HE&M Saw System Delivers Productivity to Lafayette Steel
Lafayette Steel Sales (Lafayette, IN), Division of Oscar Winski Co, wanted and got more than a band saw that simply cuts steel. The company wanted a material handling system that loads bundled material and feeds it to the saw, then off-loads it away from the cutting path, ready for banding. The system that Lafayette Steel wanted would have to have wide-flange cutting capacity and deliver increased productivity. The partnership with HE&M Saw (Pryor, OK) developed such a system that delivered all that and more.
Lafayette Steel Sales, part of a 93-year-old, family-owned company in Lafayette, IN, has a thriving business that buys steel from several mills, has the steel processed according to customer specifications, then warehouses and distributes the finished steel to a wide range of industrial and retail customers. Although there is a heavy emphasis on steel sheet and plate, the division also purchases, stages, and resells a large variety of tubes, flats, rounds, angles, and beams.
"We were expecting a 20% increase in productivity from our new HE&M Saw," says Ron Addaman, VP & GM, "but we're already realizing a 35% improvement." Addaman is pleased with the recently installed saw system and expects even more productivity once it is up and running to full capacity. It is being used to cut mainly bar stock, light structurals, and tubing. "The material handling system works great," Addaman says. By simply pushing buttons, the sophisticated system transfers the material to be cut into smaller pieces, then transfers it to holding racks where the material is staged (or held) to be bundled and hauled away. All of this is done with the same number of personnel employed using the equipment.
"We plan to aggressively pursue the material handling systems market," says Gerald Harris, HE&M Saw president and founder, "which will give our new and existing saw customers the ability to more fully integrate the entire cutting and handling process into one continuous operation, saving them time and money."
The WF190A-DC saw (pictured here) is a hydraulic, double-column design that imposes a 9.2-degree positive blade angle, which achieves faster cutting times. This innovative saw has a cutting capacity of 25 in. high by 40 in. wide and utilizes a two-in. blade driven by a 15-hp motor. Standard features include bi-directional vises, material jogging feature, powered blade tensioner, powered movable guide arm, powered length positioner, and a third vise.
"We welcome this opportunity to work with customers to develop this unique handling system as part of our ongoing commitment to completely fill their needs even when they extend beyond the cutting process," says Doug Harris, HE&M Saw VP. HE&M Saw manufactures more than 40 different models of production band saws for the metalworking industry including vertical, horizontal, horizontal miter, plate, and double column saws, with capacities ranging from 12x12 in. to 80x80 in. Material handling options are available. HE&M Saws are designed, engineering, and manufactured in the USA.
HE&M Saws P.O. Box 1148, Pryor, OK 74362; phone: 888-729-7787