Peddinghaus Steel Fabricators' Review Summer 2007

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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

W.F. Welding

SISTTEMEX…

Realizing Their Corporate Vision

Editors' Note: By popular request, The Steel Fabricators' Review is starting a new section entitled “Then and Now”—a closer look at the impact of Peddinghaus’ automated technology for structural steel and heavy plate fabrication in today’s shop.

• Was serving one country and now serves fourteen • Triples steel fabrication • Doubles production space • Grows tenfold in Communication Tower market…

…All in 5 years!

(L to R) Jose Franco (Director General), Ruben Pavon (Director, Shop Operations) and Salvador Franco (Assistant General Manager) See full story on page 5

We take a closer look at W.F. Welding of Nisku, Alberta Canada. Their President and General Manager, Mr. Brad Chrystian, is quoted in blue italics in this article. We thank him for sitting down with us to tell the amazing story of growth for W.F. Welding and Cranes, located in the heart of Alberta.

Brad Chrystian, President & General Manager of W.F. Welding

BUILDERS STEEL CO, INC.

Maintaining Consistent Contact Builds Success At Builders Steel in Tulsa, OK, that conversation about losing contact with customers would probably never take place. Why? Because Builders Steel believes consistent contact with customers, vendors, suppliers and business partners insures that expectations are met on every project.

Lauri Noble (President) and Chuck Noble (Executive Vice President)

IN THIS ISSUE

See full story on page 9

Sisttemex Realizing Their Corporate Vision

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Tour Structural Fab Shops…

Peddinghaus Style Why not mix business with pleasure?

More on page 12

The Steel Market Is Still

Builders Steel Co., Inc. Maintaining Consistent Contact

NASCC Wrap Up

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W.F. Welding Then & Now

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Service Through the Years

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Tekla Modeling Software More Value out of the Model

The Hot Topic in New Orleans

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John Schilling Celebrates 28 years with Peddinghaus

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The Market Is Still AISC First Quarter 2007 Results: Lyle Menke The news just keeps getting Better and Better!!

The market for fabricated structural steel is still as vibrant and dynamic as ever. All the market indicators point to sustained growth—take advantage now! Don’t just take our word for it, here is what the industry experts are saying:

“First quarter results have been reported by McGraw-Hill and indicate a market share for structural steel of 52%. This compares to a market share for all of 2006 of 50% (over concrete). Particularly significant is the fact the the 1st quarter share is typically lower than the market share for the entire year”. “…The combined growth in square footage and share would equate to an additional 400,000 tons of structural material (wide flange, angles, channel, HSS) reflecting both non-residential and multi-story residential constructions. These trends are confirmed by the feedback received from (AISC) fabricator members through the interactive Business Barometer…”

American Institute of Architects: Washington, D.C., June 20, 2007—After three consecutive months of modest growth, the Architecture Billing Index (ABI), a leading economic indicator of construction activity, revealed a spike in design activity. The American Institute of Architects (AIA) reported the May ABI was 55.0 (any score above 50 indicates an increase in billings), up from the 52.6 mark in April. With an approximate nine to twelve month lag time between architecture billings and construction spending, the forecast for the nonresidential construction market remains favorable throughout 2007 and into early 2008.

“This is the second highest mark of the year behind January’s score of 57.9,” said AIA Chief Economist Kermit Baker, PhD, Hon. AIA. “Activity in the West is accelerating rapidly and all nonresidential construction sectors are experiencing an extended upturn. The residential numbers have been stabilizing recently, but that is attributed more to firms that are doing work on multi-family projects and may not portend a recovery for the overall housing market.”

Engineering News Record 5/28/07: The total private nonresidential building market shows a robust growth of 17% above the first quarter of last year. The largest percentage year-to-year gain over 2006’s first quarter included a 57% increase in new construction put-in-place for hotels and motels and a 31% increase in office building work. Health care, private education, communications and manufacturing markets all posted double-digit gains over last year.

Ring of Fire Detonates Construction Industry The innovative new Peddinghaus Ring of Fire Thermal Processor still makes headlines!

The respected McGraw Hill publication Engineering News Record—the foundation of the construction industry—sent a reporter to the NASCC in New Orleans to investigate new technologies.

Following is the report from Ms. Nadine M. Post of ENR: “…..On the convention floor, the attention grabber was a prototype for a cutting tool called the “Ring of Fire” by Peddinghaus Corporation.

The machine is a combined drill line, burning machine, and saw for any structural shape.

If you only handle the steel one time and do all the processes, it could double the speed…”

More Power to Steel: This month the Department of Energy signed a Record of Decision that clears the path for construction of a coal-fired power plant in Florida that will be one of the cleanest, most efficient plants of its kind in the world. This project along with two similar plants, one in Minnesota and one in Texas, are the beginning of the retrofitting of new technology to existing power plants that CTIW and other fabricators having been talking about for the last 10 years. The energy sector should continue to add significant tonnage requirements to the fabrication industry for years to come.

Continued on page 4

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FROM THE CEO As we close in on the summer months, everyone’s thoughts turn to summer holidays and taking a vacation or a “family getaway”.

Getting away this year will take a bit more planning because of the current dynamic market that we are experiencing in the steel construction and heavy plate fabrication industries. All of us will need to insure we have our “i”s dotted and “t”s crossed before we Anton Peddinghaus

NASCC Conference was Superb

take a few days off—business is simply that vibrant.

Ring of Fire Ignites the Audience

On behalf of Peddinghaus, I wish to extend our heartiest congratulations to the entire staff and management of the AISC for putting together such a wonderful conference in New Orleans.

The AISC team, spearheaded by Scott Melnick and Katey Lenihan, worked tirelessly to create a perfect venue for industry success.

We have been blessed with many wonderful customer orders, and have been continually building our business to serve you. We know you desperately need machines to work down your back log, and prepare for new bid opportunities.

Here’s a quick analysis of our Summer 2007 construction projects:

It seemed like virtually every attendee at the NASCC experienced our new CNC Thermal Processing System—the Ring of Fire. We anticipated a lively industry response to this totally new technology, and the enthusiastic attendees certainly confirmed our design.

I take a special pleasure in meeting our many customers and industry colleagues at these conferences, and New Orleans had exceptionally positive conversations. Enthusiastic attendees spoke often of the incredible market opportunities they are experiencing now.

All of them are very busy with work, and see new prospects for growth and profitability.

Many fabricators visited our stand and were looking for fabrication partners which they can share jobs—sometimes as big as 20,000 or 30,000 tons. This is fairly common request for us, as many fabricators recognize that fellow Peddinghaus users can easily share CNC files and machine data. Today’s electronic technology makes this “job sharing practice” a profitable alternative to expand the scope of your business.

Building to Serve You Better

We exhibited the Ring of Fire as a “Concept Machine”—not in full production but a prototype ready for testing. Do you remember the old TV wine commercial, where the vintner holds up a glass of merlot and says, “We will sell no wine before it’s time”?

Well, that’s Peddinghaus machine tool philosophy. We have a good product that will fit an urgent industry need, but we will not begin full production on a prototype—until it is ready for market. We will test this concept thoroughly to insure it is 100%.

•

Construction started on our new 45,000 square foot state-of-the-art production facility located on the Washington Street manufacturing campus in Bradley, IL

•

Over 120,000 square feet of manufacturing and warehouse space has been locally leased to enable increased production A portion will be dedicated to new state-of-the-art advanced welding operation To meet demand, manufacturing of conveyors and material handling will be produced at this new site—as well as at PCSC in Andrews, SC Fabrication operations for plate and flat stock will be expanded as well to improve service to the marketplace. n

n

n

We are in the process of building a bigger, better training facility for our customers and industry colleagues. Our rapid growth “slowed down” our normal customer training programs, and I must admit that I regret that happening.

But I am pleased to report that we are very close to completing our newly renovated customer training “classroom”. This will be a state-of-theart facility, dedicated to all aspects of training and education on Peddinghaus equipment— from software to bearings—it will be covered.

Watch for our “Grand Opening”.

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THE MARKET IS STILL HOT!!

Continued from page 2

SUMMER 2007

FROM THE CEO Continued from page 3

New PCD 1100 Video Available

Protect Your Investment: Service Tips for Success

Looking for a real “Advantage” in structural fabrication? The PCD 1100 video is now available on-line and for distribution to you and your industry partners.

I am very pleased that we supply machinery for all sized fabricators— regardless of tonnage or market niche.

We are proud of the growth that you have experienced in this industry. One tip that we know to insure success is to invest in a quality maintenance person.

If the maintenance person is not feasible, engage a quality industrial electrical firm that is familiar with electronic technology such as PLC processors. Also, having a local hydraulics supplier is a good source for tips on changing oil, valves, thermal variations, etc. Talk to these local companies or have them visit when one of our Peddinghaus technicians makes a visit.

It’s a great insurance policy which will protect your Peddinghaus investment!

The robust PCD 1100 (pictured with Jeff Reukert of Grasan, Mansfield, Ohio) is the fastest selling, most successful multi-spindle structural drill line in the world today. What does the PCD 1100 deliver to you?

• Large capacity in a small footprint • 44 inches—1100 mm wide • All Profile Shapes—beams, channel, angle, HSS tubes, plate • 90 square feet or 8.5 Square meter footprint • Powerful 13.5 HP drill motor • Up to 1 9/16” (40mm) hole diameter • Patented Peddinghaus Roller Feed Measuring • Pinpoint accuracy • Provides effective material handling for increased tonnage • Laser Referencing • Perfect for miter or straight cut sections • Siemens Electronics • Reliability, serviceability CNC with PC front end • Easy to Download BIM and DSTV files • SignoScript Marking • Fast accurate part identification • Provides layout for layout/weld operation • Tandem Operation • One operator runs a saw/drill/material handling • New DG 1100 miter or 1270 straight cut band saws

Since its introduction at the 2006 NASCC show in San Antonio, Peddinghaus is nearing the Century Mark in PCD 1100 Sales.

Call us to find out WHY!

Virginia Tech Shootings Affect Civil Engineering Any act of violence is repugnant, but the Virginia Tech shooting affected the Construction Industry more directly.

The civil and environmental engineering department at Virginia Tech was especially hard hit on April 16. The CEE unit lost a star professor, four of five teaching assistants and four students in the shooting. We mourn the loss of these individuals who planned to enter the construction industry as their career goals.

Crushing Concrete with Steel The last quarterly report from John Cross of AISC Marketing contained some epic data. Steel is taking a BIG CHUNK out of concrete buildings.

The AISC is certainly leading this charge to steel construction. The world is “Turning Green” environmentally, and steel keeps it that way: • Steel is the original recycled product • Architecturally green building designs

thrive with structural steel • Steel is erected quickly and accurately— keeping projects on schedule The recently completed G 8 summit in Germany is “Thinking Green”, as industry leaders, we need to insure project owners, developers, and contractors are thinking the same.

Well, my kids are calling me, so I have to close.

It’s time to spend some time with my family.

Have a Great Summer!

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SISTTEMEX:

REALIZING THEIR CORPORATE VISION When a company grows from one domestic market to fourteen global markets in five years, it’s a fair assumption that they have a pretty good handle on the market. Similarly, when a company triples their steel fabrication output and doubles their production space, it’s a fairly safe bet that they understand the principles of manufacturing. If that same company sees tenfold growth in shipping communication towers, one fully understands the breadth and scope of their corporate vision.

Investing in innovative technology delivers solid growth for Sisttemex.

Keep in mind, this phenomenal corporate growth was in five short years.

“Seize opportunity when it comes to you,” confirms Salvador Franco, “it may not knock on your door twice”.

Sisttemex is based in Queretaro, Mexico, a central location which provides excellent transportation to many regions in North and South America.

That company is Sisttemex S.A. de C.V. headquartered in Mexico City owned and

Sisttemex is dedicated to providing products and specialized services to the construction, telecommunications, and electrical transmission and distribution industry. They provide products, equipment and installation services of the highest quality to serve their customer’s infrastructure requirements.

managed by Jose and Salvador Franco.

“Embrace technology if you

Continued on page 6

want to grow your business,” advises Jose Franco. n

“Seize the opportunity when it comes to you,” confirms Salvador Franco.

It started in the Fall of 2002 with a 30" BDL 760 drill.

In less than two years, Peddinghaus helped Sisttemex grow to three drills and two saws.

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REALIZING CORPORATE VISION Continued from page 5 The best way to practically experience the growth of Sisttemex is to examine where they were in 2002 (before Peddinghaus) and today in the Summer of 2007 (with Peddinghaus).

2002

2007

Before Peddinghaus

With Peddinghaus

COMPANY LAND

45,500 m2 489,758 sq ft 11 acres

65,500m2 705,037 sq ft 16.2 acres

MFG BUILDINGS

5,900 m2 63,507 sq ft

11,200 m2 120,555 sq ft

GALVANIZING BUILDINGS

0

5,900 m2 63,507 sq ft

Their first purchase from Peddinghaus in 2002 was a drill line, model BDL 760 along with a model 30-16 band saw. With capacity for sections up to 30" wide, this machine seemed a good application for a young company that was growing.

However, it did not take long to realize that the market was booming—and production needed to be improved. In 2003—only one year later— Sisttemex took a bold step and purchased two BDL 1250 structural drill lines—each complete with a material handling system.

“The Peddinghaus material handling system gives us flexibility and enables us to run multiple projects,” says Ruben Pavon—Director, Shop Operations.

CAPACITY (Metric Tons per Year) STEEL FABRICATION

25,000 tons/year

60,000 tons/year

“It was important for us to be in a position to meet the commitments to our customers,” said Jose Franco. “We had to meet new

GALVANIZING

0 tons/year

80,000 tons/year

production standards, and the heavy duty machines from Peddinghaus were the answer.”

COMMUNICATION CABINS (Shelters for Towers)

250 units/year

2,500 units/year

MARKETS

1

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With Peddinghaus, everything we shipped was erected perfectly in the field.”

Mexico

Mexico, USA, Brazil, Argentina, Columbia, Guyana, Guatemala, Haiti, Honduras, El Salvador, Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Panama, Venezuela

As business improved for Sisttemex, they acquired additional property and constructed buildings to accommodate their growth. A major step was to invest in galvanizing tanks and equipment. This investment helped to control their production and quality control costs.

Guatemala

Ruben Pavon, Sisttemex Plant Superintendent, agrees. “The equipment proved to be strong, durable—but also very accurate. In our business, all structural components—whether they are for buildings or towers—they must be accurate.

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Constructing transmission towers in their yard allows Sisttemex to streamline on-site erection practices.

As business continued to thrive, the Francos made another decision to grow the company and better serve the marketplace for infrastructure. In 2007, Sisttemex purchased this additional equipment from Peddinghaus: • • • •

ABCM 1250 Structural Burning System FDB 2500 Automated Plate Processing System Two model 1250-510 Structural Band Saws Complete Material Handling System, complete with conveyors, Quiet Glide cross transfers and Econo Slide Unloaders

Jose states, “This is an investment that will reap many dividends in the future; this puts us in a position to compete in a global marketplace.”

The Sisttemex facility is well organized for meeting fast-track customer projects.

Ruben adds, “The customer service from Peddinghaus is without equal. Their technicians are knowledgeable, cooperative, and very friendly—they always help us keep running.”

The mission of Sisttemex is simple: Their goal is to be the world leader in the design, fabrication and construction of telecommunications, infrastructure, electrical transmission towers and substations, as well as structural steel fabrication. They are consumed with the objective to provide their customers the best service, quality, and competitive prices.

No matter the climate, Sisttemex towers are designed to meet global environmental challenges.

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Tour Structural Fab Shops In Brazil…Peddinghaus Style

Come Tour With Peddinghaus—Mixing Business with Pleasure was Never this Good!

Are you interested in learning more about structural steel fabricators who produce high tonnages in limited shop space where the difference between profit and survival is critical? See how Brazilian fabricators use new technologies in a global economy.

Does the thought of visiting Brazil in the Spring of their year appeal to your senses? How about the thought of visiting Rio de Janeiro and Sao Paulo?

How about visiting a country where technology abounds? Ethanol has been powering their cars for decades, courtesy of sugar cane.

Does networking with other professionals in steel construction sound like an intriguing proposition? Past attendees have improved their business position as a result of personal contacts made.

If you answered “yes” to any of these questions, Peddinghaus provides the opportunity for you. Our group will depart from Chicago this Fall for ten days of education, networking, and entertainment.

Join Peddinghaus for this wonderful experience. Lifetime friends and business associates are formed while sharing a drink in a local pub, or exchanging ideas over dinner. In the competitive world of steel construction, having a friend in the business makes a real difference between profit and loss.

For more information, contact tami-day@peddinghaus.com

SUMMER 2007

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BUILDERS STEEL CO., INC.

Maintaining Consistent Contact Builds Success Remember the old TV airline commercial where one sees a disheartened group of people in a conference room being handed airline tickets as the boss spoke, “We just lost our best customer, and now each of us is going out to visit every other one face to face…” Who knows how much airline business that generated, but an important lesson can be taken from it—the importance of relationships in business.

At Builders Steel in Tulsa, OK, that conversation about losing contact with customers probably would never take place. Why? Because Builders Steel believes consistent contact with customers, vendors, suppliers and business partners insures that expectations are met on every project.

Win–Win Results = No Back Charges Although Builders has their own steel erection division, it is used mainly in a limited regional market, where turnkey operation is cost effective. “Several years ago, we had the opportunity to fabricate a job, steel only, for a hotel and convention facility in Peoria, Illinois,” advised Chuck Noble, Executive Vice President.

“I visited the local Peoria erection company before any steel was detailed because I wanted to develop a relationship with the people we would be closely working with.”

The end result was extremely positive. The erection company reported that the job went well, the steel was a great fit, and there were no back charges or costly disputes. Just what a steel fabricator wants to hear.

Builders Steel is capable of producing a wide range of projects, with the largest to date topping out at $4.5 million. With the growth pattern Builders has seen in the past few years, that is only the tip of the iceberg. Brent Parsons, V.P. of Business Development, has opened the door to new and exciting market areas and opportunities, especially design build ventures.

Lauri Noble, Builder’s President added, “On this job, we knew each other's expectation level going in, there were no surprises on either side because we carried on a constant dialogue during the process.”

“Can’t beat good communication,” smiled Chuck.

“Or that positive networking relationship,” adds Lauri.

A Can-Do Attitude Makes the Difference Builders Steel was founded in 1962 and purchased by the Noble family in 1974. Just before the transfer of ownership, the company was awarded a larger than usual job ($100,000) from Wal-Mart. The previous owner was skeptical about the company being able to complete the job in a timely and profitable manner. There was no need for concern. This very first job was the start of a good backlog and laid a foundation for good things to come.

Builders is not just in Oklahoma anymore!–with market growth in the Southwest and Midwest.

From Stone Age to Space Age From the beginning, all shop work was done manually. Stock length beams were transferred from the yard on a flat bed trailer and backed into the fabrication building. Beams were cut to length with a hand torch, holes were laid out by hand, punched with portable punches or drilled with magnet drills and then hand welded. As time went by, Builders expanded their facility and added first a saw then conveyors.

In 1991, Builders purchased their first piece of Peddinghaus equipment. John Holland of Peddinghaus advised Chuck that Builders Steel was now on its way from Stone Age to Space Age. Continued on page 10

The Peddinghaus ABCM Structural Burning/Coping System is the perfect machine for tube connections, such as this “K” connection.

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CONSISTENT CONTACT Continued from page 9 “How true that comment was,” remembers Chuck, “To date, we’ve purchased nine (9) pieces of Peddinghaus equipment. Not only has our manufacturing process changed for the better, our material preparation area has too…it’s all Peddinghaus Green! Looking back, it is hard to believe a steel fabricator could be effective doing production in that manner.”

A 16 year old Peddinghaus system— Beam Punch/Saw/Coper runs productively everyday.

The current Peddinghaus equipment utilized at Builders is: 1991 Triple Tool Fabripunch CNC Plate Duplicator 1992 CNC Beam Punch Line with Saw and Conveyor System

Whether located in Tulsa, Thailand or Tasmania—fabricators worldwide know the productive benefits of placing material handling outdoors of the main shop floor space.

“It all turned out extremely well, better than expected,” commented Lauri. “Not only did we become more productive, but the employees’ work became less physical. It enabled us to take on a larger volume of work, and the shop employees worked more overtime. It was win–win all around.”

1996 Beam Cambering Machine

“That's Peddinghaus Accuracy”

1998 CNC Anglemaster AFPS 623 with unloader

It didn’t take long for Builders to realize the equipment was responsible for raising their efficiency and accuracy ratings. They were able to produce jobs differently. Shortly after purchasing their first piece of equipment, they were detailing a job that included 3 large trusses.

Chuck decided to shop bolt the entire members of the trusses, instead of shop weld as they would have in the past. These 3 trusses included over 5,000 shop bolts.

2004 CNC Automated Burning/Coping system 2005 Model DGA 410 miter band saw 2006 CNC BDL 1250/9 Structural Drill with 1250–510 Band Saw complete material handling with conveyors and transfer infeed and outfeed

Automation Adds Good, Safe Jobs to Fab Shop The initial investment in this equipment and the facility to house it seemed huge at the time, not to mention the emotional state of the existing employees that had performed the manual layout and punching of previous work.

The fear of losing their jobs to “a machine” was paramount.

“Peddinghaus equipment is strong and accurate, and by adding the 3D drafting software to our process, it has opened up new markets.

Structures fabricated in Tulsa fit together without error, and can be shipped all over the country. Over the years, we have learned that the accuracy of our work is sound. Our inspectors spend the majority of their time programming parts, instead of inspecting them,” comments Chuck.

“We didn’t need to ream one hole,” relates Chuck, “That’s Peddinghaus accuracy.”

Builders attended a Peddinghaus open house where they were introduced to various drafting CAD firms, capable of direct data download to the Peddinghaus CNC equipment.

The first CNC machine purchased by Builders— Fabripunch F1154-30 took them from the Stone Age to the Space Age in fabrication.

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Peddinghaus Provides Effective Material Handling Layout In 2006, a 14,000 square foot addition was planned for the Builders plant. It was determined that a piece of equipment that was capable of putting various sized holes in a beam during a single pass going through a beam line system would be housed in this area.

A team visited the Peddinghaus facility in Bradley and took the proposed building addition plans with them. “Because of our existing relationship, and their knowledge of our facility, the company engineers were able to make short work of meeting our needs. By the time we finished our tour, they’d completed the new layout with locations for the BDL 1250/9

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“We credit the addition of Peddinghaus equipment with allowing us to increase profits, while putting money back into the business.

Whether it’s for the shop, office, or field, we are better able to invest in the necessary assets to grow and expand all areas of our business,” confirms Ms. Noble.

Buying Peddinghaus is a No-Brainer Builders Steel knows that efficiency plays a major role in being able to compete in markets all over the country, especially with the rise in the costs of transportation. A key factor contributing to this growth in sales, customer satisfaction and expanding markets can easily be attributed in large part to the addition of Peddinghaus equipment.

The BDL 1250 with a 510 band saw empowers Builders to meet fast-track jobs—growing their customer market potential.

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Betcha’ Didn't Know This About Builders Steel, Tulsa, OK! Builders Steel isn’t just an Oklahoma icon anymore. It has manufactured, delivered and installed the overhead cranes that helped handle the pipe coating process for the Alaska pipeline.

Their experience with structural steel made for the ideal addition of a crane manufacturing division in 1982. The Builders Steel erection division adds yet another dimension for growth and productivity, giving them a one-stop delivery concept that is attractive for various sized projects.

They have been recognized with architectural awards for quality, including a workmanship award for a NASA space project. Builders’

Effective material handling increases shop tonnage—and helps save inventory with effective shop management. steel can also be found on the Golden Gate Bridge, installed during repair after recent earthquake damage.

The Peddinghaus Anglemaster provides clip angles and cap plates for today’s tube connections. nine spindle drill line, conveyors and cross transfers, including relocating existing material storage columns and removal of existing shop columns. Now we can move material from bay to bay efficiently with just the use of the cross transfers. No crane handling is needed. That day was very productive, and within weeks, new equipment was purchased and the rest is history,” recalls Chuck.

Increased Productivity + New Markets = Profitable Fabrication Business Before the first Peddinghaus purchase in 1991, Builders produced an average of 1,500 tons of steel annually. Last year, they produced 3,800 tons with 17 shop employees. During the first half of 2007, production will exceeded 6,000 tons, and only 6 employees have been added to the payroll.

“Even if our price is not always the lowest, the Builders Steel reputation can have an effect.

Owners are often willing to spend more to ensure that the steel will be delivered on time, and it will fit together properly. Because of the plant capabilities, large jobs move through the system with ease, often enabling multiple jobs to be processed at the same time. The Peddinghaus equipment allows us to stay ahead of the fitters and assemblers needs. If production time is available, we have begun providing parts for other fabrication companies. Working on joint projects with other fabricators is a welcome part of our business,” states Brent Parsons.

“I try not to focus on the awards we have received for our efforts in the past, because I know that without every player of our team consistently working hard and getting a quality product out the door and delivered on time today, we won't be here tomorrow,” Lauri says.

She adds, “The real reward is in building positive business relationships. A satisfied customer is what makes my day.”

It’s All-Relative with Builders Steel “We are a family business, small enough to treat our employees as family members. I am extremely pleased they are embracing the challenges that come with our business growth,” concludes Lauri, “and personally take pride in meeting company goals while producing a quality product.”

If the biggest predictor for future success can be based on past history, then Builders Steel should be in good shape. With a business philosophy built on quality and hard work, a first class facility prepped for action, and an ambitious strategy to develop new business, Builders Steel in Tulsa, Oklahoma, is positioned to make a positive impact in their industry for years to come.

The Peddinghaus 410 DGA 620 gives Builders the miter sawing capacity to meet today’s modern designs.

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W.F. Welding

SUMMER 2007

THEN: Starting out in Alberta with 6 Employees W.F. Welding started out small—as most thriving companies do.

They began with subcontract fabrication for overhead cranes out of a rented facility. In 1986 the company purchased a 4500 square foot facility in Nisku Industrial Park, 10 minutes south of Edmonton, Alberta. Three years later an additional 4000 square foot bay was added on to the existing building.

THEN: The Markets Served and Market Potential for W.F. Welding A little known fact in the world economy is that Canada’s Alberta province —home of the Alberta Tar Sands—currently holds about as much oil as Saudi Arabia. The oil that is technologically retrievable today from Alberta’s tar and oil sands is estimated at 280-300 billion barrels. By comparison, Saudi Arabia’s oil reserves are listed at 240 billion barrels.

Brad Chrystian, President and General Manager, of W.F. Welding & Cranes, located in Nisku—the heart of Alberta—states it perfectly, “The oil sands market has the Alberta economy growing at an unprecedented pace that will permanently change its place in the North American Market.”

Then—W.F. Welding shop with no real material flow.

NOW: Serving New Markets; Growing with the Economy “Our main markets are conventional steel buildings, structural and miscellaneous steel for oilfield and tar sands projects, and overhead cranes for Western Canadian markets. We now have unlimited market opportunity with our new Peddinghaus investment.”

W.F. Welding began with six employees performing subcontract work from1985-87.

The company started out fabricating 5 to 10 ton overhead cranes and 3 to 10 ton miscellaneous structural steel projects.

NOW: New Building Construction–80 Employees–10,000 Ton Capacity In 1999, the company was acquired by a group of employees upon retirement of the original owners. In 2000, another 3,000 square feet for the detail bay was added. In 2001, W.F. Welding constructed a new 27,000 square foot facility to keep up with the growing demand.

Power in a small footprint—the PCD 1100 drill and ABCM Coper deliver high tonnage for W.F. Welding.

“The addition of our Peddinghaus machines has allowed us to more accurately estimate our costs which allow us to enter into more competitive markets with confidence. Peddinghaus has helped us to increase volume, open the door to take on new customers and larger projects.”

Now—System layout designed by Peddinghaus for productivity.

W.F. Welding employment has steadily increased to a staff of 80 employees.

The company now has the ability to fabricate up to a 200 ton overhead crane system and W.F. Welding’s structural projects now range from 20 to 1,500 tons of fabricated structural steel.

They have capacity to process over 10,000 tons annually.

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THEN: Production Bottlenecks Justify Growth In 2000, W.F. Welding purchased the first station of Tekla Structures, as an alternative to AutoCad. The rendered views of the 3D software offered them much more clarity than ever before.

Since the parts are modeled in 1:1 precision, Tekla Structures generates CNC data files.

Work was backing up in their detail department. Since they were already using Tekla Structures for drafting, the next logical move was CNC equipment to process the detail parts.

“Processing detail parts had become one of our biggest production bottlenecks, limiting our capacity”, advised Brad.

NOW: Peddinghaus Equipment Drives W.F. Welding Growth W.F. Welding knew the Peddinghaus equipment was fully compatible with Tekla software. Now the Tekla Structures software generates CNC data files for the various Peddinghaus machines.

Addressing the need to eliminate the detail parts production bottleneck, W.F. Welding placed the first order in Spring of 2005 for a new Peddinghaus FPB 1800 Plate processor, along with an Anglemaster model AFPS 623 angle iron and flat stock processing machine. Both were quickly installed and became productive immediately.

In 2006, W.F. invested in a complete Peddinghaus structural profile and beam processing system. This included a new PCD 1100 structural drill line, complete with a high speed model 1140-510 band saw. Finalizing the W.F. Welding fabrication system was an ABCM 1250 Structural Burning System complete with roller conveyors and cross transfers to speed the entire fabrication system.

FPB 1800—The Bottleneck Buster.

Editors' Note: Over 80% of all plate distributed in North America is less than 1" thick.

THEN: Getting Started with Peddinghaus “At the time of ordering the equipment, both George McCarthy from Akhurst Machinery, our local Peddinghaus distributor, and Michael Sharp, Peddinghaus President, visited our facility multiple times to insure we were ordering the equipment best suited to process our specific type of structural fabrication.

“Peddinghaus Sales personnel were always proud to showcase their product; always eager to explain the features of the machine. The mechanical engineering department was equally eager to overcome the challenge of integrating our system.”

The space saving design and outstanding productivity make the FPB 1800 ideal for plate detail connections.

NOW: What was the Result of the Peddinghaus Purchase?

Brad Chrystian, President and General Manager of W.F. Welding and Overhead Cranes expresses it best in his own words: “The efficiency and accuracy of these machines has made for a quick and more accurate flow from the detailing area to the fitters. The saw/drill/coper beam line allows us to process complicated items quickly and efficiently—stair stringers being one example.

“The installation of these Peddinghaus CNC machines has led us into a redevelopment period in the company. We are now reviewing everything we do, from connection design to drawing practices, to trying to find the most efficient path for any project.

Weather does not inhibit loading outdoors which saves labor, time and shop space.

“This equipment has challenged us to become more productive and proficient in all aspects of our fabrication process.”

Continued on page 20

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More Value out of the Model TEKLA STRUCTURES MODELING SOFTWARE FOR CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY Collaborative workflows are the key to minimizing errors and maximizing efficiency for high profitability and on-time project completion.

This integrated project approach incorporates the steel fabricator into the critical decision making process, heightening the value of the steel fabricator in the supply chain. Tekla Structures building models become the natural extension for communicating mission critical information to corresponding project members.

From fabricator-to-contractor these models aid in the coordination between building disciplines effectively reducing costly on-site collisions, repairs, and schedule delays. Planned schedule performance is visually communicated eliminating any potential for error in interpreting required delivery and installation activities.

Earlier in the process, these same models streamline the transfer of information from design-to-construction by easily communicating design intent and scope, while fabricators refine and submit back their resulting comprehensive production and delivery model, drawings, and reports of the structural steel system.

SUMMER 2007

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Tekla, Inc. proudly invites you to the

2007 NORTH AMERICAN USER MEETING Building Information Modeling (BIM) Makes its Mark

Join Tekla at Baltimore’s historic Inner Harbor from

Data processing has been used in construction industry for many years, but up to now the tools have been centered on four main areas: 2D design for plans, elevations and sections; 3D rendering with light and textural effects for visualization; structural calculations based on 2D or 3D modeling; and CNC (computer numerical control) software for workshop machinery.

Increasing levels of data exchange between the various players in the project process have led to the set up of standard drawings and harmonization and interoperability procedures. The current trend is closer integration of all parties within the construction value chain. The concept of Building Information Modeling (BIM) is set to make its mark. A new generation of tools is now available which can integrate the whole building design process into a single 3D model.

Thursday, August 16 through Saturday, August 18.

Exploiting Building Information Model in Fabrication and Erection

company and then wrap things up on Saturday with a few more sessions.

Transferring data between different software solutions and machines in fabrication is vital for an effective workflow. The open data transfer can be achieved on different levels: supporting standards, de-facto standards and tight open API (Application Programming Interfaces) type integration.

The integrated workflow benefits all parties within the fabrication process, starting from bidding and purchasing to production and erection. Virtual erection planning done with the model optimizes the workflow as a whole and enables Just In Time production. It also boasts a fourth dimension (4D), that of time, by memorizing the whole revision history.

Tekla Structures is a BIM solution that streamlines the building process within design, detailing, fabrication and construction organizations. The ability to accurately process extensive amounts of data enables the creation of detailed 3D structural models that can be applied to every stage of the building project. Shared among the project participants, the structural model brings more value to the process and enhances the quality and efficiency of the building project.

s inghau d d e P nd Tekla a 00% 1 or success tible f compa .F. Welding at W page 13 –see

There is no better opportunity to meet and interact with fellow Tekla Users while learning new skills on the latest Tekla Structures!

The 2007 North American User Meeting will take place at the wonderful Marriott Waterfront located in the heart of Baltimore's Inner Harbor.

We’ll start the User Meeting Thursday evening with a cocktail hour, spend Friday learning and sharing, relax Friday evening with good food and

For more information please visit www.tekla.us/um07 or contact Tekla directly at 1-877-TEKLA-OK.

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The

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Eco-Line Band Saws

Saw In The Fast Lane!

Built for Speed

Turn on a Dime

With the raw power of a 7.5 horsepower motor

Using a patented mitering system, the Eco-Line DG Band Saws give you the ability to cut

and using a hefty 1.6 inch saw blade, the 410

at any angle from 30° right–45° left while the material stays firmly clamped at 90°. When

series is capable of sawing at speeds of 495 feet

this is coupled with an integrated CNC control in the automatic models, it means multiple

per minute. Don’t sweat those speeds; keep your

profiles can be cut with the single press of a button.

cool with the Micro-Mist cooling system. It’s an extremely efficient cooling system designed to reduce the amount of coolant needed to keep your operating temperatures nominal.

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Cruise Control

17

Satisfied Customers Worldwide

Automatic infeed. Automatic miter adjustment. Integrated touch screen CNC control. The Eco-Line DGA Band Saws offer the features of a much larger, higher priced band saw; in a compact size! If coupled with a material handling system, our Eco-Line Band Saws can not only cut your production costs, but streamline your facility.

Industry Leading Options Maximize your productivity with a full line of options available for all of our band saw

“The 410 DGA is a great investment—it packs a lot of power

offerings. Options like bundle clamps, laser line guides, chip conveyors, and the new Micro

into a small machine footprint, and is very accurate. We use it for

Mist Coolant Sprayer can be added to customize the saw to fully suit your needs.

all our special miter applications including roof trusses.”

Chuck Noble, Builders Steel, Tulsa, OK

While the Eco-Line is a new offering to the US market, it brings a strong backing from big names in Europe. Companies such as:

Roadside Assistance Peddinghaus Corporation recognizes the importance that equipment "Up Time" plays in today’s competitive market.

An unproductive machine or system translates into delivery penalties, lost profits, and

Audi AG, Germany Porsche AG, Germany AZO, Germany Gulf Steel, Saudi Arabia, Erne Fittings, Austria, Uralmashzavod AG, Russia DaimlerChrysler AG, Germany Forde Products Ltd., Ireland Vestas Wind Systems A/S, Denmark Promus Ruda Slaska Sp., Poland Amin Co., Iran …and many, many more are a strong testament to the capabilities of the Eco-Line Band Saws. Once a well kept secret, now available to the North American fabricator.

missed opportunities. With a dedicated support team here twelve hours a day, five days a

Take a test drive.

week to make sure that you get the help you need, when you need it.

Visit http://www.peddinghaus.com for machine specifications, footprints, and videos.

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Peddinghaus Receives Consecutive Outstanding Sales Award As the world leader in thermal cutting technology,

Partners in Progress: Peddinghaus & Hypertherm

Hypertherm has maintained a single goal since 1968:

Peddinghaus is pleased to receive yet another Outstanding Sales Award for the past year from Hypertherm Corporation. Mr. John Canterbury, Manager, O.E.M. North America, and Mr. Jay Kobzik, O.E.M. Account Manager made the presentation at the recent NASCC meeting in New Orleans.

cut the cost of cutting metal. Its single-minded mission is to provide customers throughout the world with the best plasma cutting equipment and service in the industry.

That’s why Hypertherm holds more major plasma cutting patents than any other brand.

Hypertherm has captured a majority market share in plasma cutting worldwide through innovation and a commitment to technology advancement.

“Peddinghaus is an outstanding business partner,” advises Kobzik, “Their technology is superb, their engineering is rock solid, and their business practices are impeccable.”

Michael Sharp (President) and Anton Peddinghaus (CEO) received the Outstanding Sales Achievement Award from Hypertherm for 2005 & 2006.

Adds Canterbury, “I appreciate the Peddinghaus way of doing business—it is always, what can we do to help our customers?”

That’s why Peddinghaus and Hypertherm are good partners—a solid customer oriented business philosophy for success.

SERVICE “TIPS” FROM PEDDINGHAUS Monitor Your Cutting Tip Integrity Regularly

CONSUMABLE ISSUES TO WATCH FOR Call

• Remaining nozzle life may be difficult to measure

1-800-786-2448 or e-mail

plateproductivity@peddinghaus.com for your NEW

OVAL ORIFICE

BLOWN NOZZLES

FREE PREVENTIVE MAINTENANCE SCHEDULE Full of tips to keep your plate machine running at 100%

www.hypertherm.com NEW ISSUES CONSUMABLE

END OF LIFE

• The pilot arc attaches to the nozzle

“NORMAL” NOZZLE WEAR

EXCESSIVE PILOT ARC WEAR

OVERUSED Pilot arc wear can be minimized • Check the pierce height setting • High pierce height and slow transfer force long pilot arcing • Check pre-flow gas settings • Low flow may force longer pilot arcing • Have the condition of the pilot arc relay checked if the nozzle approaches the damage shown here

ELECTRODE WEAR

NORMAL USE

EXCESSIVE USE

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Peddinghaus:

The Hot Topic in New Orleans Peddinghaus Corporation played an instrumental role in identifying and resolving key issues that are affecting the structural steel shop environment. The Peddinghaus approach to addressing these issues at the NASCC was in the following areas: 1. “Will Technology Change Your Fabrication Shop” Panel Discussion initiated by Mr. Michael Sharp, President of Peddinghaus Corporation 2. “Fab Shop of the Future–THE FUTURE IS NOW”: a key exhibit on the floor with a fully operational Thermal Processor for structural profiles: The Ring of Fire 3. An educational tour of three premier structural steel fabrication facilities in Louisiana for a firsthand observation of latest fabrication techniques

“The Future is NOW” proved to be the dominant

Panel Discussion Plays to Overflow Crowd Was it a thirst for knowledge—or identification with the problem— that inspired so many attendees to participate in the Peddinghaus sponsored panel discussion, “Will Technology Change Your Fabrication Shop”?

theme at the NASCC Conference in New Orleans April 18–20. Not only was technology at the forefront of discussions—and machine demonstrations—but also the lack of skilled labor in the fabrication shop came into sharp focus.

Working with Mr. Larry Jeffords, AISC Executive Board, Mr. Mike Sharp, Peddinghaus President, assembled a blue ribbon panel of knowledgeable industry professionals to express their vision on the future of shop fabrication: • Roy Eaton, Vice President Operations, Central Texas Iron Works, Waco, TX • Douglas Cochrane, CEO, FabTrol Systems, Eugene, OR • John J. Holland, Executive Vice President, Peddinghaus Corporation • Douglas Evans, Vice President, Design Data, Lincoln, NE • Dean Elkins, Senior General Manager, Motoman Systems, West Carrollton, OH

W.F. WELDING Continued from page 13

NOW: Service is Imperative

Looking to The Future

“The service department is always quick to reply to our e-mails.

Whenever we have a problem, we can call in and receive quick— but thorough—service from the Peddinghaus phone technicians in Bradley. They are always willing to listen to our thoughts on the problem, and work with us to solve it.

“It has brought us to the leading edge of the industry and allowed us to grow the business and volume while keeping costs down to better service our existing and new customers.”

Brad Chrystian, W.F. Welding & Cranes

“We had a nagging issue with one machine—Peddinghaus sent out their design engineer, along with a field service technician—they not only solved the one machine problem, but they stayed longer to work out other questions. That’s service!”

www.wfwelding.com

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A standing room only crowd listened intently to the various observations of the future by these industry leaders. One theme remained consistent throughout the industry— skilled shop labor is rapidly declining, and a distinct plan is needed for the future of the industry.

The Ring of Fire concept using thermal processing for fabricating and marking functions, was identified by many of the panel members as a key to future success.

The message given by the panel members was clear—the Future is indeed Now.

Fab Shop of the Future: The Future is NOW! Peddinghaus Booth 1013 was a busy, busy location for attendees of the NASCC in New Orleans.

The many visitors to the Conference were eager to experience firsthand new technology that progressive fabricators are embracing for the future growth of their firms.

The vast majority of attendees anointed the Peddingaus Concept Creation Ring of Fire as the true Show Stopper. With capacity to thermally generate precise holes, bevels, copes, flange thinning—and part layout identification, this dynamic creation carries a vision of future expectations.

Another first in the Peddinghaus booth was the new DG 1100 miter band saw. With capacity up to 1100 mm (44") wide, full miter capacity up to 60 degrees right and left, the DG 1100 is an answer for today’s demanding architectural designs.

“The micro-mist coolant is phenomenal” said one attendee.

“No coolant mess or environmental hazard is a real answer for my fab shop sawing problems.”

The number one selling multi spindle drill in the world—the Peddinghaus PCD 1100—proved again that high tonnage production power is packed into a small effective footprint that takes little shop space. As a result of the NASCC success, Peddinghaus is again ramping up production to meet customer requirements.

Educational Fab Shop Tour—with a “Two Wheel Twist”

Peddinghaus has always served as unofficial “Tour Guide to the Fab Shop World”. We enjoy taking our customers and industry partners on tours of various types of fabrication facilities. We always enjoy a little sightseeing along the way, we have developed a pretty good knack of mixing business with pleasure.

For the recent NASCC Conference in New Orleans, Peddinghaus again made a fabrication shop tour of three first class facilities in the State of Louisiana. These included Southland Steel in Greensburg, Dis-Tran Products in Alexandria, and Pax, Inc in Gonzales, LA. Peddinghaus heartily thanks these wonderful fabricators for opening their doors to us.

The only “twist” this time is that it was a motorcycle tour—not on a tour bus. About 20 hardy riders joined up and had a terrific time enjoying the camaraderie and freedom of the open road. Mother nature cooperated, and the tour was a wonderful, educational experience for all.

Peddinghaus always finds a unique way for you to learn more about our industry, and improving your bottom line profitability.

Contact lyle-menke@ peddinghaus.com for future trip possibilities.

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Tour the Middle East With Peddinghaus Visit Saudi Arabia and Dubai to Experience Enhanced Steel Construction Peddinghaus provides you with another unique educational opportunity for the steel construction industry. Take a tour with us to visit two of the most prosperous environments

The group will depart from Frankfurt International Airport and arrive at Bahrain on November 6, where we will drive to Dammam, Saudi Arabia. Here you can view firsthand, Gulf Steel, an advanced structural steel fabricator with multiple CNC machines to generate thousands of tons of structural steel, including two drills, three plate systems, a coping system, and three structural band saws.

The next day, the group will travel to Dubai to visit Arabian International Steel. With eight saw/drill lines that can produce up to 150,000 tons annually, A.I.C. has invested for success. Three coping systems and an expansive automated material handling system provide an efficient, reduced labor processing of structural profiles.

for steel fabrication in the

Other Trip Highlights: world today—Saudi Arabia and United Arab Emirates.

• • • •

• •

Go snow skiing in the desert in the world’s only indoor snow ski resort Visit Jeddah’s industrial city to gain a new perspective on business growth Go shopping for gold in the world’s best gold marketplace Stay at the Grosvenors House hotel, where you enjoy the Dubai skyline while dining at the exclusive Buddha Bar—an original French restaurant transferred to Dubai Experience an original Arab barbeque in the sand dunes of the desert Dine at the wonderfully exclusive BurjElArab, the only 7 star hotel in the world

For further details contact Ms. Brigitte Steudtner: Telephone + 49 (0) 2332/72-257 Fax + 49 (0) 2332/72-208 e-mail stahlbaureise@ peddinghaus-pfp.de or info@ peddinghaus-pfp.de

Run your band saw with a cool cat…

Environmentally Friendly— No Floods!

PeddiCool Mist Coolant!

AVAILABLE SOON!

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…But Here is the Tenacity that John Brings to the Steel Industry

JOHN SCHILLING

Service through the Years John Schilling recently celebrated twenty eight years as Director of Technical Services for Peddinghaus Corporation, headquartered in Bradley, IL. John has seen a lot of changes in machine tool technology since he started his career in 1980. As a historical perspective, in 1980, Jimmy Carter was President. We sat down with John for a minute to gain his perspective on the progress made by the Peddinghaus Service Staff during his tenure.

It’s quite an impressive story.

Patience is a Virtue…

John has certainly answered a variety of questions in his career. Ever hear the saying “There is no such thing as a dumb question?”

Her’s a sampling over the years:

•

Sometimes it was an application question “Can I run a 36” beam through an Anglemaster?”

•

Sometimes it was a mechanical question “Is it OK to use a 1" punch with a 1" die through 1" thick steel?”

•

Sometimes it was an electrical question “What is electrical grounding anyway?”

•

Sometimes it was a software question “Is DOS the same as Windows?”

“I remember the old days when I would literally have a telephone receiver in each hand!” —John Schilling

Virtually every “old timer” in the business has a great John Schilling story about how John helped them out of a tough spot with a machine. A favorite is from John Holland, Peddinghaus Executive Vice President from back in 1982: “We had a drill line installation in the Midwest where an electrical problem was eluding everyone. To finalize the problem, Peddinghaus called in a group of six engineers from the control supplier for the drill. I brought John Schilling along for machine guidance.

“After a fruitless morning of head scratching, the group adjourned for lunch—except for John who excused himself as he wanted to make a little test.

“As the group returned from lunch, the meeting began in earnest, and John Schilling had a sly smile on his face. He had found the problem while the six degreed engineers were enjoying lunch, the machine started running—and is successfully running to this day!”

Service Skill Learned in the Structural Fab Shop John Schilling has seen a lot of changes in his almost 30 years with Peddinghaus. In 1979, the Peddinghaus Customer Service Dept totaled 5 employees—4 traveling technicians and a manager. John progressed quickly with Peddinghaus, and was named Customer Service Manager— ironically while he was working with a customer.

“I was at Marathon Steel in Phoenix, AZ working on a model TDU drill”, smiled John, “Marathon Steel is now a division of Schuff— and I think that old TDU is still running!”

Continued on page 26

PAST PRESENT

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JOHN SCHILLING Continued from page 24

From two phone techs in a 15' x 30' room to over 20 Service Techs in a modern telecommunications center.

PAST PRESENT From hand-wired electronic boards to today’s CNC/PC technology, Peddinghaus leads the way in customer satisfaction.

Technology From Cave Man to Space Man

John traveled extensively for the next ten years visiting customers throughout North America and Europe. This firsthand experience inside of fabrication shops proves to be invaluable in dissecting a customer's question. That is why the current group of Peddinghaus “Tier Two” telephone service technicians all have a minimum of ten (10) years field experience: • Dave DeCarlo • Dan Beatty

• Terry Irps • Ed Drzewiecki

One of the most interesting historical journeys is to experience old photos of technology and equipment from 30 years ago. The first NC machine controllers contained multiple electronic boards which governed virtually every function. The problem was the boards soon became “brittle”.

Solid State controls soon followed giving a CNC edge, and improved the machine function and operating capability. Today’s digital processors give a whole new meaning to “productivity and reliability”.

“Gone are the days of component level trouble shooting with an Oscilloscope or volt meter— today’s modular components use a computer to spot any errors,” advised John.

Call in and leave the driving to us—with remote diagnostics from Peddinghaus. electronic drawings, service technicians can speed responses to customer questions.

“It’s a dramatic improvement,” advises John, “I remember the old days when I would literally have a telephone receiver in each hand!”

New Technology such as remote diagnostics means that the Peddinghaus Service team, based in Bradley, IL can view a customer’s machine— no matter the global location.

“You have to put yourself in our customer’s shoes.

“All you need is an internet connection—and you’re in,” smiles John. “Another tool that the Siemens electronic control package brings us.”

They have deadlines to meet, and we understand the urgency of their situation.”

We Build Strong Machines— and They Last “Forever” in the Field From a humble beginning with five technicians, Peddinghaus has enlarged the Customer Service Department tenfold. In view of the increase in machines—and the maturity of some many existing machines in the field—Peddinghaus will surpass fifty (50) technicians and customer support staff this year.

“Sure, we service that old beam line.”

“We have been blessed with good business from many new customers; plus we support so many existing machines in the field, we must add staff to properly serve our customers,” says John.

To take advantage of today’s new wireless communication technology, a new customer call center was added by Peddinghaus a few months ago. With wireless headsets, and

New Call Center Enhances Response for Today’s Customers During John’s tenure, Peddinghaus’ growth has necessitated the customer service department to relocate four separate times.

Phone technicians Don Mullin (L) and Terry Irps confer with John on a typical customer question.

Preparing for Tomorrow What will the next 30 years bring for Peddinghaus Customer Service? You can bet that new technologies will always be utilized. You can bank on another sure thing…it’s service with a smile at Peddinghaus.

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The Peddinghaus Tool Division Demo Truck is coming to an area near you!

After lots of hard work and planning, we are in the final stages of preparing the Demo Truck for the road! Soon you will be able to see the rock hard stability of a Peddinghaus Ironworker, the speed sawing capabilities of the Eco-Line band saws, and the versatility of some of our newest additions to the Tool Division product line, at a distributor near you! Stay tuned to future editions of the Steel Fab Review to see when we will be in your area!

VOLUME 23 STEEL FABRICATOR’S REVIEW Washington and Grove Street Bradley, IL 60915

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SUMMER 2007

PEDDINGHAUS TRADE SHOW SCHEDULE Peddinghaus is currently scheduled to participate in the following international trade show exhibitions: EMO Exhibition 2007 The World of Metalworking Hannover, Germany September 17–22, 2007 Hall 15 Stand E63 New Technology for Structural Steel Fabrication exhibited in a production setting: • DGP 1270 miter band saw • BDL 1250/9 structural beam drill system • Material Handling system for beam profiles • FPDB 2500 the world's fastest, most productive plate processing system • H1001 CNC Fabricator Center for detail connections • Peddiworker 802 universal steelworker • Peddicat 500 universal steelworker • Peddimx 1002 two slide universal steelworker

FabTech International and AWS Welding Exhibition McCormick Place Chicago, IL USA November 11–14, 2007 Booth Number 9096

North American Steel Construction Conference (NASCC) Sponsored by the AISC Nashville Convention Center Nashville, TN USA April 2–4, 2008 Booth Number 101 Peddinghaus will once again introduce a new piece of structural fabrication equipment designed to save labor, lower production costs, and give your firm a competitive edge in today’s thriving market. Call us for details!

MACH 2008 National Exhibition Centre Birmingham B40 1NT, England April 21–25, 2008 Stand Number 4728 Displaying for the first time a new structural band saw in tandem with a new productive structural drill line designed for beam profiles and other structural members.

A complete material handling system will be displayed showing innovations in material handling design.

Unveiling—for the first time—the new Plate System F1120: the total plate fabrication center. New band saw technology the DGA 410 which is turning heads around North America with FAST cut rates and increased production times.

NEWS FOR THE STRUCTURAL STEEL & PLATE FABRICATOR

www.peddinghaus.com PRSRT STD U.S. POSTAGE

PAID PERMIT NO. 157 Joliet, IL