Above: In 2022, Premier celebrated 30 years of making world-class pontoons.
January 2023- Electric press brake technology helps boat manufacturer break up equipment bottleneck.
SafanDarley’s Ultra Series 220-ton, 13.5-ft. E-Brake gives Premier faster speeds and precision bending.
In 1990, the Minnesota Legislature recognized 84-year-old Ambrose Weeres as “Mr. Pontoon.” The Minnesota Marine Hall of Fame inductee is credited with inventing the modern- day pontoon boat in 1951 after he tied a wooden deck on top of steel barrels welded end-to-end and marketed the idea. Premier Pontoons was launched in 1992 to fast-track the evolution of the pontoon by introducing luxury furniture, creative seating configurations, high-end flooring and its PTX technology.
PTX is an engineered system that includes an exclusive performance planing surface, inward-facing lifting strakes, a fully sealed transom to help reduce the spread of invasive species, middle tube fuel tanks and integrated storage locks. In 2021, the Big Lake, Minnesota boat builder was sold.
Premier Marine’s new owners drafted growth objectives to take the company to the next level. These included construction of a 150,000 sq.ft. manufacturing facility and the addition of equipment like SafanDarley’s Ultra Series electric [E-Brake] press brake.
“Management took a fresh look at where they wanted the company to be in the market,” says Travis Rehfeld, Premier manufacturing engineer. “The majority of sheet metal components that make up our boats are formed, but our legacy press brakes were limiting our growth. We needed press brake technology that could boost throughput, provide greater accuracy and improve quality.”
OPTIONS AND FEATURES
Premier’s search led it to Gladwin Machinery Solutions Inc., which has experience with SafanDarley. Premier’s team “asked us what the latest and greatest was in press brake technology,” says Adam Hegedus, sales representative for Gladwin. “In addition to increased capacity, they wanted options like higher speeds, integrated safety light curtains, 3D 6-axis backgauge and a quick-change tool clamping system. That prompted us to show them the SafanDarley E-Brake Ultra Series.”
Premier installed a SafanDarley Ultra Series 220-ton, 13.5- ft . E-Brake equipped with an E-Mate 2000 sheet follower, Wila Smart Tool Locator and an E-Bend L-Blue laser angle measuring system in 2021. In addition to higher processing speeds and precision bending, the machine provides operator- friendly controls, low maintenance and quick changeover.
The boat builder builds six standard pontoon designs. Dealers typically select the models they want, then specify furniture, trim, seating and motor configuration. The company primarily sources 5000 series and 6000 series marine-grade aluminum. The sheets are laser cut before they are moved to the E-Brake.
“Ninety-five percent of anything we bend, we do it on the E-Brake,” says Rehfeld. Part types include hulls, transoms, nose cones and other components formed for downstream welded assemblies. Material thicknesses range from 0.060 in. to 0.250 in.
Larger, cumbersome components like the PTX hull can be challenging to measure midway through the forming process. “The E-Bend L-Blue system uses two laser sensors to help us measure these pieces in real time and get the part right the first time,” Rehfeld says.
The CNC-controlled 3D 6-axis back-gauge supports Premier’s diverse group of parts from simple to complex geometries. “For operators who transitioned from legacy press brakes to the E-Brake, it’s a night and day diff erence,” Rehfeld adds.
Premier’s bending operation is also safer. “SafanDarley uses safety light curtains that are integrated into the CNC EC20 control,” says Hegedus. “In contrast to most safety light curtains in the industry, the Ultra Series E-Brake’s safety light curtains help make the operator more productive.”
REPEATABLE PROCESS
As an additional built-in security measure, SafanDarley’s spring return means the top beam will always move up in the event of a failure. Safe operation contributes to more uptime and higher throughput.
“We are a market leader in the industry,” Rehfeld asserts. “We want our equipment to match. New equipment like the E-Brake is a key reason one of our operators accepted a job with Premier.”
The intuitive CNC control is another favorite with machine operators. “By the third day of training, our operators were running the E-Brake on their own,” he continues. New manufacturing space and advanced technology like the E-Brake are helping Premier set its course for the future, but Rehfeld points to another important resource. “What separates our company from others are the people we hire and the culture we’re developing,” he says. “We live our core values every day integrity, excellence, attitude and collaboration.”
Committed to building the world’s best pontoons, the growing company eventually plans to add a second shift to the E-Brake’s current workload. “Now we have an accurate, repeatable forming process to support production,” Rehfeld says. -FFJ
