On Friday, February 14th, leaders of the M2I2 program traveled to Westfield to tour Peerless Precision, a small, woman-owned company that has benefitted from the Commonwealth’s grant program for advanced manufacturers.
The visit to Peerless included State Senator Eric Lesser, co-chair of the Legislature’s Manufacturing Caucus; Carolyn Kirk, Executive Director of the Massachusetts Technology Collaborative; and M2I2 program managers Ira Moskowitz and Farhad Vazehgoo. The facility tour was led by Kristin Carlson, President of Peerless Precision, a 30-employee shop that manufactures precision machined parts for the aerospace, defense, and medical devices industries, serving clients such as FLIR Systems, Eaton Aerospace, Aircraft Component Design, Inc., Zygo Corporation, and others. Many of the components manufactured are used in advanced fuel and engine systems, as well as high-tech thermal imaging gear.
With the funds received from M2I2, Peerless was able to purchase a TruLaser Station 5005, a laser welding tool that allows workers to accurately fuse together extremely thin, strong materials, such as titanium cylinders, in a matter of seconds. The company used to farm out this type of welding to outside companies, so the new machine will keep that work in-house, allowing them to expedite orders for their customers.
Peerless was part of a group of four Massachusetts manufacturers that received a $928,400 M2I2 grant announced by Lt. Governor Karyn Polito in January 2019. The collaborative project aims to drive innovation in the manufacture of aircraft radomes, the shell that protects sensitive radar and sensing equipment, such as the nosecone of an aircraft. Current flexible hybrid-electronic systems can only print on very small surfaces, roughly 1 cubic foot. This project aims to build a system capable of printing 100 cubic feet, which would allow Massachusetts manufacturers to immerse electronics onto radomes for aircraft, ships, and submarines. That type of innovation would establish a distinct advantage for these homegrown manufacturers, helping create and preserve well-paid Massachusetts manufacturing jobs.
Learn more about Peerless Precision on their website: www.peerlessprecision.com/.