Tulsa, Oklahoma, October 2020 — Heavy investment in skilled machinists, cutting edge technologies and robust quality management programs is driving new business opportunities for Vacuworx with a newly renovated machine shop inside its Tulsa headquarters.
Vacuworx is now extending its exacting standards used to machine and fabricate many of the parts for its own products into a new business opportunity. The global equipment manufacturer is turning excess capacity into a new revenue stream as the company takes on contract work for outside companies.
Vacuworx offers comprehensive design, CAM programming and machining services on an array of raw materials. The shop can accommodate short to large production runs and specializes in prototype development and finish treatments to suit individual needs. The new venture reflects the company’s overall dedication to safety, focus on efficiency and investment in proven technologies with 10 CNC machines, fully simultaneous five-axis machining, and a dual-spindle, live-tooling, bar-fed, part-catching lathe.
Vacuworx Director of Manufacturing D.J. Gall oversaw construction of the space during a three-month build-out on the company’s
60,000-square-foot campus at 10105 E. 55th Place. Renovations included durable epoxy floor coatings, four bridge cranes for safe and easy maneuvering of parts and equipment, and all new LED fixtures and bulbs for energy efficient illumination throughout the entire facility. A state-of-the-art inspection room was designed for the most precise measurements and an HVAC system with three 15-ton air conditioners was installed to allow for complete climate control and redundancy.
Vacuworx has already seen success crafting high-grade parts and components manufactured according to the rigorous specifications of customers operating in the oil and gas, automotive and agricultural industries.
Product quality and safety are top priorities for Vacuworx, which is certified to ISO Standard 9001:2015 for Quality Management Systems and is currently pursuing AS 9100 certification, emphasizing the ability to meet or exceed quality management standards for aviation, defense and space organizations.
Vacuworx Machine Shop Manager Josh Carpio, who leads an eight-person team credited with helping improve machine cycle times at Vacuworx by up to 70 percent, said they have made significant progress toward automation and “lights out” manufacturing, which requires no physical human presence outside of normal business hours to achieve maximum productivity and customer satisfaction.
“We have a safe, bright and super clean facility designed to promote smooth workflows, the utmost efficiency and a high level of
accountability,” Carpio said. “And we’ve made a lot of headway with running ‘lights out,’ the way these machines were intended, to work continuously without sacrificing quality.”
“Our people understand the importance of having the best technology and how it can benefit the company and our customers,” said Bill Solomon, president of Vacuworx. “We are tapping into the vision and creativeness of our best employees, utilizing the increased capacity and superior tooling ability to best serve our customers so they can grow while keeping both eyes fixed on their core business.”
About Vacuworx
Founded in 1999 in Tulsa, Oklahoma, Vacuworx engineers and manufactures innovative heavy-duty material handling equipment for the oil and gas, water and sewer, highway and heavy construction, concrete construction, landscaping and manufacturing industries worldwide. Vacuworx Vacuum and Hydraulic Lifting Systems can be customized for many applications and lift capacities. Standard models lift a variety of materials including steel pipe (including most types of coating), plastic pipe (PVC, fiberglass, long flexible pipe), ductile iron pipe, concrete pipe, pre-cast concrete slabs, pre-cast concrete culverts, concrete road barriers, saw cut concrete (demolition or rehabilitation), landscape pavers, steel plate and piling and road plate. Lifters can be attached to hydraulic excavators and backhoes (with or without a coupler system), wheel or track type loaders, cranes, pipe layers, skid steers, forklifts and knuckle booms and can also be mounted for a variety of in-plant applications. Vacuworx maintains a global inventory available for purchase or rental through our global network of Vacuworx companies, dealers and agents. Parts, service and technical support are available 24/7/365 for installation, training, repairs and troubleshooting.