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In 2022 we began an aggressive capital equipment investment strategy that included long-term strategic planning with Trumpf to design a state-of-the-art smart factory. This long-term strategy was completed with our customers in mind, growing capacity, efficiency and reliability.

With our original vision now implemented and in operation, we operate with fully automated capability thanks to our collaboration with Trumpf.  Our STOPA Automated Material Handling System along with our high-end Trumpf equipment is seamlessly integrated into our current production operations and offered numerous benefits including autonomous material handling, real-time inventory management, that truly unlocked unattended automated production.  This project has resulted in a 52% increase in machine usage and a 48 hour up-time improvement on production start times adding efficiency and capacity for our growing customer base.

Take a closer look at our facility and capability through the spotlight video below.  Want to learn more, or come see it for yourself?  Contact Us.


As Dane Manufacturing continues the celebration of National Manufacturing Month, we are highlighting our team in the Form department. The Form team at Dane is responsible for bending, twisting, and shaping flat metal into complex, precise sheet components with precision and accuracy. Attention to every detail is critical to meet customer expectations and eliminate waste.

To enable their outstanding work, our forming team utilizes state-of-the-art equipment including a number of press brakes and panel bending machines from industry-leading solutions provider, Trumpf. Our premium equipment allows the team to provide a wide range of capabilities and to meet the highest levels of precision and accuracy for our customers.

But the equipment is only part of the solution. Before starting any production, our highly trained team thoroughly examines the job specifications to ensure the parts have been prepared and cut correctly. Evaluating each job, the team selects the correct equipment and software to begin the bending process, focusing on accuracy, efficiency and safety. A crucial first-part check is performed before any production run to verify that the part meets the customer’s exact specifications, and it is signed off only by an authorized supervisor to ensure everything is perfectly set before full production begins.

When it comes to the overall quality our customers have come to rely on, their skills and expertise step up to the plate every time. Our Form team performs regular checks throughout the manufacturing process and utilizes calipers, height gauges and go/no go fixtures to ensure parts meet the required specifications. We value their keen attention to detail, commitment to precision, and the pride they take in their craftmanship. We are excited to celebrate Manufacturing Month with them! Want to learn more about our form department or other capabilities? Contact Us.

In today’s fast-paced manufacturing industry, embracing technology is essential for boosting productivity and achieving operational efficiency. At Dane, our innovative mindset naturally leads us to strategic technological advancement which allows us to better serve our customers.

One strategic investment, our STOPA automated storage and retrieval system signaled a significant shift forward in our capabilities and efficiency in serving our customers.

What is STOPA?

STOPA is the world’s leading manufacturer of advanced automated storage systems designed for storing raw materials, semi-finished goods and tools. Renowned for its accuracy, dependability and scalability, the STOPA system seamlessly integrates into our current production operations, offering numerous benefits including autonomous material handling, real-time inventory management, and unlocks 4th shift automated production.

Implementing STOPA was a complex and time-consuming task, and our implementation reflects years of expertise in manufacturing operations, combined with our innovative forward-looking mindset to leverage the new technology. The project began with the first piece of the system arriving at Dane Manufacturing in October 2022, and continued until April 2023, before becoming operational.

Unlocking 4th Shift Automated Production

STOPA is more than just a material handling and storage system. By integrating automation modules within the STOPA system, we are able to unlock fully automated processes expanding production capability and efficiency.

Currently, our STOPA system is integrated with the following equipment:


“STOPA is more than just an automated storage tower and material handling system. It allows us to feed sheet metal through various processes without ever being touched by a human. Since integrating STOPA into our daily operations, we’ve seen performance improvements that have benefited our customers directly.”

Al Wenger — Production Manager


These performance improvements are evident in several key areas including efficiency, space optimization, inventory management and safety:

Improving the Customer Experience

Our STOPA system has resulted in a number of significant performance improvements enhancing the speed and accuracy of our customer’s manufacturing processes. In addition to increased capacity positioning us to handle our customer’s growth, we’ve tightened our inventory management processes resulting in increased efficiency, real-time reporting and reliable production lead times. Perhaps most notably, the overall efficiency that our STOPA system creates, allows Dane to initiate production starts more than 48 hours faster than was possible prior to its implementation. Additionally, we have been able to reduce cell-to-cell and process-to-process starts by 24 hours.

Looking to the future, our STOPA system, and the automation it provides, creates numerous growth possibilities for our customers. We are well-positioned to leverage technology as our customer’s needs continue to grow. Our inventory storage is tightly managed and kept at optimal levels, and we also have the capability to add additional state-of-the-art machinery to our STOPA system. As a result, we are positioned to scale rapidly and efficiently, while maintaining the efficiency gains we’ve realized, keeping costs favorable to our customers.

Innovation is part of our DNA. The implementation of STOPA represented a significant strategic leap forward for Dane. Many months of strategic planning culminated in one of Trumpf’s premier integrations of STOPA, which has subsequently been studied and reviewed by third parties as a model to be duplicated in future implementations. As a result, Dane is well positioned to leverage technological advancements to exceed our customer’s expectations well into the future.

Have questions about our automated STOPA system, or want to take a tour of our facility to see it in person?

We’d love to talk. Contact Us.