CIANBRO:Project Performance the Safe Way

24
STEEL FABRICATOR’S REVIEW
Like many people here in the Midwest, I enjoy the
change of seasons. I am especially fond of the Fall
Season as the air is crisp, and the autumn foliage
colors are breathtaking.
But the main reason I enjoy the Fall Season is
because of the business challenges that seem
to arise this time of year. The vacation season
of summer is over, and fabricators are already
“getting down to business.” Nothing is more
evident than this Fall of 2006.
The past months seem like a whirlwind of constant activity for the steel construction industry.
Structural fabricators report increased projects and
Anton Peddinghaus
renewed activity in many sectors of fabrication:
from high rise to commercial to industrial (and
everything in between). But this vibrant economy brings challenges as well. Let’s
look at two areas that are challenging to us all.
Good Maintenance Always Multiplies Your Machine Investment
Many new structural fabricators have made the investment in new automated
CNC equipment. We always advise our customers that the best insurance for
machine longevity is qualified, daily maintenance. Think of your machine tool
as the real long-term investment that it really is. Think in terms of that machine
as you would your own home. Daily maintenance and care are needed to keep
them both in top shape and retain their value in the market.
Here’s a simple exercise for those of you with CNC structural drills. Take the
drill chips and spiral coils, wrap them up, and tuck a few in your socks—right
by your ankle. Start walking, and see how far you can go. As you find out, this
pretty much prohibits walking and sitting becomes pretty uncomfortable as well.
Now you know how your drill feels when it is clogged with steel chips. Clean it
up, do some maintenance, and your investment will retain higher value and
serve you longer.
Implement a maintenance plan—and stick to it. Not just a short term, but
an annual assessment of your machine. If you have one of our Plasma Plate
machines, order our plasma maintenance manual (see page 15). This simple
document outlines exactly the steps to extend the life and quality of your
Peddinghaus plasma system.
VOLUME 20
FALL 2006
Put some spare parts on the shelf. Wear and tear or consumable components
are valuable tools when you are working on a job with a tight deadline.
It’s a lot easier taking a part off your shelf than waiting for the Fedex guy to
arrive at 10:30 am tomorrow.
Shop Labor Challenges Us All
The very best part of my position as CEO of Peddinghaus is visiting structural
steel fabricators, and discussing the “state of the industry”. These conversations
are always enjoyable and enlightening. I have had the opportunity to travel
and discuss fabrication practices with structural people on every continent of
our world. The one amazing item that keeps popping up repeatedly in our
conversations is the common theme—Shop Labor.
The most repeated comment is, “I can’t find qualified people to work in my
shop.” Closely followed by, “Can you help me find good layout or fit-up people?”
Or the most common is, “Hey, I need welders—how do you get good ones?”
It is not too hard to find hard evidence of the shop labor difficulties:
1. Fabricators in the Southeast recruit welders from Latin America, and are
constructing “dormitories” near their shop facilities to house them.
2. Fabricators in Canada recruit fitters and layout people from eastern Europe
and maintain housing for them as well
3. The upcoming Fabtech/AWS show is sponsoring a “Recruitment Center”
for all personnel—but especially welders, and shop people.
Thus, it is a universal problem. And yes, Peddinghaus shares the same challenges
you face. As you know from our last issue, we have under taken a major capital
improvement project in the past six months, highlighted by a $1.5M investment
in new machining centers, a 63,000 square foot expansion of our shop
warehousing area, and three new sawing systems to improve labor productivity.
R & D—We’re Listening to What You’re Saying
The most intriguing area of Peddinghaus’ investment is in Research and
Development. We have a great facility in which we are finalizing and testing
products which we believe address the very issues we describe above. We are
excited about the potential – as are our industry business partners who have
viewed the equipment with our engineering staff.
Our Engineers are busily working on the Peddinghaus concept of The Fab Shop
of the Future. A Future that Peddinghaus looks forward to sharing with you—
very soon.
NEWS FOR THE STRUCTURAL STEEL & PLATE FABRICATOR
www.peddinghaus.com
FA B R I C AT O R S M A K I N G T O D AY ’ S S K Y L I N E P O S S I B L E
CODEME: Building SUCCESS from Higher EDUCATION
on Successful Structural
and Plate Drilling
How many times have you heard college students
admit, “I’m not sure what my future is after college”,
or “I hope I obtain a job in the field of my choice”.
College students are always filled with apprehension
when they consider the future. What is out there for
me? Is this a step in the right direction for my
career? Some surveys even reveal that less than
Alberto Woods Soares Neto, Dalton Paulo Simoes Utsch,
30% of college graduates obtain a position in the
and Ademar De Carvalho B. Filho of Codeme Engenharia
S.A., A Premier Structural Fabricator in Brazil.
field of their study.
Let me tell you a story about four college engineering students. Four students who worked their way
through a challenging college curriculum to receive their diplomas. Four students who became fast
friends in time spent together studying and sharing college life.
Continued on page 2
STEEL FABRICATOR’S REVIEW
Washington and Grove Street
Bradley, IL 60915
PRSRT STD
U.S. POSTAGE
PAID
PERMIT NO. 157
Joliet, IL
ALLIED: Penetrating Tips
…Critical to maximizing the performance of your
beam and plate drilling applications. Addressing
the causes of these wear patterns reduces tool
costs by minimizing breakage, and increases
production by reducing downtime. The patterns
most prevalent in the structural drilling industry
are described, and solutions to alleviate uneven
wear are offered.
CIANBRO: Project Performance the Safe Way
In today’s corporate society, many firms quickly
develop identification labels. These labels are
based on their reputation or performance in a
specific industry or market segment. Just like your
reputation, your corporate identity tends to stick
with you. Microsoft is Windows Software;
Southwest Airlines is reliable no/frills flying;
Enron—well, we all know Enron’s label.
Cianbro Corporation, Pittsfield, ME is
proud to be known as an employee owned firm
dedicated to Safety…
Full story on page 5
See full story on page 16
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Codeme
Building Success from Higher Education
2
CIANBRO
Project Performance the Safe Way
5
Peddinghaus Annual Distributors Meeting
Sales meeting recap
10
Peddinghaus Distributors
Location map
Alvin Townes, Leroy Vanadestine, and Brian Carr of
Cianbro Corporation, Pittsfield, Maine, a proud member
of ENR’s list of Top 400 Contractors.
12
Tekla
User meeting recap
14
Allied Machine
Penetrating Tips on Successful
Structural and Plate Drilling
16
North Shore Supply Co.
Planning for the Future
18
2
CODEME: Building Success
Continued from page 1
These four students looked at each other one
day, and come up with an idea: Let’s Start our
own Company! It sounded like a wonderful idea
—but could it possibly work? Four university
graduates starting a company and tackling the
business world seemed like a monumental task.
The year was 1980, and the future lay ahead.
Take a Risk—Reap a Reward!
STEEL FABRICATOR’S REVIEW
FALL 2006
FALL 2006
The Four friends: Ademar de Carvalho Barbosa
Filho, Luis Tomé de Rezende, Ricardo Araújo
Lanna and Roberval José Pimenta, indeed
formed a new company. They each took their
personal strengths in business – engineering,
commercial sales, financial, production – and
put them to work. All enjoyed steel construction
and its opportunities, so the name was simple:
Co = construction
de = structures
Me = metallic
Codeme engages in any size project—and has found
success in steel high rise residential buildings.
The operation of the Peddinghaus Drill Line and Saw Line is a Family Matter At Codeme.
Codeme continued to grow, and became a
major player in building construction in Brazil
and South America. But what about the future?
How could they continue to compete in the
next three, five, or ten years? What production
technology was available that could help them?
They looked to a leader in the industry—they
looked to Peddinghaus.
“In 1992, we came to the realization that the
only way we could increase productivity and
wage a consistent battle with concrete, was to
increase shop productivity,” commented Ademar
Barbosa, Codeme’s Managing Director.
The opportunity came in their home town of
Belo Horizonte, MG., a city of 3 million people
in central Brazil. A downtown gas station was
being demolished to make way for a more
“modern” facility with a canopy.
Previously, gas stations with a canopy structure
were built entirely of welded connections on
site. The process was slow—and dangerous—as
gasoline fumes and welding sparks make a deadly combination.
The four friends saw an opportunity. In their
Engineering classes they had studied structural
steel and learned of bolted connections. They
approached the owner of the station (Shell Oil)
with the concept and Shell was intrigued with
the idea.
The “Four Amigos” eagerly accepted the challenge, and began fabricating. The new Shell
canopy in downtown Belo Horizonte was
finished in two days. Previous canopies were a
minimum of two weeks. The canopy was strong,
solid and still stands the test of time.
Soon, Shell Oil was designing every station
with a fabricated canopy of bolted connections.
Other oil companies soon took notice of
the fast, flexible construction and the concept
was flying.
3
Codeme is Born
Growing to the Next Level
Located on a hillside, Codeme installed a tunnel to join
their fab shops with their new painting area.
STEEL FABRICATOR’S REVIEW
Project: HOTEL CAESER PARK GUARULHOS
~ e Empreendimentos Imobiliários Ltda.
Customer: INPAR Construçoes
Total Area: 25,421 square meters
Tonnage: 1080 tons
Location: Guarulhos, SP, Brazil
Their business
philosophy was simple:
Always Go Beyond
• Exceed the expectation
levels of your employees
As the company grew from its four founders,
they investigated new technology for bigger steel
buildings. Next on the project horizon for
Codeme was the steel warehouse market. In
1985, Codeme helped develop technology in
Brazil for steel construction.
Codeme made their choice
and installed a Peddinghaus system in 1996. It
consisted of a new TDK 1000/3 drill, new 40"
band saw, with an accompanying ABC automated cope and burn system. A complete new
material handling system was installed to boost
the new production line, as well.
Perhaps one of the major installations was the
FPB 1500 plate processing system in 1999. This
powerful machine changed the entire philosophy
of how to produce plate at Codeme –and much
of Brazil. (See the insert article FPB—Return On
Investment on page 6.)
Boosting Tonnage
Installing the Peddinghaus system proved to be
one of the most profitable investments Codeme
had ever made. They were delighted with the
production capabilities of the system.
~
Project: CENTRO DE DISTRIBUIÇAO VIA EXPRESSA
Customer: Consórcio Logístico Via Expressa
Total Area: 9,221 square meters
Tonnage: 156 tons
Location: Contagem, MG, Brazil
Concrete construction had long been the
material choice for buildings in Brazil. It was a
traditional choice, as no significant alternative
had been truly developed. Codeme worked
with their business partners—including Canam
Steel in Canada to develop a steel decking
product that minimized construction time
while providing a quality structural roof and
floor component.
“The Peddinghaus people were helpful, friendly,
and very genuine in their approach to helping us,”
Says Dalton, “Perhaps the greatest benefit was
taking us on a tour to visit fabricators and educate
us better on how to improve our production.”
Approved product is ready to ship in the Codeme yard.
“With our old methods,
we could barely keep up,”
commented Dalton,
“With the new Peddinghaus
system, we had increased
our tonnage to over 1,000
tons per month.”
“We easily average 1,500
tons per month now—and
we know we can do better.”
Beating Concrete at their Own Game
The penultimate challenge in Brazil was to win
over customers to the belief that steel construction is superior to concrete. Many steel fabricating companies in Brazil, including Codeme,
attack this argument in several ways:
Says Ademar, “It was at the AISC show in
Phoenix that we truly understood the strength and
productivity of these Peddinghaus machines.”
• Exceed the expectation
levels of your clients
• Exceed the expectation
levels of your shareholders
In April, 1995, Ademar and Dalton Simões,
Production Manager, booked a flight to the
USA to visit the North American Steel
Construction Conference (NASCC) sponsored
by the American Institute of Steel Construction
(AISC). It was at this conference that they
learned of the true productivity of automated
shop equipment—especially from Peddinghaus.
Antonio Mandes is the Peddinghaus Drill Operator.
Moises Mandes, Antonio’s Son, is the Peddinghaus
Saw Operator.
Project: SALVADOR SHOPPING MALL
Customer: Salvador Shopping Ltda.
Total Area: 145,765 square meters
Tons: 4,900 tons
Location: Salvador, BA, Brazil
• Speed in Construction at the job site
• Flexible Construction during the production
process
• Viable alternatives during the planning time
• Strength and rigidity in seismic zones
Continued on page 4
Project: CBMM Mine Project
Customer: Cia. Brasileira de Matalurgia 3 Minero
Total Area: 50,000 square meters
Tons: 3.500
Location: Arax, MG, Brazil
4
STEEL FABRICATOR’S REVIEW
FALL 2006
FALL 2006
Success Brings a Second
Fabricating Shop for Codeme
CODEME: Building Success
Confidence and business savvy—a term not
easily translated, but well understood—brings
opportunity. The management of Codeme had
the strength and foresight to grow their company to even higher levels.
Continued from page 3
Currently under construction in Taubate, a city
near Sao Paulo, is a new 10,000 square meter
(35,000 square feet) fabrication shop facility for
the next step in Codeme’s growth.
Remnant Stock (from fabricated beams) is all processed
on the Peddinghaus FPB 1800 plate system, saving
Codeme money by minimizing scrap.
As a result of the efforts of these Brazilian firms,
steel construction is on the rise. Evidenced by
the following facts:
• More Engineering students are learning about
steel construction at the University level
• More steel mills are established and processing
more various section sizes and shapes
• A tremendous growth is seen now in all aspects
of commercial buildings.
Codeme Embraces a Business Partner
to Grow Their Business
In 1998, the owners of Codeme realized that in
order to capture the market opportunities they
would need to grow their business faster. That is
when an investment holding of ASAMAR
Group, known as ISA, joined Codeme.
The Codeme unloading system reduces labor by
efficiently moving finished parts from the machine to
the fit-up area.
The FPB punch plasma machine processes both plate and
remnants from 72" to 2".
ASAMAR, is a family group, established for over
seventy years, with activities spreading across different industries such as Construction, Cement,
Concrete, Real Estate, Fuel Distribution and
Steel Fabrication, with a combined annual sales
of over US$ 2 billion. Mr. Alberto Soares, a 3rd
generation member of ASAMAR, and Project
Director of Codeme, remembers that right after
the merger in 1999, a new Company named
Metform was created in order to separate the
rollforming activities (steel deck, cladding ) from
the steel fabrication business.
Peddinghaus Does Make a Difference
The idea of separating the business in two
different companies has proved to be effective
providing an exceptional growth in sales and
product capability.
“We can provide the entire construction
package,” explained Alberto,” the decking
system installs quickly and efficiently, and has
helped grow the business.”
Ademar concurs, “The Metsec joist system for
purlins and related roof construction gave us new
opportunities in various new markets. Now we
compete in pre-engineered buildings or portal
frame buildings regularly.” Codeme does the entire
building engineering and interface package.
Asked if Peddinghaus made a difference for
Codeme brought a smile to Ademar’s face:
“Since we installed Peddinghaus, we average
1,500 tons per month.”
“Because of the quality of our work, We
regularly compete in markets throughout Latin
and South America; we know we can compete
throughout the world.”
We currently fabricate:
• High Rise Residential and Office Buildings
• Medical Facilities
• University and Schools
• Stadiums
• Shopping Malls
• Hotels
• Pre-Engineered and Portal Buildings
“We are confident of
taking on any job because of
our confidence in
Peddinghaus Equipment.”
This new facility will have the initial capacity to
produce a minimum of 2,500 tons of fabricated
structural steel per month! When coupled with
the 1,500 from the Belo Horizonte shop,
Codeme has the potential for over 4,000 tons
per month or close to 50,000 tons per year.
How will they achieve this tonnage from the
new shop? Easy, when you use Peddinghaus for
your production:
• New BDL 1250/9 multi spindle structural drill
• New 1270-510 structural band saw with
Accumeasure Measuring System
• New FPB 1800 Plasma Plate Punching Center
• New CNC Angle Iron Processing System
• New Material Handling system
“We are eager to start production at this new
facility," says Dalton. “This will be another
state-of-the-art production center featuring the
latest technology in the industry.”
Doing Business with a Friend—Peddinghaus
When asked why he does business with
Peddinghaus, Ademar simply smiles: “I can
answer that in two sentences:
1. Everyone at Peddinghaus is enthusiastic with
their company, and that enthusiasm is displayed to us by everyone we have met
2. Peddinghaus does business like Codeme does
business:
a. It is always based on the truth
b. All points and issues are always addressed
and resolved to satisfaction
c. If Peddinghaus doesn’t know, they always
get back to us. It may be good news or bad,
but they always respond.”
STEEL FABRICATOR’S REVIEW
Machine Return on Investment: Put This on Your Plate
Of all the CNC machines and equipment, which one had the quickest return on investment?
Exactly what machine paid for itself in the shortest amount of time?
“That’s an easy question,” comments Ademar, “The FPB 1800 paid for itself very rapidly.”
According to Ademar of Codeme, one of the fastest methods of machine pay back is to calculate
how they can reduce your fixed costs. With the FPB 1800, it was easy.
Codeme had to calculate the need for multiple employees in
the process for producing plate detail:
1.Unloading plate from the truck
2. Loading onto a burn table for cutting into parts
3. Fetching the parts out of the burn table
4. Measuring the parts for hole location
5. Drilling the holes
6. Stacking the plates
7. Moving the plates to the fit-up area
8. Bolting or welding in position—and hoping that the
manual holes were correct!
Dalton Simoes, Director of Codeme Fabrication
and Jose Cavazos of Peddinghaus acknowledge
Ademar recalls one job that involved over 30 employees
involved in plate fabrication. “We knew we could not be the profitable investment of the FPB 1800
at Codeme.
profitable using so many people in one process.”
Save Inventory Costs with an FPB 1800
“The FPB does it all in one process; instead of 30 men, we use three now to load, unload, and
operate the machine. Let me tell you why the FPB makes us money.”
In Brazil, we do not have all the AISC beam and column shapes and sizes. Thus, we have to fabricate many of our own beams (see photo). These are cut from plate, and always have remnants.
We save money in three ways:
1. We process every remnant on the FPB—the nesting software is very effective in using every
square millimeter of the plate.
2. Because the machine can plasma cut from a common line (see photo below), we can process a
full plate from stock and effectively use the entire length and width.
These two steps save money by reducing our inventory
3. Labor is saved because the parts are punched, plasma cut to any shape or length, and marked
by one operator. This step saves money by reducing our overhead labor costs.
Dalton says, “When the time came to select equipment for the new shop, the FPB 1800
was on the top of the list!”
The Peddinghaus Common Line (Chain) Cutting allows all parts to have holes punched, and plasma cut along
common lines which is the fastest, most efficient,
and profitable way to make parts
from plate or flat stock.
“We feel that Codeme and Peddinghaus are very
much alike: Peddinghaus has good people, and
good people make for a good company.
We love what we do at Codeme, and I can
tell that Peddinghaus people love what they
do. Two good companies make for
Great Business Partners!”
Crane handling is minimized as the operator loads a
stock length or a remnant onto the machine only one
time, saving valuable labor.
More Parts—Less Scrap—By Common line plasma cutting, scrap created by unnecessary material “skeletons” is
virtually eliminated.
It also saves on plasma
consumables
by eliminating frequent
starts and stops.
5
6
STEEL FABRICATOR’S REVIEW
FALL 2006
SAFETY
CIANBRO CORPORATION:
Project Management With an Eye on Safety
Safety? A construction firm with over 2,000 employees and global presence
is known for Safety? A firm that attacks some of the most sophisticated
building projects in the world—bridges, hydro-electric power plants, pulp
and paper facilities—is most proud of their reputation for Safety?
Welcome to a refreshing respite from the horror stories of the Industrial
Revolution, black lung disease, child labor and labor exploitation tragedies.
Take an insightful view of a firm that actually practices what it preaches
about caring for the health and safety of its employees.
Welcome to a firm that actually engineered and designed a safety harness
for ironworkers walking high steel that revolutionized the industry. And they
happily shared their research with others to make a truly safe environment—
patents and profits notwithstanding.
Welcome to Cianbro, who lists the word “safely” as the third word in their
Corporate Mission Statement: “Cianbro will safely construct quality facilities
on time, and at a competitive price…”
In visiting Cianbro, one quickly learns
that the word “safety” not only means
a healthy work environment—but
more importantly—a dedication to
detail and preparedness. It means
utilizing today’s technology to create
productive tools and practices that
Cianbro is a leading supplier to the
effectively compete in today’s global
power plant industry.
economy. It means project management
with the emphasis on the word “manage”.
It’s like my Dad always told me,“Pay attention to the little things, and the big
things tend to take care of themselves.”
Cianbro was listed as number 171 on the prestigious
Engineering News Record’s list of Top 400 Contractors.
See the story on page 7 to find out why Cianbro
is ranked as an industry leader.
A Growing Family Means Business
Cianbro was formed in the late 1940s in a small town in central Maine by
four sons of an Italian immigrant. This small company, then called
Cianchette Brothers, would take on just about any job that came along
from stacking firewood to grading roads to eventually building small bridges
for municipalities. Incorporating in 1949, the operation eventually grew
large enough to take on state highway and bridge projects, municipal sewer
treatment work, and other civil projects.
The company continued to grow geographically, adding regions in Southern
New England and Mid-Atlantic states and to grow in the civil structural
markets of bridges and hydroelectric dams. The company changed its name
to Cianbro in the 1960s. By the late ’70s, Cianbro began to diversify further
by finding opportunities in the paper mills of Maine and New England,
leading to the development of industrial mechanical and electrical
capabilities. This growth led to projects in power plants, both fossil and
nuclear, cement plants, and other industrial and commercial facilities.
FALL 2006
STEEL FABRICATOR’S REVIEW
CIANBRO and Peddinghaus Team Up With Building Modeling, Detailing
and MRP Software in Seamless Integration of All Projects
Dave Leavitt, General Manager, Fabrication & Coating of Cianbro, states
it the best, “As our capacity has increased, and our work mix has diversified,
Peddinghaus CNC Equipment, and its integration with our detailing
software, has become a key element to Productivity and Quality.”
How does a firm get to be listed as number 171 on the prestigious
Engineering News Record’s list of the Top 400 Contractors?
Cianbro is ranked as a leader in the following market areas:
• Top 5 in Hydro Plants
• Top 10 in Pulp and Paper Facilities
• Top 25 in Bridges
To achieve this status, your firm must employ the latest technology
in technology and design. A dynamic player in the burgeoning
Power Plant market, Cianbro plays all its cards to be competitive
and effective.
The integration of technology into Cianbro’s daily operation is
a key to their success. The seamless interoperability of all major
software with the Peddinghaus equipment has proven to be the
real difference in various projects.
Cianbro could plainly see the value of the small steel fabrication shop they
maintained in Pittsfield, Maine. In the 1980s Cianbro fully established a
fabrication and coatings facility in Pittsfield and supported the construction
teams with all types of temporary structures.
Two projects which clearly depict
this technological advancement are
a hospital in New York and a power
plant in the Mid-Atlantic region.
Little by little, the work mix for the “Fab Shop” included permanent
fabricated steel for Cianbro projects and later expanded to process nearly
50% of its work for non-Cianbro customers.
Pete Vigue, President and CEO of
Cianbro advises,“Teamwork,
commitment, and personal sacrifice
are what differentiate our people and this company from our
competitors. It is what allows Cianbro to do some pretty extraordinary
things in the construction industry.
From the Industry Standard Dual Tie-off
Safety Harness to their Motivated Work Force,
Cianbro focuses on project management‚
with the emphasis on the word “Manage”.
Our team puts its can-do spirit to work every day coming
up with innovative and creative solutions for our customer’s
needs on a wide variety of projects.”
No design is too difficult or demanding
for the Cianbro Group.
Construction of medical facilities has
launched Cianbro into a new market.
Y2K Fear? Not in the Cianbro FAB SHOP
In December, 1999, Cianbro decided to give themselves a little Christmas
present. With the pending Millennium only a few days away, Cianbro faced
down the specter of Y2K, and took delivery of a new CNC controlled fully
automated Peddinghaus BDL 1250 nine spindle drill line, complete with a
miter band saw and material handling system.
At the time, the Cianbro Fab Shop was relatively small. Among shop
employees, the prevailing thinking was that this purchase was premature
for Cianbro, and funds could be better spent on other projects. However,
within weeks, the Peddinghaus equipment purchase proved to be the
catalyst for newfound efficiency, productivity, and cost effectiveness.
Continued on page 8
Leroy Vanadestine – Marketing
Alvin Townes – General Foreman
Nick Rossi – Safety (in harness)
Mike Fisher – Job Coordinator
Brian Carr – Baltimore Fabrication
& Coatings Shop Manager
7
8
STEEL FABRICATOR’S REVIEW
CIANBRO: Project Management
with an Eye on Safety
Continued from page 6
Building Up in Baltimore
In 2001, Cianbro purchased a 2nd fabrication facility in Baltimore, MD.
This shop was FIVE (5) TIMES the size of the Pittsfield shop with about
80,000 square feet of floor space. Upon acquiring the property, Cianbro
completely renovated the building, and outfitted it with the same successful
equipment—Peddinghaus:
• Peddinghaus BDL 1250/9 nine spindle automated structural drill
• Peddinghaus 44" miter cutting band saw
• Complete material handling system consisting of infeed conveyors and
cross transfers—located in the yard for efficient outdoor loading
• Complete material handling system with conveyors and cross transfers
exiting the band saw and infeed for the Peddinghaus BDL 1250 drill
• A New Peddinghaus FDB 1500/3 CNC Plasma Plate Processing
Center with capacity for processing light and heavy plate in infeed lengths
of 20 feet.
FALL 2006
STEEL FABRICATOR’S REVIEW
9
What Does A Peddinghaus System Actually Deliver?
We put some questions to Brian Carr, Cianbro’s Fabrication & Coatings
Shop Manager in Baltimore. His responses depict the insight and capability
of the progressive minds of the Cianbro team.
R
Q
Q
Q
Q
Q
Q
What was the justification for purchasing the complete Peddinghaus
Processing system?
To put Cianbro Fabrication among the elite group of qualified,
AISC certified fabricators on the east coast. The system instantly gave
us the capabilities to service the need of our sister company “Cianbro
the Constructor” and gave us the opportunity to take advantage of
the recent growth of local markets.
In your opinion, how has technology helped your firm?
Technology has made us very competitive. Peddinghaus equipment
and our CNC programming interface seamlessly with our detailing
software (X-Steel) allows us to turn around and over projects very
quickly with very accurate results. (Timely, accurate results produce
many, many opportunities!)
You have worked closely with Peddinghaus engineering on systems to
enhance your operation—describe that process.
We have sought advice from Peddinghaus and have taken their recommendations on material handling to increase our overall efficiency
which has increased our total tonnage throughput substantially.
How has Peddinghaus service assisted you?
Very little service has been required. The service that was required was
timely and effective. Our equipment, being properly maintained,
required very little service. (This reflects the Peddinghaus well built
machines and high standards!)
By using building modeling software, Cianbro can seamlessly integrate with their Peddinghaus
equipment to create all ductwork and transitions for large power plant facilities.
FALL 2006
Do you recall any specific service experience that stands out?
Recent calibration issues—the experience and knowledge of
Peddinghaus service representatives assisted us through a Waler
system project to produce a timely, accurate product.
(40" wide flange beams with over 100 holes in each beam with
less than 1/8" tolerance)
What are your main markets?
Industrial beam and column, plate and duct work, and
marine structures.
Q
Q
Q
Q
Q
How has Peddinghaus enabled you to grow into new markets?
With our Peddinghaus equipment, we do well in local markets and
our capabilities are growing rapidly. Our reputation as a “Quality
and Reliable Fabricator” is on the streets and it is producing
unlimited opportunities to increase our business. Invitations to bid
are arriving on a daily basis and soon we will be an industry leader.
We understand that the productivity of the Peddinghaus drill and sawing
system has enabled you to increase overall productivity—can you elaborate?
State of the art production equipment including Peddinghaus BDL
1250 drill line (9 spindle, up to 1-9/16" holes), Peddinghaus saw
capacity up to a 44 inch beam section and a model FDB 1500/3
plasma plate duplicator (flame arc cutting machine and drill,
3 spindle up to 1-9/16" holes)—the equipment has us well suited
for 100 ton and heavier projects which we can routinely process on a
weekly basis.
Can you share some additional production data from your Peddinghaus
line?
One word summarizes it all—“Efficiency”. Our Peddinghaus equipment, at the present time, allows us to produce in excess of 800 tons
(and Pittsfield capacity double) a month or approximately 10,000
tons a year. We are producing for diversified markets rapidly gaining
knowledge and skills to increase this volume. Our Peddinghaus line
makes it easy for us to focus on production with quality results!
FLOODCOOLANT
...WhataW ASTE.
a. A study of a shop that
concentratesoncuttingandhole
makinginstructuralshapes,showed
atwistdrillrequiredreshapingevery
100holesandthedrillingoperation
required$3,300.00worthofflood
coolantoverthesixmonthstudy .
R
COOLUBEL UBRICANT
...WhataSOL UTION!
b.AUNISTNDMTRIALshowedanewsingleinsert
typecoolant-throughspadedrillproducedover
22000holesbeforeinsertreplacementandthe
drillingoperationrequiredjust$85.00worthof
COOLUBElubricantoverthenextsixmonths.
-
R
How has Peddinghaus impacted Cianbro?
Peddinghaus has made Cianbro a “Confident Processing Fabricator”
ready to take on diverse projects to satisfy our customer needs.
Can you share something with our readers that relatively
few people are aware?
Cianbro Fabrication & Coatings Baltimore Facility is AISC certified
for buildings, bridges and coatings, ASME certification, full-time
CWI and QA/QC inspector, and SSPC-QP1 and QP2 certified.
The 65,000 square foot facility is located on 21 acres with water
front bulkhead, railroad and over the road access capabilities.
Our marine access and modularization capabilities allows delivery
of large sections or modules to your site both coastal and
inter-coastal locations. Cianbro also has in-house estimating,
engineering, detailing and project management capabilities.
OEMorRetro-Fit,UNISTNEARDRY MACHININGapplies
thebesttoollubricationsolutionformostDrilling,T
apping
PunchingandSawingoperations.
If you think Near Dry Machining may be the RIGHT SOLUTION
for your operation, and would like to learn more about this
case study, or a Free In-Plant Near Dry Machining Trial
CallUNISTT oday
800-253-5462
US&Canada
VisitUsatF ABTECH06BoothNo.1 1061
TM
Writing the book on non-friction
616.94 9.08 53 • Fax: 616.94 9.95 03 • www.unist. com
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STEEL FABRICATOR’S REVIEW
FALL 2006
FALL 2006
STEEL FABRICATOR’S REVIEW
11
WHAT ATTENDEES ARE SAYING:
“
DISTRIBUTOR SALES MEETING
SEPTEMBER 22 & 23, 2006
Why are these guys smilin’?.....
Everyone enjoyed the sunny South Carolina
weather on Saturday afternoon. Over 30 loyal
“duffers” enjoyed the beautiful Willbrook Country
Club where pars were scarce, but great camaraderie
abounded.
All shapes for under $16,000!
Over 40 hearty fisherman braved the mighty
Atlantic in search of the trophy sized catch. More
“minnow size” than “trophy size” were caught,
and the ocean can “bring out the best in you”,
but everyone had a great fish story in the end...
Peddinghaus Corporation was delighted to host our Distributor Sales meeting September 22 & 23 at
our facility in Andrews, SC.Over 75 attendees actively participated in classroom and hands-on training
of various Peddinghaus products.
One of our attendees said it best when he
commented, “This is great, when is your next
meeting—sign me up today!”
They’ve just witnessed the new low cost Peddinghaus model 320 Band Saw
Of special interest was the introduction of the
new Peddinghaus horizontal band saw line
which featured the following NEW models:
• The 320 miter saw which carries a large
capacity at a modest price!
• The 410 DGA 2300 is a fully automatic CNC
band saw complete with automated in feed
shuttle and designed for decades of accurate,
productive sawing.
• The model 407A band saw is a work horse for
any automated sawing facility providing
24 hour production of 90 degree cutting.
“What a great team Peddinghaus has! I’m proud to be part of it—
Thanks for the chance to work with such winners!”
“Best Distributor Sales Meeting I have ever attended!”
“The technical power point presentations were helpful … but the live “hands-on”
demos at Andrews were very informative and emphasized the points discussed”
“Your meeting was well organized and informative…I look forward to your next
meeting as I’m excited about selling each and every Peddinghaus product”
“I will take my enthusiasm for Peddinghaus and pass it on to our Customers!”
AWARD WINNERS
Outstanding CNC System Sales
—Lyle Menke
AKHURST MACHINERY
ADVANCED MACHINERY
Edmonton, Alberta Canada
Mr. George McCarthy
Pelham, AL
Mr.Tony Smith
Mr. Kevin Woods
Outstanding Ironworker Sales
A highlight of the Peddinghaus Distributor Sales
Meeting was the award for outstanding sales for
CNC Systems and also Ironworkers. In a tightly
contested decision, a most unusual situation
occurred. We had a tie for both categories!
Thanks to you, we experienced one of the
most successful distributor sales meetings in
the history of Peddinghaus Corporation.
FABRICATING EQUIPMENT
AKHURST MACHINERY
Houston, TX
Mr. Jim Conn
Edmonton, Alberta Canada
Mr. George McCarthy
Congratulations to our winners
for a job very well done!
”
12
STEEL FABRICATOR’S REVIEW
Peddinghaus Corporation
DISTRIBUTORS
Peddinghaus distributors are located throughout
North America, with one close to you. Our distributors are
trained on Peddinghaus products and applications, and
can assist your search for improved productivity and
machine tool efficiency. Give us a call—the Peddinghaus
Network is ready to assist you!
Our Canadian Distributors
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STEEL FABRICATOR’S REVIEW
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STEEL FABRICATOR’S REVIEW
FALL 2006
Peddinghaus Donates Peddiworker 1050
On October 5th, Peddinghaus Corporation of South Carolina donated to Williamsburg Technical College a
Peddiworker 1050 machine for their welding/fabricating classroom. The presentation was done at the
FALL 2006
STEEL FABRICATOR’S REVIEW
A REMINDER
Ask for your FREE COPY of the new Peddinghaus Plasma
Maintenance Manual. This new manual will provide ideas for extending the
life and wear of your plasma system on your Peddinghaus
Plate Processing System.
Tech site, attended by Bob Meltzer, Dr. Cleve Cox (President), Brandon Haselden (Machining Instructor), Jeff
Ball (Welding Instructor), Clifton Elliott (Dean of Instruction) and Mona Dukes (Director of Public Relations).
The partnership between the two has been
an overwhelming success as approximately
one-third of PCSC employees have come to
the company through Williamsburg Tech.
The college extends their heartfelt gratitude
to Anton Peddinghaus and Kevin Winter for
making this donation possible.
The futures of many technical students have
been initiated by PCSC and in return, the
success of PCSC has been solidified with the
opportunity to hire trained and experienced
personnel with Peddinghaus machinery.
Mr. Clifton Elliott, Dean of Instruction, and
Dr. Cleve Cox, President of Williamsburg Technical
College thank Bob Meltzer, Chief Operating Officer
of Peddinghaus Corporation (Andrews, South
Carolina) for the donation of a Peddinghaus
Ironworker for their Technical Training Center.
(L to R) Marvin “Trey” Cribb, Jeff Ball, Bob Meltzer,
Brandon Haselden, and Mike Cumbie all agree that
hands-on training of eager students is the best
method of preparing a workforce for the future.
Tekla User Meeting Held
Tekla, Inc hosted the 6th annual Tekla User Meeting August 17-19 at the beautiful Bellagio
Hotel in Las Vegas.
Lyle Menke of Peddinghaus gave a presentation of the current “state of the industry” with
an insightful view of new technologies in process for the structural fabrication shop.
“Hosting an event in Las Vegas is always a
gamble and this year it paid off,” says Tekla, Inc.
President Hans Ehrnrooth.
The record number of attendees represented
three countries and over 30 states. Tekla had
representatives from product development,
product support as well as representatives from
the headquarters in Finland.
There were six General Sessions and ten
Workshop Sessions covering 17 different topics.
Listed below are the specifics from each
program. Presentations are available for
those who attended. To request a copy of a
specific presentation please email Tekla at
[email protected].
For your free copy e-mail plate [email protected]
or [email protected]
SCHUFF
STEEL,
Schuff offers a competitive salary
On Thursday Dowco Consultants Ltd. hosted
a cocktail hour, which included a wonderful
bone-in, honey baked ham. Peddinghaus
Corporation sponsored the tasteful flank steak
and chicken lunch. People were talking the rest
of the day about the desserts!
one of the nation’s largest
structural steel
If you are interested in starting a
new career, call Todd Laduron at
fabricators & erectors
602. 452. 4407
Friday night the grand event was the roast beef
tenderloin sit-down dinner. After dinner
attendees enjoyed faux gambling. At the end
of the night David Ball had turned his $1,000
into $29,000 and Ron Heigh turned his $1,000
into $27,000! Wow.
EXPERIENCED
Of course there was also fun in Vegas
is looking for
PROJECT MANAGERS and
ESTIMATORS.
structure based on experience, along
with one of the best benefits packages
in the industry.
or e-mail
[email protected]
Schuff is an EOE
www.schuff.com
15
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STEEL FABRICATOR’S REVIEW
FALL 2006
ALLIED MACHINE & ENGINEERING CORP.
Penetrating Tips on
Successful Structural and Plate Drilling
Understanding wear patterns is critical to maximize the performance of
your beam and plate drilling applications. Addressing the causes of these
wear patterns reduces tool costs by minimizing breakage, and increases
production by reducing downtime. In the structural drilling industry, the
following patterns are the most prevalent.
The photo above shows the normal
wear pattern for the T-A‚ Structural
Steel Drilling System from AMEC.
The wear is even across the cutting
edge. When a drill insert wears
in this manner, the optimum
performance is achieved.
This is an example of OD or margin
wear. This condition is a result of
heat created during drilling. This is
probably the most common wear
pattern found in the structural steel
beam drilling industry due to the
methods used to apply coolant.
Mist systems, or MQL (for minimal quantity lubricant) are used in the
beam and plate industry due to the inability to recycle liquid coolants. Since
the coolant is not in a closed loop system, MQL is used. MQL is
substantially better than machining dry, but it is less effective than higher
volume coolant systems.
To alleviate this symptom, reduce the RPM of the drill. This will lower the
heat being created in the cut, extending the tool life. AMEC’s T-A‚ drill
inserts are produced with the latest technology in the field of tool coatings
to combat this problem. The T-A‚ Structural Steel Drilling System tools are
coated with TiAlN, which offers excellent heat resistance. Another option is
to use our GEN2 T-A‚ drilling system. These inserts are coated with
AM200, a proprietary coating that allows the highest level of heat resistance
in the industry.
An extreme case of OD or margin wear results in a burned step in the tool.
This is caused by excessive heat in the cut, and should be corrected by reducing
RPM. To find out the correct RPM,
measure the resulting burned diameter
and divide this number by the original
insert diameter. Running at 90% of this
number will result in a setting which
eliminates the step.
An example is a 13/16" diameter tool with
a burn diameter of .765". Divide .765 by
.812 getting .942. The tool was originally
running at 900 RPM, so multiply 900 by An extreme case of OD or margin wear
.942 resulting in 850 RPM. Reduce this
results in a "burned step" in the tool.
number by 10% to ensure even wear, and
the tool should be run at 770 RPM for optimum performance.
The next photo is an example of edge chipping. This occurs when the beam
or plate being machined has substantial voids and or porosity. To correct
his problem, lower the RPM of the tool and lower the feed rate. Running
the tool slower will lessen the impact of the hard spots in the beam and
minimize the chipping that occurs. The Super Cobalt substrate offered in
the T-A‚ Structural Steel Drilling System allows a high level of wear
resistance while maintaining toughness to minimize chipping.
Another solution is to utilize standard T-A‚
Drilling System Inserts made from M-4.
This material is not as wear resistant as the
Super Cobalt, but is less susceptible to
chipping. Information on the complete
line of T-A‚ drilling products can be
“Edge Chipping” occurs when the
found in our full line catalog, T-A‚ and
beam or plate being machined has
ASC 320‚ Drilling Products catalog
sustained voids or porosity.
number TAASC-05.
A more extreme example of chipping is
fracturing. This is caused by unintended
impact with the beam or plate, or by
excessive movement during the drilling
cycle. To minimize this, make sure the
rapid feed stops a minimum of 1/8" from
the workpiece and ensure that the
part being drilled is secured to minimize
movement.
Excessive Point Wear is a symptom
Excessive point wear is a symptom of a
of a beam or plate that is excessively
beam or plate that is excessively hard, or
hard or excessive spindle run out
there is excessive spindle run out. Often
when drilling a beam or plate that has been flame cut, the bolt holes are
drilled near the heat affected zone of the workpiece. The heat affected zone
can be considerably harder than the other parts of the beam or plate. When
drilling in this area, the point of the tool can wear prematurely.
If the issue is excessive spindle runout, replacing the spindle extension, or
using an appropriate length T-A‚ Structural Steel Drilling System holder will
correct the problem. If the spindle itself is loose, rebuilding the spindle will
be necessary to correct the problem.
If you are experiencing any problems with your T-A‚ Structural Steel
Drilling System tools, please contact Peddinghaus or AMEC’s Application
Engineering Group at 800-321-5537 in the US, Mexico, or Canada,
330-343-4283 from all other areas.
For reprints contact [email protected]
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STEEL FABRICATOR’S REVIEW
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STEEL FABRICATOR’S REVIEW
FALL 2006
The following is reprinted courtesy of
Planning for the Future
By Lauren Duensing
Peddinghaus plate machines push North Shore Supply Co.
toward continued growth
North Shore Supply Co., Houston, started out 51 years ago. Many
companies that age suffer through growing pains, but NSSCO has defined
a formula for success and implemented technologies that have led to further
growth and customer satisfaction. “NSSCO is a family-owned business
that was started in 1955 in one building and has grown over the years into
a corporation with five divisions and more than 275 employees," says Clyde
Rushing, fabrication division manager. The structural steel fabrication
division was started 20 years ago with one building and six employees.
Today, NSSCO’s fabrication division has a more than 100,000-square-foot
building and 65 employees.”
The steel warehouse division sells “shapes, plates, grating—a full-range of
steel, including all the wide-flange beams, channels, angles and flat bar,” says
Rushing. In addition, it sells “a lot of plate. Most of it is domestic, but we
do import some of the steel.” He notes that the company has grown quite
large over the last couple of years and forecasts that NSSCO will soon reach
more than $100 million in sales.
NSSCO’s customers include power plants, chemical plants and refineries
throughout the United States and overseas. “Right now we just completed a
3,500-ton job for Dow Chemical Co. in Freeport, Texas,” Rushing notes.
“As soon as we finish that job, they awarded us another large project, about
4,000 tons. It is a large chemical plant that is going over to Qatar and will
be owned by several large companies, including Chevron.” The company
also does work that is exported to Nigeria, Angola, the Middle East and
Egypt, Rushing says.
The exceptional accuracy of the Peddinghaus FPB 1800 provides plasma cut parts in any
length or contour shape.
Abandoning Old-Fashioned Methods
As it grows, the company has put a priority on updating its equipment.
“About 10 years ago, NSSCO set out to be a diverse, technology-driven
organization, providing steel products, steel services and material handling
products in a global economy. We have expanded our current markets and
grown into new markets by providing outstanding customer service,”
Rushing notes.
“Two years ago, we made connection plates the ‘old-fashioned way,’”
says Rushing. “We made templates for each plate, laid out the holes and
punched each hole. This process was time consuming and labor intensive.
It required that we move each plate to different work stations in order to
complete it.”
Now the company has two Peddinghaus drill lines, one new BDL-1250
nine-spindle drill line with a new 1140 band saw and one TDK-1000,
three-spindle drill line. In addition, it has the Peddinghaus FPB 1800 plate
machine, AFPS 645 Anglemaster and several Peddinghaus ironworkers.
To meet their customer’s delivery requirements, NSSCO invested in "Speed Sawing"
Technology from Peddinghaus which increases saw output by 40% over previous methods.
The FPB 1800 plate machine with a plasma burner allows the company
to get away from those out-of-date methods and speed up operations.
“This Peddinghaus machine will process plate up to 1 1/4 inch thick and
72 inches wide,” says Rushing. “Now all plate operations take place in one
location in the shop and take up less shop space. We now download
electronic files into the machine and have the capability to make up to
1,200 plates per day. The new Peddinghaus plate machine has increased our
efficiency and increased our capacity to produce plates by about 50 percent.
Today we have one machine operator instead of the three to four people
required to produce plates before.”
Continued on page 20
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STEEL FABRICATOR’S REVIEW
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STEEL FABRICATOR’S REVIEW
NORTH SHORE: Planning for the Future
Continued from page 18
CONNECTING STEEL ACROSS THE GLOBE.
Picking Peddinghaus
Before deciding on a machine, NSSCO traveled around the country
looking at several manufacturers of fabricating equipment. “We talked with
machine operators, plant managers and owners,” Rushing said. “We went to
several plants in Texas, South Carolina and Florida to evaluate equipment
and operations. After our tours, evaluation and analysis of our specific
needs, we went with Peddinghaus because the machines are rugged, made
specifically for the heavy structural steel fabricating industry and have
proven themselves over the years to be the most durable machine made.
Our customers are always impressed when they tour our shop and see these
heavy-duty machines in operation.”
Rushing also notes that training is an easy process for the company’s
operators. “Peddinghaus has a training operation just outside of Chicago in
Bradley, and each time we buy a machine from them, we send two of our
guys to Bradley to train for about a week. It works out really well. They
train on the computer part of the machine and the operations part of the
machine. Our guys are really experienced at what they do here in reading
drawings and that sort of thing. They have good computer skills and good
mechanical skills, as far as knowing that part of the job. The training they
need, of course, is operating the machine itself.”
North Shore maintains an extensive inventory of structural sections to meet client
shipping deadlines. This investment insures their customers do not wait for steel on
urgent projects.
Then when the machine ships down here, Peddinghaus sends one of its
installation men, who are also pretty good trainers. They install the
machine, and we do another week of training here on-site.”
The company is still looking for expansion opportunities. “We are currently
in the construction phase of our fabrication plant that will add about
17,000 square feet of space,” Rushing notes. “We are expanding today to
meet the needs of our customers tomorrow.” MM
NSSCO believes that adding these Peddinghaus machines has increased its
efficiency by about 30 percent. “We’re able to fabricate a lot more steel than
what we did before we purchased the Peddinghaus machines.”
In addition, the company has been able to integrate its employees into other
activities due to the newfound efficiency. “That is part of how we grew,”
says Rushing. “We just hired about 20 additional people over the last year
because of our increased capacity and increased work.”
“The new Peddinghaus FPB 1800 plasma plate machine has increased our efficiency and
increased our capacity to produce plates by about 50 percent over previous methods,”
according to Mr. Rushing.
All of these changes have made the company more competitive. “First of all,
it makes us able to handle the larger jobs,” says Rushing. “Ten years ago a
500-ton job was a huge job for us. And this past year, we just did a 3,500ton job. We’re able to do jobs that we weren’t able to bid on before because
our capacity was limited.”
Reuben Rodriguez and Arthur
Cervantes Production Manager and
Anglemaster/Drill Operator
(respectively) of North Shore Steel
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For 25 years, SDS/2 has made its mark on the world. Design Data’s SDS/2 Steel Detailing System
has simplified and automated the design, detailing, fabricating and erecting of structures across
the globe. SDS/2 delivers connection design and customizable details, saving our customers time
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Connect your partners, your products and your steel today with the world of SDS/2. For details
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402.441.4000
e-mail: [email protected]
21
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9:39 AM
STEEL FABRICATOR’S REVIEW
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Photo courtesy of Deutsch Associates Architects/Photographer Jessie Shotwell
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STEEL FABRICATOR’S REVIEW
The Phoenix fire department is trained to save people and their homes,
but when they wanted to save the environment, they asked for our help. As part of Nucor,
the world’s largest recycler, we provided their new fire station with beams manufactured from recycled steel.
Providing just the kind of support they needed to build Arizona’s first ever LEED ® certified fire station.
A building that helps save lives, homes, and the environment, all at the same time.
www.nucoryamato.com
It’s Our Nature.®
23