Budget Sheet Metal? Not a budget operation [VIDEO]

Continues strategy of investment in equipment, its people, shop floor layout and other efficiencies.

Budget Sheet Metal has retained its clients over decades by maintaining consistent output and turnaround times. The factory and its processes have been shaped by demand rather than trend, focusing on keeping machinery operational and orders moving through the system. This strategy has led to organic growth and allowed the company to delete less efficient operations and replace them with newer more efficient technologies while solving the inevitable bottle necks that come with expansion.

As local manufacturing feels the squeeze of more cost-conscious customers and competition increases, Budget Sheet Metal’s position reflects a steady approach to jobbing work – few delays, and machines kept running producing components as effectively as possible. The company has not shifted far from its original business model but continues to invest in incremental upgrades where it sees improvements in reliability or throughput to overall operations.

As a result, they are thus better serving their existing and new clients that encompass a broad range of industries.

Flexible automation – supplied by Amada South Africa, Budget Sheet Metal have paired an Amada Manipulator MPL3015-C with their Amada 3015 AJ 6kW ENSIS fiber laser. The combination of the two machines provides a flexible automation solution that reduces unnecessary machine downtime due to manual material loading. Video courtesy of Budget Sheet Metal

In-house ERP system
Says Sietse Walma van der Molen, Production Director and co-owner at Budget Sheet Metal: “We have over the last couple of years added an ERP system that we have built and designed in-house ourselves. We looked around and we just couldn’t find anything that suited us or our needs. None of the conventional systems on the market were what we were looking for. It took quite some time and effort to get it right and it has been a labour of love designing it.”

“Part of this system incorporates tablets which we have installed throughout the factory. Each employee has their own access to the system and we actually left it up to them to name the software, which we have called Pulse – representing the fact that this software is the pulse of the business and its operations.”

“With this system we now know to the last minute how long a job is going to take – from the arrival of the materials, scheduling of production, capacity and priority planning, cutting, grinding, welding, powder coating – you name it – and right through to delivery to the client,” explains Claudio Ferrari, co-owner and Mechanical Engineer at Budget Sheet Metal.

“This has helped us accurately monitor where things are going and it has also helped us become way more efficient. And with this has come increased capacity. Who knows. Maybe the software will be for sale one day,” continued Sietse.

A view of the main section where forming takes place on Amada fiber lasers and press brakes

Amada ENSIS 3015 AJ 6kW fiber laser
As a result of the increased capacity available through other equipment upgrades, Budget Sheet Metal decided to invest in an Amada ENSIS 3015 AJ 6kW fiber laser with a 3 070mm x 1 550mm bed. It can cut mild steel, stainless steel and aluminium up to 25mm thick and is equipped with Amada’s Auto Collimation system – a technology that precisely controls the laser beam’s spot size and focus position using a single lens for processing various materials and thicknesses, simplifying machine setups.

Amada EZ-Cut II System
Before this however, Budget Sheet Metal invested in two Amada EZ-Cut II Systems. The Amada EZ-Cut II System is a compact nitrogen generation unit designed to support laser cutting operations by providing clean, dry, and high-pressure air. It integrates a compressor, dryer, and nitrogen membrane filter into a two-skid system, requiring minimal floor space. Converting compressed air, the system delivers 95% pure nitrogen and clean air. A manual valve allows switching between nitrogen and air assist gases. This setup reduces reliance on bottled gases, lowering operational costs and enhancing cutting precision.

The Amada ENSIS 3015 AJ 6kW fiber laser with a 3 070mm x 1 550mm bed. It can cut mild steel, stainless steel and aluminium up to 25mm thick and is equipped with Amada’s Auto Collimation system

A further addition has been the Amada Manipulator MPL3015-C. Paired with the 6kW ENSIS fiber laser, the combination of the Amada Manipulator MPL3015-C and the laser provides a flexible automation solution that reduces unnecessary machine downtime due to manual material loading. Budget Sheet Metal can comfortably load 3 tons of sheet at the end of the day and arrive to the factory the next morning to continue processing the cut material. All the new Amada equipment has been supplied by Amada South Africa

Solving bottle necks
With the processed sheet now being cut and ready in quicker time, came the decision to further invest in CNC bending operations. Although there is no shortage of bending capacity in the bending department, new technologies only lead to better efficiencies so Budget Sheet Metal invested in an Amada EGB 4010e press brake.

This compact press brake – with 40 ton bending capacity and a 1 050mm table length – is ideal for high-precision bending of small sheet metal components. Combined with the Amada Tools Setup Assistant, the advanced tooling rack provides quick access to punches and dies to streamline press brake setup and maximise bending productivity.

Budget Sheet Metal invested in two Amada EZ-Cut II Systems. The Amada EZ-Cut II System is a compact nitrogen generation unit designed to support laser cutting operations by providing clean, dry, and high-pressure air. It integrates a compressor, dryer, and nitrogen membrane filter into a two-skid system, requiring minimal floor space. Converting compressed air, the system delivers 95% pure nitrogen and clean air. A manual valve allows switching between nitrogen and air assist gases. This setup reduces reliance on bottled gases, lowering operational costs and enhancing cutting precision

Typically Japanese, it comes with an ergonomic operator chair, front table, pendant arm and foot rest – all adjustable for the highest operator comfort. On order is an Amada HRB 100 ton bending machine set to replace an older model bending machine.

“With this increased material now available to us, we decided that we need to increase our robot welding too. We have added another Yaskawa Robot GP12 with a Motoweld system and automatic bulk pack wirefeeder – essentially a custom designed cell with a drum and spool solution to feed the robot. It definitely lays a down a very good weld for what we need it to do. We are additionally in the process of building a laser welding facility but we are taking our time with this as we are very concerned about the safety aspects involved with such an operation.”

Budget Sheet Metal has also invested in an Amada EGB 4010e press brake. This compact press brake – with 40 ton bending capacity and a 1 050mm table length – is ideal for high-precision bending of small sheet metal components. Combined with the Amada Tools Setup Assistant, the advanced tooling rack provides quick access to punches and dies to streamline press brake setup and maximise bending productivity

“We went over to EuroBLECH last year to have a look at what other options are available to us in terms of automation but we have found that for us at the moment, it is far more efficient and productive for us to keep a semi-automated operation. Of course, full automation is where things are heading, but you need serious repeatability in numbers of your components to really warrant it. We still do one-offs and prototyping here and we need the flexibility, so having a semi-automated line and an efficient ERP system in place suits us and we love where we are for now for many reasons.”

“I have learned on my travels to Japan visiting smaller factories putting out large numbers of components that it’s just got to do with planning ultimately. That’s how you run an efficient operation.”

Budget Sheet Metal are very innovative in improving efficiencies on the shop floor and manufacture their own trolleys to move components around easily. The company owners also believe in minimising worker fatigue and will find ways to improve productivity

Rebranding
“We are going through a rebranding process at the moment and this entails not just our look and image, but we are redesigning our website too to make it more efficient for clients too. We are having fun and we are growing,” concluded Sietse.

Budget Sheet Metal, is based in Strijdom Park, Johannesburg and manufactures components for multiple industries with a focus on precision sheet metal fabrication, serving industrial and commercial clients across South Africa.

The materials (sheets, plates and long sections) most commonly processed consist of sheets and profiles of mild steel, stainless steel, Chromadek, galvanized steel and aluminium in thicknesses from 0.5mm to 6.0mm, with laser profiling available up to 25mm thickness in mild steel.

Budget Sheet Metal have added a third Yaskawa Robot GP12 with a Motoweld system. Each system is now equipped with an automatic bulk pack wirefeeder – essentially a custom designed cell with a drum and spool solution to feed the robot

The production services that are offered include product design (CAD) 2D and 3D, CNC laser cutting, CNC automatic punching, CNC bending, guillotining, punching, eccentric pressing, drilling, tapping, manual and robotic welding (TIG, MIG, Spot and Arc), deburring and finishing, grinding, and assembling.

Further finishing services are offered such as powder coating (SABS ISO 9000), plating and galvanising (SABS ISO 9002).

For further details contact Budget Sheet Metal on TEL: 011 792 5981 or visit www.budgetsheetmetal.co.za