Category: Manufacturing Solutions

“Since partnering with IHD Solutions, we’ve experienced a significant reduction in build times, improved efficiencies, significant labor savings, and a substantial increase in profits. There is no way we could do it better ourselves, and believe me, we’ve tried.”

When it comes to assembling components, SkyMark Refuelers and FloMark Vacuum Trucks can attest to the value IHD Solutions adds to their teams. As world-leading producers of high-quality aircraft refueling trucks and fully engineered vacuum trucks, these manufacturers have tried their hand at subassembly and learned that it’s a labor-intensive process that takes an incredible amount of time and skill. They’ve also determined assembly is commonly among the greatest drains on their resources.

IHD Solutions has been providing and managing their hardware and component parts for years, so when we recognized how we could help improve the subassembly process, we didn’t hesitate to make our recommendations. By retaining our team to step in and take over, we were able to make a marked improvement on efficiencies, assembling all of the manufactured components so their workers could remain focused solely on the installation.

Then we took it even further. Now we by the fabricated brackets and other parts, powder coat them in our facility and deliver the assembled components, literally eliminating many build hours from each truck. Depending on their needs, we have the capacity to build 30, 50, or even 100 components at a time, so they’ll have fast access when they’re ready to use them. Since we’ve expanded our services to SkyMark Refuelers and FloMark Vacuum Trucks, they’ve seen increased profits through faster production and decreased downtime — once again proving our worth when it comes to providing unparalleled manufacturing support.

“When we started using new casters on our rib carts, we quickly discovered that the wheels froze up once they got hot in the oven, literally putting a halt to production. Thanks to the expertise and responsiveness of IHD Solutions, delays were minimal, and we’ll be able to avoid this problem moving forward.”

We’d like to tell you about an unexpected situation we encountered, which speaks well to our expertise with casters and our ability to quickly find real solutions for the unique manufacturing demands of our clients — ultimately earning the loyalty of the John Morrell Food Group.

It began with the addition of new casters to the carts used to transport ribs through the entire cooking/smoking process which takes place at the Curly’s plant in Iowa. These carts literally hold a ton of ribs at a time, so they must be able to bear thousands of pounds, and still roll with ease as they’re pulled throughout the manufacturing facility. Add to that heavy burden, the fact that they are constantly subjected to extreme temperature changes as they travel from the cooling area to the smoker oven, and then to cooling again. That’s a lot to ask of a set of casters, and it takes the right components to function well and provide longevity.

As it happened, it didn’t take long for the new casters to malfunction. The wheels locked up when they were exposed to heat, preventing employees from removing the carts from the ovens. Not only was this a big safety issue it also caused product loss and production delays. So, they called IHD Solutions and our industry expert immediately took action.

First, he quickly determined that the brass bushings in the existing casters were incompatible with the demands of the environment. Then, he pulled new bearings from our inventory and promptly took a road trip to Sioux City. Upon arrival, he went right to work pulling the casters from the carts, making repairs and replacing them, working until they were all swapped out.

Our team’s industry expertise and dedication to going above and beyond for our clients enabled Curly’s rib production to get back on track fast, and helped to mitigate their losses better than they could have anticipated — solid evidence of our devotion to being an accountable support team for every single client, and a reason our clients value our partnership so much.

“As a small team in the big business of workplace safety, we each must wear many different hats to keep the company operating smoothly. IHD Solutions makes it so much easier for us to keep up with the growing demand for our construction site safety equipment.”

AES Raptor is one of our more well-rounded client relationships that started years ago with our powder coating services. As a part of our standard procedure, we made it our business to learn their business on a much deeper level. Because we did our job so well, we earned their trust and confidence in our capabilities. And this is precisely how we expanded our partnership and started managing AES Raptor’s hardware.

At the time, the company’s production manager was also serving in the important roles of Truck Driver and Purchasing Manager, in addition to a long list of other duties. As you can imagine, his task list was overwhelming and there were just not enough hours in the day to get everything done. The seemingly simple job of keeping all the hardware properly stocked, organized and inventoried required more time than he had to devote — resulting in costly production delays.

IHD Solutions was quickly able to resolve the situation by setting up and maintaining an efficient system. Today, we manage their hardware inventory and continuously source additional items needed for their products, in addition to powder coating their parts. We’ve even expanded our own inventory, keeping more parts easily accessible and better serving AES Raptor and our other clients. Now it’s easier than ever for them to keep the lines moving without concern of hardware delays.

We’re proud to say we’ve participated in AES Raptor’s growth and success, and are excited by the prospect of contributing to their future innovations.

IHD Solutions Helps AgJunction Increase Operational Uptime And Lower Expenses

“As industry-leading innovators of agriculture guidance and machine control systems, we’ve learned a lot about precision and accuracy. We’ve also learned a few lessons the hard way, a big one being that productivity really suffers during the kitting process. That’s why we depend on IHD Solutions to take care of our kits so we can continue doing what we do best.”

AgJunction is a prime example of the way partnering with us can boost production and increase profit margins. An elite group of accomplished engineers and software architects, AgJunction designs and builds navigation and control systems for use in agricultural aerial applications, tractors, and other farming machinery.

Originally, they purchased all the component parts and created installation kits in-house to include with their systems. However, this practice was a big drain on their resources. Not only were they experiencing many hours of downtime in kitting, but they were also taking a substantial loss by paying an engineer’s hefty salary for a task that can be effectively completed by a less-skilled worker.

Fortunately, we had already established a trusting client relationship with AgJunction because we provided them with hardware and fittings for their aftermarket parts. Ever the strategic problem solvers, we worked together with them to identify this weak link in their production process and made the recommendation that we take over their kitting. They agreed to give it a try, and the results have proven to be gratifying for everyone. We’ve enjoyed a deeper, more meaningful partnership; AgJunction has experienced a dramatic improvement in production time, elevated profits, and now their internal team is free to focus more time on their real specialty — engineering and selling their groundbreaking technology.

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