Algae Aqua Culture Technology and Acutech

Great scientific minds are at work in Whitefish, Montana.  Michael Smith, a former computer coding specialist moved to Montana in 1998 for the beautiful scenery.  It was shortly after that he thought of a process that involves algae, mill and logging waste, and carbon dioxide to make energy.  The entire process is explained with flowcharts and detailed descriptions on their website, along with photos of their complex Green Power House, Anaerobic Bioreactors, and the Organic Carbon Engine, a specialized mechanical fabrication project that Acutech, LLC enjoyed creating for AACT.

Algae AquaCulture Technology, or AACT, created a system to increase the speed of natural processes that produce renewable energy and biofuels.  Anaerobic bioreactors are specially formulated capsules that convert algal biomass to hydrogen and methane.  Based in Whitefish, Montana, the company is the work of many great minds, compiling knowledge of renewable energy and waste management.  At the grand opening of their plant this summer, interested community members and prominent government and environmentalists attended, eager to see the biorefinery prototype in action.

This project has attracted the attention of such agencies as the Department of Defense, a group that is very interested in finding energy alternatives for the United States.  The Green Power House (GPH) is the greenhouse structure created exclusively by AACT to convert waste heat and carbon dioxide into bio-oils and electric power.  The byproduct that results from the process is an organic fertilizer and soil amendments- there is virtually no waste produced from the GPH.

Since AACT is based entirely on fresh new ideas in bioprocessing, they needed a company to fabricate a solid, well-crafted carbon engine to their own unique specifications.  Luckily, Acutech, a Columbia Falls based supply chain manufacturer was available to do the project.  The carbon engine, as well as all of its 304 stainless components, were precision water jet and laser cut, machined, MIG welded and fabricated at Acutech’s 16,000 square foot facility.

Now that the planning and actual fabrication of the prototype greenhouse unit is completed, the process must be tested and streamlined, at which point AACT hopes to expand to other lumber mills and larger facilities.  Thanks to AACT and help from Acutech, the project is putting Montana on the map for renewable energy source hot spots. 

Acutech and AACT are located in Columbia Falls, Montana, just west of Glacier National Park.  The Flathead Valley is an area that has seen rapid growth in the manufacturing and industrial metal work field in the past five years.  You can find more information and more examples of stainless steel fabrication, metal work, CNC machining, and precision water jet and laser cutting on Acutech’s website, www.acutechworks.com.

See More Acutech Fabrication Pictures

Daily Interlake Article by Lynnette Hintze

Digging through the archives, I found this article written by Daily Interlake journalist Lynnette Hintze from when we first opened:

On the cutting edge: Acutech expands waterjet, ironwork capabilities at new facility

By LYNNETTE HINTZE

The Daily Inter Lake |

A business initially built on cutting-edge waterjet technology has expanded into a new facility on Montana 40 with broader capabilities and a new name.

Glacier Jet Technologies, started in a small shop in Evergreen nine years ago by Joshua Boyce, merged last year with Creations Studio, owned by Dean Grommet. The result is Acutech, a one-stop shop for any kind of metal fabrication.

The 18,000-square-foot plant opened recently at 3816 Montana 40, midway between Whitefish and Columbia Falls.

“There wasn’t anybody who did it all in one place,” Grommet said. “Before, to get the service we offer, a person would need to go to three or more vendors.”
Grommet said his manufacturing background blends well with Boyce’s expertise in computer numerically controlled equipment.

Acutech builds parts for a variety of other manufacturers that runs the gamut from gun components and helicopter parts to beam and truss brackets and wrought-iron furniture.

“We’re servicing their needs in lots of different ways,” Grommet said, noting that Acutech has installed several machines that are either one of a kind in the Flathead Valley or have a bigger capacity than other area machine shops.

The company’s plasma machine, for example, uses a torch that runs 200,000 degrees Fahrenheit — hotter than the sun — to cut 10-by-20-foot sheets of steel up to 7 inches thick.
There is a smaller plasma machine in the Flathead, Grommet said, but none with the capability to handle such big sheets of thick steel.

The plasma machine is equipped with a water bath to capture the smoke, gases and any particulate matter.

The waterjet cutter, which harnesses the power of water and crushed garnets to precisely cut metal or stone into artwork or industrial parts, is another key component of Acutech. Its capacity has been expanded for faster cutting.

Waterjets can cut materials ranging in thickness from .05 inch to 6 inches. Unlike laser and plasma cutting techniques, waterjet cutting does not use heat, so it prevents the “morphing” of hardened and heat-sensitive materials. Without manipulating the temperatures, waterjet cutting is less wasteful and more green than other kinds of fabrication, according to Boyce.

Boyce first became interested in waterjet technology when he worked as an apprentice machinist at his father’s Precision Engineering business. His machinist background was helpful when he opened Glacier Jet Technologies in 2003. Prior to the recession, his peak year was 2007 when he was running two shifts, 18 hours a day. In addition to doing fabrication work for artists, he tapped into parts needed by the electronic and aerospace industries.

Beyond waterjet and plasma cutting, Acutech offers autocad design, blacksmithing and iron work, certified welding, machining milling and turning, laser cutting, manufacturing and assembly.

“We do anything you can imagine, really,” Grommet said. “We do all kinds of intricate pieces.”

Boyce and Grommet still are putting the finishing touches on the new facility and have several machines to put on line in addition to some finish work inside the plant. A large space across the front of the building could become an art gallery, but Grommet said he hasn’t made a final decision on how to use that space.

After Grommet sold a manufacturing business in California 15 years, he eventually wound up in the Flathead Valley. He was looking for something to do as a hobby, so he delved into making antler furniture and iron chandeliers with Western motifs such as waterjet-cut horses.

Grommet said the embers of his passion for such artwork originally were stirred to life five decades ago while tramping the creeks and forests of Kentucky as a child, “observing artifacts of primitive man, pursuing game, and generally seeking the raw edge of wilderness that is left to us in these modern times.”

Boyce said his partnership with Grommet will help grow their business.

“I think Dean and I complement each other,” Boyce said.

Acutech has four full-time employees in addition to Boyce and Grommet, each with a specific expertise in machining and blacksmithing. The owners expect to hire more employees as time goes on.

Despite having to pay a premium for shipping because the Flathead Valley is “off the beaten path,” the business climate for the waterjet, laser and plasma cutting services is very good, Grommet said. Acutech has a solid customer base and is reaching out to contact new supply chains.
Delivering top-quality parts to customers is paramount.

“We pride ourselves on high-end fixtures and parts,” Grommet said.

For more information about Acutech, go online to http://waterjetcut.co.

Features editor Lynnette Hintze may be reached at 758-4421 or by e-mail at lhintze@dailyinterlake.com.

Stainless Steel Medical Pass Through Doors

A Press Release from January:

Acutech LLC has recently started a fabrication project working for the Kalispell Regional Medical Center remodel.  Kalispell Regional Medical Center (KRMC) began a renovation in January of 2011, looking to the future of medical technology and science for the Flathead Valley.  KRMC wanted to keep up with advances in technology and the rapidly growing population of Kalispell and the surrounding area.  Not only did they undertake a remodeling project on the existing hospital, they also added on several wings to expand capabilities.  Part of this addition includes a patient tower with up-to-date surgical operating suites, additional office space, and a shelled space to eventually be turned into expanded emergency services area.  Overall, with the new additions the hospital is well over 300,000 square feet. 

Stainless Steel Pass-Through Cabinets

Acutech was excited to be a part of the new project, working with hospital planning teams to fabricate stainless steel surgery tables and operating room pass through cabinets for state-of-the-art operating rooms. 

Close Up of Pass-Through Cabinet

Acutech is located in Columbia Falls, Montana, just west of Glacier National Park, which is only a 30 minute drive from KRMC.  This project is one of many large scale productions that Acutech has been a part of- the premiere facilities offer water jet cutting, laser cutting, CNC plasma cutting, a CNC machine shop and a full service metal fabrication shop.  It is a one stop shop, taking projects from the design stage through precision cutting, machining, and fabrication.  Acutech offers a solution as part of a supply chain for many manufacturing companies across a wide spectrum of industries- producing parts for firearm manufacturing, aerospace, UAV, structural steel components, car racing teams, oil and gas production, oil field rig mats, alternative energy-generating plants, mil spec hardware, and a numerous amount of other professions.  KRMC team members were able to be a part of the entire process- from designing to fit their unique specifications, to approving the metal finish.  Even though it was a large scale metal fabrication and precision CNC cutting production, the hospital was able to see every part of the process and participate actively in it. 

Acutech LLC