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Roll-Kraft Talks to 8th Graders on Engineering Careers
Roll-Kraft and the Auburn Career Center recently joined forces to meet with students in the Madison, OH. school system to provide a look at the field of engineering. The event was part of Career Day at the middle school and provided 8th grade students with information on a wide range of career choices and applicable courses available at the nearby Auburn Career Center.
Mr. Gary Summerhill, Engineering Manager for the Roll Form Tooling Department at Roll-Kraft, was a featured speaker. He presented the students with a brief introduction to various 2D and 3D engineering software, explaining how and where the software was used, and showed some of the products that were produced using engineering drawings.
Career planning is an important part of a student’s life and critical decisions are made during school years. Industry must always be mindful of the need to continually encourage and educate students in the areas of opportunity available in the field of manufacturing. Roll-Kraft plays an active part in the community by cultivating relationships and helping educational facilities design training programs to provide fundamental knowledge to students that will benefit industries in the area. This process works hand-in-hand to provide jobs to graduates and a potential employee, trained in the basics needed by the company.
About Roll-Kraft
Roll-Kraft is a leading provider of tooling and equipment to the tube & pipe and roll forming industry. With 47 years of experience in the field, the Roll-Kraft name is known worldwide for providing top-of-the-line products and customer service. The Roll-Kraft website with its innovative instant contact system, Dr. Resolve, provides a direct link to the company and has made concerns about time zones and office hours a thing of the past.
Roll-Kraft has its headquarters in Mentor, OH. and maintains offices in Frankfurt, IL. (Roll-Kraft Northern) and Woodbridge, ON. Canada (Roll-Kraft Ltd.).
Roll-Kraft Identifies Key Factors That Affect Scrap On Tube and Pipe Mills
Summary:
Roll-Kraft has identified the most frequent reasons that cause tube and pipe scrap issues when running tube and pipe mills. A few routine changes can avoid costly expenditures. Making good choices of materials and defining proper setups are just two of the basic considerations necessary to achieving good production. A complete list of solutions is available on the Roll-Kraft blog.
MENTOR, OH., March, 2010
Scrap issues cause frequent unwelcomed problems for all tube and pipe producers at one time or another. They can be costly and cause delays in production. Every effort should be employed to avoid scrap. That is why Roll-Kraft has developed a specific list of issues that should be avoided in order to improve quality and production. 
Appearing prominently on the list is the use of proper materials. Materials that are inconsistent chemically, have improper strip width-to-gauge tolerances, crown or camber problems, and perhaps inconsistent slit edge conditions will lead to difficulties. Producing a good tube and pipe product requires beginning with good material.
Scrap can also be caused by improper setups on the mill, A setup chart should always be used as a reference. This will provide assurance that the rolls are in the proper position. Documenting and repeating setup patterns will save time and give accuracy during future tooling changes.
Then, you must be sure the tooling is well designed and made of good quality material. This is not the place to cut costs and accept second best. It will only cost more in the long run.
It is very important to do periodic preventative maintenance to determine if the mill needs adjustment or tooling is worn. Mis-alignment and heavily worn tooling will cause problems. The benefits of doing preventative maintenance can far outweigh the replacement costs of time and materials to reproduce the bad production.
While it is ideal and often expected that every production run be as planned, taking a few extra steps to evaluate the situation can go a long way in preventing scrap and producing the best possible tube or pipe product.
The complete list of tips to avoid scrap can be downloaded and printed from the Roll-Kraft blog spot at the top of the company website. Also, there are many technical bulletins on the subject of tube and pipe production, which are available in the Profit Pointer section of the website. Customized solutions to these and other specific issues can be answered by contacting Roll-Kraft directly or choosing Dr. Resolve when visiting the website.
Roll-Kraft has its headquarters in Mentor, Ohio, and maintains offices in Frankfurt, Illinois (Roll-Kraft Northern) and Woodbridge, Ontario, Canada (Roll-Kraft Ltd.). The phone number is (440) 205-3100, and fax is (440) 205-3110. More information about Roll-Kraft products and services is available on the website, www.roll-kraft.com.
Tube & Pipe and Roll Forming Companies Get Technical Answers and Training Tips from Dr. Resolve
Summary:
Tube, pipe, and roll forming producers looking for an immediate response to technical questions or training ideas have been using Dr. Resolve. Roll-Kraft designed Dr. Resolve in response to the increase in demand by the tube, pipe, and roll forming producers for quick answers. Contacting Roll-Kraft and Dr. Resolve, you get 24/7 responses about anything from basic setup to complex project questions, such as how to reduce scrap by 20%.
MENTOR, OH., March, 2010
Dr. Resolve is a winner! Roll-Kraft’s website feature is getting ever more traffic from the interactive connection. Inquiries, problems, and questions are immediately sent to the company by completing an on-line form. Just click on Dr. Resolve, send your problem to Roll-Kraft, and know that help is on the way. Top experts will respond 24/7, such as Robert Sladky (V.P. of Tube Mill Engineering and past recipient of the TPA Industry Education Activities Award) on subjects regarding welded tube and pipe equipment, and Chuck Summerhill (V.P. of U.S. Operations) on issues regarding roll forming machines. There are over a dozen technical staff available to respond. “Dr. Resolve is the best way to get technical answers to our customers immediately,” said Chuck Gehrisch, President of Roll-Kraft. 
The Roll-Kraft website also provides other technical information, including Profit Pointers, which are readily available for printing. Subjects include topics such as mill setups, tooling management and maintenance programs, improving changeover times, and many others.
In addition, Roll-Kraft technicians are available to provide on-site troubleshooting, mill evaluations, mill alignments, and various seminars. There are testimonials on the website from many customers.
Roll-Kraft is a leading provider of tooling, equipment, and services to the tube and pipe and roll forming industry. Customers in more than 50 countries identify Roll-Kraft as a reliable source of high quality products and programs. This is, in part, identifiable by the well-earned ISO quality management certification program, now rated as ISO 9001:2000 With Design, which has been in place for more than a decade. This certification is a critical indication that Roll-Kraft is focused on maintaining the necessary systems that will aid in achieving the company’s high standards.
About Roll-Kraft
Roll-Kraft has its headquarters in Mentor, Ohio, and maintains offices in Frankfurt, Illinois (Roll-Kraft Northern) and Woodbridge, Ontario, Canada (Roll-Kraft Ltd.). The headquarters facility can be reached by phone at (440) 205-3100, or fax at (440) 205-3110. More information about Roll-Kraft products and services is available on the website, www.roll-kraft.com.
Roll-Kraft & Fredon Join Forces
Roll-Kraft & Fredon Join Forces
FOR IMMEDIATE PUBLICATION
For more information,
Contact: Chuck Gehrisch
Phone: 888-953-9400
Summary:
Representatives from Roll-Kraft and Fredon Corporation recently met with a group of northeast Ohio participants to discuss and evaluate the manufacturing future in the area.
MENTOR, OH, January, 2010
Skilled and unskilled workers from nearby counties attended a recent meeting with local business leaders to discuss the future of manufacturing and the skills involved to be competitive in the industry.
The meeting featured speakers, Roger Sustar, CEO of Fredon Corporation, and Chuck Summerhill, Vice President of Operations from Roll-Kraft. Both have successful ISO 9001:2000 Certified manufacturing companies in Lake County (Mentor), OH. Each offered a brief introduction and descriptions of the various skill sets needed in all areas of their businesses, such as sales, engineering, and computer-controlled machining.
Roger Sustar Leads Discussion of Manufacturing’s Future
The main message presented was that northeastern Ohio manufacturers and American companies, in general, must continue to lower their operational and production costs in order to compete in the global marketplace. Since labor costs, in general, are substantially higher than in many other markets, manufacturers must rely on high-tech solutions and continued process improvements to lower their costs. A spirited question and answer session followed the presentations.
Northeast Ohio has been struggling in recent years to maintain its manufacturing base and the needed qualified personnel. Some companies have developed educational programs and provided advice in designing curriculum to aid students in the skills needed by local businesses. This partnership has been a continuing benefit to the community.
Both Roll-Kraft and Fredon will continue to research various methods to improve production and lower costs, in the on-going effort to be competitive with other companies around the world.
About Roll-Kraft
Roll-Kraft is a leading provider of services, tooling, and equipment to the tube and pipe and roll forming industry. Participation and reliance on the well-earned ISO 9001:2000 quality management certification program has helped customers in more than 50 countries identify Roll-Kraft as a reliable source of high quality products and programs.
Roll-Kraft has its headquarters in Mentor, Ohio, and maintains offices in Frankfurt, Illinois (Roll-Kraft Northern) and Woodbridge, Ontario, Canada (Roll-Kraft Ltd.). The headquarters facility can be reached by phone at (440) 205-3100, or fax at (440) 205-3110.
Roll-Kraft Names Mike Samplak as Plant Manager
Roll-Kraft is pleased to announce the appointment of Mr. Mike Samplak to the position of Plant Manager at its headquarters facility in Mentor, OH.
Roll-Kraft names Frank Lowery as Vice President of Roll Form Applications
Roll-Kraft is pleased to announce the appointment of Frank Lowery to Vice President of Roll Form Applications.
Kevin Gehrisch Becomes President of Roll-Kraft Companies
Roll-Kraft is pleased to announce the appointment of Kevin Gehrisch to the position of President.