TALKING SHOP REVIEW

FEATURING:

TALKING SHOP WITH: Pat Boland — Co-Founder and Managing Director, ANCA Group

Could you give us a brief overview of how you and Pat McCluskey came to found ANCA in 1974? We were working with minicomputers at the time and got the idea of modifying them to direct simple operations on the NC machine tools that were then available, effectively developing early versions of today’s CNC machines. We quickly realized that Australia, where we are headquartered, wasn’t the most productive place to market this technology, so we were lucky to have a colleague in the United States who introduced us to machine tool OEMs who incorporated the controllers we were developing into their cutter/grinder machines in Indianapolis. This was in the early eighties, and by then we’d realized we wanted an end user product of our own, so we designed and manufactured a CNC cutter/grinder prototype that we took to IMTS in 1986. We sold that machine, learned out lessons from the experience, and began improving our product. We felt like our concept was sound, designing software to measure grinding cutting tools in process, if we could only streamline the technology and find the right markets.

So the U.S. was your first target market? How did things evolve from there, in terms of your distribution model in North America and around the world. Yes, we definitely targeted the States initially, and we tried distributors and sales representatives at first, but that approach just didn’t seem right for us, or for them. So we decided to establish ANCA subsidiaries throughout the U.S. based on our existing location in Detroit, Michigan. That allowed us to build our strength and reputation, eventually spreading into areas around the world, including Europe, the U.K., Germany, China, Asia, and elsewhere. Primary manufacturing still takes place in Melbourne, Australia, but we also have facilities in Thailand and Taiwan.

Could you name some technological milestones along the way that have been particularly important to ANCA’s success? I would have to say that in-machine probing of grinding cutting tools was one of our first big game-changers. We really led the way in the area. And then, in 1991, when we began developing 5-axis controls that synched with robotics, the industry really took notice. It was an acknowledgment that machining systems and technologies were starting to merge, and that it was important to start thinking about them holistically instead of just as component and separate processes. Then I’d say 3D simulation of the complex geometries of various cutting tools brought design forward lightyears into the future, as did the shift from ball screws to tubular linear motors in terms of increasing both accuracy and machine life. When you add to that servo-drives that monitor and control internal machine temperatures, long-term machine stability is increased significantly.

Looking back to those early years when you and your partner invested $4,000 on a minicomputer to get this whole enterprise off the ground, what surprises you the most? I suppose that ANCA is now a thriving business with more than 1,000 employees, and that we’re now a well-known manufacturer of CNC grinding machines, motion controls and sheet metal solutions around the world. We’ve managed to maintain our roots here in Melbourne, where it all started, even though we export 99-percent of our products to customers in 45 countries around the world. I think that's a pretty interesting business model, and one that neither Pat nor I could’ve imagined back when we first got started down this path.

To learn more go to machines.anca.com

FEATURING:

TALKING SHOP WITH: Mary Ellen Doran — Director of Emerging Technology, AGMA

Describe the professional path that’s led you to focus on emerging technology for the AGMA. I studied formal graphic design in college. When I joined the AGMA about 10 years ago I was hired to run their website. At that time content was king on websites. Creating a digital newsletter was a natural evolution, but the challenge was that content couldn’t be gathered automatically. The term “gear” is so broad that you couldn’t utilize Boolean search techniques, it had to be done manually, so I started reading everything about the gear industry that I could get my hands on. I was big into analytics and started monitoring the content our members clicked on, which led me to start dropping in more technology articles to gauge their reaction. When the AGMA Board went through a big strategic plan, emerging technology was a natural place to look to the future for the industry. They created the new position, offered it to me – and I jumped at it. It was a huge challenge in the beginning, but after three years I feel that we have established something of benefit for the member companies.

How do you manage to stay plugged into such a vibrant, constantly-changing landscape? By reading textbooks and university papers on everything from 3D printing and electric drive technology to cybersecurity and ERP software, all as it pertains to the gear industry. I live in Cambridge, Massachusetts, so I’m able to attend conferences and seminars at MIT as well. We created a plan that included inviting content specialists to lead each of the emerging technology committees. These individuals help guide me in terms of the value of new technologies to gear manufacturers as well as the trends I’m looking to identify that might hold potential for our industry. And that’s an important distinction I’d like to make: something can happen once and it’s very interesting, but when it happens more consistently it could develop into an industry-wide trend. We are looking for trend lines, not trade secrets.

At the same time, how do you stay abreast of the knowledge required to understand it all? Beyond the excellent resources we’re so lucky to have onboard, I rely on industry leaders in their particular areas of expertise to guide and inform me. I do what I can to “learn the language,” if you will, and the general parameters of their technology, but I’m upfront and sincere in my desire to learn more, and the generosity I’ve encountered is truly gratifying to witness. People generally love talking about their work, and the knowledge they’re willing to share allows us to pass that along to our members.

What channels have you identified as the best means of conveying your findings to AGMA members, and to your wider audience? Our digital newsletter, which is delivered via email, provides a weekly way to keep our members informed. As I’ve mentioned, the material each issue contains is hand-picked based on reader interest, so we hope they’ll find the content to be well-targeted and

succinct. The emerging tech articles are posted on the website. We have enlisted speakers, host webinars, and produce white papers from these committees. We have also taken our members on tours of technology on show floors, like at RAPID in 2019. Now, we are focusing on innovative ways of delivering virtual educational experiences. Emerging Technology tab.

Is it challenging to avoid getting carried away about a company, technology, or process that has caught your attention? My career has been working in associations where the general rule is never to play favorites. I apply the same instinct to emerging technology work. Yes, some of the things that I get to see are so cool, and I have met some really great people. But my role is to inform the membership about these technologies. So, I believe in letting the facts drive the narrative. I get calls from members asking me for recommendations on IIoT solutions; or members looking for an unbiased way and let them find the best solution for them. One thing that really helps me stay focused is the active involvement of AGMA members in our work in Emerging Technology. I feel like we’re working together for the benefit of the entire gear manufacturing industry.

More information is available at www.agma.org, and by checking out the information on 3D printers. It is my job to tell them what I know in

ABOUT AGMA:

Founded in 1916, AGMA is a voluntary association of companies, consultants and academicians with a direct interest in the design, manufacture, and application of gears, couplings and related power transmission components and equipment. It is a member- and marketdriven organization, conducting programs and providing services to the gear industry and its customers. AGMA member companies currently number more than 495. They include gear manufacturers from the United States, Mexico, and Canada, as well as gearing interests from more than 30 countries around the world.

AGMA Board of Directors is “All In” For 2021 Trade Show

Formerly Gear Expo, AGMA believes MPT Expo will be the first focused power transmission event to be held in North America as the economy returns to normal next year. The MPT Expo is scheduled to take place September 14–16, 2021 in St. Louis, Missouri. Learn more at www.motionpowerexpo.com

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FEATURING:

TALKING SHOP WITH: Nicole Wolter — President & CEO, HM Manufacturing

Tell us a little about the company’s background, and also the path you’ve taken toward attaining your current position. My father, Kenneth Wolter, founded the company in Wauconda, Illinois, in 1979. He wanted to produce innovative power transmission components such as gears, timing belt pulleys, splines, shafts, chain sprockets, sheaves, and other related parts. He is currently our COO. I studied chemical engineering at the University of Kansas, but my real education began when I joined HM in 2009 and set out on a self-designed curriculum in manufacturing. I started out in shipping, receiving, and inventory then moved on to purchasing before becoming a production manager, and then an account executive. Six years later I was named vice president of operations before becoming president and CEO two years after that. That was a pretty well-rounded training program on the business side of how HM operates.

But you also worked to understand machining at the operational level. I needed to understand the mechanical side of things. I’d grown up around manufacturing, of course, but I needed some hands-on experience, so I began working toward various licenses and certifications, beginning with AutoCAD Design, which I received in 2017 from Harper College. From there I moved on to the National Institute for Metalworking Skills (NIMS), where I studied Measurement, Materials and Safety, as well as becoming a CNC Milling Operator. I completed my training for both in 2018. So that is why I say that my education has continued throughout my career, as it still does today. We are a vibrant group of people here at HM. We’re motivated, curious, and we’re constantly challenging each other in positive ways that benefit the company, and especially our customers. It’s a very unique and innovative environment and one that I thoroughly enjoy.

You are known for your civic and professional activities both at the local and national level. How do you find the time, and what motivates you? I think it’s right in line with what we’ve just been discussing. I’m a “Type A” person, and I enjoy challenges. I like being surrounded by other creative people, and I want to support the manufacturing industry in any way that I can. I serve on the board of the National Association of Manufacturers, as one example, and the Technology and Manufacturing Association as another. Closer to home, I’m on the board of the Illinois Chamber of Commerce, and an advisory board member to McHenry East High School. What unites all these efforts is a desire to awaken young minds to the possibilities that exist when you consider a career in manufacturing.

It’s important to be a mentor. If you can reach a young person right at the time when they’re overwhelmed by all the directions they can choose in life and at least

make one path clear, then you’re really making a difference. Looking back, I think we all can relate to that. It’s also why we established the internship and apprenticeship programs at HM; but only part of the reason. The other part is that we benefit from the energy these young people bring to our enterprise – their enthusiasm and fresh thought processes. This balance between young people just being exposed to manufacturing and experienced veterans result in an incredibly creative environment.

More information is available at www.hmmanufacturing.com

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