![]() Manufacturing time is expensive, so the company is continually searching for new ways to improve both the quality of its products and the efficiency of its operations. The same is true in Tico's manufacturing operations. In the shipping industry that Tico serves, time is of the essence. "Our lease agreement requires us to provide a working piece of equipment, and with the cost of repairs, it's very important for us to provide trucks and trailers that don't break easily," Daring said. The company's business model involves leasing and maintaining the trucks and trailers, so it keeps detailed accounts of all of the repair work done. That said, the real test comes when the trucks and trailers arrive at the shipyards. "We try to hire people with experience," Daring said, "but oftentimes that's just not possible, particularly when we have ramp-ups in our production schedule."Īlthough no governing authority regulates its trailers, the company performs regular weld penetration analysis through cut-and-etch visual testing. About 80 percent of the company's welds areįeeling the sting of the nationwide welder shortage, Tico has opted to institute an in-house welding training program for new employees. With the welding power supplies running at about 300 amps, the resulting spray transfer process produces an appealing, mostly spatter-free weld. E70C-6M metal-cored wire with a 95/5 argon/CO 2 gas mix. thick, and are welded together using a 0.045-in. The frames are made of 100 percent mild steel, mostly between 3⁄8 inch and 5⁄8 in. ![]() Once the initial fabrication process is complete, the company uses aįixturing system (see Figure 1) to position the truck and trailer frames to be welded. For the trailers and the truck frames, the company brings in plate steel and uses a CNC plasma table to cut the steel to the desired shape before it's taken to a brake press to be bent. Tico typically produces about eight terminal trailers and 12 to 15 terminal trucks a month at its 115,000-square-foot Ridgeland plant. And for that reason, welding quality is of supreme importance and cannot be sacrificed in any way." Converting Steel Plate Into Trucks and Trailers "From both a business and human safety perspective, we cannot supply a piece of equipment that is subject to breakage. "We have a reputation based on building a durable piece of equipment," Daring said. Needless to say, the quality of the welds that go into their products is of the utmost importance as well. "They are made to sustain enormous weight loads and provide continuous service in very, very brutal environments." "Our trucks are not made to be cosmetically beautiful pieces of equipment," explained Production Coordinator Clark Daring. ![]() The company builds terminal trucks and trailers that load and unload shipping cargo weighing up to 300,000 pounds. The employees of Tico Manufacturing Inc., Ridgeland, S.C., know a few things about the importance of durability. ![]()
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