2020 Airbus D2P Challenger Status awarded to ETG Spincraft WI

June 2020: Engineering Technologies Group recently was notified that Spincraft WI is one of 12 worldwide suppliers to achieve ‘Challenger’ Status in the Airbus 2020 Detail Parts Partnership (D2P) program. This prestigious award is issued across all divisions of Airbus and is second only to the D2P Global Supplier status issued to nine suppliers this year.

Spincraft WI has supplied Lipskins to the Airbus A320 program for three years from its second New Berlin plant built in 2016. ETG parent, Standex International, invested in the facility which specializes in 100% flow-line manufacturing for thingauge aluminum forming.

“ETG Management and the WI team are very honored to have achieved this award,” commented ETG VP Sales & Marketing David Doucette. “We greatly value our successful partnership with Airbus and look forward to our ongoing Lipskin programs and future collaborations.”
More information will be shared as further details are provided.

 

Standex International Rings Closing Bell on New York Stock Exchange

Contact Us | Metal Forming Solutions | Standex ETG

Standex International (SXI) celebrated 50 consecutive years on the New York Stock Exchange by ringing the closing bell on October 30, 2019. Standex President David Dunbar shared the honor with management from SXI and several of its companies, including Engineering Technologies Group (ETG) President Len Paolillo. Through its Spincraft North America businesses, the ETG team has been a part of the Standex family throughout its tenure on the stock exchange, and proud to have contributed to Standex’s consistent success in meeting commitments to their customers, shareholders and employees. Paolillo shared his appreciation for Standex’s commitment to support ETG’s long term growth throughout the years with investments in technology driving the organic growth and inorganic growth as well via the acquisition of Spincraft UK (2010) and Enginetics (2014).
Congratulations to Standex International on this 50-year achievement!

First Recipient of Richard J Morganti Scholarship Announced

North Billerica MA

Standex ETG President Len Paolillo shared the following update on the scholarship established earlier this year in honor of ETG employee and dear friend, Rich Morganti.

Images below show Jacob Conley, the first recipient of the Richard J. Morganti Scholarship. Jacob is a freshman (4/C) majoring in Marine Engineering at Rich’s Alma Mater, the Massachusetts Maritime Academy. Jacob is pictured with Rear Admiral McDonald, current President of the Academy and former fellow classmate of Rich.

Paolillo expressed his appreciation to “all our ETG teammates as well as the many others who were kind enough to contribute to this scholarship in Rich’s memory. We wish Jacob well in his academic pursuits at the Academy.”

Boeing’s CST-100 Starliner Capsule: Spincraft-supplied bulkhead domes

Boeing and NASA continue their drive to send US Astronauts to space. Fox News toured Florida’s Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral to see firsthand the impressive CST-100 Starliner Capsule. Link to Fox release: Fox Business

Boeing is planning a September 2019 launch of an empty capsule, with a crewed launch targeted by the end of 2019. This will be first mission launching Astronauts to the International Space Station from US soil since the end of the Space Shuttle program in 2011
The crew capsule structure (forward and aft bulkhead domes) are manufactured by Spincraft’s North Billerica MA facility. The capsule will launch on a United Launch Alliance (ULA) Atlas IV rocket. Spincraft supplies domes to several ULA Space programs; each Atlas IV uses 4 fuel tank domes also manufactured in the MA plant.

In Memoriam: Rich Morganti

In Memoriam: Rich Morganti

VP Advanced Engineering and Technology

Standex Engineering Technologies Group (ETG)

Rich Morganti, our esteemed colleague, mentor and long-time friend, passed on April 1, 2019. Rich’s impressive career with Spincraft began 31 years ago, and he successfully held many different roles within the organization.

Rich began his career as the Quality Manager at Spincraft MA, then he moved to Manufacturing Manager, Purchasing Manager, and Engineering Manager. Rich was given these various roles, because at each step along the way he had successfully fulfilled the requirements and improved the area he had responsibility over. Rich continued to take on larger responsibilities, moving into leadership and entrepreneurial functions as Standex ETG Technical Leader. He ultimately held the position of VP Advanced Engineering & Technology. In working with Business Development, Engineering and our Strategic Customers, Rich developed solutions that were instrumental in ETG’s profitable growth. Collaborating across the groups various disciplines and under his Technical Leadership the groups sales grew from $7M to FY19’s $90M.

Rich helped develop and patent processes for spin forming in support of the space market, an integral part of ETG portfolio. Rich’s engineering and technical expertise helped support developments ranging from forming Fuel Tank Domes to milling Launch Vehicle Crew Capsules, to spin forming solutions of various aviation components. No one was more passionate in championing our customers and the business.

To honor Rich’s memory, a scholarship has been established in his name at his Alma Mater – Mass Maritime Academy. Rich often expressed that his experiences at sea as a merchant marine helped mold his “can do” attitude and approach to tackle and solve what were thought to be insurmountable engineering challenges. (see details below regarding Rich’s scholarship if interested in donating in his name)
All of us at Standex ETG and the larger Standex International will greatly miss Rich, and we extend our deepest sympathy to his family.

“Rich we will miss you bud every day, but your impact within the business and with our customers will carry forward.”
Len Paolillo President Standex ETG

Donations for Rich’s scholarship may be mailed to the Academy or made online. Donations sent through the mail should be sent to the Advancement Office at the address listed below; please include “Richard J. Morganti ’82 Scholarship” on or with the check.

For online donations, please visit the following link https://www.maritime.edu/give; in the “Designation” section, please choose “Richard J. Morganti ’82 Scholarship” from the dropdown menu.

Mailing Address for Donations:
Massachusetts Maritime Academy Advancement Office 101 Academy Drive Buzzards Bay, MA 02532

Spincraft UK: Better Health at Work, Bronze Award 2018

Sept 2018, Spincraft Newcastle-upon-Tyne, UK: ETG’s Spincraft facility proudly achieved Bronze Status from the UK based ‘Better Health at Work’ (BHAW) program in Sept 2018. The award required an in-depth assessment of Spincraft’s compliance to a set of 10 Criterion set forth by the organization.

This journey began in April 2017, with Spincraft UK assigning 3 employees for Health Advocate Training. These Spincraft employees came from HR, Sales and workforce departments; and would become the driving force behind the program and responsible for communications with BHAW. The Health Advocates were responsible for internal communications, implementation and execution of the various programs, as well as gathering and recording supporting evidence of compliance.

Spincraft’s commitment to the Better Health at Work program involved the following: 1. Run three health events in 2018 2. Promote mental health and wellbeing. 3. Raise awareness of risky alcohol and drug use. 4. Ensure employees are aware of dietary issues and promote healthy food choices. 5. Enforce smoke free legislation. 6. Analyze sickness absence trends. 7. Evaluate employee welfare facilities. 8. Ensure ongoing communication on wellbeing issues. 9. Be audited on progress toward the bronze award.

Spincraft ran several campaigns throughout the year to focus on various wellness topics. Actions ranged from simple awareness activities such as posters and brochure distribution, to holding company events complete with speakers from various health professions. Of the many actions over the year, Spincraft Health Advocates felt the most significant based on company involvement and feedback were the following:

• Stress and Mental Health: A presentation from Sally Allen Trust featured a speaker discussing the importance of mental wellbeing. Topics covered recognizing signs of stress and depression, the serious potential results if symptoms are not treated, and small but effective steps we can all take to combat these illnesses. The presentation included a poignant introduction from Gordon Allen, Sally’s widow, who touched upon the impact to the families of those suffering from stress and depression.

• Health MOT: Employees were invited to attend an on-site appointment with a nurse for a general health review. This included a check on height, weight, blood pressure and cholesterol, as well as additional age-appropriate checks for those over 45 years.

• Alcohol and Drug Awareness: Employees in small groups attended a workshop which highlighted how alcohol can impair your senses. Each attendant had the opportunity to wear ‘beer googles’ which re-created the effects of alcohol on your vision, and then took part in a simple exercise whilst wearing the googles.

• Musculoskeletal: Spincraft reached out to local Physiotherapist, Matt Denby of Embrace Physiotherapy, who provided a presentation and workshop. Matt demonstrated various exercises that could be done at work and/or at home to help prevent various musculoskeletal disorders.

Other campaigns included Healthy Eating and Weight Management, Physical Activity, Stop Smoking, Hydration, and Cancer awareness.

Congratulations to Spincraft Health Advocates Ricky Forsyth, Ni Hazard, and Kingsley ‘Chic’ Irving for a job well done. And to Spincraft UK employees for supporting and embracing Better Health at Work. Plans are underway for 2019 programs as Spincraft’s next goal will be the Silver Award.

Spincraft UK Health Advocates and several employees are shown with the Better Health at Work Bronze Award.

Spincraft WI: Employee Safety Focus

New Berlin, WI: With Employee safety a foremost priority throughout the Standex businesses, Spincraft WI plant made strides in 2018 with robust and effective expansions to their existing Safety Programs. Workers attended clinics throughout the year for training in specific areas such as Crane & Lifting, Hearing Conservation, and Proper Lifting. Other classes covered safety measures relating to Forklift Operations, Fire, Ladder & Work-surfaces training, and more.
Daily GEMBA walks lead to process improvements and ensure that safety remains a focus throughout the manufacturing stages of a given program or work center. The plant has also implemented several Hazard Assessment Audits that will be performed on a yearly basis.
Spincraft management hosted a luncheon for the Commerce Drive facility workers honoring a year with no lost time due to injuries. The facility reached 544 days and reported a 65% decrease in injury rate from November 2017 to Nov 2018. Members of Spincraft WI ‘Safety Squad’ shown in photo below:

T. KENT PUGMIRE, RECIPIENT OF 2018 WYLD ROCKET PROPULSION AWARD

T. Kent Pugmire , Standex ETG Technical Representative, was recognized by the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) as ‘Rocket Scientist’ of the Year with his selection to receive the prestigious 2018 Wyld (Rocket) Propulsion Award.

The annual award honors ‘outstanding achievement in the development or application of rocket propulsion systems’ and is named after James Hart Wyld. Pugmire received the award on July 11, 2018 at the AIAA Propulsion and Energy Forum in Cincinnati, Ohio. The award citation reads: “For pioneering contributions to the design and development in-space propulsion systems including the creation of electro-thermal ammonia/hydrazine propulsion systems used in hundreds of spacecraft.”

The first spacecraft, Sputnik 1 (Dec 1959) and Explorer 1 (Jan 1960) were placed in elliptical orbits with very limited life. Neither had in-space propulsion to control or change position. This quickly led to the development for in-space propulsion. Initially this was accomplished with containers of pressurized nitrogen or helium which had short life and low propulsive efficiency. Within 10 years liquid fueled propulsion was implemented on small, limited mass spacecraft which had only a few watts electric power for communication and instruments.

During this period, Kent Pugmire was developing very low thrust (~.000,001 pounds thrust) liquid fueled ammonia electro-thermal propulsion systems for NASA and the Naval Research Laboratory. These developments provided the first spacecraft based, operational Global Positioning System (GPS). Some ten years later Kent’s developments produced the first operational electric (several kilowatts power) propulsion spacecraft. Use of this electric propulsion extended operational life of communication, weather, DOD spacecraft about 35% over the standard chemical engines in use at that time. Some applications are continuing today (1980s – 2018).

“Another prestigious honor for a longtime friend and colleague,” said Standex ETG’s Rich Morganti, VP Advanced Engineering & Technology. “It is not surprising given Kent’s passion and dedication to the industry. For those of us who have had the opportunity and pleasure to work with Kent, we are very fortunate indeed.”

Pugmire has worked with Spincraft / Standex ETG for 20+ years as Technical Representative and Consultant to the Space Systems market. Members of the ETG team were on hand for the award, joining several of Pugmire’s family members and business associates.

Pugmire was previously recognized by AIAA, having been inducted to the AIAA Class of 2016 Fellows. AIAA Honorary Fellows and Fellows represent the best of the aerospace community. These individuals have advanced the state of the art of aerospace science and technology, making unique contributions to the profession.
AIAA is the largest aerospace professional society in the world, serving a diverse range of more than 30,000 individual members from 88 countries, and 95 corporate members.

AEROSPACE JAM 2018

Milwaukee WI: Oct 27, 2018:

Wisconsin Space Grant Consortium, Milwaukee Bucks, WI Economic Develop Corp (WEDC), and WI Aerospace Partners joined forces to host the second Aerospace Jam on Oct 27, 2018. This year’s event was held at the new Fiserv Forum in downtown Milwaukee.
Aerospace Jam was created to provide students an opportunity to learn more about Wisconsin’s aerospace industry and local businesses. The half-day event drew over 300 STEM students, ranging from middle school to college seniors.

Spincraft WI participated for the second year, welcoming the chance to speak with students about manufacturing at their New Berlin facilities. Spincraft Engineering Manager, Jeff Dudzik, fielded questions ranging from the very basic to highly complex, with subjects covering Spincraft processes, technologies, products and applications. Dudzik found it refreshing and rewarding to connect with the enthusiastic students, stating it gave him a ‘new perspective and appreciation’ for the variety of interesting projects and development work Spincraft has been a part of for so many years.
Spincraft Engineering Intern Michael Mueller offered his insight to those students inquiring about intern duties, and HR Manager Jamie Martin spoke of various career opportunities within the plant.
Below: Mueller, Martin and Dudzik at the Spincraft display, ready for Aerospace Jam to begin.

MILESTONE ANNIVERSARY – SPINCRAFT WI 100 YEARS!

New Berlin WI – MILESTONE ANNIVERSARY – SPINCRAFT WI 100 YEARS!

On September 13, 2018 Standex Engineering Technologies Group (ETG) celebrated a significant milestone with its New Berlin WI plant marking 100 years of service! A full century of proven success utilizing metal spinning and forming to solve customers’ manufacturing challenges. The anniversary luncheon event was attended by 75 New Berlin employees, retirees and ETG management. Spincraft was honored to have New Berlin Mayor David Ament attend the festivities which included an outdoor cookout along with a display of historical Spincraft documents, advertisements, and artifacts. In honor of the occasion, Mayor Ament presented Spincraft with an official proclamation, declaring September 13, 2018 ‘Spincraft Day’ in the city of New Berlin. (image l>r: Len Paolillo, President Standex ETG; Mike Koszarek, Spincraft WI Machinist; David Ament, Mayor New Berlin; Sara Esser, GM Spincraft WI)
ETG President Len Paolillo addressed the group, and emphasized it is the employees that have allowed Spincraft WI to be a viable business and solution provider to their customers for a century. Their skills, effort, and team dedication to “always get the job done, and get it done right” is what allowed Spincraft WI to move forward in both good and challenging times, and what continues to enable the business to transform itself in preparation for a bright future. Machinist Mike Koszarek with an impressive 43-year career at Spincraft, also addressed the group sharing his experience in growth and innovative developments over the years. (photos below l>r: Len Paolillo,
Mayor David Ament reading Spincraft Proclamation, Mike Koszarek speaking to the group, employees enjoying anniversary luncheon)

The company started in 1918 as Milwaukee Metal Spinning Company, although it was better known as Spincraft. Located in Milwaukee, the plant originally produced consumer products including cookware and stemware, Christmas tree stands, pet food bowls, and even bug traps. These early successes helped lay the groundwork for the company to expand its engineering and manufacturing capabilities, eventually making itself known for its role in the development and growth of the overall US metal spinning industry. Theodore J. Salow Jr and his wife Klementine are credited for their early foresight into expanding metal spinning as a viable manufacturing process across many markets. (photos below: earlier Milwaukee Metal Spinning building, early Spincraft building, current Spincraft New Berlin factory on Commerce Street, ETG’s newest facility – the Spincraft New Berlin plant located on Beloit Road)

‘Firsts’ were not uncommon at Spincraft; Stainless Steel, Nickel, Magnesium and most of the modern hard alloys were first spun by Milwaukee Metal Spinning Company spinners. In the mid-late 1900’s Spincraft was heavily involved in the Defense and Energy markets. Fast forward to 2018, and ETG’s newest facility – a second WI plant in New Berlin – has been in operation for two years. This state-of-the-art plant features 100% flow-line manufacturing for thin-gauge aluminum forming primarily for the Aircraft / Aviation market. (photo below: group shot of New Berlin employees, retirees, and management following the Anniversary luncheon)

Spincraft was acquired in 1971 by Standex International Corporation and is now a part of the Standex Engineering Technologies Group (ETG). Additional Spincraft facilities are in Boston MA, and Newcastle UK. The final Group member, Enginetics, is based in Huber Heights, OH.

About Standex
Standex International Corporation is a multi-industry manufacturer in five broad business segments: Food Service Equipment, Engraving, Engineering Technologies, Electronics, and Hydraulics with operations in the United States, Europe, Canada, Japan, Australia, Singapore, Mexico, Brazil, Argentina, Turkey, South Africa, India and China. For additional information, visit the Company’s website at http://standex.com/.