Micro Manufacturing Success: A Guide to Extreme Precision in Production

This article explores the keys to success in micro manufacturing, a field crucial for industries requiring extreme precision components like medical and aerospace. Learn how to accelerate prototype speed, transition seamlessly from prototype to full-scale production, and optimize design for manufacturability to achieve high-quality, cost-effective outcomes. Ideal for manufacturing engineers seeking to excel in producing highly precise components.

Crafts Technology a Division of Hyperion Solutions Own Emily Temmer Competes at The International Wheel Gymnastics World Championships

Crafts Technology proudly supported our own Emily Temmer as she competed in her fourth International Wheel Gymnastics World Championships on May 23-28, 2022, in Sønderborg, Denmark.

Value Stream Mapping – Continuing Down the Path of Lean!

Lean Manufacturing determines the value of a process and eliminates waste or inefficiencies in said process. As a core value, Hyperion strives to learn and grow every day. Our Crafts team bought this core value and brought it into our Value Stream Mapping event.

A Lean Journey Starts as a Team!

Crafts Technology had the honor of hosting John L. Van Fossen, Hyperion’s Global Director of Operational Excellence.

Crafts Hosts Team Bonding Event in a COVID World!

Company culture is hard to measure but it’s absolutely fundamental to running a successful business. With no team feeling, people tend to perform less well and feel less motivated by their tasks. It has been especially difficult to keep teams feeling strong during the pandemic. Most of the little rituals which keep us together have been disrupted. No more casual visits to people’s desks, no more gossip at the coffee machine or shared lunches. With many teams spending months apart, managers are having to think about alternative ways to keep teams together.

Now that people are going back to the shop, it’s important to make time to be together again as a team. Things will be different. We have all lived through big changes in the last months that have affected us on a personal level. For managers, many teams have been reshuffled, while new starters have arrived without meeting their colleagues in person.

So it’s an great idea to bring teams back together and organize a team-building event. Team-building activities are important for keeping a company cohesive and happy, by doing something out of the ordinary that also makes you smile. But team building in times of coronavirus brings up issues: How do you get together while keeping safe distance?

Crafts Technology decided to host a TEAM BAGS TOURNAMENT in their facility. There was only one basic rule: masks required, remember to keep a minimum distance from each other, use the hygiene products we provide for everyone, and HAVE FUN!

At Crafts Technology, all of our employee owners share our fundamental values, including transparency, innovation and integrity in all we do. Our shared commitment is seen in the quality of the parts we make, the advanced designs we conceive, and the way we interact with our clients and our community. We look to partner with organizations that possess similar values. Through relationships that benefit all concerned, we aim to push the boundaries of what is possible in the performance and productivity of industrial equipment.

Crafts Night Out at the Ballpark!

Crafts employees spent a night out at the ballpark on August 29th with their colleagues, friends, and family.  In addition, they are continually support local companies in the area – they did not head to the big city of Chicago for this type of event but instead attended the Schaumburg Boomers Stadium just down the street from their plant facility.  It was a fun and relaxing evening out spent just enjoying each others company.

Company outings like nights out, lunches, coaching and internship programs can prove to be sometimes costly but they’re well worth the investment. A positive company culture that truly understands the employees’ both physical and mental needs, will result in highly engaged workforce to contribute to the company’s overall growth vision.  This is why Crafts continues to promote all these types of activities now and in the future.

Summer 2021 Interns Teach Crafts that Learning is a Two-Way Street

Crafts Technology welcomed two engineering interns this summer. The program provides experiential learning for young adults.  However, the Crafts team soon discovered that teaching leads to learning. Internships at Crafts give students real-world advanced systems and tooling experience in a manufacturing environment that allows them to develop their skills, gain valuable work experience, and explore career paths.

Crafts Technology welcomes Madeline Martin and Dominick Incapreo as 2021 Summer Interns

Madeline Martin is a student who benefitted from her internship at Crafts this summer. Studying industrial engineering at Iowa State University, Madeline is entering her senior year and has enjoyed taking what she’s learned in school and applying it on the job. Her experiences have included making and reading engineering drawings, designing parts using Solidworks (engineering 3D design software), managing a 3D printing cell, and working on a continuous improvement project.

Madeline has enjoyed assisting Mechanical Process Engineer Brett Staehlin in implementing Kanban, a lean manufacturing scheduling system that improves efficiencies. One project she worked on involved setting up automated notifications when a product is out of stock. The system sends a message by email to the person in charge of ordering to ensures that production isn’t interrupted.

Madeline chose industrial engineering because she likes the idea of reviewing systems and figuring out how to improve inefficiencies. She has undoubtedly accomplished that at Crafts. In addition to her contributions to the company, she’s gained valuable insights that can only come from being on the job. “Working as an intern at Crafts Technology has allowed me to learn through personal experiences instead of just from a textbook or lecture,” said Madeline. “I have been able to observe other engineers on the job and utilize what I’ve learned during my education to complete projects on my own.”

Dominick Incapreo, an incoming senior from the University of Iowa studying Mechanical Engineering, is another intern receiving valuable experience this year at Crafts.  He felt that an internship would help him better understand his career options.  He found that he’s gained much more than that. According to Dominick, “In addition to hands-on experience, I’ve learned about the importance of time management and communication.”  “ I’ve also developed a better understanding of the manufacturing process by being on the shop floor, a perspective I wouldn’t get in a more traditional engineering internship.”

One of Dominick’s responsibilities this summer is managing micro Electrical Discharge Machining (EDM) cells. EDM is a metal fabrication process whereby a desired shape is obtained by using electrical discharges or sparks. Dominick’s responsibilities include programming the machines for specific operations, managing the machines, lean 5S, and developing a strategic plan for production.

Dominick is particularly excited about a special lean 5S project that uses 3D print technology. He’s currently designing a custom tray to organize EDM cells that will optimize productivity.  The tray includes cutouts in the shape of each tool. Once the design is complete, the tray will be printed using Crafts 3D printers. The result is a more organized workspace, where each piece has a home. Working alongside experienced engineers to design a project and using the 3D printer are skills Dominick knows he’ll use in the future.

In addition to the benefits that Madeline and Dominick have noted, internships are an excellent way for students to gain confidence in their skills. It’s also a perfect opportunity to network with professionals that can lead to finding a mentor or even a future job. But Crafts has found that employing interns has also led to learning opportunities for the company.

Rakesh (Rojar) Patel, Crafts Engineering Manager, oversees the internship program. He enjoys this responsibility because he fondly remembers his two internships during college, where he learned how to read blueprints, operate CAD software, and manage projects in a real-world setting. He’s privileged to be providing the same opportunity to future engineers.

What Rojar didn’t expect was that he would learn from the interns. He’s found that working with Madeline and Dominick has provided an understanding of the upcoming workforce. Not only do they bring valuable new ideas, they also offer insight about what’s important to the next generation of workers.

In the past, Crafts has benefitted by hiring interns once they graduate.  The internship period allows the Crafts team to get to know a potential employee and helps familiarize the intern with its culture. It also reduced the orientation period, which gives both Crafts and the employee an advantage.

The culture at Crafts is something that both Madeline and Dominick feel is a positive part of their internship. When considering her experience, Madeline stated, “The environment and the people at Crafts are friendly, offer constructive feedback, and are very considerate. Everyone is always happy to answer my questions and help without hesitation. My time here has given me the chance to grow as an engineer and prepared me for future endeavors.” Madeline says her experiences have led her to better understand what engineering consists of in the real world.

Dominick chose the Crafts internship because he wanted to work for a company that provided real-world experience and opportunities and hasn’t been disappointed. “Being able to intern at Crafts is a real pleasure,” he stated. “I work alongside great coworkers while learning new skills and receive the hands-on experience I’m looking for.  I will definitely be using what I’ve learned to move forward in my engineering career.”

The entire Craft team will miss Madeline and Dominick when they return to school this fall, but are comforted knowing that everyone learned this summer. 

The Manufacturing Workforce of Tomorrow

Jeffrey C. Roberts MS, Vice President of Engineering for Crafts Technology along with Erin Guthrie, Director of the Illinois Department of Commerce & Economic Opportunity (DCEO) describe what the manufacturing workforce of tomorrow will look like and what young people have to look forward to when developing an interest in a manufacturing career. With $4.6 Million manufacturing jobs opening down the road, Crafts Technology is committed to developing the workforce of tomorrow through:

  • Technical programs to help unskilled labor develop careers
  • Engineering Internships with major colleges and universities
  • Developing relationships with local manufacturing associations
  • Working with local communities to find and promote talent
  • Showcasing employee accomplishments along the way

At Crafts Technology, we have identified more clearly the skills necessary to execute our business plans and improve our strategies and we train and recruit for those skills. We are developing the workforce of tomorrow, come learn about our company and join our team.

Reduce the Skills Gap : Skills Matrix

We’ve all heard the saying, “A picture is worth a thousand words,” but have you ever considered how it applies to your business?

Visual management boards are an essential lean manufacturing tool. They effectively communicate information at-a-glance to help coordinate and guide users towards continuous improvement. By developing a skills matrix board, everyone on the team can quickly identify strengths and potential skills gaps.

For clarification, according to Skills Base (https://www.skills-base.com), a digital skills inventory assessment company, “skills management is the practice of measuring and monitoring the skills of people within an organization, to develop workforce capability and align it with organizational objectives.”

In today’s changing and somewhat challenging work environment, cross-training capabilities are critical because there will be disruptions – it’s just a question of when. For Crafts Technology, embracing a visual skills matrix has been a powerful communication tool to assess, track, and report on skills, which has led to expected and unexpected continuous improvement throughout the organization.

Crafts conducts quarterly reviews where both the participant and manager evaluate an individual’s skills using an iPad multiple-choice assessment. Once both parties have completed the evaluation the numbers are averaged.  Data compiled may identify areas that need work, uncover demonstratable competencies, or discover growth opportunities.

By embracing self-evaluation, there is a natural check and balance that helps provide a more effective assessment by focusing on gaining agreement. When using a skills matrix, the focus is on the skill and not necessarily directed to the person, which reduces opinion bias and improves open dialogue.  See the below table for rankings used by Crafts.

Crafts Technology
0.      Not Applicable:  No working knowledge of the process or operation.
1. Low Skill: Minimal understanding of the process or operation. Capable of performing the operation with heavy guidance from individuals with a higher skill level. Does understand safety and quality compliance of the process or operation.
2. Basic Skill: Basic understanding of the process or operation. Capable of performing the operation somewhat independently, with some higher skill level guidance. Does understands safety and quality compliance of the process or operation.
3. Competent Skill: Competent understanding of the process or operation. Capable of performing the operation independently, with minimal higher skill level guidance. Does understands safety and quality compliance of the process or operation.
4. Developed Skill: Developed understanding of the process or operation. Capable of performing the operation independently. Is capable of training lower skill level individuals. Does understands safety and quality compliance of the process or operation.

At Crafts Technology, the skills matrix is the foundation of human resources’ continuous improvement initiative. Participants include operations, engineering, and leadership who are assessed on both soft and hard skills. The skills matrix board visually showcases information in one location, allowing everyone to work from the same perspective, which aids in setting goals and motivates team members to learn new skills. 

Since implementing a skills matrix board, Crafts Technology has experienced several positive changes:

  • Identified the mismatch between the required skills and the skills that are possessed by team members
  • Encouraged cross-training to develop a more flexible workforce that can adjust to spikes in demand or COVID related absences
  • Improved employees’ motivation to learn new skills because everyone better understands the expectations
  • Mitigated risk by allowing a backup system to surface so that roles can be filled when people are off, particularly in today’s COVID-19 environment
  • Increased company growth by improving communication and skills throughout the organization
  • Reduced the skills gaps by highlighting training opportunities
  • Improved retention rates by better utilization employee strengths and offering training to address weaknesses
  • Enhanced employee satisfaction by transparently sharing information and empowering each team member

By using skills matrix software, Crafts Technology has aggregated data that provides insights that far exceed Excel or other collection methods, which has been instrumental in setting company goals. As a company, Crafts is committed to continuous improvement – as individuals’ skills shouldn’t be static. By mapping skills across the organization Crafts can predict, adapt, and respond proactively to issues.

Jeffrey Roberts, Vice President of Engineering at Crafts Technology, reports, “At Crafts the skills matrix is an important lean management tool that helps us reach our goal of continuous improvement and best in class. It’s proven especially useful when evaluating our skills gap. We’ve used it to enhance cross-training and found it motivates all involved.”

By using visual management boards like a skills matrix, Crafts Technology provides a stronger message than words alone, which has enabled them to effectively maximize their entire team’s skills.

Learn More About How Crafts Uses Visual Management Boards

Governor JB Pritzker Gives Special Thanks to Manufacturers in Illinois

“Illinois manufacturers have a proud history of ingenuity, innovation and resilience. And, despite the extraordinary challenges presented by COVID-19, they continue to persevere by adapting operations and offering life-saving solutions to this crisis,” said Governor JB Pritzker.  “During this year’s National Manufacturing Month, we must give special thanks to the hardworking men and women who have gone above and beyond to create new products and devices and to put their communities first so that we can deploy the level of health response that this crisis has demanded from all of us. With the industry on pace to grow and to become even more critical in the years ahead, I encourage Illinoisans to join us this month to honor the role of our manufacturers.”
 
Each year, National Manufacturing Month represents an opportunity to recognize the essential economic contributions manufacturers provide and to call attention to the importance of this growing industry and the 21st century job opportunities it can provide to Illinois residents. Over the next eight years, it’s estimated that 4.6 million new manufacturing jobs will need to be filled nationwide.
  
Crafts Technology, an employee owned company, designs and produces advanced systems and tooling supporting some of the largest electronics, aerospace and medical manufacturers in the world. The company history of producing critical tooling paved the way for it to ramp up production of COVID-19 test equipment earlier this year. Its production scale-up has been central in the efforts of global medical diagnostics companies as testing capacity emerged and remains a critical need in the fight against COVID-19. These products are essential to the mass production of medical products such as vials, syringes, blood tubes and medical electronics, specifically helping frontline healthcare workers battle the virus. 
  
Under the leadership of Governor Pritzker, the state of Illinois has made continued investments to bolster the manufacturing industry and to prepare communities for the future growth of the industry – with extensive investments in workforce training programs, transportation infrastructure, and with an expansion of economic development tools, like the apprenticeship tax credit to expand the manufacturing pipeline of talent and extension of the research and development tax credit to ensure cutting-edge products are developed here in Illinois.

Governor JB Pritzker gives thanks for Manufacturers in Illinois

“As home to more than 400 manufacturers that employ 15,000 Illinoisans, Elk Grove Village salutes innovators like Crafts Technology and all the companies that have answered the call to produce goods and materials that are helping the overall effort to mitigate this global health crisis,” said Elk Grove Village Mayor Craig Johnson.  “Because Elk Grove Village is home to the nation’s largest industrial park, we are keenly aware of the vital role our manufacturers play in helping communities and families thrive and in keeping the Illinois economy moving forward especially during these very challenged times.”
   
For more information on webinars and manufacturing resources offered by the state of Illinois, visit DCEO’s website. Additionally, DCEO encourages you to join the conversation on manufacturing by following us on social @IllinoisDCEO and signing up to participate in free virtual events held all month long.