News File Photo A welder sends sparks flying while working on a project at Moran Iron Works in Onaway in this June 2019 News archive photo.

ONAWAY–A high-speed, precision cutting machine will drill into the daily routine at Moran Iron Works in Onaway, slicing the time needed to complete a project by up to 25%.

The business has been awarded a $564,300 grant for the purchase of the snappily-named PythonX CNC Plasma Cutting System, a machine that will cut, drill, mitre, and notch the structural materials needed to create the many supersized projects that take shape behind the giant folding doors at Moran.

The grant was announced this week by the U.S. Department of Transportation Maritime Administration’s Small Shipyard Grant program. It will cover 75% of the cost of the new equipment, installation, and training.

The new equipment will replace three older machines, according to Mike Mroz, sales and marketing manager at Moran. It will increase the efficiency of the humans who work with the metal that looms as far as the eye can see in Moran’s giant work spaces.

The PythonX automatically calculates the cutting path and sequence needed for a cut, moves the metal into position, and starts making all the needed cuts and features, reducing the time needed to process the steel and aluminum that is the meat and potatoes of the Moran trade.

Even more importantly, the equipment will mean more accurate cuts and even finer workmanship from the company.

The process of cutting and preparing materials has been a bottleneck for Moran’s workflow, Mroz said. While several large projects may be underway at once, each has to go through the cutting process, slowing down the work as a whole

Now, the grant money secured, Mroz anticipates Moran will be able to build one additional boat each year, in addition to increasing the number and speed of other projects.

Moran first dipped into the shipbuilding industry in the late 2000s, helping Shepler’s Ferry out of Mackinaw City with the building and repair of ramps and other small projects.

Before long, Moran was repowering a boat for Shepler’s, then cutting a boat in half and extending its length.

In 2015, Moran built a ferry for Shepler’s, followed by the construction of a high-speed research vessel for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service that’s now being used to find solutions for the depletion of several native fish species in the Great Lakes.

Moran’s most recent aquatic build, a first-of-its-kind kayak-launching tour boat for Pictured Rocks Kayaking in Munising, was put into the water Wednesday at Carmeuse Lime and Stone in Rogers City.

Moran has also constructed several ocean-going barges and was recently commissioned to build a second ferry for Sheplers at a cost of $4 million.

While a new focus on shipyard building is invigorating for the company, Mroz said, Moran still maintains its competitive edge in large metal fabrication, constructing parts for power plants, locks and dams, and large industrial business in all corners of the country.

The addition of the plasma cutting system will be a boon to the busy company, Mroz said, allowing them to take on more projects, flowing funds and employment opportunities into the city of Onaway and beyond and bringing contractors and sub-contractors into the area.

Moran is poised to begin work on the newest Shepler’s ferry and has several other government and private nautical projects in the works.

Julie Riddle can be reached at 989-358-5693, jriddle@thealpenanews.com or on Twitter @jriddleX.