“Change allows us to exit the comfortable and enter the improved” - David Cottrell
Approximately 3 years ago Moderco enthusiastically and confidently embarked upon a program to develop, manufacture and sell a new operable wall system. Ultimately the Series 700 Series was the result.
Why would Moderco choose to offer a new product when it already was successfully producing arguably the premier operable wall system (Signature 8000) available in North America? The above quotation summarizes the primary reason. We had become “comfortable” and successful with what we had and what we were doing. However it also became obvious that Signature did not or could not fit all of the demands of the market place such as more competitively priced based on the “new” economy, less mechanical parts, lighter, trimless as a standard, fixed top sweeps with higher STC values etc. So we embarked on a two part program: #1. Look at Signature and reduce its manufacturing costs by streamlining production and increased inventory control. #2 Develop a new product that better fit today’s market and the market we could foresee for the next 10 years.
Moderco developed a plan of action based on the following parameters:
#1. The new product & Signature must complement each other.
#2. The new product must maintain the quality expected by Moderco distribution & their customers: no compromise.
#3. It would have the features that distribution & their customers were requesting.
#4. After taking all of the above into account it has to be competitively priced.
This turned into a far more challenging (and expensive) task than anyone could have imagined. But with perseverance & determination the 700 was born. One of the primary ways we achieved the quality & pricing goals was to use robotics and continuous flow assembly line production. We were up against a belief process that said that manufacturing operable walls with robotics was not possible; it had never been done before because of the custom nature of the
product. But it was accomplished very successfully with refinements & improvements happening every day.. Several robots are used together & in sequence to acquire material and move to the assembly process, position components for assembly, welding frames & skins, & moving finished panels for final finishing application. Each wall system order is programmed into the robots central control computer resulting in precise & reliable accuracy.
There have been some minor bumps along the way but now we are producing a precise engineered custom manufactured product with on time delivery. 700 has all of the features that are desired:
- Fully welded heavy gauge galvanized steel frame.
- Welded exterior steel skins or alternate tackable skins – also welded using our unique manufacturing methods.
- Trimless vertical; joints with virtually zero gaps between panels.
- Fixed top and automatic base seals with 2” operating clearance.
- 2” mechanical base seals coming soon.
- STC’s of 43, 48, 50 & *54 based on the most up to date ASTM test procedure
(*ASTM E-90-09).
- Single, paired panel configurations. Electric walls coming soon.
- All standard closures.
- Available with all aluminum track systems depending on application. Steel track coming soon.
- All standard finishes.
700 is successful and its growth will continue as we expand its potential with increased dimensions and features and productivity
700 has allowed Moderco to “exit the comfortable and enter the improved”
Moderco – a 21st Century Company
