Marlin Steel Wire Ships Biggest Order of the Year

A Midwest factory recently needed 5,000 custom stainless steel baskets fast. They wanted the baskets, which are used to clean surgical parts, to flow nicely within their existing baskets and conveyor systems ? so the dimensions had to be perfect. The incumbent wire basket vendor could not ship this year, even though this multi-billion dollar client required the high quality baskets before the end of this calendar year.

They were stunned when they found out that Marlin Steel Wire Products (Baltimore, MD) could ship the entire order in six weeks. Using lean practices and $2 million of newly purchased robots the company has recently invested in, Marlin Steel was able to ship the 5,000 baskets fast and exceed the client?s delivery and quality expectations.

For 41 years, Marlin Steel Wire has manufactured custom engineered wire baskets, wire hooks, and wire forms for material handling, dipping, cleaning, and processing. The company makes all projects utilizing the Toyota Way principles of one-piece flow. Each of the employees is cross-trained on multiple manufacturing cells so they are fluid throughout the entire plant.

Each basket goes from start to finish in one smooth flow, enabling each team member to confirm quality at each stage of the production process. Quality control check fixtures confirm the tolerances between each process step. Rework and piles of work in process are non-existent in the plant.

The new robot technology accelerates the production speed faster than any basket manufacturer in the industry. Robots weld, bend and cut baskets and wire forms at a staggering pace. Company president Drew Greenblatt told his staff at a weekly production meeting, ?Shipping these baskets will enable us to have another record-breaking year.? He added, ?That is why we are growing and hiring people in the middle of a recession.?

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Marlin Steel Wire Products, 2640 Merchant Drive, Baltimore, MD, 21230-3307, 410-644-7456, www.marlinwire.com.