Seven Kilowatts of Advantage

Incremental improvement is no longer enough in these times of increased competition and decreased financial security. Securing a long-term competitive advantage takes vision. That’s a quality that Debro Steel, a division of Premetalco, Inc. of Brampton, Ontario, Canada, showed when it became one of the first steel service centers in North America to deploy a TLX-1480 three-axis laser system 7 kW laser.

The machine, from NTC America – Laser Group, Novi, MI, let Debro cut thicker parts than it had in the past. The laser cutter provides the foundation for improvements in the company’s competitiveness.

“This was a calculated decision on the technology,” Gunar Zenaitis, Debro president said.

The company once relied on a four-head underwater plasma cutting system. Many of Debro’s competitors, though, had advanced to newer high-definition plasma systems.

“Our market is served with hi-def plasma machines,” Zenaitis said, referring to the industrialized belt of southern Ontario from which Debro draws most of its customers.

“When we looked at upgrading our cutting technology we asked ourselves ‘Do we want to be one of the pack, or do we want to offer high-precision cutting with a laser?’ ”

Debro went the high-tech route with the TLX. It is designed to optimize the cutting of longer and thicker materials. The high-precision 3-axis laser is fast, powerful, and more compact than traditional bridge-type laser systems with comparable work envelopes.

The NTC TLX series places the laser and chiller on the system’s gantry, offering a smaller footprint and shorter beam path, which translates into space and labor savings, increased flexibility, and greater cutting quality. The cantilever design and redesigned controller both allow easier loading and unloading of parts.

When Zenaitis joined Debro in 2006, his mandate was to revitalize the company. A laser purchase was being considered when he came onboard, however, it was a 6 kW laser system with a conventional cutting table. Zenaitis and his team opted instead for the 7 kW laser with a 14"×80" cutting table, along with modifications to the building in order to house the new table.

“The large table was part of our vision for the system,” Zenaitis said. “It opens the door for processing large parts and, because of our ability to stage jobs, faster processing of small parts. This, along with reduced part costs, adds value for customers and enhances their competitiveness.”

Looked before they lept
Training and support for a leap into the unknown can be daunting, but not in this case. Debro negotiated a complete turnkey installation, including training, with NTC distributor Paramount Machinery of Mississauga, Ontario.

“NTC, Paramount, and our staff worked together to get this done so we could accept our first commercial orders,” Zenaitis said. “Setting up the cutting library and conditions was done before we performed the actual work; there have been no support issues.”

He said the investment also sent an affirmative message to Debro’s employees.

“By showing we were prepared to reinvest during tough times it said we were in this for the long haul. Our people embraced both the challenges and the opportunities presented by the laser.”

The new production system let Debro provide additional services and court new customers.

“For instance, in the crane industry, where other methods would construct a long boom from several parts using multiple weldments, we provide a laser-cut 30′ part, saving time and money,” Zenaitis said. “Similarly, the large table facilitates the production of long-run small parts, increasing our productivity and reducing the cost per part.”

The addition of a conveyor system, which Debro installed to help automate the laser’s production of smaller parts, reduces costs, and the savings is passed to customers.

Faster than plasma, more powerful than oxy-fuel, able to leap tall orders in a single bound
David Vachon, Debro’s general sales manager said he believes the laser cutting system produces parts better than plasma or oxy-fuel cutting.

“The laser-produced parts require less work after being cut,” he said. “We can produce a finished part rather than a semi-finished part.”

“Creating added-value through the elimination of redundant machining, welding, handling, and transportation results in a lower total cost for our customers,” Zenaitis said. “Improving our customers’ competitive position is the secret to our long-term success: better margins and better profitability for all of our supply partners.

“Our customers challenge us to create their complex parts in a cost-effective manner. Since the installation of the laser system we see new orders and find new customers interested in the long, laser-cut parts that we can produce.”

Debro is considering the addition of forming capability to its mix and more automating parts handling, increasing the laser’s beam-on time, boosting productivity, and reducing cost-per-part.