Square Deal Machining Purchases First Tube Laser
This full service fabrication, machining and welding company invested in seven-figure state-of-the-art technology to become more productive and efficient.
Posted: June 24, 2017
In years past, metal fabrication in the United States was a booming industry that served most of the country’s largest manufacturers. However, in recent years a lot of U.S.-based shops have been forced to source product overseas to cut down on manufacturing costs in an adverse economy. Despite this recent trend, Square Deal Machining Inc. (SDMI: Marathon, NY) has continued to experience tremendous growth. This evolvement is largely due to the addition of new, seven-figure state-of-the-art technology that’s made them more productive and efficient than ever before.
The company began as a one-room machine shop in Marathon and has grown into a 300,000 sq ft facility that offers full service fabrication, machining and welding capabilities. There are three additional SDMI facilities, all located in the heart of New York state. The company once had just seven workers, but now employs more than 300 hard working American citizens. Owner Joe Morgan, who purchased the business in 1998, credits the success and expansion of the company to their comprehensive ability to anticipate the needs of the industries they serve and promptly address customer demands.
Morgan is committed to keeping their operations modern, innovative and efficient by regularly investing in the latest technology and equipment: they recently purchased their first tube laser, a new method that’s revolutionizing the way custom metal parts are engineered, designed and produced. A tube laser is a machine that can process round and square tubes up to 10 in diameter, as well as structural beams and other open profiles. This allows the designer to construct in multiple dimensions and planes. This front line technology, coupled with computer numerical control (CNC), is expanding the product and design possibilities for SDMI customers and making the company more efficient and productive than ever.
In addition to providing clients with nearly limitless possibilities for product design and customization, this new process has streamlined operations at SDMI. Facilities equipped with the most advanced technology can produce quality items in a cost-effective manner, minimizing costs to the customer by reducing labor expenses. For example, Morgan and his team discovered existing cut-and-form jobs that could be completed in just one step on the tube laser. In addition, jobs are being completed more rapidly: computer technology makes it easy to design or modify products, and increased cutting speeds of the specialized plasma cutting equipment reduces project turnaround time.
Morgan says proactive thinking, advanced planning and investing in the latest and greatest technology is key to the company’s success. SDMI strives to stay ahead of expected demand: “We’re looking six months or a year down the road, and we ask, ‘Where could our capacity constraints be, and how do we solve them?” he said. “If we wait until we need it, it’s too late, and we have missed opportunity.”
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