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Recently we caught up with Glen Langford at Metal-Tech Industries. We spoke to him about the companies purchase of the TRUMPF TruMatic 6000, K06, combination punch and fiber laser machine, the first of its kind within Australia.
While the installation is a few weeks off, we couldn’t wait to speak to Glen about his expectations of this machine purchase. We’ll also provide a follow up to confirm if the technology has lived up to expectations and meets the needs of which it was purchased.
Metal-Tech has been in the market for over 30 years. They manufacture precision sheet metal components out of their factory in Wacol, Queensland.
The list of services they provide is long, they provide everything from punching, bending, laser cutting, welding through to In-house powder coating.
GL: “Our business is a full-service sheet metal job shop, we provide “turnkey” supply.
HL: “What industries do you supply?”
GL: “We service a diverse range of industry sectors such as automotive, renewables, electrical infrastructure, transport and construction to name a few.
HL: “How do expect to grow the business and what are you focused on internally?”
GL: “In terms of growth, we are focused on diversification of the services we offer. And we look to new technology to improve the diversification of our services.
“Our internal focus has been on connectivity, systems and software. I used to think that industry 4.0 and connectivity were just buzz words, but when we went to Euroblech a few years ago with the sole mission of seeing the best technology, connectivity and automation options suitable for our business.
“We spent a lot of time on the TRUMPF stand and we walked away with a much better understanding of how it works in detail and how it would change our business. From that day forward we focused on finding the technology and software we needed to automate our factory.
“We have a way to go, but we realised that we didn’t need to do it all at once, we could do it in stages. That was much more manageable and achievable. We are on the journey, before long we will have our entire factory connected right from our ERP through to the production software, technology and each step of the process.
“Often you have to take a step back and view the business from a different perspective. Otherwise, it’s so hard to make change. Of course, this is hard when you’re working hard and you’re under the pump.”
HL: Why do you choose to partner with Headland?
GL: “The high number of technicians and support within Queensland was definitely a deciding factor.
“We also chose TRUMPF as our operators favour this technology, they are comfortable with the software and how the technology and safety works.
“We compared a whole host of machines when considering our most recent purchase. We spent over three months reviewing competitors’ offerings. We reviewed, ROI, number of service and software technicians, programming software, automation, flexibility, ease of use and key features such as the auto-index, tool system and laser source. Additionally, the consumption rates around electricity, gas and spare parts were also analysed”.
HL: “Why did you choose the combination machine?”
GL: “It prevents double handling. For us, we see it as a much more efficient way of manufacturing. It’s one machine, one set up, one machine operator. It just makes sense.”
HL: It’s the first of its kind in Australia. Was that a motivating factor?
GL: “Not overly, we are from a background in combination machines, we are very comfortable with this type of technology and understand the benefit it can provide to the business”.
HL: What are your expectations of this machine in terms of productivity gains?
GL: “Essentially, the expectation is to reduce our lead-times to a consistent timeframe that our customers are looking for and to exceed their expectations. On top of that the technology should free up existing labour through the manufacturing process. This enables us to utilise labour in a tailored way to suit any given day in the job shop environment and thus giving us flexibility in our scheduling.
“The integration of programming software through numerous stages in the process will now speed up previous bottle necks and create greater capacity not just in processing but in offline programming and again reducing turn around times.
“On top of that, the TruMatic and its integrated software systems (Boost) will work in with our current machines and as a whole bolster the control of our ‘QA’ targets and help us exceed our customers’ expectations in the supply of their components.
HL: What business problems are you hoping to solve with this new machine?
GL: “Apart from areas I have already mentioned the biggest ‘business problem’ really is maintaining short lead-times no matter the factory workload. The Trumatic should give us that ability to maintain suitable time frames, no matter our work load. I feel this will be achieved but not only by the combination of punch and laser technologies in the one machine, but also the automation on the machine allowing MTI to operate ‘lights out’.
HL: Why do your customers choose Metal-Tech?
GL: “Quality and Lead times. Customers can rely on our lead times and consistency to deliver product on time and to meet or exceed their expectations. They enjoy the faster, consistent turn-around times. Consistency of supply is key to our market and most important to our customers. We can also manufacture highly complex products in a variety of materials, in small or large quantities.
HL: What’s your thoughts on the Australian Manufacturing Industry?
GL: “When the effects of COVID on supply chains have passed, the smart companies will continue to manufacture in Australia. Others will revert back to importing from overseas at high volumes. Usually, those that are working in the office and not on the floor would recommend importing. They purely look at the numbers. They don’t see the space required to store such large volumes of product to meet customer demand. They also don’t experience the uncertainty and inconsistency that comes with overseas supply. In my opinion this is what the Australian market values. They want consistency of supply, fast turn-around times and high-quality finishes across all products, simple and complex. That’s what we can provide in Australia.
Read more about Metal-Tech.
This advanced punch laser machine helps you manufacture more products with the assurance of a systematic and reliable processing.
The TRUMPF TruMatic 6000 Fiber provides a high level of reliability and flexibility. Available in both large and medium format.
