Manufacturing Industry Trends and Insights frOm HMMI Experts

Outsourcing welding and machining to different suppliers may seem manageable for small components, but splitting these processes introduces costly risks when it comes to structural weldments, heavy equipment frames, or crane booms. Every transfer between shops adds time and costs while increasing the possibility of distortion, misalignment, and handling damage. When a welding fabrication shop also maintains ...

Today, OEMs are navigating a web of supply chain disruptions, rising material and transportation costs, and skilled labor shortages. Even as timelines and budgets stretch, stricter safety and environmental regulations demand higher compliance and traceability standards, and customers expect faster delivery of consistently reliable products. These pressures, and more, are driving OEMs to search for companies that can handle everything from raw material processing through to final machining ...

From power lines to high-mast lighting, modern infrastructure depends on steel poles that can handle real-world loads and last for decades. However, the longer the pole, the harder it is to fabricate with precision. Even the slightest deviation in forming can throw off fit-up, leading to rework, wasted materials, and costly delays. Long, slender poles and tubular components demand specialized large-scale press brake fabrication and material handling capabilities that most shops simply don’t ...

Tariffs are dominating the conversation around reshoring, but for OEMs dealing in oversized parts, the real challenge goes far deeper. Tariffs may make offshore sourcing more expensive; however, without the domestic capabilities to support the increase in demand, all tariffs really accomplish is driving up costs. They won’t shorten lead times across oceans, and they certainly don’t replace the skilled labor pipeline this country has spent ...

Large metal components and complex weldments don’t leave room for error. When working with heavy plate, long spans, and complex components, the smallest inaccuracies can derail the entire build. As parts get longer, heavier, and more structurally critical, the risks tied to forming errors increase dramatically. A slight deviation in a 20-foot bend, for example, will lead to gaps at fit-up, misaligned weldments, and cascading delays in downstream processes. When projects call for oversized ...

At HMMI, we’ve mastered the art of four-seam boom welding and streamlined the process with our innovative multi-seam welding capabilities. However, decades of experience have shown that welded booms aren’t always the way to go. When boom trucks and mobile cranes demand lighter, longer, and stronger booms, the solution is to reduce the seams, utilize a lighter material, and form the sections from single sheets of metal. 

Well before the recent tariff uncertainty, Horizontal Machining & Manufacturing Inc. invested in industry-leading large-scale manufacturing capabilities with an eye on helping American OEMs bring their operations back stateside without sacrificing scale. Today, we boast cutting-edge large press brake services capable of precision results in ...

Since the 1990s, HMMI has witnessed natural disasters, geopolitical unrest, labor strikes and shortages, transportation disasters, and the COVID-19 pandemic drastically alter the supply chain on a global scale. The uncertainty of additional steep tariffs on imported raw materials and products only touches the surface of the

Machining post-weld is a vital step in the fabrication process when large-scale weldments require precision machining. The welding process distorts the raw material, which ruins any tolerances in nearby machined areas. When projects require precision machining and extensive welding, machining post-weld becomes necessary to preserve tolerance integrity. This becomes a challenge as weldments grow larger and more complex, such as those commonly required in agricultural, mining, and other ...

Horizontal Machining & Manufacturing Inc., located in Huron, South Dakota, has a long history of game-changing innovations. First with the introduction of the four-seam boom welder, and then integrating the Okuma, a machining post-weld marvel. Now, we’re excitedly anticipating the arrival of our newest game-changing innovation in oversized fabrication, the Tandem Durma Press ...