Mikko Lindström,
President |
Finn-Power Provides
New Solutions...
New Opportunities
There are many choices when considering which
sheet metal fabrication equipment to purchase. At first glance,
much of the equipment from different builders may appear
to be similar. However, with closer inspection and a little
homework the differences are quite apparent.
A new generation
of fabrication equipment is now available to provide enhanced
productivity, quality, and opportunities for OEM's and job
shops. We believe that Finn-Power stands alone in our ability
to provide solutions for current and future challenges facing
the sheet metal fabricating industry.
The list of Finn-Power
innovations is long and exciting: the first hydraulic turret
punch press; tool holders that allow the use of any style
tooling; Multi-Tools; auto-index systems; upforming; the
Shear Genius concept; modular automation, encompassing everything
from a simple load/unload to full Night Train FMS which automates
the entire fabrication process; laser/punch technology; linear
drive technology.the list goes on. Each year our designers
and engineers in Finland introduce revolutionary new fabrication
equipment to the industry.
Today, we provide a full range
of sheet metal fabrication equipment from stand alone machines
to full Flexible Manufacturing Systems for Lean Manufacturing.
In essence, we provide opportunities to our customers to
evolve, to solve problems, and to compete in today's volatile
world market.
The new realities in the sheet metal fabrication
industry match Finn-Power's product line perfectly. For many
years, Finn-Power has added versatility to individual work
stages by integrating them with automated material management
and making automation as flexible as possible. Our goal is,
and always has been, to improve our customers' productivity
and profitability by giving them a competitive edge.
Finn-Power has proven, globally-acknowledged
solutions for any sheet metal fabrication need with a variety
of work stages and methods. In addition, we not only have
the modules for optimal automating process material flow,
but also the application engineering knowledge to specify
the optimum in each case. The range is wide enough so our
customers do not have to compromise to achieve Lean Manufacturing
in their fabrication facilities.
Proof
of Finn-Power's ability to provide new opportunities for
its customers is contained in several articles of this issue
of the FINN-ISH LINE:
Nu-Way
Industries…The China Syndrome
 Steve Southwell pretty much sums
up the way many American manufacturers in the fabricating
and metalforming industries regard the competition
from low-cost manufacturing countries like China: “How are you going to compete
with companies that have labor costs of pennies an
hour, all the workers they need, and a government with
a desire to put them all to work – even if it’s
just pushing buttons for elevators?” he asks.
Southwell, who is president and
CEO of Nu-Way Industries Inc., Des Plaines, IL, quickly
adds that the answer for U.S. manufacturers is found
in adopting automation that leads to unmanned operation – as much as
possible. “It’s the only way to minimize
the impact of the advantage in labor costs that these
overseas manufacturers enjoy,” he says. That’s
why Nu-Way invested more than $6.5 million in an Advanced
Automation Center, which includes a new building to
house state-of-the-art sheet metal fabrication equipment
from Finn-Power International Inc.
“We really had no choice but to
make the investment,” says
Southwell, “if we wanted to continue to grow
in serving a global market with engineered and manufactured
products for our customers here and abroad.” (full
story)
Peerless Electric…Thinking “Outside
the Box”
 In addition to adding equipment, Peerless had to retrain
its personnel to think “outside the box” in
terms of redesigning products in order to make them
more efficient with the same or higher quality. For
example, a fixture is comprised of four basic elements:
a body or channel, end covers, socket brackets, and
a ballast cover. “Our Gymnasium line requires
punching, bending, and then spot welding these parts
together,” explains Barry Fagen, vice president,
Peerless Electric Company, Ltd. “It would take
two people a day to produce a total of 40 parts. By
contrast, with the Shear Genius and Express Bender,
we have redesigned the unit to be comprised of one
piece, and this allows us to produce 120 units per
8-hour shift with only one person. That is a substantial
savings.” (full story)
Semeato...Technology Pays
a Dividend
 The
latest flexible sheet metal fabrication technology
introduced at Semeato was a Finn-Power high-speed Laser
Work Center. In September, 2003, the Finn-Power Laser
Work Center with a load/unload went into production
at one of the Semeato’s Passo Fundo, Brazil,
locations. According to Amilton F. R. Loss, production
manager, Finn-Power’s leading technology was
the reason for choosing the Finn-Power laser over competitors’ models. “We
chose the Finn-Power laser for its high speed and load/unload
capabilities,” explains Loss. (full
story)
Editor Tour…Unrelenting Investment in Technology
When you get to see Finland the way I did last September – with
a bird’s-eye view of several state-of-the-art
metalforming and fabricating plants – you quickly
appreciate what this country has accomplished. Along
with its obvious dedication to continuous education
and learning – Finland scores the highest in
all of Europe in enrollment in universities and technical
colleges – you can’t help but appreciate
its unrelenting investment in advanced and cutting-edge
metalworking technology. (full story)
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710
Remington Road 
Volume
14 Issue 1 -
July 2004