Subscribe To Roll-Kraft
Receive the latest news from Roll-Kraft.
MENTOR, Ohio - January, 2015
Roll-Kraft has recently implemented Lean processes to eliminate common delays that hold up production. Many manufacturing procedures have been scrutinized, re-organized, and some operations have been relocated within the building, for better flow of the product through the factory. Using Six Sigma techniques, each step of the process has been reviewed and non-essential operations removed. These changes have resulted in a more streamlined path and shortened lead times, allowing Roll-Kraft to strengthen the commitment to ensuring on-time deliveries to meet customer requirements, as well as maintaining the exceptional goal of first-time performance.
Roll-Kraft has consistently been a leading manufacturer of roll tooling for the tube and pipe industry. Lean processes, led by Lean Manager Kevin Hartman, who joined the team in 2013, have been important to the company’s goal, as improvements continue to be implemented at Roll-Kraft.
Lean process improvements implemented within the past year include:
Roll-Kraft has its headquarters in Mentor, Ohio, and maintains other facilities in Frankfort, Illinois (Roll-Kraft Northern), and Ontario, Canada (Roll-Kraft Ltd.). Calls to the company‘s main line, (888) 953-9400 or (440) 205-3100, are greeted by a live operator who can assist callers in quickly reaching a technician, engineer, or sales staff, who can provide immediate assistance. The fax number is (440) 205-3110. Learn more about Roll-Kraft by visiting the website at roll-kraft.com. For easy and immediate contact with Roll-Kraft that transcends time zones and working hours, the website features Dr. Resolve. Simply complete and submit an on-line form and Roll-Kraft will respond.
MENTOR, OH - December, 2014
A new milling machine has been delivered and installed at Roll-Kraft Ltd. in Woodstock, Ontario, to produce roll tooling for the tube and pipe and roll forming industry. Along with up-to-date technology and many state-of-the-art upgrades, the new machine is also very user-friendly, with a digital touch display.
The new machine now allows manufacturing of rolls up to 39” in diameter. The increased horsepower doubles the previous output and is expected to aid in production efficiency.
Roll-Kraft has its headquarters in Mentor, Ohio, and maintains other facilities in Frankfort, Illinois (Roll-Kraft Northern), and Ontario, Canada (Roll-Kraft Ltd.). Calls to the company‘s main line, (888) 953-9400 or (440) 205-3100, are greeted by a live operator who can assist callers in quickly reaching a technician, engineer, or sales staff, who can provide immediate assistance. The fax number is (440) 205-3110. Learn more about Roll-Kraft by visiting the website at roll-kraft.com. For easy and immediate contact with Roll-Kraft that transcends time zones and working hours, the website features Dr. Resolve. Simply complete and submit an on-line form and Roll-Kraft will respond.
MENTOR, OH – November, 2014
As a part of the company’s ongoing commitment to Lean process for tube and pipe and roll forming tooling production, Roll-Kraft has installed the Fastenal Automated Supply Technology vending system at its Mentor headquarters. Fastenal’s industrial vending solutions provide point-of-use access to supplies, while generating detailed usage reporting to drive consumption reduction.
The new vending units allow Roll-Kraft to operate more efficiently and reduce its overall product waste. Typically, Fastenal customers are able to reduce their supply consumption by 25%-35% while increasing worker productivity to continually meet customer deliveries by making supplies available 24/7 in close proximity to the workers who need them.
The vending solution also adds several additional benefits to Roll-Kraft’s operation:
Roll-Kraft has its headquarters in Mentor, Ohio, and maintains other facilities in Frankfort, Illinois (Roll-Kraft Northern), and Ontario, Canada (Roll-Kraft Ltd.). The company provides roll tooling to the tube & pipe and roll forming industry. Calls to the company‘s main line, (888) 953-9400 or (440) 205-3100, are greeted by a live operator who can assist callers in quickly reaching a technician, engineer, or a member of the sales staff, who can provide immediate assistance. The fax number is (440) 205-3110. Learn more about Roll-Kraft by visiting the website at roll-kraft.com. For easy and immediate contact with Roll-Kraft that transcends time zones and working hours, the website features Dr. Resolve. Simply complete and submit an on-line form and Roll-Kraft will respond.
Roll-Kraft is pleased to announce additions to its primary management team.
Mr. James Racco, General Manager - Operations Excellence, is now heading the Roll-Kraft facility in Frankfort, Il., known as Roll-Kraft Northern. Mr. Racco comes to Roll-Kraft from Precision Metalsmiths in Cleveland, OH, where he was the President/General Manager for several years. His educational background includes the University of Akron and Florida Atlantic University. He has a BA in liberal arts and majored in accounting during his studies in business administration.
Mr. Kevin McCartney has joined Roll-Kraft as the IT Manager. He has 15 years of experience in the field and most recently was the IT Manager – Systems Engineer at Bass Security in Bedford Hts., OH., where he designed and developed the company’s IT infrastructure, including migration processes, and implemented various cost-saving programs. He was educated at the University of Akron and has various IT and supervisory certifications and professional affiliations.
Roll-Kraft has its headquarters in Mentor, Ohio, and maintains other facilities in Frankfort, Illinois (Roll-Kraft Northern), and Ontario, Canada (Roll-Kraft Ltd.). The company provides roll tooling to the tube & pipe and roll forming industry. Calls to the company‘s main line, (888) 953-9400 or (440) 205-3100, are greeted by a live operator who can assist callers in quickly reaching a technician, engineer, or a member of the sales staff, who can provide immediate assistance. The fax number is (440) 205-3110. Learn more about Roll-Kraft by visiting the website at roll-kraft.com. For easy and immediate contact with Roll-Kraft that transcends time zones and working hours, the website features Dr. Resolve. Simply complete and submit an on-line form and Roll-Kraft will respond.
Mentor, OH - August 2014
Roll-Kraft, a leading provider of tube and pipe and roll forming tooling and services, is taking another step in advancing its already industry-leading 97% “first-time tooling performance” with the introduction of its new roll form tooling setup package.
The setup package, which will accompany all new roll form tooling orders, includes all of the information a customer needs to get their new tooling up and running, the first time. The package includes:
Roll-Kraft’s customers are already seeing the results of the new setup package:
“Roll-Kraft analyzed their customers’ requirements on newly tooled projects and developed a thorough documented set-up process,” said American Roll Form (ARF) senior technical director of product development Randy Myers. “Roll-Kraft engineers started forwarding American Roll Form Products completed setup packages in early March of 2014. These packages have proven to be invaluable to ARF.
“Going forward, ARF will be utilizing these exclusively and appreciate all the time and effort that Roll-Kraft has put forth to offer this to their customers. It’s a great tool to add to the “Tool Box”!”
Learn more about the new roll form tooling setup package that accompanies all new roll forming tooling orders at roll-kraft.com.
Roll-Kraft has its headquarters in Mentor, Ohio, and maintains other facilities in Frankfort, Illinois (Roll-Kraft Northern), and Ontario, Canada (Roll-Kraft Ltd.). The company provides roll tooling to the tube & pipe and roll forming industry. Calls to the company‘s main line, (888) 953-9400 or (440) 205-3100, are greeted by a live operator who can assist callers in quickly reaching a technician, engineer, or sales staff, who can provide immediate assistance. The fax number is (440) 205-3110. Learn more about Roll-Kraft by visiting the website at roll-kraft.com. For easy and immediate contact with Roll-Kraft that transcends time zones and working hours, the website features Dr. Resolve. Simply complete and submit an on-line form and Roll-Kraft will respond.
Roll-Kraft, a leading provider of tube and pipe and roll forming tooling and services, has dedicated itself to providing customers with industry-leading on-time delivery and first-time performance. To highlight this commitment to its customers and employees, Roll-Kraft has upgraded its communication systems throughout its locations to bring up-to-the-minute key performance indicators to all its employees.
The data is deployed via 80” electronic data screens in various areas of its multiple facilities, including the shop floor, engineering department, and sales offices. These screens are constantly refreshed with updated information, such as daily shipping reports, status of all returned tooling, daily sales totals, new order notifications, and many more key performance indicators. In addition, the screens also welcome visitors to each of the facilities and communicate all company-wide announcements.
“On-time delivery and first-time performance are our customers’ top concerns, and it is important for all of our employees to know how we are progressing toward our goals in these areas,” said Roll-Kraft president Chuck Gehrisch. “In addition to sharing this real-time information with our employees, our customers will soon be able to view our key on-time delivery and first-time performance indicators 24/7 via roll-kraft.com.”
Roll-Kraft has its headquarters in Mentor, Ohio, and maintains other facilities in Frankfort, Illinois (Roll-Kraft Northern), and Ontario, Canada (Roll-Kraft Ltd.). The company provides roll tooling to the tube & pipe and roll forming industry. Calls to the company‘s main line, (888) 953-9400 or (440) 205-3100, are greeted by a live operator who can assist callers in quickly reaching a technician, engineer, or sales staff, who can provide immediate assistance. The fax number is (440) 205-3110. Learn more about Roll-Kraft by visiting the website at roll-kraft.com. For easy and immediate contact with Roll-Kraft that transcends time zones and working hours, the website features Dr. Resolve. Simply complete and submit an on-line form and Roll-Kraft will respond.
MENTOR, OH - June 2014
By integrating new Lean strategies into its operations, Roll-Kraft Ltd. has increased its overall equipment effectiveness by reducing machine downtime by 15%. This reduction allows greater productivity of high-quality roll tooling for tube and pipe and roll forming producers.
The benefits gained by introducing lean processes have furthered the company’s goals of improving an industry leading on-time delivery rate of 97.3% and 97.1% first-time performance out of the box. This successful performance is critical to meeting customer needs for just-in-time deliveries.
Lean processes are not only improving Roll-Kraft, but they have added the capability of obtaining firmly documented measurables, which continue to confirm the company’s on-going commitment to excellence. Earlier this year, the company announced a 43% reduction in waste materials as a result of Lean processes.
Roll-Kraft has its headquarters in Mentor, Ohio, and maintains other facilities in Frankfort, Illinois (Roll-Kraft Northern), and Ontario, Canada (Roll-Kraft Ltd.). Calls to the company‘s main line, (888) 953-9400 or (440) 205-3100, are greeted by a live operator who can assist callers in quickly reaching a technician, engineer, or sales staff, who can provide immediate assistance. The fax number is (440) 205-3110. Learn more about Roll-Kraft by visiting the website at roll-kraft.com. For easy and immediate contact with Roll-Kraft that transcends time zones and working hours, the website features Dr. Resolve. Simply complete an on-line form and submit it to Roll-Kraft for a response.
MENTOR, OH. - May, 2014
Mr. Robert Sladky, Roll-Kraft’s Vice President, Tube Mill Engineering, has just completed the 2014 Nebraska regional tube and pipe training seminar. This year’s program was held on May 5. It was the result of direct requests from numerous customers in and close to the Nebraska area and was marked by an increase in attendance over the previous event.
All of Roll-Kraft’s regional seminars, regardless of the location, are open to everyone involved in the industry. While this seminar drew many companies from the Nebraska area, almost half of the attendees were from out of state.
Most companies in attendance were tube producers, although there were tube fabricators, as well. The feedback and comments were very positive. Sample comments included:
“This was a great refresher course, as it gets all our operators back on course to maintain our standards out on the tube mill.”
“We come to this event every time it is held, as there is always something more to learn and brush up on. The venue was great, along with the presentation materials.”
“When we do our quality audits of our tube producers, we will now know what they should have in place in regards to standard practices and procedures to ensure a quality product for us.”
More testimonials and customer feedback can be viewed on Roll-Kraft’s website.
Roll-Kraft’s next regional seminar will be in Mentor, OH, on August 6 for the tube and pipe industry, and August 7 for the roll form industry. These annual events will also include a tour of Roll-Kraft’s state-of-the-art factory at the corporate headquarters in Mentor, OH.
Roll-Kraft also offers in-house seminars for both the tube & pipe and roll form industry, along with consulting and mill alignment services. In-house seminars provide a valuable opportunity to address issues that are specific to that company.
Roll-Kraft has its headquarters in Mentor, Ohio, and maintains other facilities in Frankfort, Illinois (Roll-Kraft Northern), and Ontario, Canada (Roll-Kraft Ltd.). Calls to the company‘s main line, (888) 953-9400 or (440) 205-3100, are greeted by a live operator who can assist callers in quickly reaching a technician, engineer, or sales staff, who can provide immediate assistance. The fax number is (440) 205-3110. Learn more about Roll-Kraft by visiting the website at roll-kraft.com. For easy and immediate contact with Roll-Kraft that transcends time zones and working hours, the website features Dr. Resolve. Simply complete and submit an on-line form and Roll-Kraft will respond.
MENTOR, OH - April, 2014
Roll-Kraft was the exclusive industry sponsor for the recent FMA’s (Fabricators & Manufacturers Association, International) World-Class Roll Forming Workshop held in Independence, OH. In addition to the programs, the attendees and guests were given the opportunity to visit the Roll-Kraft headquarters factory a short drive away in Mentor, OH. There, they toured the 110,000 sq. ft. facility and observed a full complement of more than 30 CNC (Computer Numerical Control) machines at this location, more than any other such factory in North America, some with capabilities of producing up to 40” diameter roll tooling. The on-site visit gave everyone a better understanding of the amazing technological advances that have been made in the manufacturing process over the years.
The World-Class Roll Forming Workshop is an annual event and offers sessions on various topics on issues relating to roll forming. There are up to 13 individual classes, conducted by experts in the roll forming industry. It is one of the few occasions to meet with leaders in the roll forming field and gain knowledge from their experience.
Roll-Kraft designs and manufactures custom-made tooling used by roll forming companies. With more than 50 years of experience, Roll-Kraft has been at the forefront of the industry with new technology and its achievement of 97% first-time performance for its products, a valuable asset for roll forming companies, considering the varied mill configurations used in the industry.
Roll-Kraft has its headquarters in Mentor, Ohio, and maintains other facilities in Frankfort, Illinois (Roll-Kraft Northern), and Ontario, Canada (Roll-Kraft Ltd.). Calls to the company‘s main line, (888) 953-9400 or (440) 205-3100, are greeted by a live operator who can assist callers in quickly reaching a technician, engineer, or sales staff, who can provide immediate assistance. The fax number is (440) 205-3110. Learn more about Roll-Kraft by visiting the website at roll-kraft.com. For easy and immediate contact with Roll-Kraft that transcends time zones and working hours, the website features Dr. Resolve. Simply complete and submit an on-line form and Roll-Kraft will respond.
Mentor, OH - April, 2014 - Ohio Supreme Court Justice Sharon L. Kennedy visited Roll-Kraft on her recent trip to northeast Ohio. She met with Roll-Kraft president, Chuck Gehrisch, and several other of the company’s management team. She toured the Roll-Kraft headquarters facility in Mentor, Ohio, and closely observed the operation of the twenty-first century manufacturing plant. Owning a small business early in her career has contributed to her keen interest in strengthening small business activities over the years.
Roll-Kraft manufactures roll tooling for the tube and pipe and roll forming industry, having worldwide recognition as a reliable single-source for on-time deliveries and first-time performance. “It was our privilege to welcome Justice Kennedy and share the Roll-Kraft story with her,” said Chuck Gehrisch, president of Roll-Kraft.
Roll-Kraft has its headquarters in Mentor, Ohio, and maintains other facilities in Frankfort, Illinois (Roll-Kraft Northern), and Ontario, Canada (Roll-Kraft Ltd.). Calls to the company‘s main line, (888) 953-9400 or (440) 205-3100, are greeted by a live operator who can assist callers in quickly reaching a technician, engineer, or sales staff, who can provide immediate assistance. The fax number is (440) 205-3110. Learn more about Roll-Kraft by visiting the website at roll-kraft.com. For easy and immediate contact with Roll-Kraft that transcends time zones and working hours, the website features Dr. Resolve. Simply complete and submit an on-line form and Roll-Kraft will respond.
MENTOR, OH - March, 2014
Recently implemented methods initiated by Roll-Kraft’s Lean Manager, Kevin Hartman, have resulted in an immediate reduction of waste material in the tube and pipe and roll forming tooling production process by 43%. This is the first of several improvements expected to be realized over the coming months, as various processes are reviewed and modifications identified.
“We are taking significant measures in our industry to practice Lean,” said Roll-Kraft president Chuck Gehrisch. “These waste reduction improvements that Kevin and his team have achieved will directly benefit our customers by helping us improve our industry-leading 98% on-time delivery and 97% first-time performance rates.
“We look forward to further improvements in the near future and are committed to keeping our customers and the industry informed of our continued progress on these Lean initiatives.”
Roll-Kraft is consistent in its on-going search for ways to go beyond the expectancy of the customer. This constant focus has made Roll-Kraft a leading provider of roll tooling to tube and pipe and roll form producers around the world, as companies identify Roll-Kraft as a single-source supplier, from initial roll tooling design, to training, to first-time performance when the tooling is installed on their mill.
Roll-Kraft has its headquarters in Mentor, Ohio, and maintains other facilities in Frankfort, Illinois (Roll-Kraft Northern), and Ontario, Canada (Roll-Kraft Ltd.). Calls to the company‘s main line, (888) 953-9400 or (440) 205-3100, are greeted by a live operator who can assist callers in quickly reaching a technician, engineer, or sales staff, who can provide immediate assistance. The fax number is (440) 205-3110. Please also visit the website at roll-kraft.com. For easy and immediate contact with Roll-Kraft that transcends time zones and working hours, the website features Dr. Resolve. Simply complete and submit an on-line form and Roll-Kraft will respond.
MENTOR, OH., March, 2014
Roll-Kraft, a manufacturer of custom roll tooling for the tube and pipe and roll form industries, is pleased to announce a one-day tube and pipe training seminar in Waverly, Nebraska. The program will be held from 9 AM-4:30 PM on May 5 at the Waverly Community Center.
The training session, entitled “Back to the Basics and Beyond,” will cover the essentials of mill integrity, alignment, setup, and tooling maintenance, as detailed in previous presentations. The instruction is recommended as a refresher for seasoned operators, as well as an introduction to the understanding of these topics for new operators and related personnel who are new to the industry.
Robert A. Sladky, Vice President of Tube Mill Engineering, will present the program. Sladky was the recipient of the 2003 TPA Industry Education Activities Award in recognition of his outstanding work in the field of tube and form production. He recently entered his 41st year serving the tube and pipe industry.
“Everything is presented in a clear understandable format with audience participation encouraged throughout the entire day,” Sladky said. “This interaction with the attendees, combined with the PowerPoint presentation, and seminar guide books, offers one of the most comprehensive and successful ways to train personnel.”
Event Details
Location:
Waverly Community Center
11120 N 141st St
Waverly, NE 68462
Date:
May 5, 2014
Time:
9 AM – 4:30 PM
Cost:
$495
Seminar guide books, lunch, and refreshments for morning and afternoon breaks will be provided.
Registration Link:
http://www.eventzilla.net/web/event?eventid=2139016124
Contact Robert Sladky at rsladky@roll-kraft.com or call 402-786-2604 with any questions related to the seminar.
About Roll-Kraft
Roll-Kraft has its headquarters in Mentor, Ohio, and maintains other facilities in Frankfort, Illinois (Roll-Kraft Northern), and Ontario, Canada (Roll-Kraft Ltd.). Contact Roll-Kraft at (888) 953-9400 or (440) 205-3100 to reach a live operator who assists callers in quickly reaching a technician, engineer, or sales staff to provide immediate assistance. Learn more about Roll-Kraft by visiting the website at roll-kraft.com. For easy and immediate contact with Roll-Kraft that transcends time zones and working hours, the website features Dr. Resolve. Simply complete and submit an on-line form and Roll-Kraft will respond.
MENTOR, OH., March, 2014
Roll-Kraft, a manufacturer of custom roll tooling for the tube and pipe and roll form industries, has installed an additional cold rolling tryout mill at its headquarters location in Mentor, OH. This addition brings the total to four tryout mills. The company can now test 1.50”, 2.00”, 2.25”, 2.50”, and 3.00” bores. The vertical centers range from 4-1/16” to 10-3/4” maximum. The mills are 12-, 16-, 18-, and 24-pass, which replicate the most prevalent mills in the industry.
By choosing to try out tooling at Roll-Kraft, the customer can be assured that new tooling designs will function as expected and any needed changes can be made prior to taking delivery.
“This is another step towards achieving easy setups and first-time performance on the customer’s production floor,’ said Roll-Kraft president, Chuck Gehrisch. “Over the past 2 years, our rolls have performed right out of the box over 97% of the time for our customers, and we’ll continue to make improvements, such as this new tryout mill, to drive that number even higher.”
About Roll-Kraft
Roll-Kraft has its headquarters in Mentor, Ohio, and maintains other facilities in Frankfort, Illinois (Roll-Kraft Northern), and Ontario, Canada (Roll-Kraft Ltd.). Calls to the company‘s main line, (888) 953-9400 or (440) 205-3100, are greeted by a live operator who can assist callers in quickly reaching a technician, engineer, or sales staff, who can provide immediate assistance. The fax number is (440) 205-3110. Learn more about Roll-Kraft by visiting the website at roll-kraft.com. For easy and immediate contact with Roll-Kraft that transcends time zones and working hours, the website features Dr. Resolve. Simply complete and submit an on-line form and Roll-Kraft will respond.
Mentor, Ohio – December, 2013
Roll-Kraft is pleased to announce the addition of Kevin Hartman to the position of Lean Manager. Mr. Hartman has previously held leadership positions in operations at several manufacturing firms. He holds a Six Sigma Green Belt certification.
As a member of Roll-Kraft’s management team, Mr. Hartman will lead and develop the company’s lean initiatives in pursuit of streamlining its processes and scaling the company for growth.
His education includes a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration from Miami University in Oxford, Ohio, and a Master’s degree in Business Administration from Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio.
Roll-Kraft is the leading provider of roll tooling to the worldwide tube & pipe and roll forming industry. The company has grown tremendously during its 50-year history. With its headquarters located in Mentor, Ohio, the Company maintains other facilities in Frankfort, Illinois (Roll-Kraft Northern), and Ontario, Canada (Roll-Kraft Ltd.). The company phone number is (888) 953-9400 or (440) 205-3100, and the fax number is (440) 205-3110. Please also visit the website at https://www.roll-kraft.com. For easy and immediate contact with Roll-Kraft that transcends time zones and working hours, the website features Dr. Resolve. Users can simply complete and submit an on-line form and send it to Roll-Kraft for a quick response.
MENTOR, OH - November, 2013
Robert A. Sladky, Roll-Kraft’s Vice President of Tube Mill Engineering, and Bret Molnar, Roll-Kraft’s Senior Technical Advisor, once again participated in the educational programs offered to the tube and pipe industry in conjunction with the annual FABTECH show which this year was held in Chicago.
Their presentation this year was entitled “Forming Stainless Steel Tubes”. Important factors on proper tube and pipe tooling design and set up for stainless steel were covered during the two hour session.
Whereas less than half of the sign ups were from the tube producing industry, many were again, as in past years, either thinking of getting into the tube fabricating business, or were end users that wanted to be more educated on the process of tube fabrication.
“The makeup of the audience led to many questions during the presentation on how the many factors that were presented regarding tooling design and proper set up might not be up to par at the vendor’s locations where the secondary users were buying their tubing from,” Sladky said. “They were able to readily relate the problems in fabrication they were having with some of the stainless tubing to the problems and solutions presented at the session. This educational insight will allow these firms to get back with their producers and work on possible problems they might have and correct them. “
Sladky and Molnar continue to firmly believe that continued education in the tube and pipe field is advantageous to both the tube producer and secondary fabricator of tubing in the industry.
In House Tube and Pipe Mill Seminars
In addition to conducting presentations at technical conferences such as FABTECH and hosting its own regional seminars, Roll-Kraft provides in-house tube and pipe seminars and roll forming seminars at customers’ locations.
Schedules and details can be obtained by contacting Roll-Kraft through its Quick Contact form.
About Roll-Kraft
Roll-Kraft has its headquarters in Mentor, Ohio, and maintains other facilities in Frankfort, Illinois (Roll-Kraft Northern), and Ontario, Canada (Roll-Kraft Ltd.). The company phone number is (888) 953-9400 or (440) 205-3100, and the fax number is (440) 205-3110. Please also visit the web site at roll-kraft.com. For easy and immediate contact with Roll-Kraft that transcends time zones and working hours, the website features Dr. Resolve. Simply complete and submit an on-line form and Roll-Kraft will respond.
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 is pleased to announce the appointment of Frank Lowery to Vice President of Roll Form Applications.
Roll-Kraft is pleased to announce the appointment of Kevin Gehrisch to the position of President.