To compete in the global market for durable goods, North American manufacturers need to exploit any cost advantage they can find. They seek advantage in new labor-saving production machinery, scheduling and planning software, and team-based, incentive-driven employee management.
Advantages in material costs are harder to come by. If you make earth moving machinery or storage racks, you won't be switching from steel to plastic. But manufacturers who switch from the basic hot rolled black they've used for years to SCS are enjoying impressive, sustained cost advantages. |
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New Weapon In War On Costs
Taking Technical Support To A
Whole New Altitude
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These conveyor system parts were laser cut from SCS sheets. The
manufacturer achieved a cutting speed of 175 inches/minute versus
top speeds of 155 for CRS and 120 for hot rolled black . |
SCS cleanliness is really paying off
for a tube producer in the Southeast.
They supply a manufacturer of hand |
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rails and safety rails with tubing made |
from hot rolled black. That customer always had to shot blast the tubes to remove rust and clean them up for painting. Since switching to SCS, the customer has stopped blasting altogether, commenting that the ultra-clean SCS tubes look like they're made from cold rolled. That has helped the tube producer secure a larger share of the orders issued by this key manufacturer of railings.
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Speaking of shot blasting . . . a heavy equipment OEM has switched their orders of hot rolled black over to SCS because of the benefits they saw from an extensive SCS trial. In fact, they have yet to determine just how extensive those benefits really are. For example, after the switch to SCS they started to increase cutting speed of their plasma tables on 0.250" SCS sheets. They quickly reached a 20% speed improvement and found they could go no farther. Why? The plasma tables had a software "governor" to limit top speed, and with SCS they had reached the limit – something the supplier of the plasma tables never expected. Once the plasma table software is reprogrammed to raise this limit, they expect to achieve cutting speed improvements of 30% or more, with no loss of cut quality.
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Welding is where substantial cost savings have been captured with SCS - especially in reduction of weld rejects. Their products incorporate panels which are long – too long to be supplied as single sheets – so two sheets have to be seam welded together into a panel. The Fab Shop Manager said it was common to wirebrush the sheet edges in order to get a clean base for a good seam weld, but SCS has completely eliminated this step. SCS has also completely eliminated "undercut" as a weld defect and decreased the repair rate on seam welds by 35%. Farther down the production line, mig welding is a pervasive part of the products' assembly. The QA Manager responsible for this area has observed a large reduction in weld porosity with SCS, and an 85% reduction in the need to wirebrush edges prior to welding.
And what about that shot blasting? It has always been necessary for cleaning up these large fabrications after all that welding and for getting the material ready to paint. The switch to SCS has not eliminated this step, but the blasting superintendent reports that with SCS the process is faster and uses less abrasive grit. He also points out how the products made from SCS emerge with a smoother, more consistent finish. "Anybody can see it. Our customers can tell it's there," he explained.
That's exactly why SCS is such a formidable competitive weapon for manufacturers. Not only does it lower the cost to manufacture, but it provides the end-use customer with an all-around better, more consistent product.
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You could never pin a label on Marvin Campbell based on his interests or career choices. You'd run out of pins. He's been a farmer, a commercial pilot, flight instructor; managed a grain merchandising business; owned a personal computer retail store; and today manages a municipal airport.
Marvin's latest vocation is Technical Serviceman supporting companies trying out or switching over to SCS. His knowledge of SCS performance in manufacturing processes is extensive, and he is available to assist users in getting the most from SCS. Just contact your SCS supplier to enlist Campbell's help.
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Marvin Campbell explains, "I've been flying since 1976 and it's opened a
lot of doors for me . . . like this service position supporting SCS users.
It's interesting work, I meet great people, and I love the commute." |
Campbell earned his "SCS Wings"
through frequent participation in SCS
fabricating and painting tests and trials
dating back to the beginning of SCS. |
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As part time manager and contract |
pilot of the Sparta, Illinois airport, Campbell flew TMW engineers and technicians to key appointments across the country. What's unusual was that Campbell was never asked to "kill some time" at the destination airport, but instead was always invited to attend the appointment. That got him into research and testing labs, job shops and OEMs, steel mills and steel distributors.
With his natural curiosity and mechanical aptitude, Campbell ". . . soaked up SCS information like a sponge and developed a real knack for helping users understand how to optimize their processes for SCS," explains Alan Meuth, TMW VP of Technology. Mueth had been the lead man in helping new users get the most from SCS, but eventually found that Campbell had learned nearly all of his lessons. Mueth felt Campbell could take the lead on many customer support visits, so he ". . .stood back and let Marvin take the wheel" at the next few visits they went on together. Mueth was impressed but, more importantly, the SCS customers were impressed with the results.
TMW management was impressed enough to make Campbell an official SCS Technical Serviceman, offering the growing list of SCS producers and their customers added depth for application support. If you'd like Marvin Campbell's assistance in maximizing your SCS advantages in lasering, paint prep or other key processes, contact your SCS supplier with your request and the coordinates of the nearest airport.
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