To meet market demand, Madden Bolt Corporation has officially debuted a new customized one-piece flow process program to secure even faster lead times for anchor bolts, steel embeds, rebar bolts, cages, and other miscellaneous steel products. In the steel fabrication industry, customer relationships hinge on the ability to meet some of the tightest timelines. As imported steel products continue to put pressure on the American steel industry, local manufacturers are feeling the pressure to deliver in areas where foreign steel fabricators fall short: delivery times, quality products, and custom turnkey solutions. When priorities shift, project schedules change, or customers request rush delivery, Madden Bolt says its new flow program will enable the company to flexibly fulfill most rush orders for anchor bolts, skids, steel embeds, cages, and other miscellaneous steel assemblies. “A construction client may, at a moment’s notice, double an order of two hundred threaded rods all within the same expected time of arrival,” said Madden Bolt production manager, David Walker. “We want to be ready to help those customers when they need it the most and when other custom bolt manufacturers cannot deliver.” Prior to the flow program, Madden Bolt implemented a batch process which had already proven effective at cutting lead times by more than 50%. With the company’s one-piece flow program, it can eliminate defects during the fabrication process and further improve delivery times to meet urgent demands. When priorities shift, project schedules change, or customers request rush delivery, Madden Bolt’s new flow program will enable the company to flexibly fulfill most rush orders for anchor bolts, skids, steel embeds, cages, and other miscellaneous steel assemblies. Just as Ford’s assembly line reduced production time from 12 hours to 2.5 hours/vehicle, the one-piece flow program will reduce delivery time from months to just days. The program is expected to improve quality and safety, increase throughput, reduce manufacturing cycle times, and generate better delivery times that ultimately drive repeat orders and lifetime customers. Based on the flow concept, the company uses production routers that track material every step of the way. For example, each foundation cage includes a heat number that enables Madden Bolt to track it through all phases: cutting, threading, bending, packing, galvanizing, mic readings, and visual inspection. The system allows the receiving department to move forward with confidence on the next phase of production. Additionally, “flow men” are designated for allocating bundles and bins of product to their respective work stations to ensure assembly can prepare it to be welded, bent, or galvanized.