Ingersoll Machine Tools is a manufacturer located in Rockford, Illinois that produces large scale machine tools for use in metal cutting, 3D Printing, and automated fiber placement.

History

The company was founded in 1891 by Winthrop Ingersoll when he moved W.R. Eynon & Co. from Cleveland, Ohio to Rockford. Originally, Ingersoll Machine Tools focused almost entirely on milling machinery and processes for metal removal. It acquired contracts from

General Electric General Electric Company (GE) is an American multinational conglomerate founded in 1892, and incorporated in New York state and headquartered in Boston. The company operated in sectors including healthcare, aviation, power, renewable en ...

and, by 1917, was closely involved with wartime production and had a workforce of 600. It went on to produce customized machines for industries such as airplane and auto manufacturing. In the period from the 1960s to the 1980s, the company employed around 2,000 people at its plant, also developing CNC technologies to introduce automation into its manufacturing processes.

Bankruptcy

In 2003, Ingersoll International went bankrupt. The company was purchased by the Italian Camozzi Group. Since its purchase by Camozzi, the company has attempted to redefine its place in the market, continuing with milling machines but also expanding into other areas.

Activities today

Ingersoll Machine Tools is a supplier of machine tools, including large five axis milling machines, large 3D Printers, and

advanced fiber placement Automated fiber placement (AFP), also known as advanced fiber placement, is an advanced method of manufacturing composite materials. These materials, which offer lighter weight with equivalent or greater strength than metals, are increasingly u ...

(AFP) for the

aerospace Aerospace is a term used to collectively refer to the atmosphere and outer space. Aerospace activity is very diverse, with a multitude of commercial, industrial and military applications. Aerospace engineering consists of aeronautics and astr ...

industry. It has made the wing molds for Mitsubishi, supplier of the wings on the

Boeing 787 The Boeing 787 Dreamliner is an American wide-body jet airliner developed and manufactured by Boeing Commercial Airplanes. After dropping its unconventional Sonic Cruiser project, Boeing announced the conventional 7E7 on January 29, 2003, ...

. In 2010, it received Best Supplier Award from

Alenia Aeronautica Alenia Aeronautica was an Italian aerospace company. Its subsidiaries included Alenia Aermacchi and Alenia Aeronavali. Alenia Aeronautica was also the part-owner of ATR, a joint venture with European Aeronautic Defence and Space Company (EADS ...

. Ingersoll's AFP machines are also installed at

UTC Aerospace Systems UTC Aerospace Systems (UTAS) was one of the world’s largest suppliers of aerospace and defense products, headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina, United States. The company was formed in August 2012 when parent United Technologies Corporation ...

' (formerly

Goodrich Corporation The Goodrich Corporation, formerly the B.F. Goodrich Company, was an American manufacturing company based in Charlotte, North Carolina. Founded in Akron, Ohio in 1870 as Goodrich, Tew & Co. by Benjamin Goodrich, the company name was cha ...

) facilities in

Riverside, California Riverside is a city in and the county seat of Riverside County, California, United States, in the Inland Empire metropolitan area. It is named for its location beside the Santa Ana River. It is the most populous city in the Inland Empire an ...

. At this facility, the machines are used to layup the engine

nacelle A nacelle ( ) is a "streamlined body, sized according to what it contains", such as an engine, fuel, or equipment on an aircraft. When attached by a pylon entirely outside the airframe, it is sometimes called a pod, in which case it is attached ...

s for the Boeing 787 and

Airbus A350 The Airbus A350 is a long-range, wide-body twin-engine jet airliner developed and produced by Airbus. The first A350 design proposed by Airbus in 2004, in response to the Boeing 787 Dreamliner, would have been a development of the A330 ...

. Ingersoll has also continued working in the metal cutting industry, with much of its contract production being for the Defense, Aerospace, and wind industry. It has also sold machinery to

NASA The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA ) is an independent agencies of the United States government, independent agency of the US federal government responsible for the civil List of government space agencies, space program ...

.NASA.gov
Retrieved 2013-03-03 In 2019, the Guinness Book of Worlds Records certified that Ingersoll has produced the World's Largest 3D Printer. The product, named MasterPrint, was installed at the University of Maine. In addition to building machine tools, Ingersoll has built and installed large telescopes for Astronomy research. Most recently, they were selected to build the mount for the Giant Magellan Telescope, which will be installed in Chile. Ingersoll Machine Tools was awarded the 2020 Manufacturer of the Year by the Rockford, Illinois Chamber of Commerce.

References

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External links

Ingersoll Machine Tools website (Camozzi)

Professional Tattoo Machines & Pens

Bloomberg Businessweek profile
Companies based in Rockford, Illinois Aerospace companies of the United States Machine tool builders American companies established in 1891 Manufacturing companies established in 1891 1891 establishments in Illinois