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The Status Quo Sucks (SQS) team was created to lead BCI in its goal to implement Lean
Practices and eliminate waste throughout the organization. By incorporating a cultural change to a team concept, each individual at BCI has an ownership of sustainability and improvement with everything the employee
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To help design casting models, BCI also creates prototypes and production models using MagmaSoft solidification software. The engineers are able to pre-determine scrap issues prior to production with solidification simulations and as a result they have been able to reduce the amount of scrap produced
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Bremen
Castings foundry produces castings made from recycled materials such as plate and structural steel and old cast products. A Cupola and medium frequency furnaces are used at the foundry for melting recycled materials to be poured into green sand molds produced by match plate molding machines.
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Bremen Gray Iron
Foundry was founded on March 17, 1939 by Ellis Brown, Charles W. Kling, and Harold Heckamen. The foundry originally produced fire pots, stove parts, furnace, shaker, and laundry grates for its customers. Suppliers included Hurwich Iron where they purchased cupola/steel materials,
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In 1996 BCI launched its own internal machine shop with the new addition of a 15,000-square-foot (1,400 m) facility to the existing foundry with the expectations to diversify across many markets. This forced quality and engineering to grow to be diverse in both machining and foundry. This
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The engineers at Bremen
Castings are a full production staff handling product design, steel weldment conversions and existing products. All tooling and fixtures can be designed and built in house. BCI Engineering software consists of: MagmaSoft Solidification software,
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is a 4th generation family owned manufacturer of machined complete gray & ductile iron castings for heavy truck, valves & pipe fittings, pump components, compressors, lawn/garden equipment, and military contract work. BCI is headquartered in
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I.O. Pfeiffer
Construction who helped build the foundry and install equipment, and Koontz Hardware where various supplies were purchased. All of these early suppliers are still in business today and continue to have close relationships with BCI.
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touches. When the SQS team launches an improvement project, a well rounded team is assembled and a problem or situation is strategically attacked and resolved through a group effort.
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Once the metal has been cast and shaken out, the products flow through the state of the art cleaning room (mill room) then on its way to the CNC machining centers.
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Starting in the mid-1990s, Bremen
Castings started to expand beyond casting. The foundry's machine shop opened in 1996 and the tool shop opened in 2009.
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gives BCI the advantage for both departments to communicate before the product launch for a lower total start up cost. BCI purchased its first
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largest recycling plant and product producer by weight. In an effort to reduce paper usage and to increase productivity, BCI has adopted a
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Bremen
Castings also creates prototypes using solidification software and runs solidification simulations as a means of scrap reduction.
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BCI continues to grow. In 2011 BCI opened its 55,000 SFT facility to house all machine centers and host all assemblies.
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policy, and as of 2011, BCI has eliminated 85% of paper waste through technology such as
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217:(Visi), and CAD/CAM/CAE software for aiding the design and manufacturing process.
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The
Evolution of the Black Rifle: 20 Years of Upgrades, Options, and Accessories
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BCI Defense began in
December 2012 and currently manufacturers firearms and
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346:"Bremen Castings celebrates its 75th anniversary, but doesn't look back"
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machines in 1996 and now has over 17 CNC machines in its arsenal.
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In 1972, the company changed its name to Bremen
Castings, Inc.
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254:, floor monitors, and electronic filing cabinet software.
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367:. United States of America: Prepper Press. p. 1.
409:"Bremen Castings Announces New Era With BCI Defense"
67:Ellis Brown, Charles W. Kling, and Harold Heckamen
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390:"Walorski's biggest donor: Bremen gun company"
428:"Bremen Castings Adds Firearm Manufacturing"
469:Manufacturing companies established in 1939
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407:Dixon-Fitzwater, Janice (April 21, 2014).
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209:at start up of a new product launch.
432:Foundry Management & Technology
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312:. Modern Castings, 2009, p. 20-23.
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324:"Digest of Introduced Resolution"
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426:Brooks, Robert (May 12, 2013).
272:BCI Highlights - Thru the Years
479:1939 establishments in Indiana
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344:Richter, Alan (July 1, 2014).
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285:"Bremen Castings, Inc History"
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388:Booker, Ted (July 31, 2016).
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464:Companies based in Indiana
413:Northwest Indiana Business
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135:Bremen Castings, Inc (BCI)
474:Kosciusko County, Indiana
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71:
63:
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30:
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350:Cutting Tool Engineering
322:Mishler, Ryan (2014).
127:www.bremencastings.com
104:), and Maryln Brown (
363:Zimba, Jeff (2014).
166:7075 aluminium alloy
168:, specifically the
114:Number of employees
106:Corporate Secretary
96:), James L. Brown (
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394:South Bend Tribune
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331:Senate Resolution
308:Wetzel, Shannon.
170:AR-15 style rifle
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100:), Fred Bachman (
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449:Official Website
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287:. Archived from
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240:paperless office
221:Status Quo Sucks
92:James E. Brown (
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310:BCI's Open Door
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17:Bremen Castings
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443:External links
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291:on 2011-07-28
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293:. Retrieved
289:the original
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72:Headquarters
35:Machine Shop
31:Company type
270:Brown, JB.
204:Engineering
164:parts from
458:Categories
295:2011-06-17
258:References
118:250 (2011)
88:Key people
230:Recycling
176:Machining
98:President
236:Bremen's
274:. 2009.
195:Foundry
162:Firearm
146:History
123:Website
80:Indiana
64:Founder
53:Indiana
45:Founded
39:Foundry
371:
248:iPhone
76:Bremen
59:(1939)
49:Bremen
327:(PDF)
82:, USA
369:ISBN
333:: 3.
252:iPod
244:iPad
57:U.S.
37:and
183:CNC
102:CFO
94:CEO
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Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
