What’s New at Integrity
Integrity’s HD2 is located at 3165 Devon Drive – right across the street from Integrity HD. At approximately 33, 500 square feet, HD2 boasts a large and open shop floor, programming office, café-inspired lunch room, and boardroom.
The Facility
Integrity HD is one of the first multi-bay manufacturing facilities in our area constructed with a single column design, making the interior of the plant both aesthetically captivating and easier to maintain from a 6S perspective. Each bay houses a 50-ton crane and a 16×16 bay door for deliveries. Prior to leaving the shop, each job will pass through the inspection area to ensure it meets all Integrity standards including surface finish, precision of all functional features and completeness of job.
South-facing windows on the shop floor and in the break room eliminate the need for skylights and allow an abundance of natural light into the facility, making HD2 a happy home for many hardy plant varieties. Floor-to-ceiling glass walls on the second storey meeting spaces overlook the shop floor and further add to the openness within the facility.
On the green side of things, HD2’s parking lot is prepared for 4 EV charging stations when installation is complete. Additionally, HD2 is home to Integrity’s first VFD-style compressor designed for energy efficiency.
The Machines
HD2 houses 8 state-of-the-art CNC machines:
- 2 Correa Fox
- 4 DMG 270u with pallet changers
- 2 DMG 270p
The machines feed into a centralized conveyor system to automatically transport steel chips outside into the appropriate disposal bin.
HD2 cuts an average of 11 jobs per week. Depending on the job, with the palletized system on the DMGs and the use of sister tooling, lights out run time helps the team at HD2 achieve 24/7 machining.
The Department
HD2 is home to Integrity’s Stage 1 MES department. Stage 1 receives blocks from across the street at HD that have been saw cut, roughed, eye bolted, semi-ed to 60 thou, and treated in the oven. After landing in Stage 1 at HD2, blocks go through complete 2D and heavy cutting. This is where the qualifying of the blocks starts so that all other machining departments can accurately do their work.
The Stage 1 team is responsible for establishing FCS, skimming and squaring the block, completing all side and back work (less any required gundrilling), then flipping the job to get the finish machining process started. By semi-cutting the molding surface, Stage 1 helps to ease cutting time and machine load for the next department.
The Team
Stage 1 MES is made up of 10 Programmer/Machinists and led by Mike Litster, Team Leader and Plant Manager. 80% of Stage 1 team has been with Integrity for over 5 years, with 3 team members’ tenure exceeding 10 years. We recently sat down with the Stage 1 team to discuss their department and working at HD2:
On what makes the team great…
- Stage 1 is like a family – they would do anything to help one another and often all jump in to assist in tasks
- No one is afraid or unwilling to do any job
- Working with such a close knit group makes even routine work tasks fun and fills their day with laughter
- Everyone programs and operates machines – they don’t have one person to one machine – this allows everyone to be part of each job and fosters a team atmosphere of shared responsibility and shared growth
- Having Mike as a leader makes them a better group. He puts a lot of responsibility on the team but trusts them to do their jobs correctly
On working at HD2…
- It’s very exciting to see the company’s growth and to be part of the change firsthand
- The facility is quiet and clean
- It’s a privilege to work hands-on with new machines and industry-leading technology
- The building being designed for the specific Stage 1 processes is incredibly efficient
- Even small tasks have been automated, so now certain things that used to add 15-20 minutes to a job have been streamlined, allowing that time to be utilized in a more productive way
- Capabilities allow work to be delivered at the highest quality
A strategic partnership.
Integrity is thrilled to announce our strategic partnership with Elmann, a renowned manufacturing company based in Italy.
This collaboration brings together our shared commitment to excellence, cutting-edge technology, and unrivaled expertise, propelling the Integrity Team to new heights of innovation and success.
Some key highlights:
- Advanced Research and Innovation, Co-Design & Simulaton
- Reliability of production process, live mold manufacturing
- Status documented and shared with customers
- Internal production of Micro-Optics
- FemtoLaser for micro structures, texture and graining
- PUR and FOIL process for IMD, IME, IML applications
- Reactivity in managing modifications
- Service → specialized teams for on-site support
Synergy of Expertise
Together, we bring a wealth of expertise to the table, ensuring that our customers receive nothing short of the most advanced, tailored, and globally reliable solutions available.
At Integrity, we believe in supporting those in need within our community.
Launched in January 2024, Integrity Cares is a voluntary internal program that allows participating team members the ability to contribute a portion of their weekly earnings toward a fund that is used throughout the year to support local organizations and causes that are close to our team’s hearts.
Integrity Cares is entirely team member-driven, meaning that the money collected comes right from our team and the causes we support are selected by those who choose to participate. Voting on final causes and contribution amounts takes place by our Integrity Cares Board, made up of one elected member representative from each of our locations in Windsor, ON.
Integrity Cares has contributed to a variety of local causes, including food pantries, animal welfare organizations, children’s charities, and shelters supporting the unhoused. Additionally, Integrity Cares has helped a handful of our own team members by providing resources to navigate through challenging times in their lives.
2024
Year of Accountability and Excellence
We are raising our expectations in all aspects of the company this year.
We are raising the bar.
We as leaders are the ones responsible for this, and we will hold ourselves accountable.
Our collective goal is to reduce the overall lead time required to design and build a mold.