Custom fabrication shop PQJ invests in Lincoln Electric Torchmate plasma cutting system

“Integrating cutting of sheet metal and plate into the services that we offer was inevitable,” said Peter Johnson, the owner of PQJ, a custom fabrication business based outside Pretoria, Gauteng.

“We already had pipe bending, press brake bending, guillotining, iron working and welding services that we could offer but were lacking on the cutting side. It was always in our plans but it became a necessity as we became more involved in the industry. It was not a case of spending to build capacity because we are a custom fabrication shop and have no intention of becoming a production-based business. At least at this stage we do not.”

PQJ, a custom fabrication business based outside Pretoria, Gauteng, has invested in a Lincoln Electric 4800 Torchmate plasma cutting system. The machine was supplied and installed by Cosmo Automation Solutions and is the first of its kind to be installed in South Africa, according to Cosmo Automation Solutions. The machine has dimensions of 1 880 x 2 900 x 1 600mm and is happy cutting mild steel with a sheet size of 2 500mm by 1 250mm and up to 16mm thick

The launch of PQJ by Johnson came about when he saw an opportunity after becoming frustrated with the maintenance company that had been contracted to look after his property portfolio. The idea was galvanised after visiting his son’s cattle farm and observing the frustrations he was experiencing getting replacement components for gates and fences that were damaged during transit.

“My son is essentially a weekend farmer but has adapted the modern practice of high density farming. This entails movement of fences and gates and inevitably they get broken. His frustration was what led me to expand on my idea of a custom fabrication shop. It is very hard to find a company that would fabricate a one-off, and if you do, it would take weeks. You were not a priority as metal cutting companies like to have long production runs. He, like many others, needed a quick turnaround otherwise it would start to cost him.”

“Added to this I noticed that these days the gates and fences, as with many other metal components, are made with a material that is not suitable for the situation or environment that the product is used in. And quite often it is an imported product. I know I am generalising and I understand about costs etc, but you have to be realistic.”

The first machine that PQJ purchased was an Ercolina pipe bending machine, supplied by PBS Machine Tools

“From the beginning I said we are going to do it better and have a satisfied customer, whether he is a private individual or a business. We knew the market would also respond to us turning jobs around quickly and then we would have more customers come calling.”

“It seems that some larger shops have a tough time managing lead time and making lead time predictable. We did not want to fall into this category and earn that reputation.”

“Our first machine that we purchased was an Ercolina pipe bending machine. A strange one to start off with but when you look at the gates and fences that my son uses there is quite a bit of pipe used when manufacturing them.”

“This was followed by a press brake, a guillotine, an iron worker and the welding equipment. We have recently added to the welding department with the purchase of a further two Lincoln Electric MIG welders and a modular fixture table that will greatly enhance our fixturing and clamping when welding.”

Lincoln Electric Torchmate plasma cutting system
“The most recent purchase, which was installed in early December 2017, is the Lincoln Electric 4800 Torchmate plasma cutting system. You usually associate plasma cutting with machines that have a large working area and need to cut thick plate rather than smaller size plates. They are also hungry beasts that need to be fed and kept busy to make them economically viable.”

PQJ have also added equipment to the company’s welding department with the purchase of a further two Lincoln Electric MIG welders and a modular fixture table that will greatly enhance fixturing and clamping when welding

“We did not want to get into this segment of the market but still needed a machine that could cut production-grade components. The Lincoln Electric 4800 Torchmate is ideal for a small-to-medium-sized fabrication shop and is used by hobbyists and homeowners, small welding shops, and even maintenance departments of larger companies to cut precise parts in-house, without breaking the bank.”

“The machine has dimensions of 1 880 x 2 900 x 1 600mm and is happy cutting mild steel with a sheet size of 2 500mm by 1 250mm and up to 16mm thick. What we like about the operating system is the ease of use, an intuitive touch-screen and the ability to import files, such as DXF and Coral Draw, and then cut the material. The Torchmate 4800 is a complete package and all that is needed is a decent air pressure supply and you can be up and running in hours.”

PQJ also has an Intellifab Series Two 40 ton by 1 600mm press brake and an Intellicut 6mm by 3 200mm hydraulic guillotine, both supplied by Machine Tools Online, as well as an iron worker

“If, for example, my neighbour wants an outdoor sign fabricated in metal this can be done in a few hours, depending on the complexity. He would not have to wait days or even weeks for a bigger shop to fit him in. In some cases it could be a walk in and order and wait for your product, obviously depending on the complexity of the cut.”

“Light industrial CNC plasma cutting options now make it possible for small businesses and hobbyists to complete amazing jobs that were almost impossible a decade ago.”

For further details contact PQJ on TEL: 012 803 1631 or visit www.pqj.co.za