Special Steels’ sawing line is constantly being added to with new equipment and in 2021 two new machines were installed and now in 2022 a further three Everising bandsaws and one Everising billet saw have been added to this department.
The machines, supplied by First Cut, were installed in the first quarter of this year.
“With a growing order book, we identified the need to increase capacity, to cut quickly and shorten lead-times. This has always been the company’s philosophy. Time and service are an important aspect of the manufacturing industry and contribute to the profits of our customers,” said Byron Ferguson, MD of Special Steels.
“We already have bandsaws of various sizes and capabilities in the sawing department. They include Amada, Behringer and Everising brands of bandsaws. But we knew we had to make further investments.”
“In any manufacturing environment, the bandsaw is the production manager’s best friend. Fully-automated bandsaws can have a very significant effect on the productivity of fabrication businesses or steel merchants, for example. For years the band sawing operation was a bit of a tortoise, at least relative to other processes in sheet metal, plate, and structural fabrication. Compared to other cutting operations, be it with a laser, plasma torch, or turret punch press, it took a long time for a saw to cut through a workpiece of any substantial size. But times have changed. Bandsaws now slice through metal at an unprecedented rate.”
Special Steels have recently taken delivery of three new Everising bandsaws
“Nowadays bandsaws feature full PLC control of all electrical and hydraulic functions. The raising and lowering of the cutting head is controlled by a single lifting cylinder which makes for quick, efficient operation. Workpieces are secured during cutting by a hydraulically controlled dual-vice clamping system. There are many other features that contribute to efficiencies.”
“Special Steels was established 20 years ago in 2002 as a specialist cut-to-length company with an emphasis on imported bar and tube. When I took over the running of the company I focussed on service and speed of delivery so that we could stand out amongst the rest. We subsequently transcended the business from the essential ‘buy-cut-sell’ process, offered by many, to one that offered value-added services and minimised downtime over and above the required cut-to-size requirements. These benefits include machining preparation work to be done on the steel, reducing machine setup times, minimising material wastage and offering consistent dimensional tolerances for high-volume production. These processes would ultimately free up valuable time on our clients’ high-end machinery and allow them to perform the more complex machining operations that would add value to their manufacturing capabilities.”
“However, we have never forgotten the original process that the company was established on and we have continued to invest in this department as it remains an essential service that we offer.”
The first capital equipment investment the company made in 2021 was to purchase a Behringer HBE261A horizontal automatic bandsaw that has a cutting capacity for round solid or hollow bar of 260mm.
The second investment was to purchase an Everising H 560 HA-NC horizontal bandsaw, which was installed mid-year. The machine has a capacity for round and hollow bar of 560mm and square bar of 615mm by 560mm. The company already has the exact same Everising bandsaw.
In the bandsaw department there are over 15 machines and they include the recent installations of an Everising H-260 HB-NC horizontal bandsaw with a capacity for round and hollow bar of 260mm and square bar of 310mm by 260mm and an Everising H-460 HB-NC horizontal bandsaw with a capacity for round and hollow bar of 460mm and square bar of 460mm by 460mm
The latest investments made by Special Steels this year include a new Everising S-250 HB-NC automatic shuttle vice bandsaw with a capacity for round and hollow bar of 250mm and square bar of 300mm by 250mm.
Installed at the same time was an Everising H-260 HB-NC horizontal bandsaw with a capacity for round and hollow bar of 260mm and square bar of 310mm by 260mm and an Everising H-460 HB-NC horizontal bandsaw with a capacity for round and hollow bar of 460mm and square bar of 460mm by 460mm.
The latest machine to be installed is an Everising P150 ILA billet saw with a capacity of 70mm to 150mm. Recent upgrades to the popular P-series circular saw range have facilitated improved data transfer in terms of speed and volume, enabling customers to reduce production costs by speeding up cutting times.
“The Everising saws are designed for the serial and production sawing of solid materials, pipes, and sections. With their variety of standard equipment, the machines are suitable for numerous tasks, and they are strong enough to stand up to a tough working life at Special Steels.”
“But ultimately these investments have been made to cope with the increase in business and to uphold our motto of service and speed of delivery as well as adding value for clients.”
“When one is striving to stay on the cutting-edge, getting the balance right between high-performance equipment, consumables and the accompanying technical support is crucial.”
“It’s been a strategic, focused approach to growth. All of this growth has come with the sole purpose of improving our quality and to be able to do more for our customers while making sure we do not compete with them,” said Ferguson.
For further details contact Special Steels on TEL: 011 865 4939 or visit www.specialsteels.co.za
