| July 29, 2010 |
| Continuous Improvement Addition |
Stowe has added an assistant, reporting directly to the manager of the Continuous Improvement Department. Responsibilities of the department's newest member will be to expand the scope and pace of continuous improvement efforts throughout the organization. |
| Sales Development |
Working collaboratively with other Ladish units, Stowe is broadening its sales development efforts. The arrival of new work triggered the investment in a new machine tool to support an important customer program. |
| New Niigata |
Stowe has purchased and installed a new Niigata HN80D four-axis milling machine. The new machine will add to Stowe's machining capacity and contribute to increased total shop throughput. |
| Employee Training |
We have a variety of training initiatives underway, each with the express purpose of benefiting customers. By increasing our expertise in the use of sophisticated machining software and conducting Kaizen events, Stowe will shorten part travel time and distances resulting in accelerated throughput. |
| April 28, 2010 |
| FAA Audit |
Stowe underwent a periodic, critical FAA audit last month and passed with superior results. Many examples of best practices were noted during the audit. There was not one single finding or observation to report. |
| Thin-Wall Castings |
Working collaboratively with sister-company Pacific Cast Technologies (Albany, OR), Stowe has developed a robust machining process for thin-wall castings. The process has significantly reduced the possibility of producing non-conforming hardware while improving delivery performance. |
| Workforce Engagement |
Stowe values machinists willing to participate in the continuous improvement effort. To incentivize employees, we offer Bright Idea Awards whenever an employee identifies an improvement that impacts customer-satisfaction. Two awards were handed out last month. |
| Kaizen Event |
We recently completed a Kaizen Event that upgraded an outside ramp, receiving dock and cleaned up numerous areas around our buildings. The result is a more streamlined facility for moving raw material, work-in-process and finished goods through the process. Throughput has gone up, the work environment is safer and we can now serve customers better. |
| January 20, 2010 |
| Capital Expenditure |
Stowe has purchased a new Niigata HN80 Milling Machine to support the machining of new helicopter parts. Helicopter part production expanded by ten new part numbers in 2009. |
| Business Diversification |
We introduced more than 35 new part numbers into our shop in 2009 in pursuit of our objective to diversify our mix of components. |
| Continuing Education |
We are sponsoring two engineers who have enrolled in a university-level GD&T (Geometric Dimensioning & Tolerancing) course. |
| Workforce Development |
Judy Boyle, Stowes Human Resources Manager, is new Chair of the Workforce Development Committee of ACM (Aerospace Components Manufacturers), a regional trade group of which Stowe is a member. |
| October 15, 2009 |
| Capital Expenditure |
Stowe Machine has received approval to purchase a new Niigata HN80D heavy-duty milling machine. This 50-horse-power machine will supplement existing equipment and support machining and delivery of helicopter hardware forged by Ladish Forging, a sister company of Stowe. |
| Catia Capability |
Stowe has significantly enhanced its engineering department by hiring a process engineer and an engineering programmer. Stowe also added Catia to its CAD platform capabilities in 2009, which already included Unigraphics and Mastercam. |
| Successful Audits |
Stowe was recently recertified for both ISO 9001:2000 and AS9100 following an audit by NQA. Pratt & Whitney has also concluded an audit recertifying Stowe as a PRP (Prime Reliable Parts) supplier, a distinction earned by only a limited number of key suppliers. |
| July 29, 2009 |
| Collaborative Efforts |
Stowe Machine's latest collaborative project with Ladish Forging involves machining parts for the new CH-53K Sikorsky heavy lift helicopter. |
| PCT Shares in Stowe LTA |
We are working with Pacific Cast Technologies, the titanium investment casting operation in Albany, Oregon, that is also part of the Ladish family of companies, under a long-term agreement to produce F135 components. |
| Sikorsky Audits Stowe |
Stowe Machine has successfully passed a Flight Safety audit conducted by Sikorsky Aircraft and has been admitted into the elite circle of suppliers authorized to supply flight-critical components. |
| April 15, 2009 |
| Right and Ready |
After conducting an assessment of the plant's entire value stream, Stowe Machine launched its "Right and Ready" program to compress overall manufacturing lead time. |
| Paperwork at Front End Of Process Targeted |
The assessment revealed that significant new-product-development improvement opportunities were achievable from shortening the time between receipt ofPOs and release of work to the shop floor. |
| Concurrent Engineering Enhances Flexibility |
Standardizing communication steps among Engineering, Manufacturing and Quality departments heightened work visibility and improved communication. |
| Three-Step Process Includes Weekly Meetings |
To date, the five-month old initiative has reduced new-product-development lead time by 80%. |
| January 21, 2009 |
| New Product Development |
Stowe Machine has retooled its NPD capability to be more responsive to customers. Our new process features 3 distinct phases, with well-defined metrics for each step of each phase. |
| NCR Upgrade |
We have implemented an electronic system, with 24-hour notification and 3-day timelines for corrective action, to streamline our Non-Conforming Report process. |
| Assessment and Training |
Stowe has developed a new system for determining machinists' skill levels. A clear pathway has been defined for operators at different levels to improve their skills and help the company advance cross-functional capabilities. |
| Continuous Improvement |
Two older lathes have been retired and replaced with one new, more efficient machine. This upgrade, and the accompanying relayout of the cell, has freed up space for an In-Process Inspection area. |
| November 12, 2008 |
| New Machine Tool |
Stowe has installed a new Makino A61 5-Axis Horizontal Mill, which provides a number of high-tech features such as lasers and probes. The new machine expands our unmanned machining capability, thereby improving competitiveness while reducing opportunities for human error. |
| New Training Program |
By adding internet-based training modules from Tooling U. to our in-house continuous education program, Stowes machinists now have new ways to gain skills while the company further standardizes training. Tooling U. modules also offer a way to evaluate the experience of new hires. |
| Faster Time-to-Market |
To help customers get to market faster with new products, weve launched a lead-time reduction initiative focused on upfront activities. By reducing the time it takes to get engineering, quality and machining-process tasks done, we will be able to get parts on the shop floor faster. |
| Collaborative Project |
In response to customer interest in low-cost sourcing, Stowe is now planning to work with ZOPS, Ladish's new European machining facility located in Stalowa Wola, Poland, adjacent to Ladish's ZKM Forging subsidiary. |
| August 26, 2008 |
| Access Inventory Database |
Stowe is better positioned to reduce disposable tooling costs thanks to our new Access Inventory Database and improved communication between department and tool crib supervisors |
| 2 New Machines |
We have purchased a Zoller pre-setter for our Large Mill area and a PUMA 700 for a customer-dedicated cell. These machines will aid up-time-improvement initiatives in the areas where they are located. |
| Stowe Teams with PCT |
Pacific Cast Technologies (PCT), a wholly owned Ladish subsidiary, specializes exclusively in investment-cast titanium aerospace parts. Stowe has begun working collaboratively on the first of three projects with PCT. |
| Committed to Green |
Stowe's offices are expanding their efforts to reduce incoming junk mail and recycle all paper and packaging waste. The shop has stepped up its commitment to green by focusing on recycling all paper and plastic waste. |
| May 21, 2008 |
| New ERP System |
Stowe Machine today launched its new, plant-wide ERP system. The system targets improvements in work-flow scheduling and cost containment. (Click here to read press release.) |
| Machining Cells Launched |
We have created two new machining cells in our small-parts area. The cells are designed to dramatically increase part flow. |
| Tool Crib Improvements |
Stowe is nearing completion of its 3-month-long tool-crib and job-kitting improvement effort. The initiative aims to reduce expendable-tooling costs, while improving setup time and throughput. |
| Managers Receive MBTI Training |
Nine Stowe managers used the MBTI® and gained insights into how their personality types can impact work performance, team building and organizational development. (Click here to read press release.) |
| February 11, 2008 |
| Cut 15 minutes per part |
Weve built a new inspection area around a Coordinate Measuring Machine in Building 2. Result: A savings of 15 minutes of travel time per part. |
| 2-hour setup-time reduction |
Stowe designed and built milling carts for high-volume parts in the milling area for large parts. This innovation slashed setup time an average of two hours per part. |
| 20-minute reduction |
After installing new lifting devices, Stowe trimmed an average of 20 minutes from setup time, while completely eliminating lower back injuries in 2007. |
| 5 additional minutes cut |
We've re-organized the paperwork flow of job travelers on the shop floor, reducing overall work-in-process time by five minutes for every part we machine. |
| November 15, 2007 |
| Engineering Department Expands |
Timothy P. Conway has joined Stowe Machine's engineering department. For the last 10 years he has held a variety of engineering positions at Sterling Engineering. Read more at: www.stowemachine.com/news.asp |
| $1.8 Investment in Machines |
Stowe Machine has recently installed four new CNC machine tools to add machining capacity and provide greater flexibility for production planning. |
| Modernization of Material Handling |
To help improve safety and increase throughput and productivity, Stowe has installed six overhead material handling systems. |
| Stowe Digitizes Key Process |
Stowe has installed a new "paperless contract review" process, which we expect will reduce review time 40 percent and eliminate the need to catalog and store thousands of paper documents. |