Valor Manufacturing Training helped Swiss-Tech LLC standardize training to train new employees effectively and efficiently.

Founded in 1965 in Delvan, Wisconsin, Swiss-Tech LLC's 105 employees manufacture the highest quality Swiss precision machined parts for critical applications in the aerospace, medical, defense, and other high-end industrial sectors. Swiss-Tech is ISO 9001, AS9100, ISO 13485, and ITAR certified in CNC-CAM, CNC milling/turning, finish/deburring/polishing and prototype cell methods.

Swiss-Tech faced inconsistent training from trainer to trainer that was leaving new employees overwhelmed and confused. New hire development and time-to-productivity would take up to two months. This lack of standardized training content and method was causing decreased production volume, increasing machine downtime, increased material waste and decreased employee retention causing both a financial and operational impact to the organization.

The company wanted to decrease employee time-to-productivity by implementing a consistently structured training process to train new employees effectively and efficiently. They also wanted to increase production output while decreasing material waste and downtime. 

Steps to success The company turned to Valor Manufacturing Training and upon assessing and auditing Swiss Tech's talent development program and processes, Valor supplied a library of online skills training modules as well as implementation and operations support. Pre-existing, shop-specific training modules and materials were merged with the Valor content and launched from a singular platform with metrics tracking and record retention.

"We created a core competency assessment to outline the skills needed to efficiently perform responsibilities and realized very quickly that we needed proper training and implementation," says Rachel Repinski, CNC machinist programmer supervisor. "The process didn’t take a lot of effort to make it work and Valor made it smooth and easy. They also continue to follow up and help us constantly improve and build onto our program."

Outcome The new onboarding process now takes one week to complete through the Valor content and platform. Upon completion, the hands-on machine training takes one to two weeks (depending on the individual). Swiss-Tech is now able to hire someone with no prior machining knowledge and have them effectively operating machines in less than one month (including tool changes, offsets, and inspection). This reduction in classroom onboarding and orientation has also resulted in a 38% cost savings as related to employee onboarding and orientation training expense.

$28 million center invests in manufacturing technology, industry partnerships to support Virginia’s competitive assets.

The Center for Manufacturing Advancement (CMA), a state-funded project located on the campus of the Institute for Advanced Learning and Research (IALR), is open and ready to attract new businesses and jobs to the Commonwealth of Virginia.

“As we strive to make Virginia the best place for veterans to live, work, and raise a family, I am thrilled to announce the groundbreaking of our new IALR Center for Manufacturing Advancement in Danville,” said Governor Glenn Youngkin. “This partnership will diversify, transform, and grow Southern Virginia’s production capability for the submarine industrial base as well, marking another major win for Virginia’s defense economy and labor market.”

Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin joined IALR and industry partners for a ribbon cutting to recognize the CMA as Virginia’s newest pro-business platform for developing manufacturing technologies that support business expansion in the region and skilled workforce development.

“The Institute of Advanced Learning and Research is a national model of an adaptive education system that delivers the skilled workforce that our business community and industries require today and for tomorrow,” said Secretary of Education Aimee Guidera. “It shows how a locally driven, state supported, and federally shared Institute can quickly meet the needs of the business community and build the advanced manufacturing pipeline.”

The 51,250ft2 facility is a $28.8 million investment to promote collaboration among technology leaders and to provide state-of-the-art space for industry partners to optimize their operations and scale. Both existing manufacturers in the region looking to expand and manufacturers looking to enter Southern Virginia with a new site location will benefit. The CMA will help these companies improve quality and innovate technologies that aid economic and manufacturing competitiveness.

“The advancements that are to come out of the Center for Manufacturing Advancement will have significant implications for developing the processes that support manufacturing expansion, as well as the workforce needed to support that growth,” remarked Telly Tucker, president of IALR. “Today’s manufacturing and workforce challenges require comprehensive and innovative approaches to the way industry collaborates, along with significant investments in infrastructure, equipment and people. The CMA fosters each of these obligations in a way that will benefit the region, the Commonwealth, and the country.”

Funded largely by the Commonwealth of Virginia, the CMA was built in cooperation with Virginia’s Division of Engineering and Buildings with financial incentives provided by the Economic Development Administration, IALR and the IALR Foundation, and the Danville Regional Foundation. The CMA and IALR campus resides on land owned by the Danville-Pittsylvania Regional Industrial Facility Authority.

• Rapid-launch facilities that will enable new businesses to begin limited operations off-site during what is traditionally the initial downtime as new businesses wait for their factory to be constructed and equipped to support full operations

• ISO-certified inspection lab that will provide integrated inspection capabilities required to validate product quality, reduce the start-up phase for a new company by 4 to 6 months, the time required to certify an inspection lab

• Process improvement labs that will enable new and existing businesses to improve their processes in a more expeditious manner, thereby ensuring global competitiveness

• Industry 4.0 integration and training lab that will support next-generation manufacturing requirements

• Platform for collaborative innovation that allows manufacturing companies, technology companies, and engineering students to work together to discover, integrate, and showcase emerging technology

• Concierge service that provides the wrap-around support needed by companies new to the U.S. during their critical start-up phase

The opening of the CMA took place during the second annual Accelerated Training in Defense Manufacturing (ATDM) Summit where stakeholders convened on topics pertaining to closing skills and workforce gaps within the naval defense industrial base.

The United States Navy will be the first project partner locating in the CMA, selecting three of the high bays as part of a new center of excellence they announced at the ATDM Summit.

Register for the Oct. 11, 2022 webinar - Cost-Effective Pellet Extrusion 3D Printing for Large Fixtures and Tooling - to find out more.

Additive manufacturing (AM) is changing global manufacturing, especially in the aerospace industry where large-format 3D printers are used to produce tooling, fixtures, patterns and molds. Pellet extrusion and hybrid additive and subtractive systems offer a unique solution for these aerospace applications by leveraging the use of high-performance, low-cost pellet feedstocks and machining techniques to produce these large fixtures and tools at a fraction of the time and cost compared to filament extrusion or traditional manufacturing methods.

In this webinar - taking place Tuesday, Oct. 11, 2022 at 1PM ET - you'll learn:

Make sure to secure your seat for this hot topic in additive manufacturing. Registration is free and no worries if you can't attend the day of, simply sign up for the event and we'll send a link to the on-demand recording within 5 business days after the webinar.

Be sure to attend this free webinar, October 20, 2022, 12 noon Eastern Time.

What: Richard Aboulafia examines the current aerospace market and what to expect as we head into 2023.

When: Oct 20, 2022 12:00 PM in Eastern Time (US and Canada)

Topics: “Supply constraints versus strong market demand, single-aisle jetliner strength and twin-aisle weakness, and the risk of defense crowding out commercial. Plenty to talk about, really!” – Richard Aboulafia

Presenter: Richard Aboulafia, Fellow of the Royal Aeronautical Society, is Managing Director, AeroDynamic Advisory, of Ann Arbor Michigan.

Mr. Aboulafia is a widely respected aviation industry expert and contributor to Aerospace Manufacturing and Design’s annual forecast issue. He manages consulting projects in the commercial and military aircraft field and analyzes broader defense and aerospace trends.

He's advised numerous aerospace companies, including most prime and many second- and third-tier contractors in the U.S., Europe, and Asia. He also advises numerous financial institutions on aerospace market conditions.

Frequently cited as an aviation industry authority by trade and news publications, Richard has appeared on numerous television news and radio programs including ABC, BBC, Bloomberg, Reuters, CBS, CNN, NBC, NPR, and PBS.

Technically focused and collaborative event in Huntsville, Alabama about projects advancing additive manufacturing.

America Makes, in partnership with the Advanced Manufacturing Innovation and Integration Center (AMIIC), will host the Fall 2022 Technical Review & Exchange (TRX) on October 18-19 at The University of Alabama in Huntsville.

TRX is a technically focused event that offers content sharing at an in-depth level. It offers attendees dynamic access to updates, results, and impacts of the America Makes projects portfolio. The TRX presentation format is intended to be flexible and conversational in its structure to permit more organic interaction throughout each presentation. Attendees are encouraged to ask questions during the presentations to gain a deeper understanding of the research underway rather than holding all questions until the conclusion of a presentation. All TRX speakers prepare their presentations to allow for this increased level of engagement.

The two-day agenda will showcase presenters who are experts in the advanced and additive manufacturing industry, including John Vickers, NASA Principal Technologist in Advanced Materials and Manufacturing; and Denise Harris, Missile Defense Agency (MDA) Acting Director for Industrial Manufacturing Technology. A panel discussion on “Army Challenges of Adopting Additive Manufacturing” will also be featured.

“TRX will allow America Makes to highlight 17 projects in our portfolio. It’s an opportunity for technical experts to learn more about the important work in process at the Institute while allowing them to interact with the principal investigators who lead the research. This dynamic interaction ensures the membership get value out of the investments being made in the technology,” stated John Wilczynski, Executive Director of America Makes. “AMIIC is an important partner for the Institute, and we look forward to bringing the AM ecosystem to the Huntsville region."

Due to its venue location, several high-level government officials are expected to attend TRX, as Huntsville is considered a center for defense manufacturing. The Advanced Manufacturing Innovation and Integration Center (AMIIC) exists to accelerate the adoption of state-of-the-art manufacturing technologies and build the Northern Alabama workforce. “It’s an honor to co-host this event in Huntsville, along with our sister company America Makes,” said John Schmitt, Executive Director of AMIIC. “The role that the Huntsville community plays in the national additive manufacturing dialogue is critical. North Alabama has a stake in the commodities we design, deliver, and sustain from Redstone Arsenal that are fundamental to our national security. Participating in forums and discussions like TRX is essential to truly advance and build a workforce to meet the technical challenges ahead.”

For more details on the agenda or to register for the event, please visit TRX Fall 2022. America Makes members and non-members are welcome to attend. The deadline for registration is October 12.