Over the course of our 100 year history as a contract manufacturer and metal fabricator, our mission has been focused on enriching the lives of our employees, our customers and our community.
In order to do all of those things, Dane has to continue growing. We are continually looking forward, forcasting the needs of our customers, and investing in innovative technologies that will grow our capacity and increase our ability to partner with our customers. Since our move to our new facility in 2021, we’ve continually invested in top-of-the-line equipment and have built one of the most advance smart facilities in the United States. Continuing on that mission, we have several new and exciting pieces of technologies coming to our facility in 2025. We hope our customers will be excited about these new additions, and our ongoing pursuit to provide growing capacity and exceptional contract manufacturing and metal fabrication services.
Trumpf TruBend 8400
Arrived October 2024
The Trumpf TruBend 8400 is the latest generation of the Trumpf TruBend series. It functions at high speeds, is suitable for large or heavy dimensions and adds efficiency to our facility.
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Trumpf TruBend 2100
Arriving December 2024
Extending our current lineup of Trumpf press brakes, the 10′ TruBend 2100 will add capacity and continue our standard for precise, quality bends.
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Trumpf TruLaser Tube 5000
Arriving February 2025
Our new state-of-the-art tube laser increases our capability and capacity while reducing production times through more efficient production. It features RapidCut technology, bevel cut capability, automatic loading and is very versatile.
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Starmatic Robotic Unloading System
Arriving April 2025
This is an advanced addition to our TruBend 7030 that enables automatic robotic palletization. It includes a state of the art robotic arm for automated loading and unloading and further adds capability to our state-of-the-art automated production capability.
See It In Action
Robotic Trubend Cell 5000
Arriving May 2025
This universal bending cell includes a Trumpf 5130 press brake and enables 100% unattended automation capabilities. It is extremely precise, and features a wide range of capabilities suitable for small and large parts.
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In 2022 we began an aggressive capital equipment investment strategy that included long-term strategic planning with Trumpf to design a state-of-the-art smart factory. This long-term strategy was completed with our customers in mind, growing capacity, efficiency and reliability.
With our original vision now implemented and in operation, we operate with fully automated capability thanks to our collaboration with Trumpf. Our STOPA Automated Material Handling System along with our high-end Trumpf equipment is seamlessly integrated into our current production operations and offered numerous benefits including autonomous material handling, real-time inventory management, that truly unlocked unattended automated production. This project has resulted in a 52% increase in machine usage and a 48 hour up-time improvement on production start times adding efficiency and capacity for our growing customer base.
Take a closer look at our facility and capability through the spotlight video below. Want to learn more, or come see it for yourself? Contact Us.
In today’s fast-paced manufacturing industry, embracing technology is essential for boosting productivity and achieving operational efficiency. At Dane, our innovative mindset naturally leads us to strategic technological advancement which allows us to better serve our customers.
One strategic investment, our STOPA automated storage and retrieval system signaled a significant shift forward in our capabilities and efficiency in serving our customers.
What is STOPA?
STOPA is the world’s leading manufacturer of advanced automated storage systems designed for storing raw materials, semi-finished goods and tools. Renowned for its accuracy, dependability and scalability, the STOPA system seamlessly integrates into our current production operations, offering numerous benefits including autonomous material handling, real-time inventory management, and unlocks 4th shift automated production.
Implementing STOPA was a complex and time-consuming task, and our implementation reflects years of expertise in manufacturing operations, combined with our innovative forward-looking mindset to leverage the new technology. The project began with the first piece of the system arriving at Dane Manufacturing in October 2022, and continued until April 2023, before becoming operational.
Unlocking 4th Shift Automated Production
STOPA is more than just a material handling and storage system. By integrating automation modules within the STOPA system, we are able to unlock fully automated processes expanding production capability and efficiency.
Currently, our STOPA system is integrated with the following equipment:
- Two Trumpf 5000 Punches
- Two Trumpf 3030 Fiber Lasers
- Trumpf 7030 Automated Panel Bender
“STOPA is more than just an automated storage tower and material handling system. It allows us to feed sheet metal through various processes without ever being touched by a human. Since integrating STOPA into our daily operations, we’ve seen performance improvements that have benefited our customers directly.”
Al Wenger — Production Manager
These performance improvements are evident in several key areas including efficiency, space optimization, inventory management and safety:
- Efficiency: Automating our storage and retrieval process has cut down on time and labor, resulting in faster processing times, fewer errors, higher productivity and shorter lead times.
- Space Optimization: By maximizing the use of vertical and horizontal space, we can handle more materials and products without needing additional floor space. This increase in operational efficiency supports higher production volumes and scalability for our customer’s future growth.
- Inventory Management: Enhanced inventory control with real-time tracking and precise counts helps us maintain optimal stock levels and improve order accuracy. This translates to timely updates and accurate deliveries for our customers.
- Safety: Automation has reduced the need for the manual handling of heavy materials, leading to less forklift traffic on our production floor. This creates a safer environment for our productions team and ensures more reliable, consistent service for our customers.
Improving the Customer Experience
Our STOPA system has resulted in a number of significant performance improvements enhancing the speed and accuracy of our customer’s manufacturing processes. In addition to increased capacity positioning us to handle our customer’s growth, we’ve tightened our inventory management processes resulting in increased efficiency, real-time reporting and reliable production lead times. Perhaps most notably, the overall efficiency that our STOPA system creates, allows Dane to initiate production starts more than 48 hours faster than was possible prior to its implementation. Additionally, we have been able to reduce cell-to-cell and process-to-process starts by 24 hours.
Looking to the future, our STOPA system, and the automation it provides, creates numerous growth possibilities for our customers. We are well-positioned to leverage technology as our customer’s needs continue to grow. Our inventory storage is tightly managed and kept at optimal levels, and we also have the capability to add additional state-of-the-art machinery to our STOPA system. As a result, we are positioned to scale rapidly and efficiently, while maintaining the efficiency gains we’ve realized, keeping costs favorable to our customers.
Innovation is part of our DNA. The implementation of STOPA represented a significant strategic leap forward for Dane. Many months of strategic planning culminated in one of Trumpf’s premier integrations of STOPA, which has subsequently been studied and reviewed by third parties as a model to be duplicated in future implementations. As a result, Dane is well positioned to leverage technological advancements to exceed our customer’s expectations well into the future.
Have questions about our automated STOPA system, or want to take a tour of our facility to see it in person?
We’d love to talk. Contact Us.
Our clients are always looking for top notch results. In many cases, laser cutting is the ideal manufacturing process. Laser cutting provides an efficient method for creating complex shapes, higher sheet utilization and gives us a great deal of capability.
We are always looking to innovate through the use of leading technology. Our approach to laser cutting is no exception. Through a combination of premium equipment, and refined quality processes, we provide our customers with excellent results.
Laser cutting technology has a unique history that is marked by innovation and continual improvement, two staples in Dane Manufacturing’s culture. Let’s take a quick look.
History of Laser Cutting
The first concept of laser cutting was originally conceived in 1917 by Albert Einstein who created the original scientific concept behind the modern laser. What proceeded was a rapid period of innovation and growth that would shape the use of laser cutting in manufacturing.
1960: The first ever working laser is created by Theodore Maiman. His design using a synthetic ruby laser was met with skepticism.
1964: Scientists at Bell Labs saw potentional in Maiman’s invention and set out to improve on it. They developed thermal cutting techniques by inventing a gas laser using CO2 mixture.
1965: Western Engineering Research Center becomes the first to apply the concept of laser cutting to manufacturing.
1969: Boeing company becomes the first commercial user of gas laser cutting equipment, who applied the technology to its production lines in an effort to create a more efficient manufacturing process.
1979: Prima Industrie out of Italy invented 3D laser cutting technique that expanded its capabilities and potential uses in manufacturing.
1980s: After 20 years of development, the first commercial fiber lasers hit the market, further expanding the capabilities and applications suitable for laser cutting.
Laser Cutting Technology at Dane Manufacturing
Here at Dane Manufacturing, we prioritize innovation and strive to continually provide our customers with the best metal solutions around. Doing that requires us to regularly invest in premium caliber equipment, and to train our teams to use them effectively and efficiently. Our laser cutting equipment is no exception.
Our partner, Trumpf, is one of the world leaders in laser cutting technology. We run multiple Trumpf 3030 machines with reliable TruFlow lasers that produce extremely high cut quality. The Trumpf programming software that guides our lasers to cut to exceptionally tight tolerances and parameters, is second to none. Combined with our automated STOPA storage system that allows us to run automated production schedules 24 hours a day, we have the perfect laser process for the production of your laser-cut parts.