Hamilton Form Company, Ltd Custom Designs, Flexible Solutions

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1 Hamilton Form Company, Ltd Custom Designs, Flexible Solutions 1

2 IFC 2

3 CUSTOM DESIGNS, FLEXIBLE SOLUTIONS Hamilton Form has been designing and building custom steel forms for the precast industry since During that time, we have built a reputation for quality and innovation. We re responsible for many industry firsts: The first 15-foot wide double tee Casting tables for the first precast, prestressed concrete pavement project in Texas Adjustable stair forms Self-stressing piling forms. With a strong commitment to customer service, Hamilton Form has grown and evolved with the industry. Today, form lengths, stressing capacity and the use of automation and equipment to improve productivity have all increased. These changes have had an impact on the way we design and build forms. Tolerances must be tight when building long line forms. Reinforcement and anchoring are more complex with added stressing capacity. And, our capabilities have grown to include an extensive offering of plant production equipment. At Hamilton Form, our sole mission is to build forms and equipment for the precast, prestressed concrete industry. It s the only thing we do. Over the years, we have learned that each form we build is unique, just like our customers. Every form we build, every piece of equipment we design is executed with our customers specific needs in mind. Hamilton Form is dedicated to it s customers success, because we know that our success is dependent on the success of our customers. 1

4 DESIGN AND ENGINEERING The value that Hamilton Form brings to its customers begins with our Sales and Engineering Departments. We apply our extensive experience and practical knowledge to every project. Over the years, customers have come to rely on Hamilton Form to solve some of their most difficult design challenges. Our experience has shown that developing a partnership and working hand-in-hand with our customers produces a better outcome. That s why our Sales and Engineering departments will work with you to develop a detailed analysis of your needs, now and in the future. Final drawings are executed in the engineering and drafting department. Each detail of the form or equipment package is worked out. Stressing capacity, equipment used in the precast plant, and how the bed is installed, all need to be considered when designing a form. Equipment components must be selected that are compatible with the plant they will be used in and suitable for the application. Final drawings are sent to customers for review and approval before production begins. Custom formwork and plant production equipment are large capital investments. We design and build forms and equipment with our customers immediate need and long-term use in mind. We suggest options to help increase ease of use and productivity. We always apply the most practical, functional designs and always look for opportunities to broaden the use of our forms and equipment. k The management team at Hamilton Form has well over 150 years experience in the precast, prestressed industry. This experience is brought to every project and is invaluable in solving your most difficult design challenges The drafting and engineering department is qualified and experience. Our drafting team has an average of 14 years experience at Hamilton Form 2

5 m A great deal of time and personal involvement is invested in every project to provide customers with detailed designs and accurate cost quotations k Formwork is built to be practical and functional m Sales, engineering and production work together to coordinate each project k Equipment components are carefully selected for each project k Detailed drawings are carefully developed and sent to customers for approval Plant production equipment is customized for each customers unique needs 3

6 MATERIAL PROCUREMENT The quality of our forms and equipment is dependent on the materials used. That s why Hamilton Form is a demanding buyer. We use more steel in production than any other material. The quality of the steel we use is critical. All incoming U.S. produced steel is required for some DOT projects and is used exclusively at Hamilton Form. materials adhere to strict material specifications. Each shipment of steel is QC checked for tolerances and for overall quality when it delivers to the plant. Steel is checked again before it is cut or sheared. Hamilton Form uses ISO certified vendors to maintain quality/consistency. Our steel is purchased from domestic mills. U.S. steel normally is better quality, has tighter tolerances and a smoother finish. U.S. produced steel is also required for some DOT jobs. SCHEDULING AND PRODUCTION Once the specifications are complete and final drawings are approved, the form or equipment is ready for production. Although some stock items are in inventory, many of the forms and the equipment we build require special material or parts that need to be ordered and received before the project reaches the production departments. Projects that include headers, jacking plates, hydraulics and other components must be ready to ship at the same time as the form. Equipment may require special order parts to meet a customer s unique need. All of these elements need to come together smoothly to successfully complete a project. To effectively move each project through production, Hamilton Form uses state of the art project management software to schedule and keep production flowing efficiently. Purchasing works closely with engineering and production to coordinate delivery of components for each project. Shipping is tied into the project management software so that trucks are reserved and available when forms or equipment are ready to ship. k Incoming materials are inspected and must adhere to strict quality standards k Form details and production plans are reviewed daily by Hamilton Form management 4

7 WORKFLOW LAYOUT Each form and equipment package we build moves through several different departments in the production area. The production facility is laid out in a workflow pattern. Materials are received at one end of the building and feed into cutting and materials prep areas. The cutting and material prep areas service jigs where forms are assembled and welded. The jigs feed into the finishing and finally the shipping area. The Equipment Department has its own production area so that engineers and mechanics can collaborate and work closely together. Inventory is located near the equipment production area, making it convenient to access parts. n Purchasing works closely with production and scheduling n Scheduling software is used to move projects through production efficiently and on time k Tight tolerances must be maintained n Communications is key in the production of customized equipment n Project management software is used to keep production schedules running smooth l Steel is measured at every step of the production process 5

8 SAFETY ORGANIZATION "Safety first" is the way we operate at Hamilton Form. Supervisors hold safety talks weekly on the shop floor. Monthly meetings are held with our safety coordinator. The safety coordinator works on the floor, training, coaching and implementing safe practices. Outside safety consultants come to the plant for safety talks each quarter. Hamilton Form is committed to providing its employees with a safe working environment. If you walk through the production area at Hamilton Form, you ll notice that the environment is clean and well organized. Tools for each area are organized and are conveniently located. Aisles are clean and well marked. Organization and cleanliness is an on-going process. m Safety meetings are held regularly on the shop floor n Safety teams regularly inspect tools and machinery l Production teams meet and review the details of each project 6

9 PRODUCTION TEAMS The production area is manned by specialized teams. The teams are very important to the success of our production process. Care is taken to develop teams that work well together. The lead man on a team typically has more than 15 years experience. Some team members have worked together for over 20 years. That experience and team spirit is invaluable in building consistent, quality products. Communication is key in production. A set of drawings for each job is within easy access at each work area. The lead man and most of the team are proficient at reading and following the drawings so that forms come together as designed. Production schedules are posted so that teams can see how production is planned and report any variances so that schedules can continuously be updated. DEVELOPING EFFICIENCIES A full time efficiency expert oversees the workflow and is in the plant everyday. His job is to make sure that the tools and processes are in place so that production can flow easily and be done right. He works with the production teams to eliminate waste and develop better methods. He is constantly taking input from the teams and has the authority and resources to act on their suggestions. k Effective planning of production details help projects run efficiently n Teams work together to assure safe practices k Drawings are easily accessible so that the team can refer to them during production 7

10 n Hydraulic shearing is used for plate and sheet stock. This operation provides tight tolerances and can shear from 16 gauge up to 1/2" plate material n The Pullmax CNC press brake provides precise repeatability for consistent parts n The Cincinnati shears we use are highly adjustable which is critical for the custom work that we do k Band saws and segmental saws are used to cut structural shapes; angles, channels, bars and beams to exacting lengths. Different types of saws and different sizes, provides the flexibility to cut quickly and precisely 8

11 CUTTING AND SHEARING Incoming steel is cut or sheared to length and width at our facility. Hamilton Form tolerances are 1/32" while most steel fabricators work at 1/8" variation, making it essential that each piece of steel goes through our precision cutting operations. Hamilton Form has invested in machinery to assure that our materials are cut to our exacting standards. One example is our plasma cutters. Plasma cutting uses a high velocity of ionized gas to heat and quickly cut through steel, stainless steel or aluminum. Our plasma machines cut intricate shapes and configurations in one process. Without the plasma cutter, it would take several operations to cut each shape. Plasma cutting saves time and provides consistency. The machine is computerized for exact measurements and tight tolerances. Our plasma machines cut under water to control distortion. k Press brakes are used to bend various thicknesses of plate and sheet material into different configurations. At Hamilton Form, we use a CNC press brake that provides precise repeatability for consistent parts n Plasma cutters are computerized and cut a number of intricate shapes in one step 9

12 EQUIPMENT ASSEMBLY AND TESTING Although some equipment such as stressing jacks, vibrators and magnets are kept in stock, most equipment is custom built. Custom equipment requires detailed drawings and lists of components. Once the piece of equipment is built, the machine is tested for operation. Adjustments are made as needed and tested again before the equipment is ready to ship to our customers. l Testing electrical components before shipping n Insulated curing blankets are size to fit bed width and length k Utility casting machines are custom built to meet the production needs of the producer - vibratory and/or oscillating screeds, strand depressors, jib crane, tarp cart or other custom features can be incorporated 10

13 n Rolling catwalk on a girder side form k Custom designed hydraulic jib crane n Flat Deck Cleaner cleans rust and daily build up of concrete. Cleaner machines are also made for double tee and piling forms with made to order brushes k Hydraulic inverted tee undergoes testing before it is disassembled and shipped n Each machine is custom made and carefully welded for rigid construction n Strand cutting and handling system measures and precuts strand onto a single reel that can be moved to the end of the bed to pull multiple strands simultaneously through all product headers, saving time, labor and space at the end of the bed 11

14 ASSEMBLY k Moving a saddle assembly onto a double tee form l Stiffening bar is inserted into a double tee l Forms are built upside down to protect the skin Welding and assembly of the form is the most time intensive operation in building forms. Consider that a 400 LF Double Tee can have over 5,000 assembled pieces, and you understand the scope of the welding and assembly process. Hamilton Form has a team of experienced welders that make this process efficient. To protect the skin surface we use an expensive, but effective blend of gas to keep the weld from penetrating too deep and marring the surface of the form. This is where experience and training comes into play. Forms are built upside down since most of the work is done on the understructure of the form. The understructure or saddle is pre-assembled and then fit to the skin to guarantee uniformity along the bed. Our welding process is the opposite of most welding operations and our welders receive special training. Our process is more like an art form than typical welding. The specialty nature of our work may be why we have such a low turn over rate at Hamilton Form. l Sub-assemblies are built and fitted onto the form l Welding requires a special blend of gas to protect the surface of the form k The welding process used in formwork requires special training 12

15 FINISHING SHOT PEENING Critical to the production of quality formwork is the finishing process. Finishing includes the matching of seams and the straightening and matching of rails and forms. Finishing requires excellent technical skills and an eye for quality. Great care must be taken not to overheat and warp the form or stress the skin. Hamilton Form is fortunate to have several finishing specialists, each with over 15 years of experience with the technical skill and artistic expertise to provide a quality finish. A new method for blending and smoothing flat surfaces is shot peening. Shot peening is a cold working process that bombards the steel surface with tiny spherical pellets called shot. The pellets peen or dimple the surface, forcing the surface metal to yield in tension. Below the surface, compressed grains try to restore the surface to its original shape, producing a hemisphere of cold-worked metal, highly stressed in compression. Overlapping dimples result in a uniform layer of highly stressed metal, smoothing the surface and strengthening the metal. Shot peening is used on casting tables or other flat, horizontal where minimizing the appearance of seams is important. n Shot being applied to a casting table produces a uniform finish Finishing work is part technical, part art and takes years of experience to learn to do well n A comparison of a shot peened to a non-peened surface. Shot peening helps strengthen and smoothes metal surfaces 13

16 PAINTING When forms and equipment are assembled and finished, they move to the painting department. Steel is painted with a specially formulated paint that contains rust and UV inhibitors. Forms are coated with a rust protective form oil to protect casting surfaces during shipping. 14

17 SHIPPING Our shipping department negotiates the best rates and ensures that any special arrangements for oversize loads are made. By the time a form or equipment reaches the painting department, a truck is already scheduled for shipping. 15

18 ON BOARD WITH QUALITY At Hamilton Form, we take quality seriously. So much so, that there is no quality control department. Everyone is responsible for quality. Everyone has the authority to question or reject a job and make it right. This approach to quality builds teamwork and a sense of responsibility. THE KEY TO SUCCESS IS STABILITY The Hamilton Form Quality Program is just one example of how the company encourages personal responsibility and pride in workmanship. And that creates a positive work environment, which is one of the reasons why Hamilton Form has so many long-term employees. It is often said that the key to success is stability. Hamilton Form has a stable workforce with a wealth experience in the prestressed, precast industry. We are proud of the contributions that we ve made to the industry and look forward to the future as we build on our success, one form, one machine and one customer at a time. 16

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