We’re excited to announce the introduction of the new Spectrum 875 Auto-Line plasma cutter to our product line up. Featuring the ability to connect the unit to any input voltage from 208 to 575 volts without the need for any physical linking mechanism, the Spectrum 875 Auto-Line provides convenience and versatility in field applications using either generator or “wall” power.

The Auto-Line feature also allows the unit to seamlessly recognize and respond to power fluctuations due to brownouts or the heavy loads from other machinery without any fluctuations in cutting performance.

And for those who want to take their cutting precision to the next level, an optional machine torch package is available that allows the unit to be hooked up to a variety of automated cutting systems.

Check out the news release and product page for complete details.

For Ultra Machine and Fabrication (Shelby, N.C.), investing in advanced Pulsed MIG technology was a critical step in positioning the company to win a major contract to provide over 74,000 components for M-ATVs to an Israeli defense firm.

The vehicles are similar to the MRAP (mine resistant ambush protected) vehicles used by the U.S. military, and require the utmost quality from their welds in order to be effective at protecting their occupants from road-side attacks and improvised explosive devices.

The contract called for Ultra to be able to weld MIL-A 46100 ballistic steel in all positions with a 307 stainless steel filler metal, and using the Accu-Pulse™ Pulsed MIG technology in Miller’s Axcess® “multi-MIG” systems, the company was able to produce those components with only 23 defects — a rate of .03 percent.

Click here to read the full story about the challenges Ultra Machine and Fabrication faced in meeting the welding demands for the M-ATV contract and how the Axcess’ Accu-Pulse technology helped the company successfully complete the project and positioned it to win more in the future.

Miller was recently named as one of a handful of manufacturing companies in Northeast Wisconsin to score highly in a recent survey on sustainable business practices through UW Oshkosh. As part of the recognition, an Emmy-award winning videographer interviewed several Miller employees about the company’s sustainability initiatives for a video produced by the technical colleges of Wisconsin’s NEW North consortium, including Fox Valley, Northeast Wisconsin, Moraine Park, and Lakeshore. The video will be used for training on college campuses and a variety of continuing education courses. Among the topics covered were Miller’s employee involvement program, the company’s waste reduction efforts, our 750,000 sq. ft. air conditioning system and  our employee-initiated recycling program.

If you’re interested in the success of manufacturing in this country, you might want to check out www.manufacturingthefuture.com, the web site for a documentary that the videographer is currently working on. He has interviews with a wide variety of manufacturing experts about the future of manufacturing along with many programs designed to generate interest in manufacturing among high school and college students.

According to a recent news article, the Navy has ordered the re-inspection of thousands of potentially faulty pipe welds on three classes of ships after an oil lubrication problem on one ship required an emergency docking in Bahrain. Investigators believe that up to 10-15 percent of the welds do not meet specifications.

Unfortunate as the problem is for the Navy and the company responsible for inspecting and repairing the welds, the situation calls to light the importance of welding—highly skilled welding, specifically—to our national security.

Welding literally holds together the ships, airplanes, tanks and other vehicles that protect our country and its people on a daily basis, and the problems encountered in these ships is evidence of the skill and knowledge required to successfully perform a weld that will endure extreme stress and pressure.

It’s also sadly ironic that this news story emerged just about a week after welding was listed as the fifth worst out of 200 selected careers. The welding industry needs people with the ability and desire to perform the welds critical to our national security, yet surveys like these could discourage those people from considering a career in welding.

On a positive note, the company that builds these ships for the Navy said that it has recertified its welders and inspectors and stepped up its pipe weld inspection system. Hopefully their efforts will result in improved weld integrity and very little downtime for these ships.

What are your thoughts on this topic? Have you noticed a lack of skill at the highest level of safety-critical welding? Do you believe that companies are not enforcing their welding specifications as strictly as they should? What can be done to show our best and brightest the potential for rewarding and important work within the welding industry? Share your thoughts by posting a comment below.

Signs of an economic recovery in the manufacturing sector are slowly emerging, pointing the way toward what many consider the ultimate sign of recovery — job creation.

The most recent indicator signaling improvement within the manufacturing sector was a higher than anticipated rise in the Institute for Supply Management’s Purchasing Manager’s Index — its highest reading since April 2006. The Index tracks a variety of indicators, including new orders, inventories and production, to arrive at a number that represents the rate of growth or contraction in the market.

With the impact of the recession still fresh in their minds, many companies are choosing to respond to this new growth using their existing staff rather than adding new employees. One option for addressing this challenge is through the acquisition of new, productivity-enhancing equipment.

New equipment can help a company meet its orders with its existing staff, which in turn can increase profitability and eventually help lead the way toward expanding their business.

As we all know, however, financing new purchases has gotten a lot tougher over the past 18 months. In response to the difficulties that many companies face in obtaining credit, some equipment manufacturers, including Miller, are offering financing programs at very favorable interest rates.

How do you plan to respond to an improving economy and increases in orders? Will you look to purchase new equipment before adding to your payroll? Do you expect difficulties finding financing for your purchases? Share your thoughts on this subject by posting a comment below.

More information about Miller’s 0% financing program can be found here.