Page 29 - MetalForming December 2015

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Installation of the new waterjet-cutting machine was somewhat simple. Crews at Per- fection Fabricators simply cut out a 4 by 4-ft. slab of concrete to install a 3⁄4-in. water line, and leveling required only a digital level, two technicians and 20 min.
tolerance, the waterjet machine can do the job.
Complementary Technologies for Perfection
Once running, the waterjet- and laser-cutting machines formed perfect complements for Perfection.
“If your goal is simply production with the right materials, a laser cutter is the way to go,” Gerken reasons. “But we have one laser, and are limited to metal alloys of a certain thickness. With the waterjet machine, we can cut any mate- rial in any thickness...we’ve already cut 2.75-in.-thick steel. But we don’t want to make that a habit due to the time it takes. We want to max out at 1.5 in. So not only does the waterjet machine complement our laser-cut- ting capability, it serves as our backup system. If the laser goes down, we keep working.”
Perfection also has found ways to use the two machines in tandem. Prior to 2011, Perfection might have had to machine a certain part profile, resulting in a part cost of $125.
“Now, with our laser- and waterjet- cutting capability, we can load a pro- gram and produce that same part for $12,” explains Gerken, showing Met- alForming a part that Perfection once had machined and now produces sole- ly on the waterjet machine. “That brings customers back. Tell your cus- tomers that their parts cost more because we have to load a part, shear it,
take it to a mill and machine it, the next thing you know they are down the road talking to the guy with laser- and waterjet-cutting machines.”
The addition of waterjet cutting keeps Perfection busy, mixing multinational automotive and industrial customers with locals looking to repair a lawn chair.
“We pride ourselves on the fact that since we’ve opened in 1973, we’ve never had a salesperson,” says Gerken. “We gain all of our business through word- of-mouth and repeat work.”
The company is looking to add to its laser- and waterjet-cutting capabili- ties and may take new directions in 15 years or so when the third Ennes gen- eration, Parker, who currently oper- ates the Omax, takes the reins. With lessons learned in adopting new tech- nology, Perfection is not afraid to con- tinue along that route.
“If we didn’t bring in technology such as this waterjet-cutting machine,” says Gerken, “we would be at six employees and performing the same old work for customers that are okay with doing things the old way. Now we do work for customers such as the U.S. Air Force and NASA because we can. But we still work with Joe from down the street who wanted us to build 30 lantern holders for his rowboat...we don’t turn much away.
“We’ve gone from the Stone Age to state-of-the-art,” he concludes. “We want the work and we have to keep up with this industry.” MF
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