MIDLAND IS ON SKYPE

At Midland we are constantly looking for ways to strengthen our relationships with our customers. We have found a new way through the use of our recently installed Skype station in our conference room. This gives us the ability to video conference with our customers in the US and overseas.

For those who have a video camera and a Skype account, this is a free service. Our profile on Skype is MIDLANDMETAL.

We have been using this service with many of our customers to review prototypes and first off production pieces. For instance, this service enabled one of our customers to save a plane ticket and a day out of the office by reviewing his prototype on-line interactively.

If you have not tried the service yet, we urge you to purchase a video camera for your computer and create an account at Skype. When your account is set-up, search for our name in the directory and send us an invitation to Skype. You will enjoy this 21st century method of communication.

Skype you soon.

Midland to be Part of the Largest Laser Tour in America!

We are very excited to announce that Midland Metal Products has been chosen as a host location for the Fabricators and Manufacturers Association's (FMA) upcoming "LaserFab 2010" event. The event begins on September 21^st and runs through September 23^rd 2010.

Midland Metal Products is at the leading edge of metal fabricating technology. We will be demonstrating how our equipment, capabilities, and processes give us the unique ability to meet our customer's requirements. This includes areas such as compressed timelines and flexibility as well as the ability to deliver on shorter, more specialized, and longer run projects.

Midland Metal Products Adds New Technology to Press Brake Department

In a continuing effort to gain technological superiority and streamline the production process Midland Metal Products has recently added two brand new CNC-controlled precision hydraulic press brakes, and FOUR new CNC control upgrades to existing precision machinery.

The machines and new controls have a unique feature. Instead of a long-handed manual input of numeric dimensions and commands, the program is generated DIRECTLY from a 2-dimensional or 3-dimensional CAD file sourced from our engineering department or, perhaps YOU, our customer.

This seamless integration of electronic part files eliminates translation errors generated by incorrect measurement of the physical part or paper print. In other words: the machine will bend the part EXACTLY as it is designed. Furthermore, the technology makes use of our extensive tooling library and makes suggestions for the most efficient method of part creation. We are also made instantly aware of any physical limitations or other errors that may come about during a production situation. This establishes accurate prototyping and part costs; the increased efficiency has reduced set-up time and increased capacity and throughput.

A Welcome and a Farewell

When a business is in operation for ninety years, it is likely to see its share of people come and go. While some of these events may stand out more than others, each carries some significance on the time line of an organization.

This past year saw two such events.

Ella Goodman, a 31-year veteran spot welder, retired from Midland in November. Ella showed dedication to her job as, year after year, she would get up each day before the sunrise and take public transportation to be at work by six o’clock. Ella will be missed.

2009 also saw an investment in new talent. Midland Metal Products hired Edward Cuomo to expand our East Coast sales market. Ed comes to Midland with solid experience in the areas of manufacturing management and sales and has already proven to be a solid addition to our team.

Bill Cox

Director of HR

Tube Laser Installation

You may have heard, we are pretty excited about our new tube laser. We have created this very short video to show you the installation process. Enjoy!

Holiday Shut Down

Midland will be closed beginning Wednesday, December 23, 2009 for vacations, inventory and maintenance. We will be returning on Monday, January 4, 2010. If you have any immediate concerns you may reach your sales person directly by e-mail or cell phone.

Thank you for your friendship, good will, and loyalty.
May the happiness and good cheer of the holiday season be yours throughout the New Year.

We look forward to working with you in 2010!

New Technology Creates New Opportunity

Midland Metal Products was contacted by the Burt Masonry Company in St. Louis when the owner could not find a local fabricator who could construct a run of large steel fence panels with an intricate custom design. The production run of 9 fence panels measuring 11 feet between mounting points, included a interwoven arch motif that was fabricated to appear as though it were a one-piece casting. Our sophisticated CNC equipment easily accommodated this requirement. The arch motif was programmed and nested using the most advanced CAD/CAM software, so that only a single sheet of 1/2" thick Mild Steel was used to create the components for all 9 of the 11-foot long fence sections. Our 3300 Watt sheet Laser, having a maximum cutting capacity in steel of 7/8", was able to handle the cutting task quickly and easily.

With so many repetitious features in this design, attention to absolute accuracy as well as structural integrity was extremely crucial. A precision welding fixture was built using our CNC router, using a program born from the same exact dimensions and specifications utilized in the laser cutting process, . Careful consideration to advanced fixture-making is critical in establishing perfection in the assembly welding process.

After all assembly welding was completed, the fence sections were sandblasted and powdercoated in three steps to ensure durability. After coating and finishing, the fence panels were packaged for shipment to St. Louis were they were installed at the customer location, anchored to fieldstone piers built by our customer, Burt Masonry.