Sharing Crafts COVID-19 Operational Response Plan

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Sharing Crafts COVID-19 Operational Response Plan:

In order to remain operational during the pandemic, Crafts Technology was compelled to develop and evolve a comprehensive best-in-class response plan that has been a very important tool to help us operate and keep our people safe.

Because this plan benefited us, to such a high degree, we want to share the plan for the good of everyone.  As such, we are making the plan available immediately, at the link below. We only ask that you send us an email directly if you would like an editable [Word] version of the plan.

Download PDF
Email Us Here for an Editable Version of the Plan

Or email engineering@craftstech.net

We were able to put together this document with great help and support from our network:

We hope this document helps you in some way as we get through this pandemic.

As we navigate through this pandemic the only constant will be change. We know our document will continue evolve and be modified with new rules, regulations, and best practices. We hope that sharing this document openly will allow others to comment and provide input on what we (and others) can do to continue to make our place of work safer for our employees and our community.

Please feel free to email us (at engineering@craftstech.net) with any questions or input. We are all in this together and through teamwork and collaboration we will get through this together.

Stay safe and healthy.

Crafts COVID-19 experience

As an Essential Business providing necessary materials for a number of industries, including medical device suppliers who produce COVID-19 test kits, Crafts Technology hasn’t shut down during the pandemic. This puts us in a unique position because we’ve stayed ahead of the curve in developing policies and procedures to maintain the safety of our team, while continuing our manufacturing operations. Through this experience, we’ve learned a lot fast. Without excellent resources and assistance from a number of people this journey would have been more difficult and taken longer to maneuver, now it’s our turn to help.

The culmination of our efforts resulted in the Crafts Technology COVID-19 Exposure Prevention, Preparedness, and Response Plan (Email us for an editable response plan that we’re openly sharing). The plan describes how to prevent worker exposure to coronavirus, protective measures to be taken in production and office areas, personal protective equipment and work practice controls, cleaning and disinfecting procedures, and what to do if a worker becomes sick.

How to create a COVID-19 response plan

As an Essential Business Crafts Technology has implemented numerous measures to keep our team safe while continuing operations.

Our plan and government policies highlight the fact that businesses need to take action to protect employees and the community, during and beyond the COVID-19 pandemic.

If you’re questioning how to respond to everything from welcoming workers back to the office to what steps you’ll need to take if someone at your facility tests positive, here’s a few things we’ve learned and some resources

  • Create a multi-disciplinary team
    We involved people from different groups and different levels of management to encompass a whole business perspective. The team includes our president & CEO, vice president of engineering, controller and human resource manager, operations manager, and shop supervisor.
  • Research what information is available from local and national trade organizations along with government agencies
    • The Illinois Manufactures’ Association [IMA] was also a substantial resource to continue to evolve our control plan to meet any the ever changing requirements. The IMA website helps us keep up-to-date on the evolving situation by providing daily information describing how to maintain a safe environment, along with updates on legal requirements we need to know.
  • Don’t recreate every facet of your plan
    There’s a tremendous amount of resources available, the CDC and OSHA offer ongoing mitigation guidance for businesses and workplaces including prevention support, and cleaning and disinfecting options.
  • Develop a plan as unique as your business
    No template will include everything essential to your business. Our team developed a plan by systematically evaluating our points of contact along with embracing the assistance of outside experts.
  • Make it a live document open to revisions
    Although many areas are starting to bend the curve, the long-term implications of COVID-19 are unknown. Not to mention, changes to COVID-19 rules and regulation are expected. As research and data continues to evolve, you’ll need to update your plan to reflect the best practices.
  • Share the plan
    Schedule meetings with the entire company (preferably by phone or video conference) to bring everyone in the organization up to date. When we conduct in person meetings attendance is collected verbally, we limit gatherings to groups of 10 or less, and participants must remain at least six feet apart.

Why a response plan makes a difference

As the economy starts to open, we’ll embrace our new norm, and workers will return to offices and factories.

By developing a response plan you’re protecting your most important asset, your people. When returning to work there’s bound to be uncertainty. Being prepared and providing a comprehensive plan that includes valuable resources will reduce stress by ensuring your team access to critical health and safety information.

Email us for more information on our COVID-19 Response Plan

Click Here

General disclaimer information

This site contains information, data, documents, pages and images prepared by Crafts Technology. While the Information contained in this site and in the Response Plan has been presented with all due care, Crafts Technology does not warrant or represent that the Information is free from errors or omission.

The Information is made available on the understanding that Crafts Technology and its employees and agents shall have no liability (including liability by reason of negligence) to the users for any loss, damage, cost or expense incurred or arising by reason of any person using or relying on the information and whether caused by reason of any error, negligent act, omission or misrepresentation in the Information or otherwise.  The information is being supplied so that users of the information can develop their own Response Plan that is reviewed and modified accordingly by the user.

Accuracy of information

While the Information is considered to be true and correct at the date of publication, changes in circumstances after the time of publication may impact on the accuracy of the Information. The Information may change without notice and Crafts Technology is not in any way liable for the accuracy of any information printed and stored or in any way interpreted and used by a user.

Links to third-party sites

The Information contained in this site includes information derived from various third parties that are neither endorsed nor supported by Crafts Technology and does not necessarily reflect any policies, procedures, standards or guidelines of the organizations that comprise Crafts Technology.

Crafts Technology takes no responsibility for the accuracy, currency, reliability and correctness of any information included in the Information provided by third parties nor for the accuracy, currency, reliability and correctness of links or references to information sources (including Internet Sites).

Links to other Internet Sites are for information only. Care has been taken in providing these links as suitable reference resources. However, due to the changing nature of the Internet content, it is the responsibility of the users to make their own investigations, decisions, enquiries about the information retrieved from other Internet Sites. Providing these links does not imply any endorsement, non-endorsement, support or commercial gain by Crafts Technology.

Crafts Technology, Inc. manufactures machinery and components. The Company offers rings, core pins, fluid dispensing components, tungsten carbide, advanced ceramics, and precision knives. Crafts Technology conducts its business in the State of Illinois.

[VIDEO] How Crafts Technology Supported Tier 1 Supplier and OEM for COVID-19 Test Kits

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We are proud to support those on the frontlines who are tirelessly fighting against COVID-19; your commitment inspires us! To do our part in the COVID-19 fight, the Crafts Technology team recently stepped up to produce critical tungsten carbide tooling in order for a Tier 1 Supplier to support a medical diagnostic OEM in significantly increasing the quantity of COVID-19 test kits available.

To hear more about this incredible story, read the full article in our previous blog post.

Crafts Technology will continue its commitment to expedite core pin production with a four-to-five week turnaround goal. As shown by this video, the Crafts team is dedicated to supporting their partners, making what seems impossible into a reality. Contact us today to see how we can help with your next project!

Behind the Front Line – How COVID-19 is Changing Manufacturing Processes and Protocols

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First and foremost Crafts Technology wants to thank each and every one of the front line health care workers who are putting their life on the line everyday. Each of you are heroes and deserve sincere recognition and appreciation… Thank you!

We at Crafts Technology work behind the scenes to support the industrial sector in providing essential tooling to medical and consumer manufactures; so that they can provide critical items that will help each of us through this pandemic.

Through this work of supplying essential tooling it is paramount that we maintain our employee owners and our partners safety at all times.

In March Crafts Technology started instituting a series of detailed processes and protocols that meet or exceed the strict guidance of the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to manage potential COVID-19 cases in our operations.

The New Norm of Manufacturing

We’re committed to being part of the solution and realize that producing tooling and parts is only a portion of our responsibility. In our new world of manufacturing we’ve quickly learned how to handle products differently, maintain a safe environment for our workforce, and help our neighboring businesses.

Crafts Technology manufactures unique consumables and tooling that are required to produce an extensive list of essential items. From medical tooling that is adding production of COVID-19 Testing Kits to cutting tools that are used to produce diapers, wipes, and paper towels. As an Essential Business we are supporting so many key partners that we have had to be extremely diligent about how we move forward with safety and productivity in mind.

We have received recognition as an ‘Essential Business’ from numerous partners:

Our Products

In addition to our usual staging areas we’ve added specific cleaning stations for incoming and outgoing parts. Our new standard operating procedure includes subjecting all fabricated components to a soak in a detergent solution that is EPA certified to kill the COVID-19 virus. Following the soak an employee wearing proper protective equipment rinses and dries the components, which are then packaged and shipped. We also provide customers with COVID-19 cleaning protocol directions to ensure proper processing when the product reaches its destination.

All products shipped from Crafts Technology include cleaning directions to ensure proper processing
All products are sanitized by both the receiving and shipping department with EPA certified COVID-19 sanitizing detergent

Our People

Maintaining a secure environment for our employee-owners is a top priority. Like most companies, we’ve implemented staggered work schedules for our manufacturing team who can’t work from home and regularly coordinate video conferences with staff and clients to stay connected. In addition to following the now common guidelines put out by the CDC, we continually discuss and implement new procedures to keep our facility and people safe. As an essential business, we’ve taken extra steps to incorporate policies and invest in systems specific to our needs.

  • Reorganized work areas to maximize social distancing and reduce touching along with moving the cafeteria to an open space with designated seat assignments.
At Crafts Technology the shop has been reorganized to meet social distancing guidelines.
  • Installed multiple automated hand sanitizer stations and paper towel dispensers 
  • Conducted a safety audit that certifies Crafts Technology has implemented extensive measures to reduce exposure of COVID-19, as well as providing additional guidance on improvements that have been instituted to achieve Industry Leader status in the fight of COVID-19.
  • Hired BAC Restoration, a service that specializes in disinfecting high traffic areas, to sanitize our facility once a week with hospital grade disinfectant.
During COVID-19 all high traffic areas and equipment are professionally sanitized weekly

Our Chairman of the Board and his wife are doing their part to protect the Crafts team. Together they hand-made cloth face masks for all on-site employees. To make the masks fit better and more comfortably we 3D printed mask adjusters that are currently being used by many employees.

Hand-made masks sewn by the Crafts Technology Chairman of the Board and his wife provide extra protection for our workforce.
3D printed mask adjuster used to make the mask fit and feel better.

Our Community

Elk Grove Village, home to the largest industrial park in North America, reached out to local businesses seeking their expertise. Jeff Taylor, Crafts Technology President & CEO, immediately volunteered to work as an advisor assisting local businesses during this time of crisis.

The village also asked the Crafts team, based on our knowledge of the manufacturing industry, to identify firms that could support the severe shortages that our medical community is experiencing. Team members Joe Abbate, Rojar Patel, Jeff Roberts, and Jeff Taylor stepped up to the challenge. Over the last few weeks they reviewed over 8,000 Chicagoland companies. The information was used to launch a one-stop-shop website. The Novel Coronavirus – Business Information & Resources website provides critical information for businesses including…

  • How to access financial assistance via local, state and federal government agencies including the U.S. Small Business Administration
  • How to donate supplies to health care workers, first responders and others on the front lines battling the pandemic
  • What companies can do to strengthen their supply chain in order to get needed materials into the hands of those who need it most
  • How to identify local vendors/contractors who can deliver goods and services that are needed amid the pandemic (cleaning and sanitation companies, manufacturers of personal safety equipment, etc.)

The Future

As we prepare to restart the economy, it’s important to reflect on how important manufacturing is to America and America’s safety. Consider how quickly the virus has evolved into a global pandemic, how it affects manufacturing in unprecedented ways, and the supply chain risks that have been exposed.

Assisting in the production of lifesaving medical supplies during this massive disruption is both humbling and gratifying. There’s no question that the front line, first responders are bearing the biggest burden but Crafts Technology, like many US manufacturers, is honored to step-up and do our part to continually fight the COVID-19 battle.

Learn More about Crafts Technology Medical Applications

Click Here

Crafts Technology, Inc. manufactures machinery and components. The Company offers rings, core pins, fluid dispensing components, tungsten carbide, advanced ceramics, and precision knives. Crafts Technology conducts its business in the State of Illinois.

Crafts Technology Provides Critical Tooling In COVID-19 Test Kit Production

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Crafts Technology, experts in designing and producing components from superhard materials for industrial equipment, is supporting the fight against COVID-19 by rush-producing CraftAlloy™ tungsten carbide core pin tooling to be used in the injection molding machines that manufacture vials for COVID-19 testing. This core pin tooling, being used in a re-tooled machine, will help the molder significantly increase the production of the vials.

Tungsten carbide is an extremely strong and dense material utilized for precision core pins used in injection molding systems. When creating core pins for medical applications, CraftAlloy™ tungsten carbide is the material of choice as it allows for intricate and complex forms with a tolerance of only 50 millionths of an inch. With the importance of the COVID-19 testing, medical products manufacturers that produce diagnostic items have sought to utilize CraftAlloy™ tungsten carbide core pin tooling because of its high rigidity, precision, and superior cycle time features.

In support of Tier 1 supplier Prestige Mold, the producer of the high precision injection mold tooling systems that will be used by medical diagnostic company Hologic, Crafts Technology was brought in to quickly and effectively produce the needed core pins in the shortest time frame possible. As one of only a few commercial providers in the world of tungsten carbide core pins, typical leads times run from nine to twelve weeks. Through planning by their skilled machinists and coordination across the entire company, Crafts Technology was able to produce these core pins in only three weeks.

“Never before in our lifetime have we had the opportunity to assist medical tooling and medical diagnostics companies that are at the apex of a solution more than today,” said Jeff Taylor, President, and CEO. “Tooling typically has a long lead time, in some cases, up to 12 weeks. Once we knew the gravity of our core pins supporting Prestige Mold and Hologic with the development of COVID-19 test kits, we said that we would drop everything to produce these in four weeks – and we ended up doing it in three weeks. I’m extremely proud of our team’s dedication to this project, taking what seemed to be impossible and making it a reality.”

Upon completion of the core pins, the parts were disinfected and securely packaged to prevent any damage. Due to the urgency, the cores were driven from Elk Grove Village, IL, to Prestige Mold’s location in Rancho Cucamonga, CA, to eliminate the possibility of the parts being lost or delayed.

Crafts Technology continues its dedication to supporting all medical product manufacturers and their Tier 1 suppliers in the fight against COVID-19. For projects requiring tungsten carbide cores, inserts, injectors, and other injection mold tooling, Crafts Technology will continue its commitment to expedite core pin production with a four-to-five week turnaround goal instead of the typical nine to twelve weeks.

Jeff Taylor of Crafts Technology meets with toolmaker Kevin Langrell at Prestige Mold about the tungsten carbide core pins Crafts produced in only 3 weeks to support the creation of COVID-19 test vials.
The Crafts Technology team took great pride in supporting their customers by creating core pins to increase the availability of COVID-19 testing vials. Shown are some of the Crafts employees who were responsible for producing these parts.

About Crafts Technology
With over one hundred and twenty-seven years of experience, Crafts Technology is the leader in delivering customized solutions produced from superhard materials for the most demanding applications. They combine product-specific expertise with advanced technology to produce parts that range from micro-scaled components and sub-assemblies to modular countersink drilling systems to co-patented automated fiber placement [AFP] blades. As an employee-owned company, Crafts Technology uses their Culture of Ownership, Materials Science, State of the Art Manufacturing and Engineering with Innovation to provide companies such as Nordson, PG&E and Boeing with enhanced performance and productivity.

About Prestige Mold and Hologic
Prestige Mold is a Tier 1 supplier of high precision injection mold tooling based in Rancho Cucamonga, California. Hologic, a molecular diagnostic company with locations around the world, is using their technology to create critical medical diagnostic systems/test kits for COVID-19.

Crafts Technology Supports Elk Grove Village Students in Their Career Development

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Crafts Technology Supports Elk Grove Village Students in Their Career Development

Earlier this month we had the pleasure of hosting a few dozen students from Elk Grove Village High School, as part of their Sophomore Leadership Cohort (SLC) program. 

(Please note, this event was held in early March before shelter in place order was issued by the state of Illinois)

Jim Arey, a teacher and community resource coordinator for the Sophomore Leadership Cohort, explained that SLC uses an interdisciplinary approach to education that combines a rigorous, relevant curriculum with project-based learning, service opportunities, and career exploration. One of the goals of the program is to help students explore career options by visiting local businesses like Crafts Technology. 

Our own Jeff Taylor (President & CEO) and Joe Abbate (Technical Sales Manager) were delighted to conduct a tour, talk about their personal experiences in manufacturing, and share a day in the life of working at a private sector company that produces hard material wear parts. The students were extremely attentive and asked thought-provoking questions related to the challenges and opportunities associated with owning your own business. 

One of the highlights for the students was watching the machines in operation. Several people were surprised at the amount of detail involved in the manufacturing process, how many diverse industries Crafts Technology serves, and how the products we make impact people’s lives.

Jeff Taylor described what a surface grinding machine does while showing the machine in action.
Joe Abbate explains the Crafts Technology inspection processes using one of the tools queued for inspection as an example.

The student visit was purposefully informal to encourage engagement and open dialogue. When polled the students accurately estimated many different business expenses like rent, utilities, equipment, payroll. It’s obvious that the SLC program is providing a valuable learning experience and preparing students for the real world. 

In the end, it might be difficult to determine who enjoyed the day more, the Elk Grove Village sophomores or the Crafts Technology team who were lucky enough to showcase our manufacturing facility and share our culture of ownership.

Learn More About Crafts Technology Careers

Click Here

Crafts Technology, Inc. manufactures machinery and components. The Company offers rings, core pins, fluid dispensing components, tungsten carbide, advanced ceramics, and precision knives. Crafts Technology conducts its business in the State of Illinois.

The Retirement Celebration of the Year: Celebrating Two Incredible Legacies

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Crafts Technology had the honor of hosting a surprise retirement party for Tom Kuhl & Dave Lemaistre, two of the three prior owners of Crafts Technology. 

Tom and Dave had been leading Crafts Technology since 2001, when they purchased the company. Both Tom and Dave had been involved with Crafts operation prior to 2001 and knew that Crafts Technology was a company that had a lot of potential for additional operational improvements and sales growth. 

Tom and Dave progressed the company into 2013; when the three owners sold the entire organization to the employees in a 100% ESOP [Employee Stock Ownership Plan] conversion.

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SuperHard Materials : Harnessing the Hardest Materials on Earth to Advance Your Industrial Equipment

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Develop a top-level understanding of SuperHard materials that will spark ideas and interest regarding how to harness these materials for the advancement of industrial equipment.

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