This is what Milwaukee Tool’s prototyping and innovation machine shop looked like a few years ago.
I’ve been there a bunch of times, and they don’t allow photos, presumably because there could be works-in-progress.
I do have one photo from my first visit (they got stricter over time). It’s from a doorway and doesn’t show much, but I can confirm that this is indeed the prototyping machine shop at Milwaukee Tool’s headquarters in Wisconsin, USA.
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Because photos aren’t allowed, these are Milwaukee’s photos that were included in older media event press kits.
Here’s a closeup. They’ve got a lot of goodies.
From Benjamen’s visit a few years ago (see Intro to the Milwaukee 2016 New Tools Symposium):
Milwaukee Tool has all the necessary equipment in-house to go from concept to prototype in one week.
They have 5-axis milling machines, EDMs (Electrical Discharge Machining), high-end 3D printers, and other specialized equipment. They can even create their own plastic injection molds, for prototyping tools out of the same type of plastic they use in finished products. Just to name a few other processes, they can hob their own gears, and heat treat shafts.
Sometimes we get to see their battery testing lab, and just one time we passed by an SEM room where they can do failure analysis.
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Milwaukee also have the ability to prototype power tool accessories. In a separate building nearby, they can test things like cutting edge endurance.
This is officially called Milwaukee Tool’s Rapid Innovation Center.
Also from Benjamen’s 2016 visit:
if they are prototyping a new type of hole saw, they can machine it right there, cutting out a strip of metal, grinding and setting the teeth, rolling the flat stock into a circle and welding it together and to a base, and then heat treat it.
There was another time – also a years-ago visit – when we were brought to a different and much smaller room to talk about rotary hammers. At that visit, I learned that 80/20 T-slot aluminum profiles can be used in pneumatics applications.
When I was allowed to walk around their renovated battery lab, I recognized enough scientific equipment to be deeply impressed.
I was told “you gotta see the explosion-proof room,” and I do hope I get to do that one day. Hopefully I’ll also get to slow-walk my way through the machine shop as well.
Is it weird to say that I really want to see how they organize their tool boxes?
I can also understand why photos aren’t allowed. Two years ago we were shown design examples of Packout products and accessories that still haven’t been announced, and maybe never will.
I should also remind you that these images are maybe 9 years out of date. If everyone asks nicely, maybe we can convince them to provide updated imagery, although it’s a long shot.
I have been consolidating and backing up years of photos, media kits, and press images. I wish I had more than just these older images to show you of Milwaukee’s prototyping spaces, but hopefully you still found them interesting.
Alexk
Has Dewalt or any other tool manufacturer ever shown you anything similar? Or is Milwaukee more open to showing how innovative they are.
I’m still bummed out that they rejected my idea for a lightweight, heated sleeping bag. Maybe Ryobi will do that.
I would think it would be fun for you to get inside Ryobi and listen in on what new things they are coming up with.
Stuart
No. I’ve been to Stanley Black & Decker’s power tools training center, which is pretty cool, but not for like over 10+ years.
To be fair, some might have similar R&D setups, but I don’t like to travel for influencer “experiences.” Give me a full day plus of tool insights, not 2 hours bookended by “networking,” “retreats,” and 2 days of travel.
I’ve had open invites to different HQs. I can travel more now, but so many brands go through staff and leadership changes that most offers expired.
Birdog357
What’s the point of rapid prototyping when you haven’t even announced the product two years later?
Stuart
Because it allows ideas to be quickly tested, vetted, and iterated. Not every product is going to work out.
Some companies have announced new products that never get made. I’ve seen this before in other industries (e.g. Zacuto Plazma light panel), and also in the tool industry (e.g. https://14cyiuhvcgv.com/dewalt-locking-pliers/%3C/a%3E%29 .
SL
I used to design power tools for Milwaukee. Prototyping happens very early in the process of designing a tool. Sometimes, it is difficult to meet the performance and cost requirements a specific tool requires, so the projects are shelved. It happens fairly frequently.
WB
To separate the wheat from the chaff…
mark w
This department more so supports the engineers design and development process. It’s not to make like the tool-world equivalent of a car prototype for an auto show. It’s so engineers can test design changes “rapidly”.
Dave Potts
How can you call this “news”? It’s from a 2016 article and visit? That’s TEN years ago and BEFORE the Pandemic. The world has changed since then, my friends. I am Mr. Milwaukee to my friends, but this posted “news” clip is little more that digital filler. Please show us CURRENT Milwaukee rapid prototyping lab pictures….. THAT would be GREAT!!
Stuart
I didn’t call it news, I called it interesting.
It’s still there, and photos still aren’t allowed. I believe I last went in 2023, or it might have been 2022. Last year I had a conflict because the tour overlapped with a scheduled interview.
mark w
I’m from Milwaukee and a friend of mine has worked in the rapid pro typing center since about 2014!! He got the job because our school (MSOE) had created a department inside it for 3d printing tech at the time and he worked there. They do regular internal sales for various equipment and he can get like Milwaukee heated jackets and M12 batteries and stuff all for like $20, $10 etc. I believe he’s like a team lead or higher now. Spends all day getting prototypes built for engineers doing r&d and frequently stays late or finds gaps in schedules to run rush jobs for them. One little unsung hero among many.
Nate
I’ve long considered Milwaukee to be a Chinese brand because their manufacturing is all overseas (at least that I’ve seen), so if parts of the operation are still on US soil, that’s both interesting and worth following up on!
Stuart
Milwaukee Tool is headquartered in the USA with massive expanding investment here.
They manufacture some tools here, including the newer 100% US-sourced hand tools, many power tool accessories (linear edge and more), hard hats, certain layout tools.
It’s really impressive to see. It’s not just a sales and support operation, they have massive R&D efforts, testing, field research, etc.