HARVESTING TIME // Agricultural equipment manufacturer saves man hours with tube laser system

August, 2025- Seed tenders. Header transports. Liquid sprayers. Gravity boxes. Grain carts. These are a few examples of the agricultural equipment manufactured by Unverferth Manufacturing Co. Inc. “We run heavy-duty material and needed to find a machine to handle up to 14-inch round tubing at the weight and length for our operations,” explains Jeff Schulte, plant operations manager at Unverferth. 

After seeing the LT14 tube laser from BLM Group in action at two customer sites, Schulte was persuaded. In September 2024, BLM’s LT14 was installed at Unverferth’s Delphos, Ohio, facility. “The LT14 is a durable machine, it handles the weight per foot we needed and it has lived up to our expectations,” Schulte reports. 

TIME SAVINGS

Prior to the LT14 purchase, Unverferth processed 14-inch tubes on a series of separate equipment (sawing, drilling and machining). Now, a single LT14 performs all these functions. “A big benefit is we are able to get parts through the process much quicker with fewer operations to travel through,” says Schulte. He emphasizes that staging and material handling tasks are also reduced.

With integrated nesting software, the LT14 helps achieve better material utilization. “We are able to improve quality as well because the software looks at the design of the parts and makes adjustments to achieve a better weld angle,” notes Schulte.

By consolidating all operations on the LT14, Unverferth was able to free up capacity on other machines. “The indirect time is a huge savings. We have been able to speed up overall production and our throughput has gone up as well,” he says.

After several months of operation, the LT14 is running 40 hours a week. “It has a lot of capacity, so we are starting to supply process tubing from the LT14 to our other facilities,” Schulte reports.

Reducing production time and shortening lead times are critical for Unverferth to meet the unique demands of their agricultural equipment customers.

FOR BIG PROJECTS

Promoted on the BLM Group’s website as “great solutions for big projects,” the LT14 (up to 14-inch diameter) is designed to process round tubes, squares, rectangles, special sections and open profiles. The machine features a 3D cutting head that supports angles up to 45 degrees and chamfering operations on ends and holes. The tube laser has weight capacity for 67 pounds per foot, while offering loading and unloading lengths from 39 to 50 feet.

The LT14 is designed to automatically adjust to a change in material diameter, thickness and section. Changeovers no longer require retooling or manual intervention. With three spindles to hold and move the workpiece, the LT14 can better maximize material yield and stabilize workpieces for greater accuracy. Its 3D cutting head can move along the entirety of the tube to fully use the material from one end to the other, while optimizing speed and minimizing scrap.

PRECISION

In addition to the time savings, Schulte says he is impressed with the level of precision achieved by the LT14. “Machining precision helps everything down the line. With good laser precision, we have better part fit-up, so our operations down the line can be more efficient. The close tolerances on the LT14 have a significant, positive impact on our operations,” he says.

With a diverse product portfolio, Unverferth is running a range of tube sizes on the LT14 from 2 by 2s one day to 12 by 8s the next. “It varies by the product. We have even put some small diameter material on the LT14 simply to avoid having to ship the material to other plants to be processed,” Schulte explains.

Unverferth Manufacturing secured an LT14 from BLM Group to help process heavy-duty tubing for ag products like their Seed Runner bulk tank tender.

LEAD TIMES

With a 75-year legacy of supporting farmers, the Unverferth business is focused on finding ways to help the farmer be more efficient and work smarter. Reducing production time and shortening lead times is a key aspect for Unverferth and suppliers of receive their equipment. So, hitting the due date and meeting the promise made to the customer is a hallmark of Unverferth,” Schulte states. “A sale can be made or broken based on the delivery projection,” he adds.

Because the tube laser is the start of the man - ufacturing process at Unverferth, the LT14 is integral to keeping production on schedule. “If the tube laser goes down, then everything else is affected and we have people and machines idle,” notes Schulte. “So far, the LT14 is running very smooth. We haven’t had a service call yet.”

TECH SUPPORT

Part of the installation process included on-site training of the operator assigned to the LT14. “The BLM Group technicians worked directly with our operator until he felt comfortable with the LT14. The trainer then stayed in the background to be sure everything was running okay,” recalls Schulte.

The LT14 operator says the responsive - ness of the BLM Group tech support is huge. This is intentional. “We have been beefing up our tech support,” reports Jon Todd, BLM Group marketing and public relations man - ager, referring to current hiring trends at the manufacturer. For added convenience, oper - ators can reach the BLM Group tech support directly from their machine.

Down the road, Schulte envisions the LT14 running during the second shift and a second operator is being trained on the machine. “We may even consider a 24-inch tube laser for one of our other facilities as the business grows. We would put BLM Group on the top of the list for their LT24,” states Schulte.