Page 28 - MetalForming May 2017

Metals & Services Co. operates three of these three-headed WardJet waterjet-cutting machines 20 hr./day over three shifts. Using common control platforms among all three machines maxi- mizes scheduling flexibili- ty, according to waterjet coordinator Steve Herff.
Three-Headed Waterjet Warriors
...work nearly around the clock at this stainless-steel service center cutting plate to 8 in. thick. Committed to
providing one- to two-day turnaround for its array of customers, the center employs three waterjet- cutting machines, all with the same controller to optimize scheduling flexibility.
BY BRAD F. KUVIN, EDITORIAL DIRECTOR
On the outside looking in, Metals & Services Co. appears like any other steel-service center, ready to load plate, bar and other products onto a truck for delivery to local fabri- cators. But from the inside looking out, this is not the typical service center. While others may offer a taste of value- added services, Metals & Services lays out the full buffet, offering an array of processing capabilities including plas- ma, laser and waterjet cutting, bar and plate sawing, welding, shearing, bar edg- ing, polishing and even pre-assembly kits. Its most recent addition is a 3-kW fiber-laser cutting machine, and a 250- ton 12-ft. press brake will make its way to the Addison, IL, shop later in 2017.
But the centerpiece of the 135,000- sq.-ft. shop is its trio of three-headed waterjet-cutting machines, all WardJet models. The largest of the three, and also the newest (added in 2015), fea- tures a 166- by 253-in. cutting table. The others cut on tables measuring 132 by 313 in., and 140 by 187 in.
“We’re as diversified as we can be,” says general manager Pete Fagan. “We strive to be a one-stop shop for our cus-
tomers, and in fact we often take on their overflow fabrication work. I call our shop a ‘service center on steroids.’”
The firm’s customer base, notes sales executive Jayne Baessler, comprises heavy users of stainless steel—waste- water-treatment facilities, pharmaceu- tical manufacturers, food processors and the like.
“Customers come to us anywhere from daily to once a month,” Baessler says, “with projects ranging from major plant overhauls to one-off maintenance items. Most of what we process is 300- series stainless, although recently we’ve been working on a lot of duplex mate- rial (Type 2205 stainless steel). We carry bar, sheet and tube, and of course stock plate, from 3⁄16 to 6 in., thick; the sweet spot is 3⁄16 to 3⁄4 in. plate.”
Waterjet’s Role
Keeping the waterjet work flowing through Metals & Services falls on waterjet coordinator Steve Herff. “Often, the customer will specify which cutting process—laser, plasma or waterjet—they prefer,” he says. “If not, we decide, based on tolerances, speed
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MetalForming/May 2017
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