Shannon Pelky No Comments

Why You Should Consider a Build-to-Order Policy

When people first learn about our build to order policy, they tend to be a little skeptical that we can actually accomplish what we’re promising. Most manufacturers aren’t in place to follow the same build-to-order (a.k.a made-to-order) strategy as us, so it can be hard for people to believe it until they see it. However, once we do get a chance to prove our capabilities, they’re often impressed. It gives them a few reasons to question if they should consider switching to a supplier with a build-to-order policy, and here’s why:

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Manufacturing Blog Manufacturing Blog, Build to Order, Cash Flow, Custom Industrial Products, Industrial, Industry Insights, LEAN, Made to Order, Manufacturing, Midwest Manufacturers, Project Management, Quality, Supply Chain Management

Shannon Pelky 2 Comments

Advantages of a Made to Order Manufacturing Strategy

We’ve been implementing LEAN manufacturing principles at HUI for over 15 years now. One of the best improvements to come from those changes was our made to order strategy. To give you a snapshot of all the advantages that come from working with a contract manufacturer who has a made to order manufacturing strategy, we put together this infographic:

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Manufacturing Blog Manufacturing Blog, Build to Order, Cash Flow, Custom Industrial Products, Industrial, Industry Insights, LEAN, Made to Order, Manufacturing, Midwest Manufacturers, Project Management, Quality, Supply Chain Management

Shannon Pelky No Comments

Can a Fun Robotics Competition Spark New Interest in the Manufacturing Industry?

For about four years, HUI has been sponsoring a high school robotics team called Fondy Fire (FRC Team 2194). A few weeks ago, the team competed against other high school teams at the Wisconsin Regional in a challenge called the FIRST Robotics Competition. We’re proud to announce that at the end of this regional tournament the team learned they had qualified for the World Championship in Detroit. It’s great having such an impressive team representing the company, but what’s most rewarding is the experience we get to help create for these young minds.

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Manufacturing Blog Manufacturing Blog, Custom Industrial Products, Industrial, Industry Insights, Manufacturing, Midwest Manufacturers, News

Shannon Pelky 2 Comments

The Benefits of Working with ISO 9001 Certified Suppliers

You may have noticed that we proudly display our ISO 13485 and ISO 9001 certification at the top of almost every page on our website, but you might not understand why we put so much value on these certificates. In short, it comes down to consistently being able to provide a world class product to our customers. In order to help you both see and understand this value, we put together this list of a few benefits our customers experience because they work with an ISO 9001 certified supplier like HUI.

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Manufacturing Blog Manufacturing Blog, Custom Industrial Products, Industrial, Industry Insights, ISO Certifications, Manufacturing, Midwest Manufacturers, Quality

Shannon Pelky No Comments

Damaged Freight: How to Successfully File a Freight Claim

Have you ever received a shipment of industrial products only to find out that several of them were damaged in shipping? Did you know what to do? The process can be tedious, but skipping any step can result in very costly mistakes when some—or all—of the liability could be placed back on you. Here are a few basic steps to help you successfully file a freight claim.

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Manufacturing Blog Manufacturing Blog, Custom Industrial Products, Industrial, Industry Insights, Manufacturing, Quality, Shipping

Shannon Pelky 1 Comment

Ingress Protection: IP Ratings Guide

IP ratings define an electrical enclosure’s level of protection against ingress of water and solid objects based on the enclosure’s ability to pass performance criteria outlined by the international standard IEC 60529. The rating consists of the letters IP followed by two digits, e.g. IP54. The first digit indicates the level of protection against solid objects. The second digit indicates the level of protection against liquids. To help you understand what kind of protection each IP rating offers, we’ve created this guide for your reference.

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Manufacturing Blog Manufacturing Blog, Custom Enclosures, Electrical Enclosures, Industrial, Industry Insights, IP Ratings, Manufacturing, Midwest Manufacturers, Quality, Standard Enclosures

Shannon Pelky 2 Comments

NEMA Enclosure Types and IP Equivalency Chart

There are two types of enclosure rating systems. One is the National Electronic Manufacturers Association (NEMA) rating system, which is primarily used in the U.S. and Canada. The other is Ingress Protection or International Protection (IP) rating system. Both of the standards establish specifications about the performance criteria for different enclosures. To help you determine which type of enclosure is right for you, we’ve put together a list of NEMA enclosure types, IP Equivalency Ratings and definitions to help you compare your options.

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Manufacturing Blog Manufacturing Blog, Custom Enclosures, Electrical Enclosures, Industrial, Industry Insights, IP Ratings, Manufacturing, Midwest Manufacturers, NEMA Enclosures, Quality, Standard Enclosures

Shannon Pelky No Comments

How to Help Your Manufacturer Create Standard Work Instructions

Have you ever wished you had an instruction manual for your job? Imagine how nice it would be to have one sheet of paper with instructions and advice on how to do your job in the most efficient manner. Well, that’s what our engineers create for everyone on the shop floor in the form of standard work instructions, also referred to as job instructions or a JI. Creating these instructions involves a lot of planning up front, but they’re vital for the consistency and quality of each customer’s parts. That’s why we’ll cover what information your manufacturer needs from you to create effective work instructions for their fabrication floor.

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Manufacturing Blog Manufacturing Blog, Design Engineering, Industrial, Industry Insights, LEAN, Manufacturing, Midwest Manufacturers, Quality

Shannon Pelky 1 Comment

How Lean Principles Inspire Improvements in an Office Environment

HUI began implementing lean principles in 1998, and from the start, we included the offices in the lean transformation. Though it’s common for companies to implement lean processes on the manufacturing shop floor, it’s easy to see how lean thinking adds value to any work setting. I sat down with the Industrial Business Development (IBD) team to learn more about the lean principles they use today and discover how those principles have influenced their office environment.

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Manufacturing Blog Manufacturing Blog, Design Engineering, Industrial, Industry Insights, LEAN, Manufacturing, Midwest Manufacturers, Quality

Shannon Pelky 5 Comments

Sheet Metal Layout Tip: Dimension to Formed View, Not Flat Pattern

No matter the situation, it’s difficult to watch your hard work go to waste. This is a common occurrence when manufacturers receive a sheet metal layout dimensioned in the flat pattern. These dimensions may seem helpful, but after your manufacturer makes bend deductions based on their capabilities and other bending factors, your dimensions will become unusable. To avoid wasting time on incorrect measurements, always dimension to the formed view, and here’s why:

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Manufacturing Blog Manufacturing Blog, Custom Enclosures, Design Engineering, Dimensioning, Industrial, Industry Insights, Manufacturing, Midwest Manufacturers, Press Brake, Sheet Metal Fabrication

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