Easy-to-use fiber laser hits the ground running at manufacturer
Above: The Fibermak Momentum Gen-3 uses part and aperture avoidance, raising the cutting head in the cycle, which provides fast speeds
March 2023- Easy-to-use fiber laser hits the ground running at manufacturer
"Know what your customers want most and what your company does best. Focus on where those two meet,” says Kevin Stirtz, speaker and author of the book More Loyal Customers. One manufacturer, 13 MFG Inc., is strongly based on this principle the “ability to support our customers through engineering and design,” says Jay Butler, president of the Sanger, Texas-based company. 13 MFG has experience with a wide variety of manufacturing processes, allowing customers to consult with and outsource their products to the company so they can stay on top of orders and new product development.
“Our ability to design for manufacturing gives value to our customers through cost savings throughout the manufacturing process,” notes Butler. “We specialize in our customers’ product lines, making them flexible and cost-effective, fluid in change and revisions” essentially a one-stop shop. 13 MFG cuts parts for the lighting, surface and air cleaning, fitness and automotive industries, to name a few. “We have the latest in fiber laser equipment for cutting as well as welding.”
CRUCIAL COMPONENT
13 MFG installed a Fibermak Gen-5 3,000 W fiber laser with a 4-shelf tower about 18 months ago and the machine hit the ground running. Butler was looking for a laser that had a 5-ft. by 10-ft. table, could cut aluminum, and was simple to learn and easy to use.
“We needed a machine that could run as efficiently as possible. Setup time is extremely short, and the speed of the machine is high. Some of our nesting is quite extensive, so speed was a huge consideration.”
The Fibermak has four servo motors for all axial movements, transmitting power and process data through one standard cable, which significantly reduces costs and provides more accurate positioning and geometrically accurate parts. Servo motors consume less energy and are easy to repair and maintain.
“Being able to easily maintain the equipment was extremely important, and having aggressive support was something that we were looking for, as well,” he continues. “Our Fibermak is the workhorse of our shop. We have had times where we haven’t shut the machine down for several months, other than to do scheduled maintenance because of the amount of work we had.”
The few maintenance issues that have popped up were each solved in “one hour or less via a phone call or a technician logging into the system and fixing problems remotely.”
BANG FOR THE BUCK
Butler has been involved in laser cutting for more than 30 years and says he is impressed at the value provided by the Fibermak. “I have used other lasers of various brands and types. There is other nice equipment out there, but I believe I would be spending 30 to 40 percent more money to get an equivalent machine. Even some of the higher-dollar equipment is not nearly as easy to use.”
Fiber lasers are made for maintenance free production, with sustainable diodes lasting approximately 100,000 hours.
13 MFG needed an efficient machine and found the perfect solution in the Fibermak Gen-5 fiber laser.
One product line running on the Fibermak is being used to kill pathogens, such as flu and COVID-19, through surface and air cleaning. “We are running 500 4-ft. by 10-ft. sheets of 0.060-in.-thick aluminum, stainless steel and cold-rolled steel through the night with no issues. Loading and unloading is smooth, the tolerances on the cuts are extremely tight and precise, and the burr on the bottom of the sheet is so small that deburring is not necessary,” says Butler.
With a nationwide shortage of skilled employees, it’s entirely possible a new operator is assigned to run the laser in a shop. The Fibermak anticipates this need with a simple and easy interface that indicates error and warning messages through pop-ups.
“The software and machine control can be used by a beginner or inexperienced laser operator and it can be learned in a short amount of time,” Butler says. “Our operators were trained by Ermaksan on site. The trainer had a lot of knowledge of the machine and was able to anticipate our questions and give good examples. In addition, we were able to train on our own parts and programs and on the Lantek software that came with the machine.”
PARTNERS
13 MFG has been using Ermaksan machines from its inception, and plans an ongoing partnership with the equipment manufacturer due to the streamlined experience from purchasing to delivery, installation, training, operation and support.
“When starting a business, it is important that you protect your investments by choosing the right partnerships,” Butler says. “We looked strongly into Ermaksan before choosing their equipment, doing extensive research on their competitors and, in the end, coming back to them. We found that the value of the equipment exceeded their price tag, and we haven’t had a moment of regret since making our decision to move forward with our Fibermak laser.” FFJ
13 MFG Inc., 972/800-1497, http://13-mfg.com/
Ermak USA Inc., 630/512-7604, http://ermakusa.com/
