Page 44 - MetalForming September 2017

ERP
Here’s a challenge: How do you real-time-trace fabricating jobs from start to finish; quote new work and add jobs on a daily basis into the production queue; ensure material supply, production-equipment avail- ability and secondary operations (some from outside contractors); and manage delivery to customers worldwide? Oh, and all of this must take place across two locations more than 1500 miles apart.
We found a company doing just that, with a huge hand from enterprise resource planning (ERP).
Dalsin Industries, founded in 1945 as Dick Dalsin Sheet Metal Co. and ini- tially specializing in architectural sheet- metal products, now serves customers that produce technical and computing products; renewable energy; large over- the road-vehicles; automotive, cosmet- ic, computer, medical and industrial equipment; construction machinery
and more. It does this through a blend of experienced staff; advanced and automated CNC stamping, fabrication and assembly equipment; and design services geared toward manufactur- ing-cost reduction and optimized prod- uct fit, form and function.
Added Location Prompted Need for Robust ERP
The company, owned by the sons of founders Richard E. and Eleanor Dalsin, has its 135,000-sq.-ft. head- quarters and manufacturing facilities in Bloomington, MN, where it process- es various coiled and sheet materials. Over time, Dalsin Industries has weath- ered industry and customer change by entering new markets for its value- added products and contract-manu- facturing services, and added progres- sive-die metal stamping as a core competency.
One example of the company’s will-
Ties Everything Together for Multi-Plant Job Shop
Dalsin Industries leverages the power of a new ERP system to ensure that quality product is profitably delivered on time to its customers.
BY LOUIS A. KREN, SENIOR EDITOR
ingness to adapt to change occurred in 2013, when it opened an 85,000-sq.- ft. stamping and fabricating operation in Phoenix, AZ, to respond to customer needs for additional regional support and added capacity. The tricky part is getting the laser cutters, punching machines, stamping presses, robotic welders, bending machines, finishing equipment and automated material- handling systems to work in concert and deliver quality products to cus- tomers on time—and profitably. That’s where its ERP system comes in.
“In our industry it is critical that we know what the costs are for each job, and we want to make sure that we are charging a customer a fair price,” explains Jeff Dalsin, IT business analyst for Dalsin Industries. “We need to know how were are doing on a job, operation by operation, and then on the whole job, and materials con- sumed as well.”
42 MetalForming/September 2017
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