For maintenance managers, it's often moment by moment, component by component

Flexible Managers Trade their Favorite Everyday Components for Items They Can Source More Reliably

By Sandia Harrison, Director of Marketing, FPE Automation

Do you like the products you use, but can't afford to wait? FPE Automation's
Brian Einzig took extrusions like these off the shelves and delivered them to a customer
the same day. The result? A very relieved customer was able to resume production
in a matter of hours.

Are you being watched? In today's busy manufacturing sector, the performance of most department heads is being measured. 

It can be intimidating for anyone in charge. However, today's maintenance managers likely feel the pressure more than others. 

While the facility certainly does need to be operating flawlessly at all times, there is simply a lot more to it than statistics, tools, graphs, charts and figures. 

It is a new reality that has been hard for some to accept. Supply chain woes have shifted the playing field a bit. Author Spencer Johnson would say the "cheese has moved".

Some products that were once reliable favorites are now nearly impossible to source. Even if they can be found, lead times are so long that they're simply not an option. 

We're all creatures of habit. When something works well, we are hesitant to change. There is typically a lot at stake. We're seeing a lot of that lately at FPE Automation. Reluctance to switch is a normal human trait. On the other hand, the success stories continue to pour in. The scenario is similar; an individual likes a particular component, but can't get it. The change is not welcomed, at least at first. Realizing that flexibility is key, they make the switch. The new products arrive, and they are happier than ever. 

If you're uncertain, we'd like to encourage you to try something new. 

We believe you'll be glad you did. FPE Automation has the ability to source new products with little or no lead time. Many of the manufacturers of these products are willing to operate on thinner margins or resort to other innovative measures, to get product to your door. A few of the larger manufacturers sometimes are too mired in bureaucracy to keep up.

Keeping things running for you during difficult times is their way of developing new partnerships with companies like yours. 

For some, this will pave the way for them to become the industry leaders of tomorrow. At FPE Automation, we want to assist you in making sure your company is right there with them. 

Rely on FPE Automation. What we do is what you do. 

Preparing to take flight: not your everyday electric actuator application

Flight Simulator Drawbridge is Powered by Tolomatic Actuators

SOLVED: Another unique challenge, by FPE Automation's team of engineers. 

By Sandia Harrison, Director of Marketing and Steve Moore, Application Engineer

The constant flow of future pilots crossing the drawbridge to begin their flight training will not likely be aware that they are walking over a Tolomatic RSA electric actuator. 

It's a common theme in manufacturing - much of what keeps us safe, and makes things happen, remains behind the scenes. 

This application was no different. Top secret all the way. The type of stuff that would make an excellent motion picture about industrial espionage. Except that this is real life, and the company involved was not about to let that happen. 

FPE Automation has been a trusted solution provider to this team of flight simulator engineers for the past 10 years. For that reason, FPE Automation was the only vendor considered for this project. Their decision was based on both confidentiality and the ability to get the job done. Clearly, the stakes are high here. 

There were many meetings with their engineers, FPE Automation and Tolomatic during the development of the concept and design. FPE Automation's Steve Moore, pictured here, had this to say:

“After careful consideration we chose the RSA series actuator for its robust strength, rigidity, and moment loading capabilities at long strokes”

The Tolomatic RSA series actuator you see in the picture is driven by a servo motor. It raises and lowers the drawbridge to the flight simulator door. Since aspiring pilots will constantly be crossing above, safety is a concern. Reliability is a must. 

The finished product allows pilots of the future to access the most advanced flight simulator ever built. 

The team of engineers is so satisfied with the outcome that they have invited FPE Automation back to work on a different unique project at this location. Perhaps that will be the topic of a future story.

FPE Automation is quite often the go-to team for unique challenges like this one. We have the expertise and flexibility to find solutions, and will go above and beyond to make things work. 

What you do is what we do.

Collaborative Robot CNC Machine Tending

Cobot CNC Integration: The Five-Minute Synopsis

FPE Automation’s team of controls engineers has been impressed lately with Flexxbotics. Their FlexxCNC™ UR to CNC Communication Interface tool provides a seamless interface between a Universal Robots collaborative robot and a CNC machine, and even to the CNC machine’s peripherals.

To find out more about the FlexxCNC™ solution, FPE Automation’s Sandia Harrison talked to Tyler Bouchard, Co-Founder & Chief Executive Officer of Flexxbotics. Their down-to-earth conversation is based on actual questions often asked by CNC shop owners. They discuss how machine shops, who can sometimes be reluctant to automate, should look at digitally transforming in 2023. Sandia asks Tyler why a machine shop owner should invest in CNC automation, and in the FlexxCNC™ solution, in particular.

Listen to his answers here:

The FlexxCNC™ solution is compatible with the majority of leading CNC machines, including Mazak, Fanuc, Haas, Okuma, Brother and more.  FlexxCNC™ gives you the ability to standardize a solution across your shop. Move your UR cobot and FlexxCNC™ from one machine to another as demand shifts or build your cobot fleet to service the variety of CNCs on your floor.

For more information, reach out to FPE Automation’s controls division by visiting www.fpeautomation.com

1963-2023: FPE Automation turns 60

As FPE Automation Enters its 60th Year, Here is a Look Back

FPE Automation Celebrates Sixtieth Anniversary in 2023

By Sandia Harrison, Director of Marketing

It All Started with A Couple of Guys from Michigan… and MAC Valves

The year is 1963. John F. Kennedy is President of the United States, “She Loves You” by the Beatles is the #1 hit of the day, and Martin Luther King delivers his famous “I have a dream” speech.  

Meanwhile, in Michigan, the management at MAC Valves, a manufacturer of premier air valves, is having a hard time finding a Chicago-area distributor. It’s a key market for anyone in industrial automation. The Midwestern United States was a manufacturing hub then, and remains so today. 

Unable to find suitable representation to cover this important territory, the executives at MAC turn to two young, star employees. 

Do You Want to Move to Chicago? 

They offer Dick Bardos and Jim Murphy something that would end up being the opportunity of a lifetime. "Take your wife and kids, move to Illinois, and set up shop as the MAC Valves distributor there."

It all started in the Bardos’ family garage. Weeks later, Dick and Jim locate a facility with both office space and warehouse space. They name the company “Fluid Power Engineering”, or “FPE” for short.

FPE in the 1960s and 1980s

An Ideal Balance

In many ways, Dick and Jim are opposites. Dick is a morning person, brilliantly intelligent, with a wry smile and loads of charm. Jim prefers to get to work around 9:30. He’s a natural salesperson, with a big personality and a sense of humor. Both are men of integrity and the utmost honesty. It’s both their differences and their similarities that made FPE a success. Together, they get to work, building FPE. Over the decades, they nurture the company with their talented direction as it becomes an industry leader in the region it serves. From the largest companies in the area to one-person job shops, and across numerous industries, the FPE team develops longstanding and strong bonds with them all. 

A Life Dedicated to Industrial Automation

It is not long before FPE begins winning top industry awards for performance and breaking records for sales. With the company’s stellar reputation for honesty and excellent customer service, soon many other suppliers want FPE to be their distributor too. FPE’s line card grows, and the industry accolades continue to come in. 

Dick Bardos (left) and Jim Murphy

Eventually, Jim retires. After many golden years filled with sailing and other endeavors, Jim passes away peacefully at home in 2009, around a month prior to his 90th birthday.

Upon Jim’s retirement, Dick takes over his share of the business to become the sole owner and CEO. Having a true passion for his life’s work, Dick never fully steps away from the company he cares so much about. Instead, he eventually takes on a more advisory role, while his son David, who has been in the business for some years at this point, steps up as the new President of FPE. Dick’s daughter Lori, who was working as CPA at an accounting firm at the time, assumes the role of Vice President and Controller. As the two begin to oversee everyday operations, Dick and his lovely wife Ruthe split their time between Naples, Florida and their home in Illinois. They enjoy an active life filled with golf, family, and friends, until Dick sadly passes away in 2013 at the age of 81.

New Generations of Leadership

The years that follow are some of FPE’s most pivotal ones. Industrial automation is changing. The industrial climate is tumultuous. Offshore products & cheap knockoffs are threatening American manufacturing in new ways. Inflation, 9/11, the global financial crisis of 2008, rising prices, shrinking profit margins…

Had David Bardos been a different sort of individual, it all would have been too much. 

David is a no-nonsense, highly creative guy. A sharp dresser, extremely likable, with a true gift for gab. At a crowded and noisy table, if Dave starts telling a story, soon everyone is listening intently. His smooth, unassuming and often self-deprecating style is attention-grabbing. When Dave walks into a room, somehow everyone is immediately at ease. 

David would have his own vision of how FPE would take shape in the years to come. 

In 2004, FPE opens an office in Sunset Hills, Missouri. The company’s territory expands to include the entire state of Illinois, the Quad Cities, Iowa area, and the greater St. Louis/eastern Missouri region. 

One key initiative, in particular, stands out as exceptionally pivotal during this time. Dave recognizes that industry is headed in the direction of increased automation controls. Although MAC Valves still remains FPE’s top product line, Dave adds an Automation Controls Division (ACD). FPE is an early adopter; many don't enter into controls until years later. In 2015, Dave changes the company name from “Fluid Power Engineering” to “FPE Automation” to reflect FPE’s commitment to all types of industrial components. Today, our Automation Controls Division is one of the finest in the region, with a team of highly-skilled application engineers who make industrial robotics and artificial intelligence (AI) a reality at companies large and small. 

Part of a Bigger Picture

FPE Automation is shaped as much over the years by its customers and global events as it is by its leadership. Workplace safety, shortages of skilled labor, COVID, and supply chain issues have forced customers to do more with less. 

As FPE Automation continues to develop expertise in key areas, it becomes apparent that they need to share that expertise with businesses in the region. Even as automation enters the mainstream, companies still struggle to implement it. At the same time, they realize that they can’t afford not to do so. 

By this time, David’s son, Joey Bardos has been climbing the ranks at FPE. Experienced in several roles, in 2021, Joey takes the reins as FPE Automation’s new president. David assumes the role of CEO. A third generation proudly enters into the family business. Joey is bright, energetic, and highly motivated. Very focused on growth and sustainability. He has an excellent understanding of where things are headed and cares deeply about FPE Automation. Joey will make absolutely sure the company is where it needs to be. 

In his first announcement as president, Joey says, “I am looking forward to building off our strong foundation and taking FPE to the next level with the strong team we have."

Left to Right: Joey Bardos, Lori Wolff, David Bardos

Change is Inevitable, Growth is Optional

COVID finally begins to subside. Automation has now taken hold. In February of 2021, Forbes notes that “The advantage [of automation] is huge and old-school businesses that have not embraced automation have fallen behind quickly.”

Businesses are concerned about remaining relevant in today’s market. They begin asking FPE Automation to help them to automate. Joey quickly realizes the weight of those requests. Engineering teams don’t have the time or internal expertise to get the projects done. However, they can’t remain competitive unless they produce their goods more intelligently. There is a genuine need for FPE Automation to expand its scope. It’s a make-or-break decision for many of our customers. 

Under Joey’s leadership, FPE Automation's Handshake Solutions division is created. The concept is simple. Bring us your automation project. We’ll either help you handle it, tackle it with you, or bring in a certified systems integrator (CSI) to do the job. The Handshake Solutions division is an instant success.

Joey also shares the same commitment to offering only the best quality products as the generations before him. He works with the FPE team to foster relationships with new product manufacturers. The result is groundbreaking. FPE is automating tasks that could have only been imagined just a few short years ago. The company’s founders, Dick and Jim, would be proud. 

The Future of FPE Automation

We enter our 60th year with four locations and an ever-growing team of experts. What has not changed is the quality of our people. Simply put, they’re the best in the business.

At FPE Automation, we like to say that we “live and work in the community we serve”. Midwestern in our roots since day one, the health of manufacturing here is personal to us. 

We look forward to many more years of serving you, our community. 

Case Study: business owner says "most of what I thought would work was way too slow"

Supply Chain Issues Are Forcing Us To Make New "Friends"

By Sandia Harrison, Director of Marketing, FPE Automation

 

A Story About How Supply Chain Headaches Actually Made Things Better

It took a few years for word to spread, but after 10 years in business in rural Eureka, Illinois, Advanced AG Concepts was in a good place as a company. A small, family-owned operation in the agriculture/farming sector, they call their product the BoxHog. It's a seed lifter, attached to a forklift. Seed lifters do the job of unfastening the top portion of the box and flipping it over so it can neatly fold when it is empty. Manually, the process takes 2 people. It is physical, so it's a safety risk, and it can also damage the seed box. The BoxHog does the job with just one person, who doesn't even need to leave the forklift chair. The process is fully automated. 

Others on the market are not as robust. Even a slight tap with a forklift can damage them to the point where they are unusable. The innovative BoxHog lifters Advanced AG Concepts makes are faster, too. "Ours is much faster than the competition," Ben tells me, "always looking for options to help things move along".

Company founder and president, Ben Zimmermann, had devised a product that was both faster and safer than anything that was previously available. The future was looking good for Ben, his two sons who help him run the business, and their families. 

Ben Zimmerman (right) with his two sons,
Eric (center) and Evan (left).
Together, they run Advanced AG Concepts  

Supply Chain Constraints Severely Impact Production

Then came the global supply chain challenges. Suddenly, a key component, the electro-hydraulic actuators used in the lifters, was nowhere to be found. Lead time had jumped to five months. In a seasonal business, five months might as well be a year. 

Basically, this meant that production of the BoxHog was at a standstill. 

Here is where our story of pure happenstance begins. Ben Zimmerman can laugh about it now, although it wasn't funny at the time. FPE Automation's Steve Moore happened to be visiting Ben's son Eric, to discuss a completely unrelated matter. He was welcomed into Ben's office for a brief introduction. 

That's when he saw it. There, on Ben's desk, was one of the electro-hydraulic actuators. In dozens of pieces. In his frustration, Ben had disassembled the actuator, hoping he could rebuild it. He explained to Steve that, after five months, the order for new actuators was still late. The price kept going up, too. 

I reached Ben by phone. He's a great guy, level-headed, but friendly at the same time. One of those all-too-rare individuals with both grounded Midwestern values and a sense of humor. I really enjoyed listening as he relayed his story to me. As he spoke, it was clear to me that he is passionate about what he does for the farming/agriculture industry. I can only imagine Ben's frustration when he was unable to get answers about a key component in the products he produces. 

"I was willing to handle slight fluctuations in prices." Ben told me. "The problem was, nobody could give me a straight answer on when the actuators would get there."

So, here they were. Steve and Ben, in Ben's office, looking at pieces of an actuator on Ben's desk. Like an elephant in the room, it was hard for Steve to ignore. He had to know why all that was there, and why Ben hadn't tried to source a different actuator for his BoxHogs.

Been There. Done That.

Ben's answer was that he had. He told me, "You don't see any, that are non-hydraulic, that are fast enough and powerful enough." 

Ben hadn't been able to find a suitable replacement. He liked the actuators he was using, despite the fact that the price kept going up. They worked. It was just impossible to get them. 

Determined, Steve gathered all the information, then set out to find Ben something he could use. He knew it wouldn't be easy, but he believed he could come up with a suitable alternative. He worked with development engineers at one of our trusted, cost-effective actuator suppliers, to come up with something compatible. They needed an actuator that was robust and powerful, so it could handle the 45"x54" seed box. It also needed to be fast. "It has to do the job within a reasonable amount of time", Ben told me. The actuator also needed to operate using 12VDC, so it could be used on a forklift. Anyone in the business will recognize, a fast, heavy-duty DC actuator is a rare combination of specifications. 

When To Call The Experts

Not only did FPE Automation come up with an option for Ben, but delivery on the alternative is also 3-4 weeks. It is essentially a drop-in replacement for their old actuator.

A distributor with the right engineering team can often find products that are not readily available. This year, FPE Automation is celebrating its 60th anniversary. Founded in 1963, FPE Automation has longstanding, often exclusive, relationships with equipment suppliers, and a highly-skilled staff that can often accomplish things that others can't.

"Ben chose the highest grip force model to test with", Steve tells me. "They ordered one for testing and it worked great."

New Possibilities

We are all creatures of habit. We like things that are familiar to us. Particularly when there is a lot at stake, it can be difficult, and risky, to change. The supply chain nightmares of the past couple of years have forced many out of their comfort zones. 

The thing is, often, if we do enough digging, we find more than just a suitable replacement. We find something better. 

That's exactly what happened in Ben's case. This new linear actuator will do more than just replace the previous one.  

With a minimum purchase, the supplier is willing to put a private label on the actuators, so that Ben can proudly display his company name on them, and come up with his own internal part number. "Makes them easier to replace," Ben tells me, "and is a big plus for us".

That's not all. The new, robust actuators have adjustable limit switches and IP-65 protection is standard. They boast an impressive 1.5”/s max speed, 330 lbf max thrust, with a 153mm stroke. They're protected from

overload by mechanical ball clutches and from the environment by powder-coated and aluminum

alloy parts, so they'll do very well in the rugged environment, long-term.

Ben placed a blanket order for the actuators. From skeptical to impressed; "You don't see many that are non-hydraulic that are fast enough and powerful enough". The first ones are due to ship next week. 

Right on schedule. 

Success story: In actuator applications, it's usually the questions you don't ask

Case Study: Conversion from Hydraulic to Electric Actuators

By Sandia Harrison, Director of Marketing, FPE Automation

It could have one of those typical, everyday phone calls. A tier-1 automotive supplier needed actuators. Many of us know the type of questions that typically follow; what are the specifications? Size, duty cycle, force, price. When everything looks good, get a quote and order the actuator. 

Those are all the right questions, to be sure. This success story is about questions that often remain unasked. 

Leaking Hydraulic Fluid

John Lackmann has been with Melton Machine & Control Company for nine years. He has spent time at their Computech division during his tenure there as well. John has seen a lot. He has learned to ask questions. The right questions, about an actuator's environment.

John works closely with my co-worker, FPE Automation's Jason Vilmer. It was Jason who pointed out John's exceptional expertise. Jason suggested I give him a call. 

John's a busy man, but I did manage to reach him for a quick conversation. During our phone call, John told me, "Just because you previously used something doesn't mean it's the best option. I like to make sure it's still the best thing out there, or that there isn't something value-added that would be more useful to either a new or existing customer."

During a plant visit, John noticed that the hydraulic fluids were mixing with the items being pressed. It was causing numerous problems. "How we interact with our customers is pretty tight compared to others", he said. "That's how we operate. We'd love to have a bunch of new customers, but it is more important that our existing customers are satisfied and come back to us".

John Lackman

Application Engineer
Melton Machine & Control

With that in mind, John suggested that they try electric actuators instead. He contacted Jason, who introduced John to a core team of engineers at FPE Automation. The FPE Automation engineering team brought in experts from Tolomatic as well. Together, the group explored their options. 

I asked John what an experienced engineer knows about sizing and using actuators that, say, a newbie to the field does not? His response; "I've learned that it is best to utilize either your distributor or your Tolomatic reps. Use their calculators and the latest technology."

The Result

"We replaced a tier-1 automotive supplier who was previously using hydraulic actuators with Tolomatic RSA heavy-duty electric actuators in five work cells" John concluded, "and the electric actuators allowed higher uptime, cleaner cells and were very valuable."

FPE Automation's Jason Vilmer agrees. "Of course it's always satisfying to fix something that is broken." he said, "but even more so when you exceed the customer's expectations. This upgrade did just that. When you consider the reliability of Tolomatic's products, this application will run cleaner, and more efficiently for many years to come."

 

2023 brings new regulations for pharmaceutical traceability. Here's what that means

With DSCSA 2023 Requirements Approaching, Now Might Be a Great Time to Take a Look at Zebra Technologies' Fixed Industrial Scanners and Machine Vision

The traceability requirements in effect from 2015 to 2023 required pharmaceutical products to be traceable at the lot level. The second phase of requirements will go into effect on November 27, 2023. 

Here's the new standard, to which all pharmaceutical manufacturers will need to adhere: 

"To allow the interoperable, electronic tracing of products at the package level."

Whether or not you can achieve that with your current technology, it still might pay off to have a conversation about upgrading. There are a lot more benefits that go far beyond simple compliance. 

There may be no better time than now. Reach out to FPE Automation. We have experts in-house who can answer your questions. 

By Sandia Harrison, Director of Marketing, FPE Automation, in cooperation with Zebra Technologies.
Video: Zebra Technologies