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Save $52,000 on Big Iron Maintenance
- Plasma’s fast cutting speeds lowered overhead costs by $1,000 - $2,000 per week
- Payback time of 1.3 months and an ROI of 925%.
- Auto-Line Technology solves power problems, increases portability
- Auto-Refire Technology reduces operator fatigue
Customer Testimonial
“We are pretty busy and need good equipment to keep up with demand. Plasma [cutting technology] easily saves us 10 hours a week or needing to pay overtime.”
— Charlie Dolan, operations manager, Bedrock Stone, Inc.
Application
Cutting mild and abrasion-resistant steel plate for quarry/concrete recycling equipment maintenance, repair and fabrication; cutting aluminum sheet for trailer liners.
Key Business Issue
Ensuring equipment uptime/availability so operations flow smoothly and customers remain satisfied.
Challenge
- Less-than-optimal cutting performance increased labor time and costs for Bedrock's preventive maintenance program.
Previous System & Process
- Oxy-fuel torches, competitive 80-amp plasma cutting system.
New Solution
- Miller's Spectrum 1000 plasma cutter with Auto-Line and Auto-Refire Technology improve cutting performance, overcome primary power issues.
- The powerful arc of the Spectrum 1000 cuts through steel plate up to 1-1/2 inches thick; it cuts 1/2-inch plate at 50 IPM, greatly improving cutting speed.
- Bedrock maintenance personnel easily move the Spectrum 1000 between shop and the field because it weighs 92 lbs. and uses any type of primary power available.
Results
- Reduced Overhead Cost. “By using the Spectrum 1000 plasma cutter whenever possible, we can save at least $1,000 a week. That's $52,000 a year.”
— Charlie Dolan, operations manager, Bedrock Stone, Inc. - Smart Capital Investment. The Spectrum 1000 provided a payback time of 1.3 months and 925% ROI.
- Better cutting performance. The Spectrum 1000's Auto-Line Technology solves problems related to low incoming line power (the previous system had problems with arc initiation under low line conditions). Also, the Spectrum 1000's Auto-Refire Technology, which eliminates the need for the operator to retrigger the torch and automatically provides power for cutting thicker metal, increasing operator satisfaction.
- Increased operator satisfaction. “It might not sound like a big deal, but if our guys are happy with the Spectrum, they use plasma more often than oxy-fuel when cutting. That saves time, and by saving time, it saves money.”
— Charlie Dolan, operations manager, Bedrock Stone, Inc.
