July 18, 2019 - Mechanical Contractor purchases waterjet, CNC pipe and tube plasma cutter and high-production saw to maximize custom fabricating capabilities.
Above: Headquartered in Hazleton, Pennsylvania, Gottstein operates out of a 9,000 square foot space complete with a 20,000 square foot System Integration facility where clients can set up and test new equipment before installation
July 18, 2019 - 35 years ago, Ken Gottstein started providing mechanical contracting and construction services from a small 1,000 square foot warehouse. Today the company is one of the top mechanical contractors in the country for the food and beverage industry with five locations across North America and over 100 employees. Despite the many changes that come with consistent growth, it has remained faithful to its core business: high-quality service and commitment to clients.
Bread and Butter
While Gottstein is known for its installation, set up and mechanical processes of large scale bakeries and other food facilities, their expertise doesn’t stop there.
“Our knowledge in multiple trades is a major benefit that supports a variety of services because there is a lot of crossover,” Director of Operations Robert Marsilio explained. “Our focus, our 'bread and butter,' is the food and beverage industry, but we’re not exclusive. We help anyone in commercial, industrial or manufacturing sectors and we have a lot to offer.”
Gottstein Corporation’s services include, but aren’t limited to: process and packaging systems, material handling and conveyor services, process piping manufacturing and installations, rigging, equipment relocation, anytime emergency repair, complete turnkey project management, facility preventative maintenance (greasings/fittings, etc.) and contract maintenance.
In addition, Gottstein also has a full-scale custom fabricating and machining shop and is the division in which they most recently invested.
Company Investments for the Customer
Customers depend on Gottstein Corporation for key components and the manufacturing of vital parts and the company, in turn, relies greatly on the support of its well-equipped machine shop.
While the fabrication and machining group was already providing fast, effective part fabrication, and service from experienced technicians, there was room for improvement.
“We are always looking to better ourselves for our customer which is the reason we wanted to invest in some new equipment with specific high-production capabilities,” said Marsilio. “We want to be the best resource we can and that means high quality, cost-effective results in a timely fashion. Ken Gottstein has always re-invested into the company to make it better and he doesn’t cut corners. The customer's success is at the forefront of everything we do.”
Teaming up with Mid Atlantic Machinery
Together with Devin Martin, a sales representative of his equipment distributor, Mid Atlantic Machinery, Gottstein evaluated what would be the best solution for their current and future clients' needs. Being in a high-production, diverse environment means having equipment that is equally accurate and versatile.
After careful consideration, the answers were clear: an OMAX Maxiem 1530 Waterjet, Bend-Tech A400 Dragon Tube Plasma Cutter and HE&M Vertical Semi-Automatic Band Saw were the next machines needed to contribute to their existing success.
Designed for a wide range of machining needs, the Maxiem 1530 left a lasting impression and matched the higher standard for precision abrasive waterjet machining that Gottstein needed.
The OMAX Maxiem 1530’s rigid tank design is scaled to handle common plate sizes with room to spare and has a cutting envelope of 10 ft by 5 ft. 2 in.
"For our food and beverage clients, there is a lot of conveyor work and modification that goes into the process. The OMAX waterjet is specifically going to be extremely helpful for providing the accuracy required for that and also for doing custom parts and projects that are really out of the box," reports Shop Fabrication Supervisor Andrew Skuntz. "We are looking forward to challenges and taking on new designs, in addition to a customer that just says ‘Hey, we need this material cut, can you help?"
For pipe processing, the Bend-Tech Dragon A400 plasma cutter is especially beneficial as it will allow Gottstein to give the customer better pricing on handrails and platforms with improved quality. The Bend-tech Dragon is a commercial grade CNC tube cutting, engraving and marking machine designed to withstand long hours and heavy material.
The Bend-Tech Dragon A400 series will cut holes, notches, and other designs on round, square, and rectangular tubes with ease and accuracy. (Round: 0.5 in.~6 in., Square: 0.5 in.~4.0 in., Rectangle: 0.5 in.~4.0 in. width by 0.5 in.~4.0 in. height.)
Lastly, Gottstein chose a HE&M VT100LM-60 saw that can cut heavier beams to make design elements more efficient in structural steel.
"We can help anyone who needs parts fabricated. These machines that we just bought are going to improve efficiency and help reduce pricing on customers jobs because they will come out faster, at a higher quality and at a better price," shared Skuntz. “We invest in ourselves to be better for our customers.”
The company’s capabilities include custom shop design, machining, conveyor design, parts design, platform and catwalk fabrication, equipment modification, CNC, MIG, Electrode and TIG welding, plasma and water jet cutting, bending capabilities on their Trumpf press brake, and sheet rolling larger materials on their Faccin.
With their new machine tools, Gottstein Corporation is set to continue tackling challenging jobs, big and small.
