Ajax Assists Providence Academy Robotics Team

Ajax Assists Providence Academy Robotics Team

Ajax Metal Forming Solutions and Sales Engineer Jayson Marcott have again joined the robotics team at Providence Academy of Plymouth, Minnesota, to create a new entry for the FIRST® Robotics Competition. FIRST® is the world’s leading youth-serving nonprofit advancing science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) education.

FIRST® organizes teams of high school students and their instructors to build high-tech robots that launch balls into goals, hang on bars, operate along balance beams, and more. Although a kit of standard robot parts is provided, FIRST® encourages teams to design custom parts that improve robot performance. That’s where Ajax and Sales Engineer Jayson Marcott stepped in to assist. The Providence team designed custom parts made from lightweight aluminum but lacked the material and machinery needed to make the parts. Ajax provided the aluminum and allocated time on the company’s Salvagnini L3 fiber laser and Loewer Beltmaster to cut and deburr the parts.

“Providence Academy has a very impressive group of youngsters on their robotics team,” Jayson said. “We’re very excited to see how this year’s robot performs in competition.” Last year, Providence finished 7th out of 25 teams but won the FIRST® Engineering Award.

“Our team got right to work to replace the robot’s wooden prototypes with the finished laser-cut plates that Ajax produced,” said Providence Physics and Engineering Instructor Michael Plucinski. “The parts fit beautifully, and we had a successful test of the mechanism. We greatly appreciate all that Jayson and Ajax do for us here at the Academy.”

The Providence team will compete on March 3, 4 & 5 at the Entertainment and Convention Center in Duluth, Minnesota. Check back to get competition results!

Providence Academy Robotics Team Maintenance Bay

The maintenance bay for the Providence Academy robotics team, Power Amplified #4511, at the Entertainment and Convention Center in Duluth, MN on March 3, 4 & 5, 2022.

Competition Update

Providence Academy finished the competition with a record of four wins, five losses, and no ties.  While the final score did not live up to the team’s high hopes, the event went very well.  Most importantly, the team members gained valuable engineering knowledge and experience throughout the process of designing, building, and operating the robot.

View the competition video here: https://youtu.be/7Bj86SpvVD8

Ajax congratulates team leader Michael Plucinski, the physics and engineering instructor at Providence, and the Providence team members who made this year’s competition so worthwhile.  Great job everyone!

Updated: Ajax Collaborates With FIRST Robotics Team

Updated: Ajax Collaborates With FIRST Robotics Team

Providence Academy’s FIRST Robotics Team – #4511 – Power Amplified – successfully concluded their 2021 season!  Although challenged by the pandemic, the 2021 team produced a very advanced robot. Here’s the online recap: https://bit.ly/3tZeWkY.

A little background: Michael Plucinski, Providence’s FIRST Robotics Team Instructor, contacted Ajax in early February and explained the team’s need for specialized, laser-cut parts for their 2021 robot. The Providence robot is designed to auto-navigate along complex paths and accurately launch game pieces at a target.

Consistent with the company’s community-service mission, Ajax jumped at the chance and provided expertise, labor, and materials to the team free of charge. Ajax Sales Engineer Jayson Marcott administered the project while the Ajax production team formed the parts on a Salvagnini fiber optic laser and ran them through a deburring machine.

The photo below shows a small portion of the calculations that went into the robot build.  Bear in mind that Providence is a K-12 institution.  Needless to say, these young people are working and learning at a very high level.

Providence Academy FIRST Robotics Team - project math

FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) is a non-profit organization that inspires young people to participate in science and technology programs at their schools.  Ajax is proud to be associated with this advanced learning and growth opportunity for young people.

Deburring machine
This Loewer deburring machine perfected the surface and edges of the laser-cut parts for the Providence robot.

Ajax And Uni-Systems Knock It Out Of The Park

Ajax And Uni-Systems Knock It Out Of The Park

Globe Life Field, the new Texas Rangers Major League Baseball park in Arlington, Texas, is complete and ready for play. Ajax Metal Forming Solutions provided high-strength low-alloy fabricated structural parts for the huge retractable roof atop the $1.1 billion facility, which can seat up to 40,300 fans for baseball games. Ajax was tapped by Uni-Systems of Minneapolis, Minnesota, to form bulb seal landing panels for the massive idler beams that help the huge roof move.

Metal Forming Expertise

Metal forming for architectural structures involves the creation of high-strength low-alloy fabricated structural parts that are essential for building impressive and innovative constructions. At Ajax Metal Forming Solutions, we specialize in providing top-quality metal forming solutions for architectural projects of all sizes. Our expertise in this field, combined with our advanced engineering and technology, allows us to deliver exceptional results for projects like the Globe Life Field retractable roof. Our partnership with Uni-Systems highlights our commitment to delivering cutting-edge solutions for the most demanding architectural challenges. Whether it’s forming bulb seal landing panels or creating customized structural components, our team is dedicated to exceeding your expectations.

Uni-Systems is the leading provider of retractable roof systems in the United States. The company has designed, fabricated, and installed the most prominent retractable roofs on professional sports stadiums over the past decade, including those at Minute Maid Ballpark and Reliant Stadium in Houston, Texas; Marlins Ballpark in Miami, Florida; Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, Indiana; Cowboys Stadium near Dallas, Texas; and University of Phoenix (Cardinals) Stadium in Glendale, Arizona. Uni-Systems holds many patents for retractable roofing systems and more than any other company has advanced the engineering and technology related to kinetic architecture.

Metal Forming at Globe Life Field
The 5.5-acre retractable roof at Globe Life Park features clear roof panels that allow natural light into the ballpark when closed. ajax Metal forming assisted with bulb seal landing panels.
globe life roof
At 1.7 million square feet, the massive Globe Life Field dwarfs the previous Texas Rangers stadium.

“It’s fun to be associated with such a high-profile construction project,” said Ajax Vice President of Sales Don Wellman.  “The engineering that goes into retractable roof systems is simply amazing. The size and scope of this project is hard to imagine until you see the photos of the completed stadium. We’re delighted to play a role.”

The retractable roof at Globe Life Field can close in about 15 minutes, a significant advantage in Arlington, where frequent rainstorms cause game delays.  Club management had previously cited weather as the reason Ranger game attendances were lower than that of other Major League Baseball teams.

FDA Approval!

FDA Approval!

Great news!

The Food and Drug Administration yesterday issued emergency use authorization (EUA) for the “Coventor” ventilator prototype developed by the Bakken Medical Devices Center at the University of Minnesota.  Ajax worked directly with the project leaders at BMDC to produce enclosures for the prototype.

Emergency Ventilator ProjectThe FDA’s approval enables the project to move from prototype to finished product. Ajax colleagues are now forming enclosures for the manufacturer. About 1,400 units will be completed by early next week.

Our thanks go out to all the Ajax colleagues who have been putting in long hours to form and deliver parts for this emergency life-saving machine.

Some background on the project is here.

Press on, Ajax!

Ajax Partners With U of M Ventilator Team

Ajax Partners With U of M Ventilator Team

Minneapolis, March 30, 2020 – When it comes to COVID-19 illness, ventilators can save lives. But there’s too few to go around.

That’s why University of Minnesota Anesthesiologist Stephen Richardson came up with a ventilator design that uses low-cost, off-the-shelf parts and could be manufactured quickly.  But he needed a prototype for his design, so he turned to the U of M’s Earl E. Bakken Medical Devices Center (BMDC) for assistance.

The BMDC team, headed by Dr. Art Erdman, a long-time University of Minnesota mechanical engineering professor, set up an emergency manufacturing and assembly facility and is now on generation 3.2 of the ventilator prototype, now called the “Coventor.”

“To date, we have been addressing at least five projects in response to the crisis. The first is the Coventor-A COVID-19 Ventilation System,” Dr. Erdman stated Friday in a BMDC email. “We are in awe of the tremendous outpouring of all the offers to help us in our development of a low-cost ventilation system in response to the COVID-19 crisis.”

Cara Piazza, a U of M Graduate Student in Mechanical Engineering who works on the Coventor project at the BMDC, said Dr. Richardson presented his idea a few weeks ago. “We were all hands on deck with this project. It’s a great idea. We do what we do for moments like this.”

The coronavirus pandemic has resulted in a global shortage of ventilators, devices that are critical to the survival of many COVID-19 patients. Many ventilators were already in use by non-COVID-19 patients, leaving emergency rooms in desperation.

“What’s unique about our design is that it’s a low-cost, mass-production unit that gets the job done. It’s designed for emergency use. We can send our design all over the world, and it can be reproduced.”

Cara is responsible for working with companies who are partnering with the BMDC to design and develop parts that are not available off-the-shelf or online.  More than 300 companies and individuals submitted offers to help, she said.

Making The Connection

“There were key components of our generation 3.2 design that needed sheet metal. Through our connection with Ajax, we were able to meet a need for 25 units,” Cara said. “We may have units in hospitals next month, maybe even sooner.”

The connection happened almost by chance.  A member of the Ajax board picked up the Sunday paper and read about the BMDC project last week and realized that Ajax was in a good position to assist.

Ajax manufactures parts for HVACR (heating, ventilation, air conditioning and refrigeration), healthcare, transportation, agriculture, and other critical industries. The company is classified as an essential service provider by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and remains open.

The board member, through a mutual friend, facilitated introductions Sunday morning.  Dr. Richardson explained his idea to the Ajax team and sent a drawing for examination. Kent Djubek, Ajax president, set the wheels in motion that day.

Into Production

By Sunday afternoon, Kent had enlisted the services of Talon Ganz, engineer and lead programmer at Ajax, to apply his expertise in SolidWorks® CAD/CAM applications. Talon quickly prepared the files needed to operate Ajax’s computerized fabrication machinery.

Talon and Kent recommended several design improvements that would lower costs and speed production. Rather than machining parts from billet aluminum, which would have been slow and expensive, the Ajax team decided to laser-cut the parts from stainless steel, a durable material that is widely available. The Ajax team also suggested the elimination of through-bolts by using the Ajax auto tapper.

The plan worked out. The stainless blanks were cut on one of the Ajax Salvagnini L3 fiber optic lasers, then deburred and formed on a press brake. By Monday afternoon, the team had ten units for Cara to examine. She then contacted Kent with a few more improvements, and by late morning on Wednesday, just three days after the drawings were delivered, Cara picked up 25 assembled enclosures that she rushed back to the BMDC for final assembly. “We had super-fast sheet metal work,” she said.

Ajax provided all programming and consulting services, materials, and labor for this project at no cost to the BMDC. The company keeps stainless steel on hand, so the team did not have to wait for materials.

“What was most gratifying to me was the enthusiasm our colleagues had for this project,” Kent said. “We prioritized this work because we knew the need was extreme. Community service has an empowering effect on people.”

About The University of Minnesota Earl E. Bakken Medical Devices Center

The BMDC, located in Minneapolis, Minnesota, is missioned to train the next generation of medical device innovators, to accelerate medical device development, to support teaching programs, to interface with the medical industry, and to help improve health care worldwide.

The BMDC is the namesake of electrical engineer and mathematician Earl E. Bakken, a founder of Medtronic, one of the world’s largest medical device companies.  Mr. Bakken developed the first external, battery-operated, transistorized, wearable artificial pacemaker in 1957. 

About Ajax Metal Forming Solutions

Ajax Metal Forming Solutions is an ISO 9001:2015 metal forming solutions provider serving industrial and commercial manufacturers.  The company’s diverse ownership group includes 3rd generation family members, key company leaders, and Heartland Equity Partners, a mission-based private equity company.

Ajax is celebrating its 75th year in 2020.  The company employs about 65 colleagues at the company’s Minneapolis campus. 

ventilator solidworksjpg

The Components Produced By Ajax – This is a SolidWorks® model of the 4-part Coventor enclosure produced by Ajax Metal Forming Solutions of Minneapolis, Minnesota.  Ajax recommended several design improvements that made the Coventor faster and easier to manufacture and assemble.

ventilator prototypes

The Coventor Prototypes – Ajax delivered 25 assembled Coventor enclosures to the University of Minnesota Earl E. Bakken Medical Devices Center on Wednesday, March 25, 2020. The BMDC set up an emergency manufacturing facility to complete the Coventor assemblies.

Tooling Innovation Gets Tight Results

Tooling Innovation Gets Tight Results

Ajax Tool Designer and Sales Engineer Jayson Marcott was challenged with producing a four-nut backing plate for a refrigeration unit hinge. His solution checks all the tight-tolerance manufacturing boxes.


We’re Americans. It’s in our nature to want to make things better.

For example, advanced manufacturers like Ajax Metal Forming Solutions have become experts at tight tolerance manufacturing. In this manufacturing environment, the parts the company produces cannot vary more than +/- .002 of an inch. Parts produced to tight tolerances can reduce and even eliminate final product assembly problems. That, in turn, reduces production costs (and headaches).

But let’s be practical. Tight tolerance manufacturing is really all about skilled professionals teaming up to find new ways to exceed customer expectations. More parts in less time, better quality, more consistency, and faster turnaround. That result is measured not in thousandths of an inch, but in happy customers and business growth.

Jayson Marcott, Tool Designer and Sales Engineer at Ajax, was assigned to produce a four-nut backing plate for a refrigeration unit hinge. In this case, the tolerance specification was +/-.005 of True Position. The solution he arrived at is impressive.

closeup machinery
The pilot pin on this tool can pilot the blank and the nut hardware at the same time for spot-on weldments.

Jayson created a pneumatic feed system that can weld four locations on a material blank with only one electrode. This method produces far more parts than could be done manually, and with terrific quality results. A single operator can load material blanks and hardware into individual hoppers, initiate the production cycle, and the tool runs until the hoppers are empty.

“To me, the pilot pin on this tool is what makes it special,” Jayson said. “It can pilot the blank and the nut hardware at the same time before applying weld pressure.  If there is. 001 of clearance between the nut and the pilot and the part and the pilot, then we’re at .002 inches of nominal. That’s excellent.”

Jayson designed this tooling solution using SOLIDWORKS CAD/CAE solid modeling software. SOLIDWORKS enables Jayson to create production tools rapidly while bringing creative solutions to bear on any design challenge. Computer simulation capabilities in SOLIDWORKS helps compress the design process and avoid costly delays.

Innovation Counts

Jayson believes that tooling innovation will be increasingly important as tolerance demands increase over time. “At times in the past, we measured parts that were borderline on tolerance,” Jayson said. “That’s not good enough. With the tooling and other production improvements we’ve made, parts are very close to nominal all the time. Our non-conformance reports these days are minimal.”

This tool needs to be kept in perfect operating condition, and due to the high volume of parts, it requires troubleshooting and a well-trained operator to meet production goals.

part feed 1
Jayson’s tooling solution uses a programmed series of pneumatic actuators to feed materials from the hopper into position.

The Team Approach

Tight tolerance manufacturing tends to affect departments throughout the organization, Jayson said. “We prefer a team approach at Ajax,” he said. “Getting the part right for our customer involves not only tooling, but materials selection, procurement, quality control, and especially customer and team communication.”

Care has to be taken during the initial phases of the project to avoid cost and time frame issues, Jayson said. The benefits of tighter tolerances to the customer are obvious. Customers want their final assembly process to go smoothly with very little assembly fallout. “Costs can get out of line if we hit difficulties along the way. That’s where planning and good team communication comes in.”

Future Ideas

Jayson plans to continue pursuing new tooling ideas related to tight tolerance manufacturing. “There’s just no stopping advancements in metal forming,” Jayson said. “Our customers will continue to want more precision in their metal formed parts. The technologies are there. Our job is to learn better ways to apply them.”

jay with part

Jayson designed this tooling solution using SOLIDWORKS CAD/CAE solid modeling software. SOLIDWORKS enables Jayson to create production tools rapidly while bringing creative solutions to bear on the design challenge.  Computer simulation capabilities in SOLIDWORKS help speed the design process along.

Tooling Innovation

Jayson believes that tooling innovation will be increasingly important as tolerance demands increase over time. “At times in the past, we measured parts that were borderline on tolerance,” Jayson said. “That’s not good enough. With the tooling and other production improvements we’ve made, parts are very close to nominal all the time. Our non-conformance reports these days are minimal.”

This tool needs to be kept in perfect operating condition, and due to the high volume of parts, it required troubleshooting and a well-trained operator to meed production goals.

Jayson sums up future manufacturing challenges in two ways: quality and consistency. “There’s really no standing still anymore,” he said. “Today, there’s ongoing market pressure to keep production costs low while improving the delivered result. I don’t see that changing anytime soon.”

jayson marcott
Tooling Innovation Gets Tight Results 8

Jayson Marcott is a tool designer and sales engineer at Ajax Metal Forming Solutions in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Jayson is certified in SOLIDWORKS, Logopress 3D tool & die design software, aMastercam Mill CNC applications, Methods EDM (electronic discharge) machining. Jayson’s credits also include a Class A 4-year apprenticeship in sheet metal.