It did not take long for ShapeMaster to receive its first welding projects and fuse together a new in-house service! We received a 50 piece project involving aluminum parts. It had a couple challenges. Firstly, because it was aluminum. For a weld to be successful when welding aluminum, one must clean the area thoroughly. You also need to clean in a specific order. Clean to remove oils, then clean for oxides using a stainless steel brush. Secondly, we had to weld a flat piece of 1/8" thick material to a 1/2" diameter tube. That last point could put a damper on any welding project, but we were able to build a fixture to keep the tube in place. For this project, we used our TIG welder. (TIG is an acronym for Tungsten Inert Gas). Just a quick review, the device you hold in one hand is called the torch and the very tip of that torch is made of tungsten. In your other hand you hold a consumable rod that is used to create the weld. The inert gas, usually argon, is to protect the weld area from water vapor and other impurities that could compromise the weld. Once again, we need to keep the weld area clean. As they say "Cleanliness is next to...weldliness?" The TIG welder was spot on for this job. Take a look at this video of our master welder welding the above project. Since this is an in-house capability, we were able to complete this job much quicker than if we had to send this out to an outside vendor. This in-house capability also ensures our high standard of quality for our customers. At the time of this article, ShapeMaster received a second welding project that also involved aluminum and it was flippin' awesome! It was a modification of a mold from a machine that makes hamburger patties. Get it?...flippin'...hamburgers... anyone...anyone...Bueller? Until next time... We are ready and willing to do your next welding project. Click the link below to take you directly to our website for contact information!

When you hear the term "Conversion Van", it probably generates some preconceived imagery. When I think of one, I can picture a mid-1970's Chevy Van with floor to ceiling shag carpet, blasting the latest Meatloaf release on 8-track stereo, and a spaced out airbrushed mural on the side. Kind of like this one: <img class="CToWUd a6T" tabindex="0" src="https://ci5.googleusercontent.com/proxy/FR4m1wGsXG5vRBekhqlohVQ3l8EDvcCT1JcRy7Jg9AafXb9Hafx3loSbjoT_OSK0uIZUc9Hu3zrnL8gAxCn3WLQDMD6nw1XnrxMVnPGd_V517qpupyrmyTOcZ-IpJzWnZvuyQyhEVbGWvIAY238JQP7Nxo4kiOPpnqPijOOLjVifhh5eUfDVXI98GUOS2EfCRATz=s0-d-e1-ft#http://go.shape-master.com/l/479022/2018-06-11/4d8x9/479022/47630/2e12d928a61cede3de63be18a1f54c98__custom_vans_star_trek.jpg" alt="" width="250" height="188" align="left" border="4" /> Recently, ShapeMaster was offered a challenge to convert a van. (You know when ShapeMaster is offered a challenge, we accept it!). This is a special van to accommodate animals of the barnyard variety that need transportation to and from their home for various appointments. <img class="CToWUd a6T" tabindex="0" src="https://ci6.googleusercontent.com/proxy/fES_jDACyZ9WRsgm3akCkMGj1Jb5ewm2UUt02GwOJk0z2ZeK9a-dfOVb94iskww272PXwRneaiarY5U0TefFQloHQrWYV-Mz2A2SK3LE7TsBiBGopIOLlMfbMXqZ3mzAwF18mODDaP5sEgAehZ0af6lJPmmmClDljO9mXXL32VcX5_4=s0-d-e1-ft#http://go.shape-master.com/l/479022/2018-06-25/4jm8x/479022/48783/car_humor_funny_meanwhile_in_russia_cow.jpg" alt="moo moo I love you" width="250" height="178" align="right" border="4" />You cannot just put your cow, sheep, or pig in the backseat of your car. Ok maybe you can...in Russia...See picture to the right. (In Russia, you and cow share car!)But we are the United States of America, and we have higher standards! (and a ton of regulations.) Our "van" is actually a decommissioned U-Haul. It's large, but for safety and sanity, people and animals need their space. Don't think for one minute the worker in the above picture is just going to clean the van out and call it done. We had a team of our staff transforming this van in to a very special vehicle. ShapeMaster needed to accomplish the following criteria in this challenge. Animals must confined in a safe and humane way to prevent injury while in transport. Provide a way to load animals into the van. Create an easy way for the handlers to lift the animals if needed. Regulate the temperature for summer conditions. Make the interior of the van easy to clean and make it wash down capable. Install auxilliary lighting for the handlers. Make the van easy to convert back to a standard box van. This is a big van, but this is a big laundry list. Can ShapeMaster accomplish this challenge? The answer is "Yes", but how do we do it?? That is the topic of an upcoming newsletter! Until then, challenge us with your next project. Big or small, we do it all! Click the link below to take you directly to our website for contact information!

[fusion_builder_container hundred_percent="no" equal_height_columns="no" menu_anchor="" hide_on_mobile="small-visibility,medium-visibility,large-visibility" class="" id="" background_color="" background_image="" background_position="center center" background_repeat="no-repeat" fade="no" background_parallax="none" parallax_speed="0.3" video_mp4="" video_webm="" video_ogv="" video_url="" video_aspect_ratio="16:9" video_loop="yes" video_mute="yes" overlay_color="" video_preview_image="" border_size="" border_color="" border_style="solid" padding_top="" padding_bottom="" padding_left="" padding_right=""][fusion_builder_row][fusion_builder_column type="1_1" type="1_1" background_position="left top" background_color="" border_size="" border_color="" border_style="solid" border_position="all" spacing="yes" background_image="" background_repeat="no-repeat" padding_top="" padding_right="" padding_bottom="" padding_left="" margin_top="0px" margin_bottom="0px" class="" id="" animation_type="" animation_speed="0.3" animation_direction="left" hide_on_mobile="small-visibility,medium-visibility,large-visibility" center_content="no" last="true" min_height="" hover_type="none" link="" first="true"][fusion_text] At ShapeMaster we take pride in our “Midwestern Work Ethic”. As we mentioned in our last newsletter, this means we are up early, ready to work hard, and have a full and productive day in our shops in Ogden, IL. Work begins early with safety and production meetings. This is where we learn and discuss each new project that comes through our doors. We launch as few as 3 or more new projects per week plus run full production on thousands of other parts for our current projects. We are very busy. It all pretty much starts with a phone call or an email from a potential asking us if we can work on their idea or project. Our response is "YES! Yes, we can!" because more than likely can do what is requested, and if we need help we have many local companies and connections who augment our work here to help us bring solutions to the table. Once we have the details and discussed the project it goes to our design engineers who are trained in the latest CAD software. After that, the engineers ask the front office to obtain pricing for the material that will be used in the project. This not only includes the material that the end product will be constructed from, but includes any tooling, fixtures, and any packaging for delivery of the project. Our production manger adds input by calculating the number of hours and the number of personnel it will take to complete the project. After we have calculated the time, cost, and resources needed to complete a project, we draw up a quote document that we then present to our client. I should mention before we send the quote document to the client, we have an executive review the quote to make sure all the numbers are fair for both parties and nothing is missed. Because once we present the quote, it's our word, and we stand by it. This is part of our "Midwestern Work Ethic". Things really come to life when our client agrees to the quote and places an order. Our front office staff advises the whole organization of the new project, puts the project in queue on the production schedule, and then begins to order the materials and supplies for the project. As materials and supplies are delivered, our warehouse staff checks in the items to make sure they are in good delivery then directs the the material to where it's needed. This could mean directly to the production floor for processing or short term storage in the warehouse. These materials when needed could be directed to our CNC mills or routers where our trained professionals can mill or route metal, plastic, wood, or just about any known material. Plastics can not only be milled or routed, they can be delivered to one of our 4 thermoformers, or if in pellet form, to our injection molding machine for processing. Our production manager determines where and when materials and human resources are directed. He also is constantly checking and providing "Quality Control" to parts that come off our machines. If a part is bad, he does not pass it onward, it is scrapped, and we take the loss. This is another "Midwestern Work Ethic" in action. Every part we send out has our name and reputation attached to it, and we stand by it.We can have several different projects going on at once. In one shop we may be creating a highly secret research device for a university department and at the same time assembling unique items that are used to promote a service like our potty house banks. Because of our diverse project portfolio, we consider ourselves the most creative company in East Central Illinois. Why? Because we use all types of materials, from wood to plastic to aluminum and steel to fabricate items that dovetail and complete the many research and development projects we create for our customers. Fabrication and design at every stage from initial product to completing fixtures that hold the items we are creating so that we can deliver high precision parts. From outfitting a box truck customized to haul pigs to and from a laboratory for MRI studies including building a winch and hoist to making gurneys for the animals and pens for the truck so they are handled with utmost care to 3D printing highly precise electrical enclosures to be used in a medical MRI machine for hospitals for humans. Yes, we are truly a unique company. This is pretty much what happens in a day at ShapeMaster. If you would like to see for yourself a day in the life of ShapeMaster, we are participating in Manufacturing Day on October 5th. During this day we be offering tours of ShapeMaster and you can see first hand how we contribute to the prosperity of this great nation and our attitude of "A Midwestern Work Ethic" . I'll include a link for more information about Manufacturing Day at the bottom of the newsletter.Until then, What can we make for you today? Contact us for your machining/molding needs—plastic, metal, wood, foam, resin—we do it all! [/fusion_text][/fusion_builder_column][/fusion_builder_row][/fusion_builder_container]