Support System: Service center prioritizes quality, reliability and after-sales support when investing in precision cutting equipment

Above: The Optiplex 3015 Neo features technology that allows increased control of beam shape and beam diameter

October, 2024: Western Steel Inc., a family owned business spanning three generations, is based in Colorado Springs, Colorado. It originated as a scrap yard in 1904, and the company has evolved into a one-stop service center within its 50,000-square-foot facility. Western Steel offers raw material sales and a variety of services, including braking, shearing, plasma cutting, beveling and laser cutting.

The company is committed to serving all customers, big or small, without minimum order requirements, says Micah Olesky, vice president. “We regularly cut parts for OEM and aftermarket car and equipment companies, signs, construction-related parts and equipment manufacturing,” and Western Steel’s clientele includes sectors from manufacturing, construction, military/government, ornamental and infrastructure.

To meet these customers’ needs, Western Steel continually expands its product offerings and services, investing in technology that produces high-quality parts more efficiently and cost-effectively, allowing customers to focus on assembly and installation.

EMPLOYEE SUPPORT

Western Steel values its employees and aims to extend a family-like environment to its customers, as well. Like many metals suppliers, hiring appropriately skilled labor has become tough for the service center.

“As the older generation retires, finding skilled workers who know the ins and outs of things like bending material, plasma cutting, drilling and so on has been challenging,” Olesky notes. “We have addressed this with our new technology. While technology by no means replaces skilled labor, it is there to support them, make their jobs easier—and, frankly, the new generation gets excited about fancy machinery.”

The search for a machine began and ended with Mazak, due to the Elgin, Illinois-based equipment manufacturer’s reputation in the market. “Over the years, we had visits from several companies wanting to show us their laser technology,” Olesky says. “However, I had heard much about Mazak, the reliability of their machines, the quality to which they are built and their after-sales support.”

Western Steel purchased an Optiplex 3015 Neo 15-kilowatt laser in February 2023 and installed the machine last September.

Western Steel needed to produce high-quality parts more efficiently and cost effectively.

“The initial reaction to the new laser technology was great,” Olesky reports. “Coming from a background of plasma machines, we were amazed at the simplicity and the speed at which we could cut parts. Furthermore, we loved the quality of the cut compared to a highdefinition plasma. The ease and simplicity of the machine’s operating system is a big plus for everyone.

“Other features that our operators appreciate are the ability to run the machine lights out, the nozzle check camera, and the flexibility of the machine to run 1¼-inch A36, followed by a sheet of 22GACR, followed by another sheet of 11-gauge stainless grade 304—all without having to intervene with the machine to change out consumables.”

Mazak provided on-site training for the Optiplex, ensuring a seamless transition from Western Steel’s previous cutting practice. “Mazak came to our facility and trained our employees on our actual machine at our request,” Olesky says. “After a few days of training, we had a great starting grasp on the system.” After Mazak’s trainers left, the company’s operators could request assistance using the Orange Support app, which allows customers to submit service requests, live stream support, access service history and view training resources. “Our operators could get assistance within minutes of requesting it to fine-tune the machine.”

Olesky says the team experienced a couple mechanical kinks with the machine during initial startup and over the first few weeks of operations. “While this is not surprising and typically expected of a new machine, Mazak was there with support immediately and almost always had a tech on site within 24 hours of first reporting the problem. I couldn’t speak more highly of how they handled it,” said Olesky.

IN WITH THE NEW

The Optiplex laser cutting system has allowed Western Steel to retire both an older high definition plasma and a waterjet, enhancing production efficiency. “The new laser is capable of handling the combined workload of both those machines, and it also allowed us to bring our overall production back to a three- to five-day lead time.

“We currently run the machine with a three-man crew on each shift ,” says Olesky. “Not only does the machine produce a substantially larger amount [of parts] in a given shift , it does so at a cheaper hourly rate than our plasmas,” Olesky notes.

He adds that Western Steel’s average plate utilization is nearly 20 percent higher than on the plasmas due to how tightly parts can be packed on a sheet. Another area in which laser cutting is more efficient is the cleanup. Olesky reports that 95 percent of parts have no need for edge cleanup after cutting, unlike plasma, where 100 percent of parts must be run through the surface finisher or hand grinder to remove dross buildup.

For example, when cutting ½-inch A36, the customer’s parts had to be drilled and plasma cut, with a run time of about 2½ hours. The Optiplex Neo cuts the same job in 30 minutes. Similarly on ¼-inch brass, the cut time on a waterjet was nearly 6 hours, a job the Neo can process in 20 minutes.

Western Steel is a one-stop service center with a 50,000-square-foot facility.

“The quality has really exceeded our expectations, and the reliability has been excellent. Most importantly, we have been impressed with the support,” Olesky states. The Orange Support app provides quick service, whether for technical issues, software or programming help, or ordering parts. “It has been the most beneficial and seamless partnership we have experienced with a machine manufacturer,” he adds.

Looking ahead, Western Steel plans to add automation to the current Neo and recently purchased an FG-400 Neo tube laser to expand its business. Working with Mazak “truly has become a great partnership,” Olesky says.

Mazak Optonics Corp., http://mazakoptonics.com/

Western Steel, http://westernsteelcs.com/