July / August - Minnesota Precision Manufacturing Association

Five years ago, Rudolph Technologies
began positioning itself for rapid growth.
The company planned to expand its
product line and double its sales.
There was one problem, however.
Rudolph Technologies couldn’t count
on its main supplier to keep up.
Based in Flanders, New Jersey,
Rudolph Technologies sells equipment
that inspects computer wafers before
they are turned into microchips.
Such equipment requires large, sturdy,
metal frames. But the company
supplying those frames hadn’t been
meeting quality and delivery standards.
So Rudolph Technologies turned to
Checker Machine in New Hope.
Checker Machine specializes in
fabricating large, turnkey frames
and parts, some as heavy as 20,000
pounds. Once it began supplying
Rudolph Technologies with the frames
it needed for its inspection equipment,
quality was no longer an issue. Neither
was flexibility. As a result, Rudolph
Technologies was able to grow from
$60 million to $120 million in five years.
“We were impressed with Checker’s
quality and employees from the start,”
said Rudolph Technologies Purchasing
Manager Kathy Kelly. “Even the shop
itself was in line with what we needed.”
Checker Machine is a job shop that
specializes in large capacity machining
and welding, such as frames for wind
tunnels, steel boxes for turbines and
large parts for printing presses. From
design to fabrication, Checker Machine
handles the entire spectrum
of production.
One of the most impressive aspects
of Checker Machine is the size of its
facility. The building is 90,000 square feet
with 23-foot high ceiling clearances. In
addition, there are 11 bridge cranes that
move parts and equipment weighing as
much as 30,000 pounds. Multiple fork
trucks access the building from all sides.
“We are definitely equipped to handle
oversized jobs,” said Checker Machine
CEO Steve Lipinski. “Our facility was
designed with flexibility in mind so
that a variety of different needs can be
accommodated.”
In fact, Checker Machine has built
some of the bleachers, railings and
handicap platforms for the St. Louis
Rams, Chicago Bears and Detroit Lions.
“There were bleachers everywhere,”
Lipinski said. “But we didn’t have a
problem with space.”
Some of the most impressive products
built inside Checker Machine, however,
are never even seen by the general public.
They include spiral steam ovens for the
food processing industry. Constructed
entirely out of stainless steel, the spiral
steam ovens contain over 450 feet of belt.
Even more impressive is the amount of
product they are capable of handling.
One type of unit can cook 12,000 pounds
of chicken wings per hour. Other units
can cook 20,000 pounds of meat, fish,
poultry or vegetables per hour.
At 12 feet tall and 30,000 pounds, the
steam ovens are delivered in two pieces
that take up two semi-trailers. They are
designed and built entirely by Checker
Machine.
“There is an incredible amount of skills
and equipment required to produce those
spiral ovens,” Lipinski said. “But we’ve got
what it takes.”
Checker Machine is home to some
of the largest equipment in the Twin
Cities. One of its Blanchard grinders, for
example, is the largest in the Midwest,
with a 120-inch chuck, a 144-inch swing
and a 48-inch vertical capacity. Checker
Machine also has the largest inventory
of welding equipment and boring mills
in the Twin Cities. Its welding facility
includes the latest welding technology.
“One of the things we try to do for
our customers is minimize our lead times
in case they need immediate access to
our equipment,” Lipinski said. “On an
emergency basis, we can grant them
access in less than 24 hours.”
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