Starting just after World War II, MICO built a sterling industrial manufacturing reputation from its facility in southern Minnesota. Serving the heavy-duty, construction, mining, material handling and agriculture sectors, the company was known for its off-highway expertise.
Then, in 2020, ZF acquired MICO (and its parent company, WABCO) and integrated it into its off-highway business unit a year later. Today, ZF MICO has all of the same expertise and capability that it’s had for so long—as well as the vast knowledge and resources of ZF.
“ZF is simply massive. I like to describe us as the biggest company you’ve never heard of,” said Aaron Schlumpberger, Manufacturing Engineering Manager at ZF MICO in North Mankato, Minnesota. “Most of the components we make here in North Mankato are hydraulic brake components. Not something you typically see front and center at the consumer level.”
How Ellison Teamed with ZF MICO
The relationship between ZF MICO and Ellison had developed over several years. When ZF MICO began to show interest in mill-turn machines for their shop, Jason Pawelk, Sales Engineer at Ellison, knew the right solution for them was the PUMA SMX Series from DN Solutions.
“We were producing modulating valves on a cellular line with 4 CNC machines and progressive operations,” Schlumpberger said. “We were looking for something that could complete the parts on one machine and let us get down to two workholdings—with added automation.”
To see the SMX machine in action, Schlumpberger and a couple colleagues visited Ellison's Tech Center in Ohio to watch the machine demo up close.
“We were looking at mill-turns from everywhere,” said Schlumpberger. “Ultimately, we landed on the DN machines due to the versatility and value, as well as the partnership we’re growing with Ellison."
The Ellison (and DN Solutions) Difference
There are plenty of Ellison locations all over the United States, but regardless of the specific office, we pride ourselves on being there for customers to help them succeed. That’s certainly been ZF MICO’s experience with Pawelk and Ellison Minnesota.
“Day or night, weekday or weekend, I’m confident that if I dial Ellison up, someone will answer,” Schlumpberger said. “They give us full support and help us solve any issues we have, whether there’s a machine down, we have a technical question or we need a part sourced quickly. That quick response is important to keeping production up and running, and I know we can rely on them for it.”
On the equipment side, two SMX 2600ST machines replaced the previous four machines that were doing the work at ZF MICO. Along with that freed up floor space, the company was able to go from six operators per day (three shifts, two people per shift) down to two operators per day.
What Makes ZF MICO Special
“We’re probably a bit different because of how we can handle high-mix low-volume product scenarios. We make a lot of different products customized to meet customer need,” Schlumpberger said. “This is a niche market we’re in, and we’ve adapted to it over the years and become experts. It’s not always easy to be nimble, efficient and productive with that model, but we are.”
In his time working with ZF MICO, Pawelk has spotted differences of his own: this is a uniquely expert and personable group of people. “I have a blast working with these guys, because Aaron, Paul and Bernie are so intelligent and humble.
“9-axis mill-turns like the PUMA SMX are beasts, and it typically requires plenty of training. But our Ellison applications guys weren’t at ZF MICO as long as they normally would be because Aaron and Paul are absolute problem solvers who dominated those machines. I get a real kick out of being at their facility and watching those machines run.”
Schlumpberger has a similar feeling that he’s worked to fit into his daily routine. “I walk through the shop every morning when I come in, so I always walk by the PUMA SMX machines. To this day, it hasn’t gotten old watching them and the robots load parts in and out. With Ellison’s help, we overcame plenty of obstacles to get them running like they do, so that gives me a lot of pride and joy.”
