| Rob Mudge and Shawn Veurink spend a lot of time looking
around in industrial plants. That is because it is their business to
examine customer's problems and determine innovative solutions for their
high-wear applications.
RPM Solutions began as the result of a power plant customer,
exceptionally pleased with the work already being done by sister company
RPM & Associates, asking Rob to look at wear problems they were having
on the pollution control side of their operation. In typical RPM style,
the company put together its collective expertise and innovative
approaches to challenge and came up with a solution...RPM Solutions.
RPM Solutions currently manufactures and rebuilds more than one hundred
parts for nearly a half dozen different types of spray dryers and
atomizers in the Flue Gas Desulfurization (FGD) systems of coal-fired
power plants, incinerators, and waste-to-energy centers.
In designing and manufacturing solutions for these highly erosive and
corrosive atmospheres, RPM creatively is put to the test. But these
professionals realize that technology is ever-changing, and instead of
saying "we can't", they continually ask "why can't
we?" By utilizing basic metallurgical principles creative geometric
designs, and improved materials, RPM Solutions delivers innovative answers
that improve operating efficiency and offer cost savings on FGD
operations.
|
"We use our ingenuity, our engineering expertise, and
our innovation to come up with ideas and products that will perform better
and have extended life over the products currently being used," says
Rob Mudge, company president. To date they have designed components with
increased wear life over OEM parts and others with similar wear life but
at a fraction of other manufacturer's costs.
As graduates of the South Dakota School of Mines & Technology, Rob
and Shawn often consult professors for help with theoretical problems
while inviting students in for real-life experience in the shop. RPM
actively utilizes the institution's resources and shares new information
discovered through the company's research. RPM also supports SDSM&T
student activities through presidential scholarships and other
student-related activities such as the "Mini-Indy" racecar and
"Concrete Canoe" competitions.
Today, 100 percent of RPM Solutions' business comes from customer's out
of state, and its competitors are multi-billion-dollar corporations. But
size is this company's competitive edge. Rob and Shawn respond to
customer's needs by meeting with them at their operations to assess their
problems. Debbie Mudge summarizes the company philosophy saying, "We
try to treat every customer like they are our only customer." That
individualized attention, devotion to quality, and focus on innovation
makes RPM Solutions a leader in a highly technical industry.
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Above:
Shawn Veurink offers assistance to a student during the assembly of
the SDSM&T Mini-Indy car. This is only one of many SDSM&T
projects that RPM Solutions supports.