Peddinghaus Steel Fabricators' Review Fall 2006 by Peddinghaus Corporation

STEEL FABRICATOR’S REVIEW

Like many people here in the Midwest, I enjoy the change of seasons. I am especially fond of the Fall Season as the air is crisp, and the autumn foliage colors are breathtaking. But the main reason I enjoy the Fall Season is because of the business challenges that seem to arise this time of year. The vacation season of summer is over, and fabricators are already “getting down to business.” Nothing is more evident than this Fall of 2006. The past months seem like a whirlwind of constant activity for the steel construction industry. Structural fabricators report increased projects and Anton Peddinghaus renewed activity in many sectors of fabrication: from high rise to commercial to industrial (and everything in between). But this vibrant economy brings challenges as well. Let’s look at two areas that are challenging to us all.

Good Maintenance Always Multiplies Your Machine Investment Many new structural fabricators have made the investment in new automated CNC equipment. We always advise our customers that the best insurance for machine longevity is qualified, daily maintenance. Think of your machine tool as the real long-term investment that it really is. Think in terms of that machine as you would your own home. Daily maintenance and care are needed to keep them both in top shape and retain their value in the market. Here’s a simple exercise for those of you with CNC structural drills. Take the drill chips and spiral coils, wrap them up, and tuck a few in your socks—right by your ankle. Start walking, and see how far you can go. As you find out, this pretty much prohibits walking and sitting becomes pretty uncomfortable as well. Now you know how your drill feels when it is clogged with steel chips. Clean it up, do some maintenance, and your investment will retain higher value and serve you longer. Implement a maintenance plan—and stick to it. Not just a short term, but an annual assessment of your machine. If you have one of our Plasma Plate machines, order our plasma maintenance manual (see page 15). This simple document outlines exactly the steps to extend the life and quality of your Peddinghaus plasma system.

VOLUME 20

FALL 2006

Put some spare parts on the shelf. Wear and tear or consumable components are valuable tools when you are working on a job with a tight deadline. It’s a lot easier taking a part off your shelf than waiting for the Fedex guy to arrive at 10:30 am tomorrow.

Shop Labor Challenges Us All The very best part of my position as CEO of Peddinghaus is visiting structural steel fabricators, and discussing the “state of the industry”. These conversations are always enjoyable and enlightening. I have had the opportunity to travel and discuss fabrication practices with structural people on every continent of our world. The one amazing item that keeps popping up repeatedly in our conversations is the common theme—Shop Labor. The most repeated comment is, “I can’t find qualified people to work in my shop.” Closely followed by, “Can you help me find good layout or fit-up people?” Or the most common is, “Hey, I need welders—how do you get good ones?” It is not too hard to find hard evidence of the shop labor difficulties: 1. Fabricators in the Southeast recruit welders from Latin America, and are constructing “dormitories” near their shop facilities to house them. 2. Fabricators in Canada recruit fitters and layout people from eastern Europe and maintain housing for them as well 3. The upcoming Fabtech/AWS show is sponsoring a “Recruitment Center” for all personnel—but especially welders, and shop people. Thus, it is a universal problem. And yes, Peddinghaus shares the same challenges you face. As you know from our last issue, we have under taken a major capital improvement project in the past six months, highlighted by a $1.5M investment in new machining centers, a 63,000 square foot expansion of our shop warehousing area, and three new sawing systems to improve labor productivity.

R & D—We’re Listening to What You’re Saying The most intriguing area of Peddinghaus’ investment is in Research and Development. We have a great facility in which we are finalizing and testing products which we believe address the very issues we describe above. We are excited about the potential – as are our industry business partners who have viewed the equipment with our engineering staff. Our Engineers are busily working on the Peddinghaus concept of The Fab Shop of the Future. A Future that Peddinghaus looks forward to sharing with you— very soon.

NEWS FOR THE STRUCTURAL STEEL & PLATE FABRICATOR

www.peddinghaus.com

FA B R I C AT O R S M A K I N G T O D AY ’ S S K Y L I N E P O S S I B L E

CODEME: Building SUCCESS from Higher EDUCATION

on Successful Structural and Plate Drilling

How many times have you heard college students admit, “I’m not sure what my future is after college”, or “I hope I obtain a job in the field of my choice”. College students are always filled with apprehension when they consider the future. What is out there for me? Is this a step in the right direction for my career? Some surveys even reveal that less than Alberto Woods Soares Neto, Dalton Paulo Simoes Utsch, 30% of college graduates obtain a position in the and Ademar De Carvalho B. Filho of Codeme Engenharia S.A., A Premier Structural Fabricator in Brazil. field of their study. Let me tell you a story about four college engineering students. Four students who worked their way through a challenging college curriculum to receive their diplomas. Four students who became fast friends in time spent together studying and sharing college life. Continued on page 2

STEEL FABRICATOR’S REVIEW Washington and Grove Street Bradley, IL 60915

PRSRT STD U.S. POSTAGE

PAID PERMIT NO. 157 Joliet, IL

ALLIED: Penetrating Tips …Critical to maximizing the performance of your beam and plate drilling applications. Addressing the causes of these wear patterns reduces tool costs by minimizing breakage, and increases production by reducing downtime. The patterns most prevalent in the structural drilling industry are described, and solutions to alleviate uneven wear are offered.

CIANBRO: Project Performance the Safe Way In today’s corporate society, many firms quickly develop identification labels. These labels are based on their reputation or performance in a specific industry or market segment. Just like your reputation, your corporate identity tends to stick with you. Microsoft is Windows Software; Southwest Airlines is reliable no/frills flying; Enron—well, we all know Enron’s label. Cianbro Corporation, Pittsfield, ME is proud to be known as an employee owned firm dedicated to Safety… Full story on page 5

See full story on page 16

TABLE OF CONTENTS Codeme Building Success from Higher Education

CIANBRO Project Performance the Safe Way

Peddinghaus Annual Distributors Meeting Sales meeting recap

Peddinghaus Distributors Location map

Alvin Townes, Leroy Vanadestine, and Brian Carr of Cianbro Corporation, Pittsfield, Maine, a proud member of ENR’s list of Top 400 Contractors.

Tekla User meeting recap

Allied Machine Penetrating Tips on Successful Structural and Plate Drilling

North Shore Supply Co. Planning for the Future

CODEME: Building Success Continued from page 1 These four students looked at each other one day, and come up with an idea: Let’s Start our own Company! It sounded like a wonderful idea —but could it possibly work? Four university graduates starting a company and tackling the business world seemed like a monumental task. The year was 1980, and the future lay ahead.

Take a Risk—Reap a Reward!

STEEL FABRICATOR’S REVIEW

FALL 2006

The Four friends: Ademar de Carvalho Barbosa Filho, Luis Tomé de Rezende, Ricardo Araújo Lanna and Roberval José Pimenta, indeed formed a new company. They each took their personal strengths in business – engineering, commercial sales, financial, production – and put them to work. All enjoyed steel construction and its opportunities, so the name was simple: Co = construction de = structures Me = metallic

Codeme engages in any size project—and has found success in steel high rise residential buildings.

The operation of the Peddinghaus Drill Line and Saw Line is a Family Matter At Codeme.

Codeme continued to grow, and became a major player in building construction in Brazil and South America. But what about the future? How could they continue to compete in the next three, five, or ten years? What production technology was available that could help them? They looked to a leader in the industry—they looked to Peddinghaus. “In 1992, we came to the realization that the only way we could increase productivity and wage a consistent battle with concrete, was to increase shop productivity,” commented Ademar Barbosa, Codeme’s Managing Director.

The opportunity came in their home town of Belo Horizonte, MG., a city of 3 million people in central Brazil. A downtown gas station was being demolished to make way for a more “modern” facility with a canopy. Previously, gas stations with a canopy structure were built entirely of welded connections on site. The process was slow—and dangerous—as gasoline fumes and welding sparks make a deadly combination. The four friends saw an opportunity. In their Engineering classes they had studied structural steel and learned of bolted connections. They approached the owner of the station (Shell Oil) with the concept and Shell was intrigued with the idea. The “Four Amigos” eagerly accepted the challenge, and began fabricating. The new Shell canopy in downtown Belo Horizonte was finished in two days. Previous canopies were a minimum of two weeks. The canopy was strong, solid and still stands the test of time. Soon, Shell Oil was designing every station with a fabricated canopy of bolted connections. Other oil companies soon took notice of the fast, flexible construction and the concept was flying.

Codeme is Born

Growing to the Next Level

Located on a hillside, Codeme installed a tunnel to join their fab shops with their new painting area.

STEEL FABRICATOR’S REVIEW

Project: HOTEL CAESER PARK GUARULHOS ~ e Empreendimentos Imobiliários Ltda. Customer: INPAR Construçoes Total Area: 25,421 square meters Tonnage: 1080 tons Location: Guarulhos, SP, Brazil

Their business philosophy was simple: Always Go Beyond

• Exceed the expectation levels of your employees As the company grew from its four founders, they investigated new technology for bigger steel buildings. Next on the project horizon for Codeme was the steel warehouse market. In 1985, Codeme helped develop technology in Brazil for steel construction.

Codeme made their choice and installed a Peddinghaus system in 1996. It consisted of a new TDK 1000/3 drill, new 40" band saw, with an accompanying ABC automated cope and burn system. A complete new material handling system was installed to boost the new production line, as well. Perhaps one of the major installations was the FPB 1500 plate processing system in 1999. This powerful machine changed the entire philosophy of how to produce plate at Codeme –and much of Brazil. (See the insert article FPB—Return On Investment on page 6.)

Boosting Tonnage Installing the Peddinghaus system proved to be one of the most profitable investments Codeme had ever made. They were delighted with the production capabilities of the system.

~ Project: CENTRO DE DISTRIBUIÇAO VIA EXPRESSA Customer: Consórcio Logístico Via Expressa Total Area: 9,221 square meters Tonnage: 156 tons Location: Contagem, MG, Brazil

Concrete construction had long been the material choice for buildings in Brazil. It was a traditional choice, as no significant alternative had been truly developed. Codeme worked with their business partners—including Canam Steel in Canada to develop a steel decking product that minimized construction time while providing a quality structural roof and floor component.

“The Peddinghaus people were helpful, friendly, and very genuine in their approach to helping us,” Says Dalton, “Perhaps the greatest benefit was taking us on a tour to visit fabricators and educate us better on how to improve our production.”

Approved product is ready to ship in the Codeme yard.

“With our old methods, we could barely keep up,” commented Dalton, “With the new Peddinghaus system, we had increased our tonnage to over 1,000 tons per month.” “We easily average 1,500 tons per month now—and we know we can do better.” Beating Concrete at their Own Game The penultimate challenge in Brazil was to win over customers to the belief that steel construction is superior to concrete. Many steel fabricating companies in Brazil, including Codeme, attack this argument in several ways:

Says Ademar, “It was at the AISC show in Phoenix that we truly understood the strength and productivity of these Peddinghaus machines.”

• Exceed the expectation levels of your clients • Exceed the expectation levels of your shareholders

In April, 1995, Ademar and Dalton Simões, Production Manager, booked a flight to the USA to visit the North American Steel Construction Conference (NASCC) sponsored by the American Institute of Steel Construction (AISC). It was at this conference that they learned of the true productivity of automated shop equipment—especially from Peddinghaus.

Antonio Mandes is the Peddinghaus Drill Operator.

Moises Mandes, Antonio’s Son, is the Peddinghaus Saw Operator.

Project: SALVADOR SHOPPING MALL Customer: Salvador Shopping Ltda. Total Area: 145,765 square meters Tons: 4,900 tons Location: Salvador, BA, Brazil

• Speed in Construction at the job site • Flexible Construction during the production process • Viable alternatives during the planning time • Strength and rigidity in seismic zones Continued on page 4

Project: CBMM Mine Project Customer: Cia. Brasileira de Matalurgia 3 Minero Total Area: 50,000 square meters Tons: 3.500 Location: Arax, MG, Brazil

Take a Risk—Reap a Reward!

STEEL FABRICATOR’S REVIEW

FALL 2006

Codeme engages in any size project—and has found success in steel high rise residential buildings.

The operation of the Peddinghaus Drill Line and Saw Line is a Family Matter At Codeme.

Codeme is Born

Growing to the Next Level

Located on a hillside, Codeme installed a tunnel to join their fab shops with their new painting area.

STEEL FABRICATOR’S REVIEW

Project: HOTEL CAESER PARK GUARULHOS ~ e Empreendimentos Imobiliários Ltda. Customer: INPAR Construçoes Total Area: 25,421 square meters Tonnage: 1080 tons Location: Guarulhos, SP, Brazil

Their business philosophy was simple: Always Go Beyond

Boosting Tonnage Installing the Peddinghaus system proved to be one of the most profitable investments Codeme had ever made. They were delighted with the production capabilities of the system.

~ Project: CENTRO DE DISTRIBUIÇAO VIA EXPRESSA Customer: Consórcio Logístico Via Expressa Total Area: 9,221 square meters Tonnage: 156 tons Location: Contagem, MG, Brazil

Approved product is ready to ship in the Codeme yard.

Says Ademar, “It was at the AISC show in Phoenix that we truly understood the strength and productivity of these Peddinghaus machines.”

• Exceed the expectation levels of your clients • Exceed the expectation levels of your shareholders

Antonio Mandes is the Peddinghaus Drill Operator.

Moises Mandes, Antonio’s Son, is the Peddinghaus Saw Operator.

Project: SALVADOR SHOPPING MALL Customer: Salvador Shopping Ltda. Total Area: 145,765 square meters Tons: 4,900 tons Location: Salvador, BA, Brazil

Project: CBMM Mine Project Customer: Cia. Brasileira de Matalurgia 3 Minero Total Area: 50,000 square meters Tons: 3.500 Location: Arax, MG, Brazil

STEEL FABRICATOR’S REVIEW

FALL 2006

Success Brings a Second Fabricating Shop for Codeme

CODEME: Building Success

Confidence and business savvy—a term not easily translated, but well understood—brings opportunity. The management of Codeme had the strength and foresight to grow their company to even higher levels.

Continued from page 3

Currently under construction in Taubate, a city near Sao Paulo, is a new 10,000 square meter (35,000 square feet) fabrication shop facility for the next step in Codeme’s growth.

Remnant Stock (from fabricated beams) is all processed on the Peddinghaus FPB 1800 plate system, saving Codeme money by minimizing scrap. As a result of the efforts of these Brazilian firms, steel construction is on the rise. Evidenced by the following facts: • More Engineering students are learning about steel construction at the University level • More steel mills are established and processing more various section sizes and shapes • A tremendous growth is seen now in all aspects of commercial buildings.

Codeme Embraces a Business Partner to Grow Their Business In 1998, the owners of Codeme realized that in order to capture the market opportunities they would need to grow their business faster. That is when an investment holding of ASAMAR Group, known as ISA, joined Codeme.

The Codeme unloading system reduces labor by efficiently moving finished parts from the machine to the fit-up area.

The FPB punch plasma machine processes both plate and remnants from 72" to 2".

ASAMAR, is a family group, established for over seventy years, with activities spreading across different industries such as Construction, Cement, Concrete, Real Estate, Fuel Distribution and Steel Fabrication, with a combined annual sales of over US$ 2 billion. Mr. Alberto Soares, a 3rd generation member of ASAMAR, and Project Director of Codeme, remembers that right after the merger in 1999, a new Company named Metform was created in order to separate the rollforming activities (steel deck, cladding ) from the steel fabrication business.

Peddinghaus Does Make a Difference

The idea of separating the business in two different companies has proved to be effective providing an exceptional growth in sales and product capability. “We can provide the entire construction package,” explained Alberto,” the decking system installs quickly and efficiently, and has helped grow the business.” Ademar concurs, “The Metsec joist system for purlins and related roof construction gave us new opportunities in various new markets. Now we compete in pre-engineered buildings or portal frame buildings regularly.” Codeme does the entire building engineering and interface package.

Asked if Peddinghaus made a difference for Codeme brought a smile to Ademar’s face: “Since we installed Peddinghaus, we average 1,500 tons per month.” “Because of the quality of our work, We regularly compete in markets throughout Latin and South America; we know we can compete throughout the world.” We currently fabricate: • High Rise Residential and Office Buildings • Medical Facilities • University and Schools • Stadiums • Shopping Malls • Hotels • Pre-Engineered and Portal Buildings

“We are confident of taking on any job because of our confidence in Peddinghaus Equipment.”

This new facility will have the initial capacity to produce a minimum of 2,500 tons of fabricated structural steel per month! When coupled with the 1,500 from the Belo Horizonte shop, Codeme has the potential for over 4,000 tons per month or close to 50,000 tons per year. How will they achieve this tonnage from the new shop? Easy, when you use Peddinghaus for your production: • New BDL 1250/9 multi spindle structural drill • New 1270-510 structural band saw with Accumeasure Measuring System • New FPB 1800 Plasma Plate Punching Center • New CNC Angle Iron Processing System • New Material Handling system “We are eager to start production at this new facility," says Dalton. “This will be another state-of-the-art production center featuring the latest technology in the industry.”

Doing Business with a Friend—Peddinghaus When asked why he does business with Peddinghaus, Ademar simply smiles: “I can answer that in two sentences: 1. Everyone at Peddinghaus is enthusiastic with their company, and that enthusiasm is displayed to us by everyone we have met 2. Peddinghaus does business like Codeme does business: a. It is always based on the truth b. All points and issues are always addressed and resolved to satisfaction c. If Peddinghaus doesn’t know, they always get back to us. It may be good news or bad, but they always respond.”

STEEL FABRICATOR’S REVIEW

Machine Return on Investment: Put This on Your Plate Of all the CNC machines and equipment, which one had the quickest return on investment? Exactly what machine paid for itself in the shortest amount of time? “That’s an easy question,” comments Ademar, “The FPB 1800 paid for itself very rapidly.” According to Ademar of Codeme, one of the fastest methods of machine pay back is to calculate how they can reduce your fixed costs. With the FPB 1800, it was easy. Codeme had to calculate the need for multiple employees in the process for producing plate detail: 1.Unloading plate from the truck 2. Loading onto a burn table for cutting into parts 3. Fetching the parts out of the burn table 4. Measuring the parts for hole location 5. Drilling the holes 6. Stacking the plates 7. Moving the plates to the fit-up area 8. Bolting or welding in position—and hoping that the manual holes were correct! Dalton Simoes, Director of Codeme Fabrication and Jose Cavazos of Peddinghaus acknowledge Ademar recalls one job that involved over 30 employees involved in plate fabrication. “We knew we could not be the profitable investment of the FPB 1800 at Codeme. profitable using so many people in one process.” Save Inventory Costs with an FPB 1800 “The FPB does it all in one process; instead of 30 men, we use three now to load, unload, and operate the machine. Let me tell you why the FPB makes us money.” In Brazil, we do not have all the AISC beam and column shapes and sizes. Thus, we have to fabricate many of our own beams (see photo). These are cut from plate, and always have remnants. We save money in three ways: 1. We process every remnant on the FPB—the nesting software is very effective in using every square millimeter of the plate. 2. Because the machine can plasma cut from a common line (see photo below), we can process a full plate from stock and effectively use the entire length and width. These two steps save money by reducing our inventory 3. Labor is saved because the parts are punched, plasma cut to any shape or length, and marked by one operator. This step saves money by reducing our overhead labor costs. Dalton says, “When the time came to select equipment for the new shop, the FPB 1800 was on the top of the list!” The Peddinghaus Common Line (Chain) Cutting allows all parts to have holes punched, and plasma cut along common lines which is the fastest, most efficient, and profitable way to make parts from plate or flat stock.

“We feel that Codeme and Peddinghaus are very much alike: Peddinghaus has good people, and good people make for a good company. We love what we do at Codeme, and I can tell that Peddinghaus people love what they do. Two good companies make for Great Business Partners!”

Crane handling is minimized as the operator loads a stock length or a remnant onto the machine only one time, saving valuable labor.

More Parts—Less Scrap—By Common line plasma cutting, scrap created by unnecessary material “skeletons” is virtually eliminated.

It also saves on plasma consumables by eliminating frequent starts and stops.

STEEL FABRICATOR’S REVIEW

FALL 2006

Success Brings a Second Fabricating Shop for Codeme

CODEME: Building Success

Continued from page 3

Currently under construction in Taubate, a city near Sao Paulo, is a new 10,000 square meter (35,000 square feet) fabrication shop facility for the next step in Codeme’s growth.

The Codeme unloading system reduces labor by efficiently moving finished parts from the machine to the fit-up area.

The FPB punch plasma machine processes both plate and remnants from 72" to 2".

Peddinghaus Does Make a Difference

“We are confident of taking on any job because of our confidence in Peddinghaus Equipment.”

STEEL FABRICATOR’S REVIEW

Crane handling is minimized as the operator loads a stock length or a remnant onto the machine only one time, saving valuable labor.

More Parts—Less Scrap—By Common line plasma cutting, scrap created by unnecessary material “skeletons” is virtually eliminated.

It also saves on plasma consumables by eliminating frequent starts and stops.

STEEL FABRICATOR’S REVIEW

FALL 2006

SAFETY

CIANBRO CORPORATION:

Project Management With an Eye on Safety Safety? A construction firm with over 2,000 employees and global presence is known for Safety? A firm that attacks some of the most sophisticated building projects in the world—bridges, hydro-electric power plants, pulp and paper facilities—is most proud of their reputation for Safety? Welcome to a refreshing respite from the horror stories of the Industrial Revolution, black lung disease, child labor and labor exploitation tragedies. Take an insightful view of a firm that actually practices what it preaches about caring for the health and safety of its employees. Welcome to a firm that actually engineered and designed a safety harness for ironworkers walking high steel that revolutionized the industry. And they happily shared their research with others to make a truly safe environment— patents and profits notwithstanding. Welcome to Cianbro, who lists the word “safely” as the third word in their Corporate Mission Statement: “Cianbro will safely construct quality facilities on time, and at a competitive price…” In visiting Cianbro, one quickly learns that the word “safety” not only means a healthy work environment—but more importantly—a dedication to detail and preparedness. It means utilizing today’s technology to create productive tools and practices that Cianbro is a leading supplier to the effectively compete in today’s global power plant industry. economy. It means project management with the emphasis on the word “manage”. It’s like my Dad always told me,“Pay attention to the little things, and the big things tend to take care of themselves.”

Cianbro was listed as number 171 on the prestigious Engineering News Record’s list of Top 400 Contractors. See the story on page 7 to find out why Cianbro is ranked as an industry leader.

A Growing Family Means Business

Cianbro was formed in the late 1940s in a small town in central Maine by four sons of an Italian immigrant. This small company, then called Cianchette Brothers, would take on just about any job that came along from stacking firewood to grading roads to eventually building small bridges for municipalities. Incorporating in 1949, the operation eventually grew large enough to take on state highway and bridge projects, municipal sewer treatment work, and other civil projects.

The company continued to grow geographically, adding regions in Southern New England and Mid-Atlantic states and to grow in the civil structural markets of bridges and hydroelectric dams. The company changed its name to Cianbro in the 1960s. By the late ’70s, Cianbro began to diversify further by finding opportunities in the paper mills of Maine and New England, leading to the development of industrial mechanical and electrical capabilities. This growth led to projects in power plants, both fossil and nuclear, cement plants, and other industrial and commercial facilities.

FALL 2006

STEEL FABRICATOR’S REVIEW

CIANBRO and Peddinghaus Team Up With Building Modeling, Detailing and MRP Software in Seamless Integration of All Projects Dave Leavitt, General Manager, Fabrication & Coating of Cianbro, states it the best, “As our capacity has increased, and our work mix has diversified, Peddinghaus CNC Equipment, and its integration with our detailing software, has become a key element to Productivity and Quality.” How does a firm get to be listed as number 171 on the prestigious Engineering News Record’s list of the Top 400 Contractors? Cianbro is ranked as a leader in the following market areas: • Top 5 in Hydro Plants • Top 10 in Pulp and Paper Facilities • Top 25 in Bridges To achieve this status, your firm must employ the latest technology in technology and design. A dynamic player in the burgeoning Power Plant market, Cianbro plays all its cards to be competitive and effective. The integration of technology into Cianbro’s daily operation is a key to their success. The seamless interoperability of all major software with the Peddinghaus equipment has proven to be the real difference in various projects.

Cianbro could plainly see the value of the small steel fabrication shop they maintained in Pittsfield, Maine. In the 1980s Cianbro fully established a fabrication and coatings facility in Pittsfield and supported the construction teams with all types of temporary structures.

Two projects which clearly depict this technological advancement are a hospital in New York and a power plant in the Mid-Atlantic region.

Little by little, the work mix for the “Fab Shop” included permanent fabricated steel for Cianbro projects and later expanded to process nearly 50% of its work for non-Cianbro customers.

Pete Vigue, President and CEO of Cianbro advises,“Teamwork, commitment, and personal sacrifice are what differentiate our people and this company from our competitors. It is what allows Cianbro to do some pretty extraordinary things in the construction industry.

From the Industry Standard Dual Tie-off Safety Harness to their Motivated Work Force, Cianbro focuses on project management‚ with the emphasis on the word “Manage”.

Our team puts its can-do spirit to work every day coming up with innovative and creative solutions for our customer’s needs on a wide variety of projects.”

No design is too difficult or demanding for the Cianbro Group.

Construction of medical facilities has launched Cianbro into a new market.

Y2K Fear? Not in the Cianbro FAB SHOP In December, 1999, Cianbro decided to give themselves a little Christmas present. With the pending Millennium only a few days away, Cianbro faced down the specter of Y2K, and took delivery of a new CNC controlled fully automated Peddinghaus BDL 1250 nine spindle drill line, complete with a miter band saw and material handling system. At the time, the Cianbro Fab Shop was relatively small. Among shop employees, the prevailing thinking was that this purchase was premature for Cianbro, and funds could be better spent on other projects. However, within weeks, the Peddinghaus equipment purchase proved to be the catalyst for newfound efficiency, productivity, and cost effectiveness.

Continued on page 8

Leroy Vanadestine – Marketing Alvin Townes – General Foreman Nick Rossi – Safety (in harness) Mike Fisher – Job Coordinator Brian Carr – Baltimore Fabrication & Coatings Shop Manager

STEEL FABRICATOR’S REVIEW

FALL 2006

SAFETY

CIANBRO CORPORATION:

Cianbro was listed as number 171 on the prestigious Engineering News Record’s list of Top 400 Contractors. See the story on page 7 to find out why Cianbro is ranked as an industry leader.

A Growing Family Means Business

FALL 2006

STEEL FABRICATOR’S REVIEW

Two projects which clearly depict this technological advancement are a hospital in New York and a power plant in the Mid-Atlantic region.

Little by little, the work mix for the “Fab Shop” included permanent fabricated steel for Cianbro projects and later expanded to process nearly 50% of its work for non-Cianbro customers.

From the Industry Standard Dual Tie-off Safety Harness to their Motivated Work Force, Cianbro focuses on project management‚ with the emphasis on the word “Manage”.

Our team puts its can-do spirit to work every day coming up with innovative and creative solutions for our customer’s needs on a wide variety of projects.”

No design is too difficult or demanding for the Cianbro Group.

Construction of medical facilities has launched Cianbro into a new market.

Continued on page 8

Leroy Vanadestine – Marketing Alvin Townes – General Foreman Nick Rossi – Safety (in harness) Mike Fisher – Job Coordinator Brian Carr – Baltimore Fabrication & Coatings Shop Manager

STEEL FABRICATOR’S REVIEW

CIANBRO: Project Management with an Eye on Safety Continued from page 6

Building Up in Baltimore In 2001, Cianbro purchased a 2nd fabrication facility in Baltimore, MD. This shop was FIVE (5) TIMES the size of the Pittsfield shop with about 80,000 square feet of floor space. Upon acquiring the property, Cianbro completely renovated the building, and outfitted it with the same successful equipment—Peddinghaus: • Peddinghaus BDL 1250/9 nine spindle automated structural drill • Peddinghaus 44" miter cutting band saw • Complete material handling system consisting of infeed conveyors and cross transfers—located in the yard for efficient outdoor loading • Complete material handling system with conveyors and cross transfers exiting the band saw and infeed for the Peddinghaus BDL 1250 drill • A New Peddinghaus FDB 1500/3 CNC Plasma Plate Processing Center with capacity for processing light and heavy plate in infeed lengths of 20 feet.

FALL 2006

STEEL FABRICATOR’S REVIEW

What Does A Peddinghaus System Actually Deliver? We put some questions to Brian Carr, Cianbro’s Fabrication & Coatings Shop Manager in Baltimore. His responses depict the insight and capability of the progressive minds of the Cianbro team. R

Q Q Q Q Q Q

What was the justification for purchasing the complete Peddinghaus Processing system? To put Cianbro Fabrication among the elite group of qualified, AISC certified fabricators on the east coast. The system instantly gave us the capabilities to service the need of our sister company “Cianbro the Constructor” and gave us the opportunity to take advantage of the recent growth of local markets.

In your opinion, how has technology helped your firm? Technology has made us very competitive. Peddinghaus equipment and our CNC programming interface seamlessly with our detailing software (X-Steel) allows us to turn around and over projects very quickly with very accurate results. (Timely, accurate results produce many, many opportunities!)

You have worked closely with Peddinghaus engineering on systems to enhance your operation—describe that process. We have sought advice from Peddinghaus and have taken their recommendations on material handling to increase our overall efficiency which has increased our total tonnage throughput substantially.

How has Peddinghaus service assisted you? Very little service has been required. The service that was required was timely and effective. Our equipment, being properly maintained, required very little service. (This reflects the Peddinghaus well built machines and high standards!)

By using building modeling software, Cianbro can seamlessly integrate with their Peddinghaus equipment to create all ductwork and transitions for large power plant facilities.

FALL 2006

Do you recall any specific service experience that stands out? Recent calibration issues—the experience and knowledge of Peddinghaus service representatives assisted us through a Waler system project to produce a timely, accurate product. (40" wide flange beams with over 100 holes in each beam with less than 1/8" tolerance)

What are your main markets? Industrial beam and column, plate and duct work, and marine structures.

Q Q Q Q Q

How has Peddinghaus enabled you to grow into new markets? With our Peddinghaus equipment, we do well in local markets and our capabilities are growing rapidly. Our reputation as a “Quality and Reliable Fabricator” is on the streets and it is producing unlimited opportunities to increase our business. Invitations to bid are arriving on a daily basis and soon we will be an industry leader.

We understand that the productivity of the Peddinghaus drill and sawing system has enabled you to increase overall productivity—can you elaborate? State of the art production equipment including Peddinghaus BDL 1250 drill line (9 spindle, up to 1-9/16" holes), Peddinghaus saw capacity up to a 44 inch beam section and a model FDB 1500/3 plasma plate duplicator (flame arc cutting machine and drill, 3 spindle up to 1-9/16" holes)—the equipment has us well suited for 100 ton and heavier projects which we can routinely process on a weekly basis.

Can you share some additional production data from your Peddinghaus line? One word summarizes it all—“Efficiency”. Our Peddinghaus equipment, at the present time, allows us to produce in excess of 800 tons (and Pittsfield capacity double) a month or approximately 10,000 tons a year. We are producing for diversified markets rapidly gaining knowledge and skills to increase this volume. Our Peddinghaus line makes it easy for us to focus on production with quality results!

FLOODCOOLANT ...WhataW ASTE.

a. A study of a shop that concentratesoncuttingandhole makinginstructuralshapes,showed atwistdrillrequiredreshapingevery 100holesandthedrillingoperation required$3,300.00worthofflood coolantoverthesixmonthstudy . R

COOLUBEL UBRICANT ...WhataSOL UTION!

b.AUNISTNDMTRIALshowedanewsingleinsert typecoolant-throughspadedrillproducedover 22000holesbeforeinsertreplacementandthe drillingoperationrequiredjust$85.00worthof COOLUBElubricantoverthenextsixmonths.

How has Peddinghaus impacted Cianbro? Peddinghaus has made Cianbro a “Confident Processing Fabricator” ready to take on diverse projects to satisfy our customer needs.

Can you share something with our readers that relatively few people are aware? Cianbro Fabrication & Coatings Baltimore Facility is AISC certified for buildings, bridges and coatings, ASME certification, full-time CWI and QA/QC inspector, and SSPC-QP1 and QP2 certified. The 65,000 square foot facility is located on 21 acres with water front bulkhead, railroad and over the road access capabilities. Our marine access and modularization capabilities allows delivery of large sections or modules to your site both coastal and inter-coastal locations. Cianbro also has in-house estimating, engineering, detailing and project management capabilities.

OEMorRetro-Fit,UNISTNEARDRY MACHININGapplies thebesttoollubricationsolutionformostDrilling,T apping PunchingandSawingoperations.

If you think Near Dry Machining may be the RIGHT SOLUTION for your operation, and would like to learn more about this case study, or a Free In-Plant Near Dry Machining Trial CallUNISTT oday

800-253-5462 US&Canada VisitUsatF ABTECH06BoothNo.1 1061 TM

Writing the book on non-friction

616.94 9.08 53 • Fax: 616.94 9.95 03 • www.unist. com

STEEL FABRICATOR’S REVIEW

CIANBRO: Project Management with an Eye on Safety Continued from page 6

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STEEL FABRICATOR’S REVIEW

Q Q Q Q Q Q

By using building modeling software, Cianbro can seamlessly integrate with their Peddinghaus equipment to create all ductwork and transitions for large power plant facilities.

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What are your main markets? Industrial beam and column, plate and duct work, and marine structures.

Q Q Q Q Q

FLOODCOOLANT ...WhataW ASTE.

COOLUBEL UBRICANT ...WhataSOL UTION!

How has Peddinghaus impacted Cianbro? Peddinghaus has made Cianbro a “Confident Processing Fabricator” ready to take on diverse projects to satisfy our customer needs.

OEMorRetro-Fit,UNISTNEARDRY MACHININGapplies thebesttoollubricationsolutionformostDrilling,T apping PunchingandSawingoperations.

If you think Near Dry Machining may be the RIGHT SOLUTION for your operation, and would like to learn more about this case study, or a Free In-Plant Near Dry Machining Trial CallUNISTT oday

800-253-5462 US&Canada VisitUsatF ABTECH06BoothNo.1 1061 TM

Writing the book on non-friction

616.94 9.08 53 • Fax: 616.94 9.95 03 • www.unist. com

STEEL FABRICATOR’S REVIEW

FALL 2006

STEEL FABRICATOR’S REVIEW

WHAT ATTENDEES ARE SAYING:

“ DISTRIBUTOR SALES MEETING SEPTEMBER 22 & 23, 2006

Why are these guys smilin’?.....

Everyone enjoyed the sunny South Carolina weather on Saturday afternoon. Over 30 loyal “duffers” enjoyed the beautiful Willbrook Country Club where pars were scarce, but great camaraderie abounded.

All shapes for under $16,000!

Over 40 hearty fisherman braved the mighty Atlantic in search of the trophy sized catch. More “minnow size” than “trophy size” were caught, and the ocean can “bring out the best in you”, but everyone had a great fish story in the end...

Peddinghaus Corporation was delighted to host our Distributor Sales meeting September 22 & 23 at our facility in Andrews, SC.Over 75 attendees actively participated in classroom and hands-on training of various Peddinghaus products.

One of our attendees said it best when he commented, “This is great, when is your next meeting—sign me up today!”

They’ve just witnessed the new low cost Peddinghaus model 320 Band Saw

Of special interest was the introduction of the new Peddinghaus horizontal band saw line which featured the following NEW models: • The 320 miter saw which carries a large capacity at a modest price! • The 410 DGA 2300 is a fully automatic CNC band saw complete with automated in feed shuttle and designed for decades of accurate, productive sawing. • The model 407A band saw is a work horse for any automated sawing facility providing 24 hour production of 90 degree cutting.

“What a great team Peddinghaus has! I’m proud to be part of it— Thanks for the chance to work with such winners!” “Best Distributor Sales Meeting I have ever attended!” “The technical power point presentations were helpful … but the live “hands-on” demos at Andrews were very informative and emphasized the points discussed” “Your meeting was well organized and informative…I look forward to your next meeting as I’m excited about selling each and every Peddinghaus product” “I will take my enthusiasm for Peddinghaus and pass it on to our Customers!”

AWARD WINNERS Outstanding CNC System Sales

—Lyle Menke

AKHURST MACHINERY

ADVANCED MACHINERY

Edmonton, Alberta Canada Mr. George McCarthy

Pelham, AL Mr.Tony Smith Mr. Kevin Woods

Outstanding Ironworker Sales

A highlight of the Peddinghaus Distributor Sales Meeting was the award for outstanding sales for CNC Systems and also Ironworkers. In a tightly contested decision, a most unusual situation occurred. We had a tie for both categories! Thanks to you, we experienced one of the most successful distributor sales meetings in the history of Peddinghaus Corporation.

FABRICATING EQUIPMENT

AKHURST MACHINERY

Houston, TX Mr. Jim Conn

Edmonton, Alberta Canada Mr. George McCarthy

Congratulations to our winners for a job very well done!

”

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STEEL FABRICATOR’S REVIEW

WHAT ATTENDEES ARE SAYING:

“ DISTRIBUTOR SALES MEETING SEPTEMBER 22 & 23, 2006

Why are these guys smilin’?.....

All shapes for under $16,000!

One of our attendees said it best when he commented, “This is great, when is your next meeting—sign me up today!”

They’ve just witnessed the new low cost Peddinghaus model 320 Band Saw

AWARD WINNERS Outstanding CNC System Sales

—Lyle Menke

AKHURST MACHINERY

ADVANCED MACHINERY

Edmonton, Alberta Canada Mr. George McCarthy

Pelham, AL Mr.Tony Smith Mr. Kevin Woods

Outstanding Ironworker Sales

FABRICATING EQUIPMENT

AKHURST MACHINERY

Houston, TX Mr. Jim Conn

Edmonton, Alberta Canada Mr. George McCarthy

Congratulations to our winners for a job very well done!

”

STEEL FABRICATOR’S REVIEW

Peddinghaus Corporation

DISTRIBUTORS Peddinghaus distributors are located throughout North America, with one close to you. Our distributors are trained on Peddinghaus products and applications, and can assist your search for improved productivity and machine tool efficiency. Give us a call—the Peddinghaus Network is ready to assist you!

Our Canadian Distributors

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STEEL FABRICATOR’S REVIEW

Peddinghaus Corporation

Our Canadian Distributors

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STEEL FABRICATOR’S REVIEW

FALL 2006

Peddinghaus Donates Peddiworker 1050 On October 5th, Peddinghaus Corporation of South Carolina donated to Williamsburg Technical College a Peddiworker 1050 machine for their welding/fabricating classroom. The presentation was done at the

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STEEL FABRICATOR’S REVIEW

A REMINDER Ask for your FREE COPY of the new Peddinghaus Plasma Maintenance Manual. This new manual will provide ideas for extending the life and wear of your plasma system on your Peddinghaus Plate Processing System.

Tech site, attended by Bob Meltzer, Dr. Cleve Cox (President), Brandon Haselden (Machining Instructor), Jeff Ball (Welding Instructor), Clifton Elliott (Dean of Instruction) and Mona Dukes (Director of Public Relations). The partnership between the two has been an overwhelming success as approximately one-third of PCSC employees have come to the company through Williamsburg Tech. The college extends their heartfelt gratitude to Anton Peddinghaus and Kevin Winter for making this donation possible. The futures of many technical students have been initiated by PCSC and in return, the success of PCSC has been solidified with the opportunity to hire trained and experienced personnel with Peddinghaus machinery.

Mr. Clifton Elliott, Dean of Instruction, and Dr. Cleve Cox, President of Williamsburg Technical College thank Bob Meltzer, Chief Operating Officer of Peddinghaus Corporation (Andrews, South Carolina) for the donation of a Peddinghaus Ironworker for their Technical Training Center.

(L to R) Marvin “Trey” Cribb, Jeff Ball, Bob Meltzer, Brandon Haselden, and Mike Cumbie all agree that hands-on training of eager students is the best method of preparing a workforce for the future.

Tekla User Meeting Held Tekla, Inc hosted the 6th annual Tekla User Meeting August 17-19 at the beautiful Bellagio Hotel in Las Vegas. Lyle Menke of Peddinghaus gave a presentation of the current “state of the industry” with an insightful view of new technologies in process for the structural fabrication shop.

“Hosting an event in Las Vegas is always a gamble and this year it paid off,” says Tekla, Inc. President Hans Ehrnrooth. The record number of attendees represented three countries and over 30 states. Tekla had representatives from product development, product support as well as representatives from the headquarters in Finland. There were six General Sessions and ten Workshop Sessions covering 17 different topics. Listed below are the specifics from each program. Presentations are available for those who attended. To request a copy of a specific presentation please email Tekla at info.us@tekla.com.

For your free copy e-mail plate productivity@peddinghaus.com or tim-douglas@peddinghaus.com

SCHUFF STEEL,

Schuff offers a competitive salary

On Thursday Dowco Consultants Ltd. hosted a cocktail hour, which included a wonderful bone-in, honey baked ham. Peddinghaus Corporation sponsored the tasteful flank steak and chicken lunch. People were talking the rest of the day about the desserts!

one of the nation’s largest structural steel

If you are interested in starting a new career, call Todd Laduron at

fabricators & erectors

602. 452. 4407

Friday night the grand event was the roast beef tenderloin sit-down dinner. After dinner attendees enjoyed faux gambling. At the end of the night David Ball had turned his $1,000 into $29,000 and Ron Heigh turned his $1,000 into $27,000! Wow.

EXPERIENCED

Of course there was also fun in Vegas

is looking for

PROJECT MANAGERS and ESTIMATORS.

structure based on experience, along with one of the best benefits packages in the industry.

or e-mail todd.Laduron@schuff.com Schuff is an EOE

www.schuff.com

STEEL FABRICATOR’S REVIEW

FALL 2006

STEEL FABRICATOR’S REVIEW

For your free copy e-mail plate productivity@peddinghaus.com or tim-douglas@peddinghaus.com

SCHUFF STEEL,

Schuff offers a competitive salary

one of the nation’s largest structural steel

If you are interested in starting a new career, call Todd Laduron at

fabricators & erectors

602. 452. 4407

EXPERIENCED

Of course there was also fun in Vegas

is looking for

PROJECT MANAGERS and ESTIMATORS.

structure based on experience, along with one of the best benefits packages in the industry.

or e-mail todd.Laduron@schuff.com Schuff is an EOE

www.schuff.com

STEEL FABRICATOR’S REVIEW

FALL 2006

ALLIED MACHINE & ENGINEERING CORP.

Penetrating Tips on Successful Structural and Plate Drilling Understanding wear patterns is critical to maximize the performance of your beam and plate drilling applications. Addressing the causes of these wear patterns reduces tool costs by minimizing breakage, and increases production by reducing downtime. In the structural drilling industry, the following patterns are the most prevalent.

The photo above shows the normal wear pattern for the T-A‚ Structural Steel Drilling System from AMEC. The wear is even across the cutting edge. When a drill insert wears in this manner, the optimum performance is achieved.

This is an example of OD or margin wear. This condition is a result of heat created during drilling. This is probably the most common wear pattern found in the structural steel beam drilling industry due to the methods used to apply coolant.

Mist systems, or MQL (for minimal quantity lubricant) are used in the beam and plate industry due to the inability to recycle liquid coolants. Since the coolant is not in a closed loop system, MQL is used. MQL is substantially better than machining dry, but it is less effective than higher volume coolant systems. To alleviate this symptom, reduce the RPM of the drill. This will lower the heat being created in the cut, extending the tool life. AMEC’s T-A‚ drill inserts are produced with the latest technology in the field of tool coatings to combat this problem. The T-A‚ Structural Steel Drilling System tools are coated with TiAlN, which offers excellent heat resistance. Another option is to use our GEN2 T-A‚ drilling system. These inserts are coated with AM200, a proprietary coating that allows the highest level of heat resistance in the industry. An extreme case of OD or margin wear results in a burned step in the tool. This is caused by excessive heat in the cut, and should be corrected by reducing RPM. To find out the correct RPM, measure the resulting burned diameter and divide this number by the original insert diameter. Running at 90% of this number will result in a setting which eliminates the step.

An example is a 13/16" diameter tool with a burn diameter of .765". Divide .765 by .812 getting .942. The tool was originally running at 900 RPM, so multiply 900 by An extreme case of OD or margin wear .942 resulting in 850 RPM. Reduce this results in a "burned step" in the tool. number by 10% to ensure even wear, and the tool should be run at 770 RPM for optimum performance. The next photo is an example of edge chipping. This occurs when the beam or plate being machined has substantial voids and or porosity. To correct his problem, lower the RPM of the tool and lower the feed rate. Running the tool slower will lessen the impact of the hard spots in the beam and minimize the chipping that occurs. The Super Cobalt substrate offered in the T-A‚ Structural Steel Drilling System allows a high level of wear resistance while maintaining toughness to minimize chipping. Another solution is to utilize standard T-A‚ Drilling System Inserts made from M-4. This material is not as wear resistant as the Super Cobalt, but is less susceptible to chipping. Information on the complete line of T-A‚ drilling products can be “Edge Chipping” occurs when the found in our full line catalog, T-A‚ and beam or plate being machined has ASC 320‚ Drilling Products catalog sustained voids or porosity. number TAASC-05. A more extreme example of chipping is fracturing. This is caused by unintended impact with the beam or plate, or by excessive movement during the drilling cycle. To minimize this, make sure the rapid feed stops a minimum of 1/8" from the workpiece and ensure that the part being drilled is secured to minimize movement. Excessive Point Wear is a symptom Excessive point wear is a symptom of a of a beam or plate that is excessively beam or plate that is excessively hard, or hard or excessive spindle run out there is excessive spindle run out. Often when drilling a beam or plate that has been flame cut, the bolt holes are drilled near the heat affected zone of the workpiece. The heat affected zone can be considerably harder than the other parts of the beam or plate. When drilling in this area, the point of the tool can wear prematurely. If the issue is excessive spindle runout, replacing the spindle extension, or using an appropriate length T-A‚ Structural Steel Drilling System holder will correct the problem. If the spindle itself is loose, rebuilding the spindle will be necessary to correct the problem. If you are experiencing any problems with your T-A‚ Structural Steel Drilling System tools, please contact Peddinghaus or AMEC’s Application Engineering Group at 800-321-5537 in the US, Mexico, or Canada, 330-343-4283 from all other areas. For reprints contact tim-douglas@peddinghaus.com

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ALLIED MACHINE & ENGINEERING CORP.

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The following is reprinted courtesy of

Planning for the Future By Lauren Duensing

Peddinghaus plate machines push North Shore Supply Co. toward continued growth North Shore Supply Co., Houston, started out 51 years ago. Many companies that age suffer through growing pains, but NSSCO has defined a formula for success and implemented technologies that have led to further growth and customer satisfaction. “NSSCO is a family-owned business that was started in 1955 in one building and has grown over the years into a corporation with five divisions and more than 275 employees," says Clyde Rushing, fabrication division manager. The structural steel fabrication division was started 20 years ago with one building and six employees. Today, NSSCO’s fabrication division has a more than 100,000-square-foot building and 65 employees.” The steel warehouse division sells “shapes, plates, grating—a full-range of steel, including all the wide-flange beams, channels, angles and flat bar,” says Rushing. In addition, it sells “a lot of plate. Most of it is domestic, but we do import some of the steel.” He notes that the company has grown quite large over the last couple of years and forecasts that NSSCO will soon reach more than $100 million in sales. NSSCO’s customers include power plants, chemical plants and refineries throughout the United States and overseas. “Right now we just completed a 3,500-ton job for Dow Chemical Co. in Freeport, Texas,” Rushing notes. “As soon as we finish that job, they awarded us another large project, about 4,000 tons. It is a large chemical plant that is going over to Qatar and will be owned by several large companies, including Chevron.” The company also does work that is exported to Nigeria, Angola, the Middle East and Egypt, Rushing says.

The exceptional accuracy of the Peddinghaus FPB 1800 provides plasma cut parts in any length or contour shape.

Abandoning Old-Fashioned Methods As it grows, the company has put a priority on updating its equipment. “About 10 years ago, NSSCO set out to be a diverse, technology-driven organization, providing steel products, steel services and material handling products in a global economy. We have expanded our current markets and grown into new markets by providing outstanding customer service,” Rushing notes. “Two years ago, we made connection plates the ‘old-fashioned way,’” says Rushing. “We made templates for each plate, laid out the holes and punched each hole. This process was time consuming and labor intensive. It required that we move each plate to different work stations in order to complete it.” Now the company has two Peddinghaus drill lines, one new BDL-1250 nine-spindle drill line with a new 1140 band saw and one TDK-1000, three-spindle drill line. In addition, it has the Peddinghaus FPB 1800 plate machine, AFPS 645 Anglemaster and several Peddinghaus ironworkers.

To meet their customer’s delivery requirements, NSSCO invested in "Speed Sawing" Technology from Peddinghaus which increases saw output by 40% over previous methods.

The FPB 1800 plate machine with a plasma burner allows the company to get away from those out-of-date methods and speed up operations. “This Peddinghaus machine will process plate up to 1 1/4 inch thick and 72 inches wide,” says Rushing. “Now all plate operations take place in one location in the shop and take up less shop space. We now download electronic files into the machine and have the capability to make up to 1,200 plates per day. The new Peddinghaus plate machine has increased our efficiency and increased our capacity to produce plates by about 50 percent. Today we have one machine operator instead of the three to four people required to produce plates before.” Continued on page 20

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The following is reprinted courtesy of

Planning for the Future By Lauren Duensing

The exceptional accuracy of the Peddinghaus FPB 1800 provides plasma cut parts in any length or contour shape.

To meet their customer’s delivery requirements, NSSCO invested in "Speed Sawing" Technology from Peddinghaus which increases saw output by 40% over previous methods.

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STEEL FABRICATOR’S REVIEW

NORTH SHORE: Planning for the Future Continued from page 18 CONNECTING STEEL ACROSS THE GLOBE.

Picking Peddinghaus Before deciding on a machine, NSSCO traveled around the country looking at several manufacturers of fabricating equipment. “We talked with machine operators, plant managers and owners,” Rushing said. “We went to several plants in Texas, South Carolina and Florida to evaluate equipment and operations. After our tours, evaluation and analysis of our specific needs, we went with Peddinghaus because the machines are rugged, made specifically for the heavy structural steel fabricating industry and have proven themselves over the years to be the most durable machine made. Our customers are always impressed when they tour our shop and see these heavy-duty machines in operation.” Rushing also notes that training is an easy process for the company’s operators. “Peddinghaus has a training operation just outside of Chicago in Bradley, and each time we buy a machine from them, we send two of our guys to Bradley to train for about a week. It works out really well. They train on the computer part of the machine and the operations part of the machine. Our guys are really experienced at what they do here in reading drawings and that sort of thing. They have good computer skills and good mechanical skills, as far as knowing that part of the job. The training they need, of course, is operating the machine itself.”

North Shore maintains an extensive inventory of structural sections to meet client shipping deadlines. This investment insures their customers do not wait for steel on urgent projects.

Then when the machine ships down here, Peddinghaus sends one of its installation men, who are also pretty good trainers. They install the machine, and we do another week of training here on-site.”

The company is still looking for expansion opportunities. “We are currently in the construction phase of our fabrication plant that will add about 17,000 square feet of space,” Rushing notes. “We are expanding today to meet the needs of our customers tomorrow.” MM

NSSCO believes that adding these Peddinghaus machines has increased its efficiency by about 30 percent. “We’re able to fabricate a lot more steel than what we did before we purchased the Peddinghaus machines.” In addition, the company has been able to integrate its employees into other activities due to the newfound efficiency. “That is part of how we grew,” says Rushing. “We just hired about 20 additional people over the last year because of our increased capacity and increased work.”

“The new Peddinghaus FPB 1800 plasma plate machine has increased our efficiency and increased our capacity to produce plates by about 50 percent over previous methods,” according to Mr. Rushing.

All of these changes have made the company more competitive. “First of all, it makes us able to handle the larger jobs,” says Rushing. “Ten years ago a 500-ton job was a huge job for us. And this past year, we just did a 3,500ton job. We’re able to do jobs that we weren’t able to bid on before because our capacity was limited.”

Reuben Rodriguez and Arthur Cervantes Production Manager and Anglemaster/Drill Operator (respectively) of North Shore Steel

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>>> DONALDSON PLANT (WUXI, CHINA)

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800.443.0782

402.441.4000

e-mail: info@sds2.com

STEEL FABRICATOR’S REVIEW

FALL 2006

STEEL FABRICATOR’S REVIEW

NORTH SHORE: Planning for the Future Continued from page 18 CONNECTING STEEL ACROSS THE GLOBE.

North Shore maintains an extensive inventory of structural sections to meet client shipping deadlines. This investment insures their customers do not wait for steel on urgent projects.

Then when the machine ships down here, Peddinghaus sends one of its installation men, who are also pretty good trainers. They install the machine, and we do another week of training here on-site.”

“The new Peddinghaus FPB 1800 plasma plate machine has increased our efficiency and increased our capacity to produce plates by about 50 percent over previous methods,” according to Mr. Rushing.

Reuben Rodriguez and Arthur Cervantes Production Manager and Anglemaster/Drill Operator (respectively) of North Shore Steel

>>> SPLASH DOWN DUNES WATER PARK (NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE)

>>> ANTAMINA COPPER MINE (ANDES MOUNTAINS, PERU)

>>> DONALDSON PLANT (WUXI, CHINA)

www.sds2.com

800.443.0782

402.441.4000

e-mail: info@sds2.com

40315 NUC Steel Fabricators

10/4/06

9:39 AM

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Page 1

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Photo courtesy of Deutsch Associates Architects/Photographer Jessie Shotwell

STEEL FABRICATOR’S REVIEW

The Phoenix fire department is trained to save people and their homes, but when they wanted to save the environment, they asked for our help. As part of Nucor, the world’s largest recycler, we provided their new fire station with beams manufactured from recycled steel. Providing just the kind of support they needed to build Arizona’s first ever LEED ® certified fire station. A building that helps save lives, homes, and the environment, all at the same time. www.nucoryamato.com

It’s Our Nature.®

40315 NUC Steel Fabricators

10/4/06

9:39 AM

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Page 1

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Photo courtesy of Deutsch Associates Architects/Photographer Jessie Shotwell

STEEL FABRICATOR’S REVIEW

It’s Our Nature.®

STEEL FABRICATOR’S REVIEW

VOLUME 20

FALL 2006

NEWS FOR THE STRUCTURAL STEEL & PLATE FABRICATOR

www.peddinghaus.com

FA B R I C AT O R S M A K I N G T O D AY ’ S S K Y L I N E P O S S I B L E

CODEME: Building SUCCESS from Higher EDUCATION

on Successful Structural and Plate Drilling

STEEL FABRICATOR’S REVIEW Washington and Grove Street Bradley, IL 60915

PRSRT STD U.S. POSTAGE

PAID PERMIT NO. 157 Joliet, IL

See full story on page 16

TABLE OF CONTENTS Codeme Building Success from Higher Education

CIANBRO Project Performance the Safe Way

Peddinghaus Annual Distributors Meeting Sales meeting recap

Peddinghaus Distributors Location map

Alvin Townes, Leroy Vanadestine, and Brian Carr of Cianbro Corporation, Pittsfield, Maine, a proud member of ENR’s list of Top 400 Contractors.

Tekla User meeting recap

Allied Machine Penetrating Tips on Successful Structural and Plate Drilling

North Shore Supply Co. Planning for the Future