Pioneer Conveyor (Garrett County)

• Pioneer Conveyor is aiming its sights at a larger share of the $100 million mining conveyer idler roller industry, thanks to an improved product it developed with the University of Maryland.

• The company, which sells $3 million in idler rollers to mining companies each year, has re-engineered its manufacturing processes and developed a new, state-of-the-art roller through MTES and MIPS.

• When some of the company’s roller products started to fail, whether for structural, environmental or manufacturing reasons, Pioneer Conveyor President Helbig decided to find out why. University of Maryland, Baltimore County Mechanical Engineering Professor Dwayne Arola had the answer.

• “We looked at their current manufacturing practices and evaluated new ones,” said Arola, whose work, along with that of two graduate students, was funded by the company and MIPS. “We found and suggested ways they could improve their welding, alignment, assembly and other processes. Then we engineered a vastly improved roller design.”

• Helbig incorporated nearly 80 percent of Arola’s manufacturing suggestions. “The difference in problems we’re having is night and day,” said Helbig. “We just don’t have them anymore.”

• This confidence in the company’s products has Helbig looking at larger and new markets, even though Pioneer already ships 120,000 rollers per year—representing approximately 95 percent of the company’s product line. “Before this, we were a low-priced producer of rollers,” said Helbig. “Now we can go after the Fortune 500 companies like Consol and Peabody Holding. That’s where our future lies, being able to sell to these markets.”

• Pioneer has expanded into the expansive, above-ground aggregate market, where its rollers will help conveyors move products such as salt, gravel and limestone.

• When the company incorporates Arola’s new roller design, it could potentially edge out much of its competition, especially with the projected two-year lifespan increase of each roller. The new rollers will last up to five years, handling tons of coal or other products at any point in time—at up to 800 feet per minute.

• Increased sales could also lead to growth and expansion for the 30-employee company—bringing additional revenue and new jobs to Garrett County.

• “This is a great example of using State resources to help a company become more competitive,” said Frank Shap, technology development officer for the Garrett County Office of Economic Development. “Economic growth is built one business at a time, and each company that succeeds ultimately leads to improved financial performance for the region, as well as job growth.”

• Pioneer was led to MIPS through the Maryland Department for Business and Economic Development, which referred the company to MTES’ Robert Barazotto. Barazotto contacted Arola, who then—along with Pioneer—acquired MIPS funding.

LaMotte Company (Kent County)

• Chestertown-based LaMotte Company, one of the country’s largest manufacturers and distributors of water testing equipment contacted MTES for assistance in resolving ergonomic issues in its shipping department.

• MTES consultants Barry Frey and Ron Hawkins visited LaMotte, met with company officials, and studied its shipping department. Their analysis determined that, in addition to ergonomic issues, product flow was a problem, as well.  Product would pile up on LaMotte’s conveyor system to be processed, then rushed to meet deadlines.

• Dave Rizzardo (MTES Lean Manager), with the assistance of Frey and Hawkins, arranged a new cellular flow for LaMotte’s product processing and shipping. Cellular or Flow Manufacturing, a principle of Lean Manufacturing, links manual and machine operations into the most efficient combination to maximize value-added content, while minimizing wasted motion and valuable resources.  Cellular Manufacturing is one of the primary techniques used to obtain the Lean benefits of: shorter lead-times, improved quality, reduced inventories, simplified scheduling, and minimized material handling.

• MTES incorporated LaMotte’s request into its plan for a two-line conveyor system, using one line for unregulated material and the other for material that had to be processed and documented. Further down the line, the product was combined and sent through the manifest system.

• LaMotte also purchased lift tables, which allow the packers to adjust their work to a comfortable height—regardless of the carton size and material being packed. These lift tables are also integrated into the conveyor system.

• MTES’ solutions made a difference. According to Herman Wefelmeyer, LaMotte Company’s Director of Manufacturing, “Order packing productivity has improved at least 50%.  Material flow has improved dramatically by reducing the number of order pickers and reassigning people to the packing operation to reduce queue time. Productivity in the picking operation has improved as well.”

• Wefelmeyer added, “Morale in the department has improved.  The employees are more efficient and productive, and are working well together in the cell.”