MMT Chats: A Truly "Coronavirus" Collaborative Effort Puts Moldmaking, Manufacturing in the Spotlight
Die-Tech and Engineering and Bico Steel worked together through the night to build and deliver a complex tool needed to help increase ventilator production. Listen to my casual conversation with Die-Tech Owner Bill Berry as he breaks down the timeline, project, the players involved and how amazing American manufacturers are.
Bill Berry owner of Die-Tech and Engineering called Seth Galentine at Bico Steel on Friday, March 20,2020 at 10:26PM with final dimensions for material needed for Die-Tech to build the complex tool needed increase production of ventilators.
Two Bico steel workers from 2nd shift stayed beyond their normal stop time of 11:00PM to get the material on our equipment and processed. “I joined these guys at the shop and personally delivered the blocks at 2AM,” Galentine says.
Three other Bico steel workers volunteered to come in for Saturday work (once they had the remaining steel dimensions that were needed to start) to complete the other support materials and custom saw cut work for the remainder of the die build. This work was delivered by 5PM on Saturday.
“Two guys from 2nd shift stayed until 2AM and three other guys gave up their entire Saturday to get this done,” Galentine says.
The red arrows in the photo below point to steel that BICO supplied in its entirety to Die-Tech and the yellow arrows point to steel that BICO saw cut for Die-Tech. Galentine says Bico has dozens of “Project V” jobs going through the shop right now at breakneck speed – molds and dies.
Big Thank You to the Following:
- Brian Chatlosh, Die-Tech Project Engineer
- Jim Palma, Die-Tech CAD/CAM Programmer
- Brad Striegle, Die-Tech Lead toolmaker
- Steel Supplier, Bico Steel
- Heat Treat Supplier, Hansen-Balk Steel Treating, Marty Balk
- Stress Relieving, MPDWELDING
- Web design, Todd Schuet Creative Technology
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