The Oklahoma Manufacturing Alliance is a great partner for small companies like Heavybilt who have limited resources for technical advice and advanced manufacturing concepts.
Watson met with Cody as well as General Manager Waylon McKinney and other key leaders. The group discussed expanded production needs, process flows and the technology necessary to handle additional product lines. Watson brought in Rajesh Krishnamurthy, an applications engineer with the Oklahoma Manufacturing Alliance. Krishnamurthy studied the necessary requirements and recommended purchase of new equipment, including a knuckleboom crane that he customized to fit HMI’s new production lines.
With new capabilities in place, the factory’s overall production flow was optimized with much of the work done virtually by Krishnamurthy. It allowed the leadership team to try various layouts without moving large pieces of equipment. The various schemes permitted Watson and Krishnamurthy to seamlessly integrated advanced manufacturing tools and concepts. Further, Watson developed employee training programs to ensure equipment was operated efficiently and safely.
Thanks to Watson and continuous innovation, HMI is now able to identify emerging markets and position the company to meet those requests in a cost-effective manner. “We continue to expand in areas where the competition has yet to recognize the coming need," Cody says.