Stillion Industries one-time conversion for your disintegrating head

3 CommentsElectro Arc, Stillion Industries, , ,

Did you know that Stillion Industries purchased Electro Arc in 2019?  As you can imagine, with any new company purchasing another company there are a lot of new things to do and know.  The name Electro Arc is known worldwide as the world’s best metal disintegrator manufacturer.  This is because of the sturdy design long-lasting nature of this machine.  As with any good thing, we have made necessary improvements to the Electro Arc product line since we have taken over as the manufacturer.  We have created new boards for our Auto-Feed feature and we have been researching to design our own pump to replace the pump we use in the machine since this machine has been hard to find since we took over. Due to supply chain issues, we replaced a connector used in the vibration of your Arc-er disintegrating head.  This new part can be easily replaced and we provide detailed instructions to walk you through the process of upgrading your machine.  The new part number is A6113, for connector assembly, panel mount, Arc-er or Servo head vibration.  We will detail these instructions for you below, please read and understand them before you attempt any changes.  Do not make an attempt to make this modification if you are unclear or do not understand the instructions.  Consult with a licensed electrician if needed. 15 Steps to Install the New Pigtail Adapter For Your Disintegrating Head: Step 1 Turn off your machine. Step 2 Disconnect power from the machine (refer to your company’s procedure for lock out tag out if needed.) Step 3 Locate the ROUND 2 PIN connector on the back of your machine.  Note: your machine may have more or less connection points than the picture below.  There should only be a single two-pin connector. Step 4 Remove the Allen drive button head screws on the outer edges of the back panel of the machine.   Step 5 Locate the two wires on the back side of the existing panel mount connector.  Note: wire colors may vary based on the age of your machine. Step 6 Cut each wire roughly 2″ away from the existing connector. Step 7 Unscrew the nut and lock washer from the back panel to remove your old connector. Step 8 Insert the new connector into the existing hole and mark the 4 mounting holes. Step 9 Drill 4 places with a 9/64″ (3.6mm) drill bit.  A center punch may help keep the drill bit on location. Step 10 Install the 4 screws from the front face of the back panel and place a washer, then lock the washer and nut over the screw.  DO NOT overtighten, this will crack the plastic on the new connector. Step 11 Strip back the wires from the hardness inside the machine cabinet. Step 12 Connect the wires from the connector to the wires from the harness.  Polarity or color coordination does not matter for this.  A number of methods can be used so long as both wires are properly insulated from each other and from the machine cabinet. Step 13 Reinstall the back panel of your machine using the button head screws.  Use caution to ensure no wires are pinched during reinstallation. Step 14 Connect the vibration cord end from the Arc-er Head to the new panel mount connector. Step 15 Reconnect power to the machine.  Consult your company’s lock out tag out procedure if needed. If you have any questions about the installation of this new pigtail assembly, please contact Cody for Technical support on Electro Arc’s main line, his extension is 105, or email crobbins@electroarc.com

Stillion Industries is Celebrating 50 years of Business

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When you hear the name Stillion, the first thing that should come to mind is Stillion Industries.  A southeast Michigan machine shop that has been providing service in Washtenaw County for 50 years this year!  A family business, you can count on Stillion Industries to provide the highest quality machining work.  Chuck Stillion started this small business in Ann Arbor on Dino Drive.  The company was passed from father to son in 2006. Stillion Industries expanded its operations by purchasing Dexter Manufacturing in 2013.  Again in 2019 by purchasing Electro Arc, a metal disintegrator manufacturer also based in the Ann Arbor area.   Electro Arc was a client of Stillion Industries machine shop for years before the company went up for sale and Keith Stillion decided to purchase it.  With the acquisition, we gained both the Electro Arc metal disintegrator product line of over 40 bespoke machines as well as the Ames product line of fine precision hardness testing instruments now machined in-house. Electro Arc is also celebrating a big anniversary this year.  75 years of Michigan-based design and innovation which has become an asset to industries worldwide!  Under the Electro Arc name, Ames Portable Hardness testers have also been manufactured by Electro Arc since 1975.  These two tools are dependable not only in name but in reputation as well.   Like Stillion Industries’ machining work, Electro Arc machines are built to last.  This makes the two companies a perfect complement to each other.  We take pride in the new Electro Arc products we now produce and strive to make them better so you can count on these machines for years to come as large and small shops worldwide have in the past. To celebrate this special double anniversary, Stillion Industries had an oldest machine contest in an attempt to make connections with old Electro Arc machine owners who are still running metal disintegrators made by the company in the 60s and 70s!  While the design has changed very little, the look of these machines has changed over time, you may see them with different cabinets or colors like green and blue!   With proper maintenance, these machines can last a lifetime!  As an Electro Arc machine owner, you can count on us for your machine maintenance, repair, and upgrade needs.   Every machine we sell comes with a one-year warranty.  Another promotion we are offering to celebrate is the model 1 Ames Portable Hardness Tester in its old wooden case.  This limited edition product is only available while supplies last!  We continue to offer repair and calibration services for testers with a model number of 12000 or newer.

What are the Challenges of Manufacturing and Stocking your Own Parts?

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Stillion Industries has been machining parts in Southeast Michigan since 1972.  To meet increased demand from regular customers we have purchased new machines in the past few years.  These new machines have helped us increase our capabilities and efficiency.  Stillion Industries’ operations have moved a few times over the years.  Most recently, the expansion of our location occurred in 2014. Stillion Industries’ property consists of 5 buildings with one building dedicated to machining, one dedicated to building Electro Arc machines and testers, and another one dedicated to producing Molybdenum electrodes. We purchased Electro Arc in 2019, increasing our internal demand for machined parts.  Electro Arc used Stillion Industries as a vendor for years. So we are familiar with many of the new parts we make for the Electro Arc product lines. The metal disintegrator machines are composed of hundreds of parts. We now machine about 60% of the parts needed for those machines in-house. Our Ames testers are 97% machined in-house. We have been able to improve our manufacturing process for these parts over the past 3 years. As with any major change, the process of integrating Electro Arc operations into the existing Stillion Industries location was tricky. Electro Arc had been in business for 72 years when we acquired it. The number of items that needed to be integrated into our operations was significant. Integrating new staff and staff roles into the machine shop changed our operations completely. Going from offering services to offering products and services required new software, training, and coordination while maintaining existing operations. Three years later, we continue to improve our systems and manufacturing processes. A Look Inside Stillion Industries https://youtu.be/PsykXjx33PM Our main challenge in stocking our own parts has been balancing internal work with outside work. Supply chain issues have also created scheduling delays.  In many cases, we must wait for other jobs to finish in order to complete a job for our metal disintegrators or Ames testers.  Since each tool and machine is custom-made, our turnaround time can be delayed due to a lack of parts. Obviously, this is less than satisfactory for our customers who are also waiting for our products which require parts and products both from our own machine shop and outside sources. While we can stock our Ames hardness testers ahead of time, we have not been able to stock the metal disintegrators as a shelf-ready item to order.  The investment per machine is significant and since we offer over 40 different models, with  custom options for building power, we cannot pre-fabricate these machines.  Changes in the economy have affected our buyer behavior and we haven’t been able to anticipate the volume of new orders.  We have also explored offering refurbished metal disintegrators for sale.  This is advantageous for customers who would not normally be able to afford a new machine. We offer machine refurbishing services for machine owners as well.  Our first refurbished machine was in new condition and was sold with a 1-year warranty. Used machines found on the market through avenues like Ebay won’t offer this benefit.  Electro Arc had elected not to offer refurbished machines in the past.  Stillion Industries is exploring the possibility of offering refurbished metal disintegrators regularly. As an additional option, we are considering offering a buy-back program for owners of metal disintegrators who would otherwise sell their machines through third-party machine sellers.  This way, the machines can be factory certified and we can continue to offer used machines for sale. All Parts Manufactured by Stillion Industeries are Made in Michigan Shop Ames and Electro Arc Products online: All Ames Ames, Superficial Portable Rockwell Testers Ames Model 4-2S Portable Hardness Tester ☆☆☆☆☆$3,916.47Add to Cart Ames, Test Blocks Ames Superficial Brass Test Block ☆☆☆☆☆$188.38Add to Cart Ames, Standard Portable Rockwell Testers Model 8 Ames Portable Hardness Tester ☆☆☆☆☆Add to Cart Load More End of Content. All Electro Arc Collet, Electro Arc, Electro Arc Accessories Collet .118 ☆☆☆☆☆$58.56Add to Cart Electro Arc, Electro Arc Accessories, Molybdenum Electrode Molybdenum Electrode 0.375-S ☆☆☆☆☆Add to Cart Electro Arc, Electro Arc Accessories, Molybdenum Electrode Molybdenum Electrode 0.020 ☆☆☆☆☆Add to Cart Load More End of Content.

We’re celebrating dual anniversaries in 2022!

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Stillion Industries is 50 this year, and Electro Arc is 75 years Stillion Industries Stillion Industries started as a partner business, and was taken over by Chuck Stillion in 1972, he ran the business on Dino Drive in Ann Arbor until his son purchased the business from him in 2006. Electro Arc Electro Arc was started in Detroit Michigan in 1947, it moved to Ann Arbor about a year later and stayed there until it was purchased by Keith Stillion in 2019.  Chelsea Standard Newspaper Mention In the community In August 1989, Stillion Industries is mentioned as one of the local companies that contributed to Chelsea Fire Department’s Ladder 1 contributors. Stillion Industries listed in 1991 Palmer mentions Stillion Industries as one of the qualifying companies for an employee discount Stillion Employee in Community Project: Employee Chuck Waterbury is mentioned helping with a local project in connection with Stillion Industries Michigan-based, Michigan-made: Both Stillion Industries and Electro Arc started as and continued to operate as Michigan businesses. Stillion Industries celebrates 50 years Continuing the same great local service in the community, Stillion Industries is 50 years old in 2022! Electro Arc celebrates 75 years 75 years of Michigan-made high-quality metal disintegrators is a huge milestone for Electro Arc and Stillion!