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Upgrades and Innovations at A.W. Mercer Precision Sheet Metal Design Services
Saturday, September 17, 2011
Boyertown, PA (September 2011) A.W Mercer - providing sheet metal design services, tubular steel fabrications, AWS welding and inspection services and more since 1926 - understands that the key to survival in a complex global economy is to constantly strive to improve its service levels for its customers. Customers need quality parts, competitive prices, quick turnaround times, and small batch sizes. Customers are unwilling to sacrifice any of these metrics and it is because of this, that Mercer’s customer centric approach to metal fabrication has steered investment toward personnel and equipment that can help it attain these goals on an each and every day basis.
Our Engineering Services have been enhanced as a result of an upgrade to SolidWorks Professional. This has increased our capabilities in dynamic part fixturing and in maintaining tight tolerances over large areas of structural steel, tubular steel and sheet metal fabrications. New CAM software makes the transfer of a part file .DXF to part more streamlined. An integral part of our customer interaction is our sheet metal design services. This service is a collaborative effort that helps the customer prove out designs prior to production. Our proven processes result in the quick delivery of custom sheet metal products.
A.W. Mercer has added new equipment which allows us to move products through the shop faster. A newly established weld and assembly cell with a dedicated overhead crane system allows for the efficient manipulation of large fabrications. This production cell is equipped with Bluco fixturing tables which allow Mercer to restrain fabrications as large as wide as 72” and as long as 240”, while maintaining the tightest tolerances in our industry. The flexibility of the fixturing tooling reduces set-up time, the transition from one job to the next, and eliminates the expense associated with dedicated weld fixtures. Two Aerospace and Military Resistance Spot Welders have been added to allow Mercer to resistance weld aluminum and stainless steel up to 3/16” total metal thickness. Previously metal of this thickness would have to be arc welded. The addition of the resistance welders result in lower costs and faster turnaround times for our customers.
A.W. Mercer’s 24 hour per day five days per week production schedule affords Mercer to stay ahead of its customers’ demands. Mercer develops custom Kan-Ban or pull inventory control systems for its customers that help customers reduce inventory, improve cash flow, and increase productivity. In addition, the company offers a full service menu of manufacturing and finishing options including in-house powder coating, advanced metal bending, laser cutting solutions and a flexible customer driven integrated manufacturing and assembly service.
In today’s economy, employees are asked to perform multiple tasks and Mercer’s full service production facility allows its customers to reduce the number of purchase orders it generates and simplify the often complex coordination of vendor services. Mercer now employs a full-time Certified Weld Inspector (CWI) who can provide AWS inspection services. If a customer’s product requires certification to an AWS standard, Mercer can provide this service as part of its production lead time saving its customers time and money. Furthermore, weld procedures with our welders to qualify them to MIG and TIG weld on all types of materials including stainless steel and aluminum of varying thickness. We currently have 13 AWS qualified welders covering all production shifts. Our CWI’s expertise is also beneficial because he can assist our customers in determining the most economical method in which to weld their parts in accordance with the part’s fit and function. Coupled with a customer driven quality process, A.W. Mercer is an excellent partner in the complex world of today’s manufacturing requirements and can provide metal fabrication solutions to a diverse group of customers across many industries.
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