Fiber LASER: Case Studies

Case Study: How this shop dramatically simplified its thermal cutting.

A new laser gives your shop firepower. You become leaner, faster and more capable of taking on a wider range of projects. But only if it’s the right laser. And if you can integrate it into your operations seamlessly.

Bill Johns is the General Manager of Target Metal Blanking (TMB), a Midwestern flat-rolled metal service center. His facility has built its reputation by delivering reliable metal services, always on time, with the flexibility to respond to changing customer needs.

So when the time came to upgrade TMB’s shop with a fiber laser, the stakes were high. A bad investment could have damaged the reputations of both Johns and TMB.

But that didn’t happen. Just the opposite: Their decision to purchase the right laser paid off. Here’s the story behind why.

The search for a fiber LASER

Metal materials are evolving. They’re becoming thinner and stronger, which means blank tonnages have to increase and new equipment has to be purchased. But larger presses might not be the answer.

When a customer sent out an RFQ for parts made of high-strength metal, Johns did the math. Then, he sat down with the customer and told them the truth: They would need to purchase over a million dollars’ worth of dies, with tonnages over 1000 for each part.

But Johns, along with Mike Bruff, Director of TMB, saw another option: Laser Blanking. With a laser in place, they could save their customer millions and earn their business through a more cost-effective solution.

Johns just needed to get his hands on one first. He reached out to several companies for laser quotes. Some big industry names took weeks to respond, while others refused to engage in meaningful discussions about their equipment.

But Piranha was different. They responded quickly, worked with Johns to understand his specific needs, and offered a laser tailored to those requirements. “I felt,” said Johns, “that they took a more personal approach compared to the other companies.”

“How fast am I going to learn how to program?”

Anyone running a metal fabrication shop knows the skilled labor market is in a tight spot. If you’re going to be training an employee on laser equipment, it’d better be easy to learn. Which is why Johns knew that ease of use and fast training were essential.

Talking to Piranha’s applications engineers, Johns was impressed by how quickly his team could expect to be up and running: While most lasers have learning curves that can take weeks or months to master, Piranha’s equipment allowed TMB’s team to start completing projects within days.

That’s because of Piranha’s simplified software, which streamlined programming and reprogramming, as well as the laser’s comprehensive training and documentation. And even before the laser even arrived at TMB’s facility, it had been pre-tested for hundreds of cutting parameters, including the ones specifically needed for upcoming projects.

One day, a customer came to Johns after running trials with other shops, looking for help with a cutting project. During the trials with TMB, the customer asked to change part of the laser program. TMB’s lead programmer, Dennis Willis, did it in seconds.

The customer was floored. Other metal fabrication shops would have taken over half an hour. “I explained to him,” Johns said, “that it’s the program we’re utilizing. You can manipulate the activity of the equipment with minor adjustments within the program and get results instantly.”

Scaling up with a second laser

Within a year of their first laser purchase, TMB’s owners Val and Mike Simone greenlit the purchase of a second laser for another facility. It was a straightforward decision: These lasers offered value that their customers needed. And the first Piranha laser had proved to be a major success: It easily handled smaller runs for service parts and larger runs, where it reduced capacity on other equipment.

The Piranha lasers don’t just help Johns and TMB accomplish their own work more efficiently. They’ve also opened the door for collaborations with other shops. It’s not uncommon for Johns to hear from other shops, asking TMB to help them out with their own cutting projects.

As Mike Bruff from TMB puts it, “Since we began laser blanking, we have helped multiple OEMs with various projects. That’s part of TMB’s strength — our versatility.”

Ready to talk?

Metal fabrication shops turn to Piranha because we’ve built our reputation on reliability. And because Piranha houses the widest range of metal fabrication and thermal cutting equipment on the market, we’re able to take a consultative approach, working with each shop to deliver a solution that matches your exact requirements.

If you want to learn more about how Piranha can help your shop, just reach out. We’ll be in touch soon to figure out next steps.