family
of parts or consistent processes.
A second consideration is mapping out the process
stream. You must address every aspect, explains Engles,
process and the robot sits for 20 percent of the time or even
50 percent of the cycle, so be it.
Dont worry if the robot is not 100 percent busy,
advised Engles, because your operators arent either.
Whether you decide its time to consider robots for your
spring operation, robotic integrators such as Productivity Inc.
can provide a valuable service, acting as an effective supplier
for the necessary planning and implementation process.
Elgiloy
Haynes
Hastelloy
Inconel
Incoloy
Monel
STRETCH
YOUR
OPTIONS
Titanium
MP 35N
Nimonic
www.elgiloy.com
Flashback
Introduction to Robotics
By G.C. Macri, Vice President, Productivity Systems, Inc.
(This excerpt is
from a complete
article that originally
appeared in the
May 1984 issue of
Springs.)
iStockphoto.com/angelhell
6LQFH
&RPSUHVVLRQ
7HQVLRQ
6TXDUHQHVV 8QGHU/RDG
'LJLWDO6TXDUHQHVV
/DWHUDO/RDG
7RUVLRQ
0RGHO7;<
VDOHV#OLQNHQJFRP
4XDOLW\x
$FFXUDF\x
5HOLDELOLW\
Conclusion
Not everyone welcomes robots with open arms.
Production workers are concerned with the possible loss of
jobs. Factory management is concerned with the possible
loss of production. Maintenance personnel are concerned
with the new technology. Company management is
concerned with effects on costs and prot. Collectively,
all of these concerns may be reected in a general attitude
that, "Robots are OK, but not here."
It is essential to know whether a robot will be given a
fair chance. Reassignment of workers displaced by a robot
can be disruptive. Training of personnel to program and
maintain the robot can upset maintenance schedules and
personnel assignments, and new skills may even have to
be developed. The installation and startup can interrupt
production schedules, as can occasional breakdowns of
the robot or related equipment. Unless everyone involved
is aware of these factors and is willing to accept them, the
probability of success is poor.
The rule to apply here is: A robot must be accepted by
people, not only on general principles, but on the specic
operation under consideration.
ch, Nevada
Green Valley Ran
September 2013
Tomorrows metals,
today.
Ulbrich has an impressive number of high-performance
metal products that provide innite solutions to
precision industries. By keeping pace with worldwide
market demand, Ulbrich has always beenand always will
continue to be your trustworthy partner.
11 LOC ATIONS
WORLDWIDE
34 / SPRINGS / Winter 2014
800 243-1676
meet i ng i ncluded
d iscussion of t he
Leaf Springs project
chaired by Chen Xin
f rom Ch ina. Th is
project completed the
committee discussion
stage and now moves
forward to the review
stage for all worldwide ISO member
countries to provide comments on the
draft document.
A new project, Disc Springs, was
proposed by and is being chaired by
Japan. Not only did Japan propose the
project, they offered a rst discussion
draft of a standardization document.
Osamu Noda of Japan was appointed
as the project leader for disc springs.
Wolfgang Hermann of Germany
was elected as the new chairman of
the group. His term started on January
1, 2014.
Peterson Spring
Celebrates 100 Years
iStockphoto.com/Squaredpixels
100%
in
ade
M
rica
Ame
www.diamondwire.com
1-800-816-5613
Convenient locations throughout the US
Northeast, Southeast and Southwest.
5L^PKLHZ
ZWYPUNPUN
[VTPUK&
)YPUN[OLT[VSPML^P[O
>HU[[VJYLH[LHTHaPUNWYVK\J[Z&>P[O0:>`V\^PSS>LYLVULVM
[OL^VYSKZSHYNLZ[Z[LLS^PYLZ[VJRPUNKPZ[YPI\[VYZZV^LJHUWYV]PKLH
JVTWSL[LSPULVM^PYL[VOLSW`V\I\PSKIL[[LYZWYPUNZMHZ[LULYZ^PYL
MVYTZHUKTVYL
>P[OZP_SVJH[PVUZ[OYV\NOV\[[OL<UP[LK:[H[LZ^LPU]LU[VY`H
^PKLYHUNPUNZLSLJ[PVUVMJVTWL[P[P]LS`WYPJLKMLYYV\Z^PYLUVU
MLYYV\Z^PYLHUKZWLJPHS[`Z[YPW
>LIHJRV\YX\HSP[`WYVK\J[Z^P[OZ\WWS`JOHPUZVS\[PVUZ]HS\L
HKKLKMHIYPJH[PVUZLY]PJLZHUK\UTH[JOLKKLKPJH[PVU[V`V\Y[V[HS
ZH[PZMHJ[PVU
;VSLHYUTVYLHIV\[V\YZ[LLS^PYLZVS\[PVUZ]PZP[
^^^PUK\Z[LLSJVTVYJHSS\Z[VKH`
0UK\Z[YPHS:[LLS
>PYL*VTWHU`
*OPJHNV03
44 / SPRINGS
/V\Z[VU;?
/ Winter 2014
)YPZ[VS*;
*SL]LSHUK6/
3VZ(UNLSLZ*(
*OHYSV[[L5*
JSSE Semi-Annual
Lecture Meeting
and Awards
Photos, from top: Satoshi Suzuki, JSSE Vice Chair giving the opening
speech; a poster Q&A session; award winners; and certicate awards.
hen a 9.0-magnitude
earthquake and tsunami
devastated Northern
Japan in 2011, Michio Takeda had
planned to y to Iwate and help
repair homes. Instead, he helped
raise the spirits of the devastated
souls around him.
These survivors, they are
different than people from other
parts of Japan, said Takeda,
a Japanese native who rst
journeyed to the states as an
English linguistics major under
the guidance of his mentor
heart-to-heart communication. We
sang together. We had our tea together.
Mos t of t hem do not show
their complaint and anger. They
display their willingness toward
reconstruction with gratitude. Each
of them has an unexplainable good
expression.
Takeda is grateful he was able to
bring them comfort.
They said, Meeting with you
people from Tono Center is the best
time for us. The best time for us to
enjoy. We made a difference in their
lives. We tried to help them through
this difcult time. Q
Left: Michio Takeda (in his Tono Magokoro uniform) enjoying a cup of tea with
some of the people he helped. Right: A pot of miso soup, one of the breakfast
essentials for Japanese people.
)URP'HVLJQ WR )LQDO,QVSHFWLRQ
635,1*'(6,*162)7:$5(
x $YDLODEOHDVVWDQGDORQHVRIWZDUHRUVXEVFULSWLRQ
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
EDVHGZHEDSSOLFDWLRQV
0XOWLODQJXDJHDYDLODELOLW\ (QJOLVK )UHQFK
*HUPDQ ,WDOLDQ
8SWRVSULQJW\SHVFRPSUHVVLRQH[WHQVLRQ
WRUVLRQUHFWDQJXODUZLUHFRPSUHVVLRQFRQLFDO
GLVFVSLUDODQGQRQVWDQGDUGFRPSUHVVLRQ
,QFOXGHV(1',160,%6,6 -,6VWDQGDUGVIRU
GHVLJQWROHUDQFH PDWHULDOV
2XWSXWVLQFOXGHVSULQJGUDZLQJIDWLJXHOLIH
SUHGLFWLRQVDQGUHOD[DWLRQHVWLPDWHV
)OH[LEOHVRIWZDUHOLFHQFHRSWLRQV
6SULQJ'HVLJQ6HUYLFH 1HZGHVLJQVRUYDOLGDWLRQ
)UHHWULDOVDQGPRUHLQIRUPDWLRQDYDLODEOHIURP
ZZZVSULQJFDOFXODWRUFRP
ZZZVSULQJPDWHULDOVFRP
x
x
x
x
635,1*7(67,1*
0$&+,1(6
/RDG7HVWHUV IURP1WRN1
IXOOVFDOH
7RUTXH7HVWHUV IURP1PWR
1PIXOOVFDOH
1RQ$[LDO)RUFH0DFKLQHV
)DWLJXH0DFKLQHV VLQJOH PXOWL
VWDWLRQ
6)7 2XUQHZHVWDGGLWLRQ WRWKH
)DWLJXH7HVWLQJ0DFKLQHUDQJH
,67 6(59,&(6
x
x
x
7HFKQLFDO+HOSOLQH 0HPEHUVKLS6XEVFULSWLRQEDVHGFRYHULQJ
WKHFRPSOHWH6SULQJ6XSSO\&KDLQ
7HVWLQJ6HUYLFHV 6SULQJ)DLOXUH 3URGXFW'HVLJQ0DWHULDO
(QYLURQPHQWDO$QDO\VLV
6WDWLFDQG)DWLJXHWHVWLQJ XSWRN1(OHYDWHGWHPSHUDWXUH
7UDLQLQJFRXUVHV $FRPSUHKHQVLYHUDQJHRILQKRXVHDQGWDLORU
PDGHFRXUVHVGHOLYHUHGZRUOGZLGH
)RUPRUHLQIRUPDWLRQFRQWDFWLVW#LVWRUJXN RUYLVLWRXUZHEVLWHZZZLVWRUJXN
1LFKROV,QWHUQDWLRQDO0DFKLQHU\ 6\VWHPV&R
1,06&2
+HQU\6WUHHW6KHIILHOG6(48.
,QVWLWXWHRI6SULQJ7HFKQRORJ\
7HO
)D[
(PDLOLVW#LVWRUJXN,QWHUQHWZZZLVWRUJXN
%7UHPRQW$YHQXH'DYHQSRUW,$86$
7HO)D[
(PDLOLQIR#QLPVFRFRP,QWHUQHWZZZQLPVFRFRP
50 / SSPRINGS
50
PR
P
RIING
R
NGS
N
GS
G
S / Winter
Wiiin
Win
W
inter
nt 2014
iStockphoto.com/Bjrn Meyer
Springmaker Spotlight
By Gary McCoy
s the head of Springeld Spring, Norm Rodriques doesnt use the usual
titles of chairman, president or CEO. Instead he describes himself as
the CFI or chief of fun and inspiration.
With a degree in physical education from Southern Connecticut State
University in New Haven, Conn., Rodriques invokes a lot of sports analogies
to describe his role as the coach for his team of employees. Hes insatiably
competitive, whether its at his pastime of choice, golf, or in the game of
business. Rodriques is all about winning.
Change in Direction
Rodriques says when he left high school he was
determined to be a school teacher and coach like his
dad. But on his way to fullling his dream, he changed
direction and went into sales instead. He rst worked
for Prudential, and Rodriques says his mentor, Gary
Kleinerman, taught him how to be a salesman.
He related that, In commission sales, if you dont sell,
you dont eat.
Rodriques eventually worked for a company that sold
screw machine parts and then to Vulcan Radiator. His
boss at Vulcan bought Springeld Spring, a company that
originally started in 1942. He asked Rodriques to come
work with him. As a result, Rodriques bought a 10 percent
ownership stake in the company.
That was in 1986 when Springeld Spring had sales
of $600,000, 14 employees, and everything was located in
East Longmeadow.
Rodriques admits he knew nothing about the world of
springs and wireforms, but he was willing to learn.
He says one of the best things he did was hire Tina
Malley in 1990 as ofce manager. She later became vice
president of the company. Rodriques credits Malley with
transforming the ofce into a computerized operation.
Because Rodriques and his boss had a difficult
time recruiting spring and fourslide talent in the East
Longmeadow area, in 1995 the company opened a branch
in Bristol and Rodriques was put in charge of it. He
The employees knew things were not going well, that we were
going backwards, explained Rodriques. But they didnt really
know because, like traditional companies, the owners are the only
ones staying up all night worrying about bills and note payments.
actually named the company Southington Spring and
Fourslide, a nod to his nearby hometown.
When an opportunity came in 2000 for Rodriques
and Malley to buy out the senior partner of Springeld
Spring, they took the plunge and became owners of the
business. They ended up merging the Bristol facility with
East Longmeadow to form the company in its current
state. Malley runs the operations in East Longmeadow,
while Rodriques spends more of his time in Bristol.
With a 51 percent stake in the company, Rodriques is
the designated president and CEO. The 51 percent stock
ownership also designates the company as a Certied
Minority Owned Business (MBE) and a U.S. Government
Small Disadvantaged Business (SDB).
Financial troubles came in 2001 when 9/11 hit and the
company was not meeting the income projections they had
provided their lenders.
The employees knew things were not going well,
that we were going backwards, explained Rodriques.
But they didnt really know because, like traditional
companies, the owners are the only ones staying up all
night worrying about bills and note payments.
Magic Happens
Rodriques remembers the moment when he says
magic happened. He was at the airport and decided
to buy a book called Less is More by Jason Jennings.
The book proled high performing companies that were
operating at peak productivity.
One of the companies was Springeld Remanufacturing
in Missouri run by Jack Stack, who authored The Great
Game of Business about following an open-book
management philosophy in running his company.
Another company proled was Nucor Steel, a company
that Rodriques could quickly identify witha company
with its balance sheet upside down, lots of bank debts and
people out in the shop not knowing anything about the
companys nancial performance.
Rodriques said he was determined to turnaround
Springeld Spring by adopting the open-book management
philosophy.
So I went out and bought every book on open-book
management I could nd. He said he realized he was
nancially illiterate, so I read all these books and went
back to school myself. After six months of reading and
quizzing himself, Rodriques said he was ready to take the
plunge in this new direction.
Its not really a business, it is a game. So as the coach, Im the chief of fun
and inspiration. Were not afraid to learn new things because theres always
someone there to help you.
Diversity
According to Rodriques, Springeld Spring has the
distinction of being one of ve certied MBEs in the
U.S., offering customers the opportunity to work with a
company that can help them meet supplier diversity goals.
Rodriques recognizes that having the certication
has helped open the door for the company to land
new business. But he says once the door is opened, his
employees help open eyes. With our nancially-educated
troops and commitment to world-class performance, weve
added additional weapons to our arsenal when facing off
against our competitors. Remember, those on an aircraft
carrier are disciplined and train for war every day. Theyre
ready when the threat arrives!
In addition to preaching open-book management,
he believes in a Lean-Six-Sigma Culture. Ultimately,
Rodriques wants his customers to become part of what
he calls The Springeld Spring Experience.
He says the experience is a commitment to the creation
of a long-term and strategic relationship with our valued
customers. Rodriques says its all about meeting and
exceeding customer expectations and being recognized
by customers as an extension
of their business.
As the company says in its brochure, We must help our
customers bring their products to the global marketplace,
increase their bottom lines, reduce their inventories,
minimize mistakes, expedite the ow of information and
create efcient systems to support these objectives.
Rod r iques su m ma r izes a ll t h is by say i ng,
Differentiating ourselves is part of the Springeld Spring
experience.
A passion for Springeld Spring oozes out of Rodriques
pores.
I really don't have a passion for springs. They're just
they're metal, he relates. They all look the same. I get
real excited about the people that make them, how cool it
is, how smart they are, how mechanical they are. And then
the customers we do business with see and experience the
same indefatigable passion.
Rodriques says as he talks with his employees, or
huddles with them, he wants them to understand
that they are not just making springs. I want them to
take pride in what they do, and take pride in the fact
that you participated in putting this (part) out into the
economy. You stimulated the economy. You're not just
springmakers. As he states to his employees, We're all
participants in this thing called commerce.
Light Hearted
Spending any time with Rodriques, its not hard to
laugh a lot. He denitely keeps things light hearted, even
making jokes about the prosthetic eyeball he wears as the
result of a golf club he took to the eye when he was nine
years old.
He often will crack jokes about himself and his Puerto
Rican/Portuguese heritage. He says he can do standup
comedy on himself and bring the house down. If you
cant laugh at yourself, youre way too serious about this
thing we call life!
On the golf course, people will ask him what his golf
handicap is. I tell them, Four, says Rodriques with a
chuckle. Short, bald, Puerto Rican and one eye.
Just like learning the game of business, Rodriques
dedicated himself to learning the game of golf and is now
able to consistently shoot in the mid 80s. As a former
Mr. Connecticut (1981) body builder, Rodriques likes to
exercise and read. Hes also busy keeping up with his
three children. He often spends time in Florida visiting
his daughter and his sister. During the college football
season hes busy watching his son play at Fordham, and
860-583-1305
www.RadcliffWire.com
Ever the coach, Rodriques tells his employees that instead of acting like a hotshot
football player who scores a touchdown and celebrates with an end zone dance,
he advises them to be like the player who hands the ball to the referee.
Competition
When I asked Rodriques what his competitors would
say about him, he said he hoped they would say, "How is
that company continuing to put on additions in the heart
of the last recession? Why were they building a parking
lot when the banks blew up? Why were they putting on
an addition and hiring people when many people in his
industry were on furloughs? They never furloughed. Why
is there a sign out front for help wanted?
Book Corner
iStockphoto.com/kertlis
n his book Make It in America: The Case for ReInventing the Economy, Andrew Liveris, chairman
and CEO of The Dow Chemical Company (Dow),
presents a powerful case for how critically important
domestic manufacturing is to the long-term health of the
entire U.S. economy. Combining the best thinking from
Dow on how to drive economic growth and supported
through examples from around the industrial world,
the book represents a candid wake-up call to America to
re-invent its manufacturing base before it is too late.
If anyone, or indeed any company has the expertise
on this subject, it's Liveris and Dow. As one of the world's
largest manufacturers and global corporations, Dow has
been on the world manufacturing stage since it rst began
chemicals production in 1897.
Liveris, who has more than 30 years of experience in the
manufacturing industry, challenges conventional wisdom
and, using vivid examples from around the globe, he:
Explains how a manufacturing sector creates
economic value at a scale unmatched by any other,
and how central the sector is to creating jobs both
inside and outside the factory.
Explores how other nations are building their
manufacturing sectors to stay competitive in the
global economy, and describes how America has
failed to keep up.
Provides an aggressive, practical and comprehensive
agenda that will put the U.S. back on track to lead
the world.
bFZd^
fh]^kgPHF>G
fh]^kgPHKD
womeninmanufacturing.org
58 / SPRINGS / Winter 2014
Powered by PMA
Inside SMI
iStockphoto.com/seracus
Inside SMI
www.admiralsteel.com
e-mail: sales@admiralsteel.com
Admiral is a registered trademark of Admiral Steel LLC. Alsip, Illinois.
Reg. No. 2430959. All rights reserved.
his favorite past times. Mink was a strong advocate for donor
awareness and held a special place in his heart for his kidney
donor, Scott.
Survivors include his wife of 51 years, Robbie; daughters,
Pam (Gregg) Herrmann and Barb Mink; grandchildren, Peter and Matthew Herrmann and Molly Mink; brother, David
(Marge) Mink; sisters, Linda (Kenneth) Slater, Ruth (Robert)
Callan and Virginia Roders; sisters-in-law, Nancy Kemp (Wilson)
and Susan (Mink) Spitzer; and many nieces and nephews. He is
predeceased by parents, brother, Kenneth and brothers-in-law
Richard Roders and Gerald Wilson and mother- and father-inlaw Eleanor and James Kemp.
Services were held Saturday, November 16; in lieu of
owers, memorials may be given in care of the family to be
distributed to Minks chosen organizations.
Ben Hittleman, 93, of Delray Beach, Fla. passed away on
December 15, 2013. Hittleman owned the Bristol Spring Manufacturing company, located in Plainville, Conn. He is survived
by his wife of 66 years, Hannah [Rosenblatt] Hittleman, two
daughters and their husbands, Sandra Myerson and Michael
Gailus of Kirkland, Wash., Bonnie Hittleman-Lewis and Paul
Lewis of West Hartford, Conn. and son, Randie Hittleman of
Lake Worth, Fla. He was predeceased by his son, Edward
Hittleman of Cheshire, Conn. He leaves seven grandchildren
and ve great-randchildren. Services were held on December
18, 2013.
Donald F. Radcliff, 92, died on December 22, 2013 at
home. He was born in Plainville, Conn. on May 5, 1921 and
was the son of the late Frank and Jessie (MacDonald) Radcliff.
He was the founder of Radcliff Wire Co., Bristol, Conn. in 1959.
He was a U.S. Army Veteran of World War II serving in the
78th Division. He was active in reunions with members of the
78th Division for many years.
Radcliff graduated from Morse College with an associate
degree in accounting. He was a member of Village Lodge #29,
A.F. & A.M., Collinsville, Conn. He was also a member of SMI,
NESMA, and the American Legion, Plainville. He was a hunter
and an outdoorsman. He enjoyed his trips to Maine in the fall
to go hunting with friends.
Besides his wife Betty, he is survived by three sons and
daughters-in-law, Frank and Elizabeth Radcliff of Mooresville,
N.C., James and Priscilla Radcliff of Cary, N.C., Charles and
Barbara Radcliff of Bristol, two daughters, Jeanne Radcliff of
Bristol and Alice Radcliff of Rocky Hill, Conn. He also leaves
seven grandchildren and three great grandchildren. Services
were held on December 27, 2013. Q
New Products
iStockphoto.com/hseyin harmandagl, morkeman, PeskyMonkey
steels are used but greater fatigue resistance is required, where other material
grades are used but better corrosion
resistance is required or as an alternative
to coated surface springs made from
carbon, Cr-Si or Cr-Si-V steels.
New Products
HTC Introduces
60CL Spring Coiler
HTC Spring Machinery and Forming
Systems, Inc. has announced the addition of
the new HTC 60CL, a ve axes CNC spring
coiler with a wire range of 2.2mm 6.0mm
(.086.236).
This new design replaces the previous 4 axes
60CF machine. Features include ve programmable axes including feed, O.D., vertical pitch,
horizontal pitch, and cutter. The touch screen
interface simplies programming, while the
advanced coiling point system simplies conversion from RH to LH coiling. HTC is known for
their straight forward and easy to use software.
The camless operation provides fast and
efcient setup and operation. Both rotating and
straight cutoff are standard on the HTC coilers.
Additionally, the mandrel in/out movement is
also programmable. This machine is also available in 8.0mm size. HTC currently produces
CNC spring coilers for wire sizes ranging from
0.15mm to 18mm (.006 .708)
For additional information, contact Forming
Systems, Inc. at info@formingsystemsinc.com
or 269-679-3557. Q
Gold Sponsor
Bronze Sponsors
Advertiser's Index
A & D Trading
(440) 563-5227 . . . . . . . . . . . . . .17
Admiral Steel
(800) 323-7055 . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60
Alex Industries
(847) 298-1860 . . . . . . . . . . . . . .26
Alloy Wire International
(866) 482-5569 . . . . . . . . . . . . . .16
CASMI
(630) 369-3466 . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12
Century Spring,
Division of MW Industries
(800) 237-5225 . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Diamond Wire Spring Co.
(800) 424-0500 . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41
Elgiloy Specialty Metals
(847) 695-1900 . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 5
Forming Systems Inc.
(877) 594-4300 . . inside front cover,
back cover
Gibbs Wire & Steel Co. Inc.
(800) 800-4422 . . inside back cover
Gibraltar Corporation
(847) 769-2099 . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43
Snapshot
iStockphoto.com/Tryfonov Ievgenii, nicholas belton
Jim Callaghan
MW Industries
Name: Jim Callaghan
Nickname: Dex
Job title: Former CFO of MW Industries,
Pictured (l-to-r):
Kevin, Jim and Sean Callaghan
Determination.
People who knew me in school thought
I was: Too hyper for the nuns at
Cathedral High.
I knew I was an adult when:
Faireld University.
A really great evening to me is:
:K\3DUWQHU:LWK*LEEV"+HUHV:K\
Just a small sampling of the actual
emails and calls we receive from our
customers every single day
You are awesome! There is not another
supplier that even comes close to beating
your response time!
Connecticut
Indiana
Texas
California
North Carolina
Ontario
Mexico