Rock LaManna07.21.15
“We’re not afraid of initial failures.” It’s a mantra you rarely hear from a company. But at Delta ModTech, these failures are an indication of a much bigger picture: Taking risks. It’s the platform on which this converting equipment manufacturer grew, and what continues to drive the company today.
Delta ModTech Founder and President Dave Schiebout is used to hearing people tell him what he can’t do. Back in the 1970s he began retrofitting old manually-operated CNC presses and mills with servo motors to make them programmable.
Several years later, he took the same approach with a narrow web converting machine. The idea was that these servo motors would control the entire process – unwinding/rewinding, tension, registration and everything else that traditionally required manual adjustments.
“This was new,” Marketing Associate David Grenwis says. “A lot of people told him it just wouldn’t work for a web converting machine. They trusted mechanical drive systems and were content with the old technology.”
But Dave wasn’t content with the status quo, and saw that mechanical drive systems were riddled with problems. Changing their speed meant having to adjust numerous gears, pulleys and belts, making timely mechanical changes tough to complete.
Programmable servo motors would change all of that. Since they’re built with many individual motors, as opposed to just one, their position could be altered at the click of a button. Want to run higher tension, or adjust die position? Just type it into the computer.
“At the time, that was really innovative thinking,” Grenwis says. “Now, everybody uses servo motors, but it took 15 to 20 years for the concept to catch on.”
Fast-forward to today, and servo motors are an industry standard in the converting world. So how do they remain competitive? The answer, according to Grenwis, is to keep doing what they’ve always done: Innovating, taking risks and focusing on service.
Competing against bigger players
A company can’t depend on “being the first” to drive their success forever. You need to constantly come up with fresh ideas, and find ways to stay different. In essence, you need an edge. Here are three ways Delta ModTech has found theirs:
1. Staying ahead of the curve – Being the pioneer of servos doesn’t guarantee anything for Delta ModTech’s future. However, it does mean they know what it takes to set the pace.
“We’ve been using servos for converting since the beginning,” Grenwis says. “Now, we’re constantly manufacturing newer, better products to make the machines run more accurately.”
One of these advancements includes using servos to allow manufacturing processes that require intermittent motion, to run continuously. This includes products that use semi-rotary cutting, stamping, punching and embossing.
“This allows other parts of the process – like laminating, printing or coating – to run in one pass, on the same machine,” he says. “That can save a manufacturer a lot of time in production.”
Grenwis explains that advancements like these fit snugly with the converting industry’s current direction. Manufacturing used to be all about quantity – how much product a company could generate. But now it’s about efficiency and quality. This is especially important for highly-regulated industries, like pharmaceutical companies. Not only are their materials extremely expensive, FDA regulations require them to be precise.
Consider dissolvable film strips for instance. Each strip must be cut with extreme precision to deliver the correct dosage.
Our designs and our machines allow us to have tight tolerances,” Grenwis adds. “We can provide more accurate parts just based off our control.”
2. Embracing risk – Many companies might preach their willingness to take risks, but at Delta ModTech, it’s integrated into the company’s culture.
Grenwis says each new engineer is mentored by a senior member of their department throughout their tenure. But mentoring isn’t about providing a safety net. It’s about teaching employees to take risks in their designs to find new or better ways to solve problems.
“When taking risks, failure is inevitable,” he says. “But through collaboration and teamwork, new concepts are developed, designed and tested. Fostering each engineer throughout this process and giving them the freedom to fail allows the opportunity to think differently. It’s a natural process that allows our engineers to learn in an environment that reduces risk and promotes creativity. These risks are never seen by our customers, but finding them and flushing them out gives us confidence that we’ve provided the best solution. ”
3. Focusing on service – An issue with a customer’s machine can bring production to a standstill. That’s why Grenwis emphasizes how Delta ModTech makes servicing a top priority next to innovation.
He refers to Delta ModTech as a “flat-managed” company, primarily comprised of engineers. That means most of the staff is technically trained, and is able to adequately answer any questions a customer may have to keep them up and running.
“We respond to all service needs immediately,” Grenwis says. “You get a real person on the phone, who directs you to a service coordinator. Our engineers are instructed to drop everything if a customer is in need of service.”
The majority of issues, according to Grenwis, revolve around how a customer sets up a new process. Customers often use their machines for manufacturing multiple products, and therefore need to adjust their settings accordingly.
elta ModTech is equipped to support customers’ new process development. If a customer’s machine is connected to the internet, a service person can connect to it via screen share software and help the operator find and fix their problem.
On the rare occasion they’re unable to solve an issue remotely, Delta ModTech can often fly a service representative out to help the next day.
“Our customers need to have their equipment up and running in order to remain competitive and profitable,” Grenwis says.
Shaping the future with modules and lasers
Looking at Delta ModTech today – and peeking into its past – it isn’t especially difficult to predict that innovation will continue to drive the company’s future. But what will be the next big breakthrough? What will allow them to continue finding new ways of doing old things?
According to Grenwis, the answer could be lasers. They’ve already been testing that front by integrating lasers into their diecutting machines, and the results have been promising. Simply import a drawing into a computer, then a laser cuts out that shape. It’s a quicker, more precise method of diecutting than ever before.
“There’s a lot that can be done with lasers,” Grenwis adds. “They’re seen as a new technology in web converting, but they fit in well with what we’re already doing.”
Lasers aren’t brand new to the converting industry though. They’ve been around for several years, but in many ways, they’ve been limited. Once a laser is mounted to a machine, for instance, it’s stuck in that location.
Delta ModTech sought to increase lasers’ applicability by mounting a laser on a robotic arm that can move freely. If someone needs to make a product using the laser, the arm can position the laser wherever it’s needed. These lasers are just some of the many Delta ModTech modules. ModTech is short for modular technology.
Their experience building solutions in many industries also means that when a customer has a new challenge, they often already have a fix. Delta ModTech has hundreds of modules that can be added to existing machines to help customers adapt to new products, industries and technologies.
“We have many different modules that can add part placement, sealing, inspection, etc. and can be rearranged,” Grenwis says. “We’re constantly building on our modules that we’ve developed over the years.”
With these modules, Delta ModTech doesn’t need to reinvent the wheel every time someone needs a new machine. A majority of the design is already complete. They just need to focus on the application of the technology – the high-risk part, where they excel.
“That’s the direction we’re going,” Grenwis says. “More flexible, more efficient converting.”
Rock LaManna, President and CEO of LaManna Alliance, helps printing owners and CEOs use their company financials to prioritize and choose the proper strategic path. He can be reached by email at Rock@RockLaManna.com.
Delta ModTech Founder and President Dave Schiebout is used to hearing people tell him what he can’t do. Back in the 1970s he began retrofitting old manually-operated CNC presses and mills with servo motors to make them programmable.
Several years later, he took the same approach with a narrow web converting machine. The idea was that these servo motors would control the entire process – unwinding/rewinding, tension, registration and everything else that traditionally required manual adjustments.
“This was new,” Marketing Associate David Grenwis says. “A lot of people told him it just wouldn’t work for a web converting machine. They trusted mechanical drive systems and were content with the old technology.”
But Dave wasn’t content with the status quo, and saw that mechanical drive systems were riddled with problems. Changing their speed meant having to adjust numerous gears, pulleys and belts, making timely mechanical changes tough to complete.
Programmable servo motors would change all of that. Since they’re built with many individual motors, as opposed to just one, their position could be altered at the click of a button. Want to run higher tension, or adjust die position? Just type it into the computer.
“At the time, that was really innovative thinking,” Grenwis says. “Now, everybody uses servo motors, but it took 15 to 20 years for the concept to catch on.”
Fast-forward to today, and servo motors are an industry standard in the converting world. So how do they remain competitive? The answer, according to Grenwis, is to keep doing what they’ve always done: Innovating, taking risks and focusing on service.
Competing against bigger players
A company can’t depend on “being the first” to drive their success forever. You need to constantly come up with fresh ideas, and find ways to stay different. In essence, you need an edge. Here are three ways Delta ModTech has found theirs:
1. Staying ahead of the curve – Being the pioneer of servos doesn’t guarantee anything for Delta ModTech’s future. However, it does mean they know what it takes to set the pace.
“We’ve been using servos for converting since the beginning,” Grenwis says. “Now, we’re constantly manufacturing newer, better products to make the machines run more accurately.”
One of these advancements includes using servos to allow manufacturing processes that require intermittent motion, to run continuously. This includes products that use semi-rotary cutting, stamping, punching and embossing.
“This allows other parts of the process – like laminating, printing or coating – to run in one pass, on the same machine,” he says. “That can save a manufacturer a lot of time in production.”
Grenwis explains that advancements like these fit snugly with the converting industry’s current direction. Manufacturing used to be all about quantity – how much product a company could generate. But now it’s about efficiency and quality. This is especially important for highly-regulated industries, like pharmaceutical companies. Not only are their materials extremely expensive, FDA regulations require them to be precise.
Consider dissolvable film strips for instance. Each strip must be cut with extreme precision to deliver the correct dosage.
Our designs and our machines allow us to have tight tolerances,” Grenwis adds. “We can provide more accurate parts just based off our control.”
2. Embracing risk – Many companies might preach their willingness to take risks, but at Delta ModTech, it’s integrated into the company’s culture.
Grenwis says each new engineer is mentored by a senior member of their department throughout their tenure. But mentoring isn’t about providing a safety net. It’s about teaching employees to take risks in their designs to find new or better ways to solve problems.
“When taking risks, failure is inevitable,” he says. “But through collaboration and teamwork, new concepts are developed, designed and tested. Fostering each engineer throughout this process and giving them the freedom to fail allows the opportunity to think differently. It’s a natural process that allows our engineers to learn in an environment that reduces risk and promotes creativity. These risks are never seen by our customers, but finding them and flushing them out gives us confidence that we’ve provided the best solution. ”
3. Focusing on service – An issue with a customer’s machine can bring production to a standstill. That’s why Grenwis emphasizes how Delta ModTech makes servicing a top priority next to innovation.
He refers to Delta ModTech as a “flat-managed” company, primarily comprised of engineers. That means most of the staff is technically trained, and is able to adequately answer any questions a customer may have to keep them up and running.
“We respond to all service needs immediately,” Grenwis says. “You get a real person on the phone, who directs you to a service coordinator. Our engineers are instructed to drop everything if a customer is in need of service.”
The majority of issues, according to Grenwis, revolve around how a customer sets up a new process. Customers often use their machines for manufacturing multiple products, and therefore need to adjust their settings accordingly.
elta ModTech is equipped to support customers’ new process development. If a customer’s machine is connected to the internet, a service person can connect to it via screen share software and help the operator find and fix their problem.
On the rare occasion they’re unable to solve an issue remotely, Delta ModTech can often fly a service representative out to help the next day.
“Our customers need to have their equipment up and running in order to remain competitive and profitable,” Grenwis says.
Shaping the future with modules and lasers
Looking at Delta ModTech today – and peeking into its past – it isn’t especially difficult to predict that innovation will continue to drive the company’s future. But what will be the next big breakthrough? What will allow them to continue finding new ways of doing old things?
According to Grenwis, the answer could be lasers. They’ve already been testing that front by integrating lasers into their diecutting machines, and the results have been promising. Simply import a drawing into a computer, then a laser cuts out that shape. It’s a quicker, more precise method of diecutting than ever before.
“There’s a lot that can be done with lasers,” Grenwis adds. “They’re seen as a new technology in web converting, but they fit in well with what we’re already doing.”
Lasers aren’t brand new to the converting industry though. They’ve been around for several years, but in many ways, they’ve been limited. Once a laser is mounted to a machine, for instance, it’s stuck in that location.
Delta ModTech sought to increase lasers’ applicability by mounting a laser on a robotic arm that can move freely. If someone needs to make a product using the laser, the arm can position the laser wherever it’s needed. These lasers are just some of the many Delta ModTech modules. ModTech is short for modular technology.
Their experience building solutions in many industries also means that when a customer has a new challenge, they often already have a fix. Delta ModTech has hundreds of modules that can be added to existing machines to help customers adapt to new products, industries and technologies.
“We have many different modules that can add part placement, sealing, inspection, etc. and can be rearranged,” Grenwis says. “We’re constantly building on our modules that we’ve developed over the years.”
With these modules, Delta ModTech doesn’t need to reinvent the wheel every time someone needs a new machine. A majority of the design is already complete. They just need to focus on the application of the technology – the high-risk part, where they excel.
“That’s the direction we’re going,” Grenwis says. “More flexible, more efficient converting.”
Rock LaManna, President and CEO of LaManna Alliance, helps printing owners and CEOs use their company financials to prioritize and choose the proper strategic path. He can be reached by email at Rock@RockLaManna.com.