6 minute read
President’s Message
From Bert Goering
One of the most obvious ways in which businesses differ is their size. Most of us know businesses in our community that are very small— one-person businesses or microbusinesses of fewer than five people.
It could be a local computer repair shop, a local garage that keeps our vehicles on the road, or a florist that employs one or two people.
Without naming names, all of us know the large spring companies in our industry with multiple locations in the U.S., Mexico and around the world. They employ hundreds of employees.
The reality is that our industry continues to be a made up of a spectrum of small- to medium-sized businesses, all striving to keep our customers happy and at the same time make a dime in the process.
Everyone has a niche and a place in our industry. In some ways, the challenges for small and for large businesses are not so different. All businesses need to make sure they offer goods or services that people want to buy, that they have enough income to cover their costs and something left over, and that people working for them are motivated, well qualified and work well together.
Regardless of your size, it is easy to agree that your spring company is only as good as the employees who work for you and the customers you serve.
My father bought Precision Coil Spring back in 1957 and essentially knew nothing about the spring industry. What he quickly realized was that the previous owners had tried to be all things to all people and that this was not a formula for success. With his military background and experience working in our family’s meat packing business, he gave our company a focus of serving the aerospace and nuclear fuel industries, a focus that we continue to this day.
This past year has been difficult with the pandemic. I know that I did not sign up to be SMI’s Pandemic President, but that was the hand I was dealt! I have been inspired to see how our industry has risen up to meet the challenge, and how SMI as an association has done the same.
Whether you are small, medium or large, every company is important to our industry’s survival.
Cheers! Bert Goering
SMI Executive Committee
President: Bert Goering, Precision Coil Spring Vice President: Gene Huber, Jr., Winamac Coil Spring Secretary/Treasurer: Don Jacobson III, Newcomb Spring At Large: David DeVoe, Plymouth Spring Past President: Steve Kempf, Lee Spring Executive Director: Lynne Carr, SMI
SMI Board of Directors
Jennelle Carlier, S3 Wireform • Kelley Christy, Diamond Wire Spring • Dave Deerwester, The Yost Superior Co. • Joe Devany, Betts Company • Chris Fazio, Diamond Wire Spring • Linda Froehlich, Ace Wire Spring & Form • Brett Goldberg, International Spring • Agustin Estalayo Ibanez, RPK Mexico SA de CV • Don Lyons, JonSpring • Peter Mendel, Kern-Liebers USA • Rob Meyers, RK Trading • Alex Melnikow, Midstate Spring • Tony Pesaresi, Winamac Coil Spring • Daniel Pierre III, JN Machinery • Keith Porter, Newcomb Spring • Chris Witham, Motion Dynamics Corp. • Tim Zwit, Michigan Spring and Stamping
Springs Magazine Staff
Lynne Carr, Advertising Sales, lynne@smihq.org Gary McCoy, Managing Editor, gmccoy@fairwaycommunications.com Dina Sanchez, Assistant Editor, dina@smihq.org Sue Zubek, Art Director, zubekdesign@gmail.com
Springs Magazine Committee
Chair, Keith Porter, Newcomb Spring • Reb Banas, Stanley Spring & Stamping • Lynne Carr, SMI • Ritchy Froehlich, Ace Wire Spring & Form • Tim Weber, Forming Systems • Europe Liaison: Wolfgang Herrmann, VDFI • Technical Advisor: Dan Sebastian, Honorary Member
Advertising sales - Japan
Ken Myohdai, Sakura International Inc. Head Office: 3F,4F, ENDO Sakaisuji Bldg., 1-7-3, Bingomachi, Chuo-Ku, Osaka 541-0051, Japan Phone: 81-6-6624-3601 • Fax: 81-6-6624-3602 Tokyo Global Office: 5F Kamei No. 2 Bldg., 2-17-13, Kiba, Koto-Ku, Tokyo, 135-0042, Japan Phone: 81-3-5646-1160 • Fax: 81-3-5646-1161 E-mail: info@sakurain.co.jp
Advertising sales - Europe
Jennie Franks, Franks & Co. 63 St. Andrew's Road Cambridge United Kingdom CB41DH Phone/Fax: +44-1223-360472 E-mail: franksco@BTopenworld.com
Advertising sales - Taiwan
Robert Yu, Worldwide Services Co. Ltd. 11F-B, No 540, Sec. 1, Wen Hsin Rd. Taichung, Taiwan Phone: +886-4-2325-1784 • Fax: +886-4-2325-2967 E-mail: stuart@wwstaiwan.com
Springs (ISSN 0584-9667) is published quarterly by SMI Business Corp., a subsidiary of the Spring Manufacturers Institute: 2001 Midwest Road, Suite 106, Oak Brook, IL 60523; Phone: (630) 495-8588; Web site www.smihq.org. Address all correspondence and editorial materials to this address. The editors and publishers of Springs disclaim all warranties, express or implied, with respect to advertising and editorial content, and with respect to all manufacturing errors, defects or omissions made in connection with advertising or editorial material submitted for publication. The editors and publishers of Springs disclaim all liability for special or consequential damages resulting from errors, defects or omissions in the manufacturing of this publication, any submission of advertising, editorial or other material for publication in Springs shall constitute an agreement with and acceptance of such limited liability. The editors and publishers of Springs assume no responsibility for the opinions or facts in signed articles, except to the extent of expressing the view, by the fact of publication, that the subject treated is one which merits attention. Do not reproduce without written permission.
Contents
FEATURES 26 Springmaking Businesses
Come in All Sizes
By Gary McCoy 28 It's All About Size By Raquel Chole 37 Flashback A Global Highlight About a Springmaker’s Anniversary 38 Employee Engagement Ideas:
Where There’s a Will, There’s a Way
By Julie Davis 43 Time-In-Process and Belt Speed
Control on a Conveyor Oven
By Daniel Pierre III 46 SMI Scholarship Program
Surpasses $300,000 in Awards
50 Springmakers Eager to Reconnect
at 2021 eXpo in Las Vegas
By Gary McCoy
COLUMNS 15 Be Aware Safety Tips Leading and Lagging Indicators: Safety Performance Measurements That Inspire Culture By Laura Helmrich-Rhodes 19 Dean of Springs The Forgotten Manager By Dan Sebastian 21 Technically Speaking Types of Tests Used to Characterize Springmaking Materials — Part 6: Fatigue Testing of Wire By C. Richard Gordon 25 Spring Design Tips and Tricks Stress 101 By Gary Van Buren DEPARTMENTS 2 President’s Message Every Company is Important to Our Industry’s Survival 7 Global Highlights 10 Regional Spring
Association Report
53 Five Questions Radcliff Wire, Inc. 55 Springmaker Spotlight Bringing it All Together: A Profile of John Bilik and All-Rite Spring Company By Gary McCoy 61 Book Corner 63 CTE News 65 Inside SMI 67 Committee Connection 69 New Products 71 Advertisers’ Index 72 Snapshot Wade Keats, Keats Manufacturing Co
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