Category: Announcements

Sanderson MacLeod Hosts Summer “Burger Wars”

Sanderson MacLeod Hosts Summer “Burger Wars”

Twisted-Wire Brush Leader Turns Up the Heat with Cheeseburger Creation Competition

  • Over the course of the Summer, SanMac will host four Burger War fridays, where employees are invited to try a uniquely created burger.
  • The Sanderson MacLeod management team will be creating and serving their own creations to each shift of employees, who then get to vote on which team they think made the best burger.
  • The event is part of an ongoing effort to make Sanderson MacLeod the most enjoyable place to work in the area, while showing appreciation to all of the hard working employees.

The dog days of summer are upon us in Palmer, Massachusetts. As a show of appreciation for all SanMac employees, four days during summer 2019 have been selected to host the brand new Burger Wars Competition. Throughout the summer employees will be treated to fresh cooked burgers—but there’s a catch. Each of the four days is run by a management team tasked with creating the best, tastiest and most innovative burger. At the end of the competition, employees will be asked to vote on which team they felt was the most accomplished pair of burger chefs.

With two teams left to compete, one on July 12th and the other on August 30th, victory appears to be no easy feat. To make sure every employee had a chance to participate, there are two times on each burger day for shifts to join in. From 12:00 pm- 1:00 pm and 4:00 pm- 5:00 pm, each shift gets to enjoy the employee appreciation garden and wait to get their own burger. 

In order to gain an edge over the competition, the management teams were tasked with coming up with the most creative renditions of burgers possible. So far the teams have not only created variations on the classics, but one team went out of their way to create all new burger sauces as well. While burgers are always a welcome addition to any workday, the Burger Wars event proves one of SanMac’s oldest philosophies—innovation is a mindset, one which can be applied to nearly every aspect of life…even grilling hamburgers.

Sanderson MacLeod’s history goes back nearly 100 years, and in that time they have perfected the art of domestically producing large-volume twisted-wire brushes. The twisted-wire brushes that the company manufactures are used for cosmetic applications, medical instrument cleaning, firearm and gun cleaning, and other industrial cleaning uses. In 2015, Sanderson MacLeod built and launched the Brush Innovation Center (BIC), where clients from around the world can visit and collaborate on complex brush projects in real time with expert brush designers and engineers. 

 

[Featured Video] HeliXwing Conference Table Project

Bruce Rosenbaum of Modvic has never been known to pursue ordinary projects. In August 2018, his latest innovative venture was installed at its final location: The Brush Innovation Center (BIC) of Sanderson MacLeod Inc. Envisioned to be a fusion of Sanderson’s industrial past, innovative present, and groundbreaking future, Rosenbaum created a one-of-a-kind conference table to serve as the centerpiece for the company’s newly renovated BIC. M-Pact TV recently produced a video documenting the story of how this unique collaboration came to be. In it, they explain the origins of the table’s concept, how the table was made, and the final touches which led to the completion of the HeliXwing conference table.

The table is nearly 100% fashioned from long-retired brush making tools, automation equipment, and industrial revolution era antiques found in the company’s warehouse and local flea markets. Its construction would ultimately involve an unusual collaborative team comprised of local students, teachers, artists, tradespeople, and Sanderson MacLeod toolmakers.

[Press Release] Sanderson MacLeod Awaits Completion of Rosie II Stylet Machine

Sanderson MacLeod To Institute Second Revolutionary Guidewire and Stylet Production Line:

  • Sanderson MacLeod set to install production line by December, 2018.
  • Rosie II name inspired by longtime operator who walked seven miles a day at her station.
  • Sanderson MacLeod is the world leader in OEM precision guidewires and stylets for the medical and industrial markets.

Sanderson MacLeod recently announced the planned introduction of a second Automated Stylet Machine work cell, to be installed in late 2018. Currently under construction, the machine was designed to produce fully automated closed-nose medical stylets up to 20 feet long. The machine was proudly engineered and built by Sanderson MacLeod’s internal engineers, partners and toolmakers. The new line will provide expanded capacity and unparalleled production controls for brush consistency such as fiber density, multistage overtwist capabilities and dimensional tolerances of up to a thousandth of an inch. Such automation innovations allow Sanderson MacLeod to remain the world leader in OEM precision guidewires and stylets for the medical and industrial markets.

The machine cell has been named Rosie II, in further recognition of a recently retired veteran operator, Rosie Noble.

When Rosie Noble retired after 50 years at Sanderson MacLeod, it was clear that it would be impossible to find a replacement for her. After all, she covered almost seven miles a day walking back and forth in 14-foot lengths making medical stylets. With her retirement fast approaching, a logistical problem became apparent; how to replicate the work she did everyday for 50 years. The engineering team at Sanderson MacLeod began brainstorming how to apply machine and brush making knowledge in order to assist operators to work faster and more efficiently.

“Automation like the Rosie II is only possible when automation is built by people who clearly understand the end product and the various challenges its process requires,” said Mark Borsari, President of Sanderson MacLeod. “Our latest production expansion is yet another successful effort put forth by our engineering team and one they should be proud of. Not only will their efforts give our clients an edge in highly competitive markets, but it will further reinforce our dedication to patient safety through technically superior and consistent cleaning and sterilization products”.

Automation is always a hot button issue in the world of manufacturing. Many see the word and think of layoffs and replacing current employees. At Sanderson, automation serves a different purpose… Technological advancements are utilized by our engineers to give our employees (some of the most experienced and talented brushmakers in the world), new proprietary tools and technology to do their jobs even better than before. It also allows them to spend their time on more crucial components of the brush making process, rather than spending most of their time walking seven miles a day back and forth on one machine, as Rosie once did.

By giving Sanderson operators such a technological advantage, they are able to achieve higher and more predictable efficiencies. These new high capacity production cells are expected to reduce lead times and enhance product offerings including stylet assembly, protective systems and new product design options.

The Rosie II is also capable of being interlinked to Sanderson’s automated Z-Tip machines to augment the existing product with a protective tipping process exclusive only to Sanderson MacLeod. The Z-Tip brush is an exclusive, proprietary innovation which created a new manufacturing process using high-energy, fusion-welding technologies. The result is an entirely new protective brush tip that melts the brush’s preconstructed core wire into a consistent, smooth and inseparable protective tip, known as the Z-Tip.

The Rosie II is yet another example of Sanderson MacLeod reaching outside of the brush industry for inspiration to create proprietary automation solutions for those customers seeking cost effective, superior twisted wire brush solutions.

Whatever happened to Rosie? Well, we still see her around town…Walking, of course. While the machine bears Rosie’s name, it also symbolizes the dedication and hard work the employees of Sanderson MacLeod, Inc. have put in over the last 50+ years.

Sanderson MacLeod is a contract manufacturer specializing in domestically-produced twisted-in-wire products, including twisted-wire medical brushes, firearm cleaning brushes, cosmetic brushes and general purpose cleaning brushes. Established in 1958, the company employs approximately 120 people and operates a modern 137,000 square foot facility in Palmer, MA.