Oktoberfest Celebration 2012

Over the past decade, it has been an Atlas tradition to celebrate fall with an Oktoberfest celebration. 2012 marks the 10th year that Meribel Enterprises has owned Atlas and the celebration tradition continued this year at an apple orchard. Each employee was given "apple bucks" that they could use for purchasing rides, games, apples, or gift items. Although the weather didn't totally cooperate, we had a tremendous turn out. We enjoyed a meal together and then the families could wander at their leisure enjoying the afternoon. Congratulations to all employees for making this 10th celebration special.

Customer Appreciation Day

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Atlas Precision Sheet Metal Solutions held a appreciation day Wednesday, August 1st,  in order to thank it's customers for another record year. Customers across the United States were invited to Atlas's Minneapolis factory to have a small break from their busy work schedule. While there, customer representatives were given a comprehensive tour of the factory and treated to local food truck fare.

The day was not over yet, as some of the representatives also participated in a round of golf with Atlas sales engineers and management. The evening concluded with dinner and an award ceremony, where the lowest scorers of the event received trophies. The customers left happy and with confidence in another productive year of partnership with Atlas Precision Sheet Metal Solutions.

New Operations Offices

The Operations staff of Atlas Precision Sheet Metal Solutions finished moving into their new office space this past week. The re-structuring began earlier in the spring when sales, customer service, engineering, and quality moved into the new west office wing. Operations was then moved into the east office wing to accommodate their new employees.

Increasing Chippewa Falls Parking Capacity

The Atlas manufacturing plant in Chippewa Falls has been increasing its workforce to keep pace with the rising number of requests for their precision sheet metal solutions. The additional employees prompted a parking lot expansion. Preparations began last fall and paving was completed Saturday.

Introducing the Atlas Fleet

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The Atlas delivery fleet is used for fast and reliable delivery of precision sheet metal solutions  to locations in  Minnesota and western Wisconsin. The fleet operates with Class A CDL drivers employed by Atlas for a higher quality delivery experience. With their own delivery fleet, Atlas is able to ensure a safe delivery by loading and unloading all of their precision sheet metal solutions to customers with their own highly trained staff.

The bulk of the fleet consists of three late model dock trucks. A "Cube Van"  acts as the primary delivery vehicle for the precision sheet metal solutions in the Chippewa Falls area. Rounding out the fleet with the smaller tasks is the Atlas delivery van.

Tractor trailers are also leased and operated by Atlas for larger deliveries. Custom delivery solutions can be provided, such as a continuous train of ABF pup trailers to one customer in the Carolinas. The trailer is docked and slowly filled; when it reaches capacity, ABF picks up the trailer for delivery and drops off a new one to begin packing.

First Cookout of the Summer

The employees at Atlas Manufacturing were rewarded for their hard work with a cookout put on by the co-presidents, Mark Engel and John Peterson. The duo worked together at the grill to produce enough burgers for the staff during the lunch period. Iced beverages, watermelon, potato salad, and cookies rounded off the rest of the meal. The employees enjoyed their meal together and thanked the co-presidents for their effort and the food.

Mark Engel hopes that this will be the first of many cookouts that will occur over the summer. After another productive year of growth and business, the company is showing its appreciation to all those that made this success happen and encouraging them to work hard to keep the business moving forward.

Atlas increases punching capacity

With the addition of a new Trumpf 2020R punch, Atlas has increased prototype to mid-level production capacity.   The 2020R can prove out tooling and prototypes before running full scale production.The TruPunch 5000 fully automated punching center can handle all levels of high production.

Atlas Manufacturing on Job Creation at Day-Long Summit

John Peterson and Mark Engel air on MPR

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More Productive Than Ever Atlas Manufacturing boosts business with help from GAP funds.

In the last six months, business has been booming for Atlas Manufacturing. "We've never been busier in the history of Atlas," says John Peterson, President of the Minneapolis-based precision sheet metal manufacturer.

Atlas hosted Congressman Keith Ellison last week to talk about how turning to lean process improvement during the recession has helped the company become more efficient and add capacity. 

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Speedy Deliveries

In an unassuming Minneapolis warehouse, brake press operators form doors that will enclose a computer worthy of NASA scientists. Sparks fly as expert welders fuse together the casing for a 3-D modeling machine. Nearby, workers in the paint area spray finishing touches on the shell for an electronic highway message sign. From cash door fronts to retail displays, electrical box components to the metal parts of a milling machine, if it’s made of metal, chances are it can be made by Atlas Manufacturing. 

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No Dark Days Here

Friendship is serious business at Atlas Manufacturing.

Atlas keeps a rigorous schedule, during the economic downturn, the company never changed its production schedule. On Fridays last summer and fall, when other companies would shut down or operate with a skeleton crew, Atlas kept its pace. It was business as usual. And since January 2009 they have been running three shift s, seven days a week. “We run when everyone else is dark,” said Mark. It was a bold move. But it worked. There is something about a company that keeps moving forward, even during challenging economic times, that lures new business. 

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Going Vertical

Continuous operation is achieved through a new automated material handling system, optimizing high-speed laser cutting and punching operations.  Atlas has installed a twin tower Stopa TKL automated material storage and retrieval system.  Reaching seventeen feet high and containing 39 storage positions, this custom configuration was designed by Trumpf automation engineers to effortlessly move raw material to the punching or laser cutting machines.  Capable of storing 250,000 pounds of raw material, the tower interacts with the machine when material demand is required.  Through sophisticated software and material carts, sheets of raw material can move from the tower to the punch or laser.  Because of the unique features of this system, punched sheets can move through the cart system to the laser where they are precision located on Trumpf’s first 2030 laser with precision sheet locating.  Punching and laser cutting are performed 24 hours per day, seven days a week.

Announcing the launch of a NEW automated flat sheet laser cutting system

Atlas has been using laser cutters since 1993 and now has entered the third generation of technology since installing their first laser.  Laser cutting technology continues to evolve as new sources are developed for beam generation and delivery.  The evolution has resulted in improved cut quality and speed.

What matters the most are the cost and quality of the cut.  Everything else is marketing and packaging.  Our customers are concerned about delivered cost of a high quality part.  Using a comprehensive 22 point evaluation system and time studies of 4 different part nests, 10 different laser models were rigorously analyzed.  The result; A Trumpf laser was selected as the best match to our customers needs.

Over the next six months, Atlas is installing a fully automated 40 shelf tower system with material handling carts that will deliver flat sheet to either the high speed TruPunch 5000 punching machine or the laser.  Cut or punched parts are automatically removed from the machines during continuous processing of flat sheets. This investment allows Atlas to run 24 x 7 continuously processing sheet into punched or laser cuts parts.

Announcing capability for unique kiosk development and production

Atlas has developed a team of designers for customized engineering and production of kiosks. Capabilities include unique materials and finishes along with single or multiple touch screens. Completely fabricated, finished, and assembled on-site, Atlas is a turn-key solution for kiosk development and production. Table top, pedestal, and large footprint multi-monitor designs are conceived by working closely with the client to determine the correct form factor and eye catching presentation that conveys and markets client messages or print solutions.

Atlas is now open 7 days a week

Sure times are lean and production demand is lower than 2008's record pace. To secure business in these challenging times, you need your suppliers to respond with a sense of urgency. In reality, customers now need precision sheet metal parts with shorter lead-times than ever before. Responding to the aggressive needs of your customers requires our every day and instant sheet metal fabrication capacity. Our specialized workforce is now fabricating metal every day of the week. Our goal is to deliver more product faster than ever before with the same commitment to quality.

Atlas announces launch of the MAXFORM hydraulic press brake

Atlas Manufacturing announces the launch of the MAXFORM hydraulic press brake from Cincinnati Incorporated. The MAXFORM combines state-of-the-art forming speeds and part processing productivity with "smart" controls that speed and simplify programming, setup and part-handling. MAXFORM's industrial PC-based touch screen control and Windows® software eliminate two-thirds of the programming steps with conventional CNC controls, while advanced hydraulics and control technologies deliver cycle-eating ram speeds — up to 700 ipm — for more strokes per hour and parts per shift.

Exceptional ±0.0002"(3 Sigma) repeatability delivers outstanding consistency for bending of complex parts without deviation, drift or error stacking.

Simulation software enables easy offline part programming, while advanced "see and do" 3D graphics and automatic processing intelligence compensate for varied operator experience levels.  A Bend Simulation Module, allows programs to be quickly created offline or at the machine and proved out step-by-step in realistic 3D views to avoid trial bending.  Smart controls automatically calculate and apply adjustments for ram reversal position, bottom bending tonnage, gage allowances, and material springback.

The 6-axis LT backgage provides 3000 ipm repositioning speeds in X and Z axes for fastest sequential bending of complex parts.  The high-speed positioning eliminates reset waiting time for  more strokes per hour and parts per shift.

The MAXFORM comes with bolt-on Cincinnati Quick Clamp ram nose designed for hardened, sectionalized American tooling.  It maximizes ram protection by doubling load capacity from 15 to 30 tons per square inch.  The versatile press brake offers Wilson's Power Express™ hydraulic clamping and a Euro-style Ram Nose for European punch holders.

Atlas announces launch of its new punching center

Atlas Manufacturing announces the launch of its new automated punching center. Atlas has installed a Trumpf TruPunch 5000 with full load and unload features. This state of the art machine can handle up to 60” by 120” sheets. This new punching center comes equipped with many special tools such as extrude and tap to eliminate expensive hardware, a multi shear tool to cut metal eliminating burrs, and forming tools.

These unique punching tools combined with lights out automation reduce costs for Atlas customers while increasing throughput which means you get your parts sooner. By combining punching with several other operations material handling is reduced, costs are reduced and the manufacturing process is shortened.

Customers are demanding shorter lead-times with lower costs. Atlas is investing in new, highly automated technologies to meet customer’s demands for lower costs and short lead-times.