Above: With auto load, Dimar runs the P4 with one operator regardless of a part’s size or weight
December, 2024- The Apollo 10 spaceflight in 1969 was a dress rehearsal for the men and machines who would make the rst moon landing the same year. In the midst of rapid innovation and major breakthroughs, NASA introduced the phrase “mission critical.” Today manufacturers use the term to describe their operations and a certain class of industries they serve.
Mission critical is Dimar Manufacturing Corp.’s motto. “Much of our contract manufacturing work is for mission-critical markets that require high volumes of fabricated sheet metal assemblies and finished products in the shortest lead times possible,” says President and Coowner Greg Fry. “We’re currently seeing a lot of activity in data center infrastructure energy management and green technologies in particular.”
The sheet metal fabricator serves a diverse group of customers that also include agriculture, industrial cabinetry, medical and transportation equipment. Part quality for these and other industries is supported by laser and tube laser cutting, stamping, machining, bending, powder coating, welding, wet paint finishing and assembly. The Buffalo, New York-based fabricator maintains quality control of its high-caliber parts production by performing as many secondary operations in house as possible.
GROWTH VELOCITY
Since the company opened in 1993, Dimar has been on a fast track for growth. Its workforce has expanded from eight employees to almost 200 housed in a 60,000-sq.-ft. headquarters building and a 30,000-sq.-ft. production facility in Cheektawaga, New York. In 2024, it expanded with 55,000 sq. ft. of new manufacturing space in Clarence, New York. The building was designed to house high-volume fabrication with an advanced paint line and a Salvagnini America Inc. P4 panel bender. Dimar expects to add personnel and is considering the land adjacent to its Clarence property for another new building.
“We touch upon a lot of sectors of the economy,” Fry says. “We realized that we couldn’t effectively meet demand with traditional press brakes alone. We investigated press brake automation and robot integration but identified panel bending technology as the key resource that would help us meet our goals. We were looking for a machine that could deliver a quality product on time, but safety was also a big consideration. We can buy a lot of fancy equipment, but our people are our most valuable resource. The P4 panel bender’s open capacity allows us to handle larger panels that require flipping and rotating with fewer quality issues and a higher margin of safety for our operators.”
Dimar can run the Salvagnini P4 panel bender four to five times faster than a conventional press brake.
Fry and his team of engineers and managers evaluated two other equipment OEMs but found that the P4 panel bender was simpler to use. Unlike other panel bending equipment, tooling for the P4 doesn’t have to be changed to accommodate different jobs. The P4 uses universal bending tools which automatically adapt in-cycle to panel geometry without the need for manual retooling. Salvagnini’s proprietary bending formula manages the movements of the P4’s universal tools and analyzes different parameters in real time, including force, defection, temperature and material thickness.
GAME-CHANGER
Salvagnini’s MAC3.0 provides a set of integrated technologies that make its panel bender intelligent. In addition to its ability to adapt to material changes, the system eliminates waste and reduces corrections by measuring in-cycle and automatically compensating for material variability.
“I was a bit skeptical at first,” says Fry. “But it’s amazing how the machine quickly learns the characteristics of the material you are using. We’re able to bend a good part the first time as a result. After we installed the P4, we moved all of our high-volume work to the machine. But we’re finding that we can perform small runs on the panel bender just as efficiently. It’s very versatile.”
The P4’s ability to perform precise welds has helped Dimar reduce welding times from five to 10 percent.
Dimar currently uses the P4 to bend stainless steel (alloy 28) with a brushed #4 finish as well as aluminum and carbon steel in thicknesses of 20 gauge up to 11 gauge.
Fry credits the company’s agile ramp up in production to Salvagnini’s team approach to the machine’s installation and after support. “We thought we would go through a big learning curve with the P4, so we started with some of our most unique, complex parts,” he says. “But it was running hundreds of parts right away. I’ve bought a lot of equipment over the years, but the P4 was by far the easiest install we’ve ever done. It was a joint effort between our team, headed by our maintenance manager, and Salvagnini’s technical personnel. They have been a really good t for us.”
Currently Dimar is producing large quantities of panels for energy electrical cabinets, cooling cabinets for data centers and floor panels for transportation applications. The P4 has also helped Dimar expand panel production for the arcade gaming industry.
“It’s been a good growth niche for us,” Fry says. “The panel bender’s ability to produce high volume quickly has been a game changer. With a traditional press brake, I needed two operators at one machine to lift and guide a part that might take anywhere from six to eight minutes to bend. The P4 can bend that same part with one operator in 30 to 40 seconds. We’re able to deliver components to mission-critical companies quickly, accurately, safely and on time.”
The panel bender is shouldering Dimar’s production requirements and still has open capacity, which the company is marketing to other contract manufacturers. “It’s allowing us to extend our network of industry contacts and opportunities,” he continues.
The fabricator is also finding that the P4’s user-friendly technology makes it easy for less-skilled operators to run.
“It’s part of Dimar’s DNA to continually reinvest in advanced technology,” Fry says. “The capabilities of Salvagnini’s P4 panel bender helps us stay ahead of the competition. Each of our three plants has their own unique skill sets as well as areas of expertise that overlap. By combining our manufacturing resources and equipment like the P4, with a team of specialists we are able to provide true turnkey support for high-volume contract manufacturing.”
Dimar Manufacturing Corp., 716/320-5163, http://dimarmfg.com/
Salvagnini America Corp., 513/874-8284, http://salvagnini-america.com/
