Case Study – Improve the schedule to supply add-on parts to fabricators

IMPROVE THE SCHEDULE TO SUPPLY ADD-ON PARTS TO FABRICATORS

Fabricators will lose reputation and contracts or face penalties if fabricated steel does not arrive on site three weeks after contract signature. The schedule is critical and builders are demanding faster deliveries.

Steel service centres & fabricators understand the requirement for fast delivery for add-on parts so parts can be fabricated, galvanized or painted before delivered to the site. What SMS clients have discovered are the time studies for processing add-on parts with a CNC flat bar machine improves the delivery schedule of add-on parts compared to parts processed with a laser/plasma-drill machine. Any improvement for delivery of add-on parts ensures fitters can fabricate to get the steel passing to the next step which is QA/QC and paint/gal.

We have all witnessed inferior cut quality for add-on parts when a plasma/laser is running too fast to minimize the processing time on a commoditize low margin add-on part. What SMS’s clients found is the CNC punch and shear machine provides a consistent processing speed and acceptable QA/QC standard for every part.

Any plasma or laser cut part requires thermal cutting on all four sides of the part and manual labour to remove any cutting burr or dross from the cutting process. Time studies can measure the faster processing speeds for a punch and shear versus thermal cutting. The add-on parts processed on a CNC punch and shear machine will not require de-burring which improves the cost and schedule.