Humboldt Controls and Fabricating

Small business succeeds with OMAX’s new waterjet product line

Humboldt Controls & Fabricating (HCF) is a leading provider of custom, stainless steel material handling equipment and control solutions throughout the Midwest. HCF delivers quality cost-effective components and equipment primarily for the food/beverage and pharmaceutical industries. Since they wanted to improve their manufacturing efficiencies, HCF pursued upgrading their shop’s cutting equipment to better control in-house lead times and production quality.

“We are continually seeking ways to improve internal efficiencies to provide our customers with cost saving solutions,” said Business Development Manager Brenda Deal. “Although we were able to develop relationships with outside vendors to provide cutting solutions, we consistently found lead times becoming unacceptable to meet the demands of the industries we serve. As part of our strategic process to maintain customer delivery requirements and have better control over quality and costs, it was time to include a cutting system in our equipment portfolio.”

This small business based in Humboldt, Iowa decided to explore waterjet capabilities. With the help of a regional distributor, HCF became attracted to the approachable pricing of the MAXIEM™ product line.

“We investigated the facts and also other manufacturers of waterjets and found that the MAXIEM had the best product for the best price,” said Deal. “Our visit to the OMAX Corporation headquarters validated our research and the decision became obvious.”

“The fact that the machine was made in the U.S. was a big part of the decision too,” said Senior Project Manager Randy Bailey. “The MAXIEM seemed to fit our purpose very well.”

HCF acquired a MAXIEM 2030 which includes an X-Y cutting travel of 122" x 79", an ideal work envelope for them since they usually work with material in 5' x 10' sheets. 75 of the individual components for their typical tabletop conveyor can be cut with the MAXIEM Waterjet. Since their conveyor equipment requires 100% welding, cleaner cut parts from the waterjet provides a better assembly fit and higher quality welds. With high quality welds, their material handling equipment can meet specific industry sanitation requirements.

“We cut many types and thicknesses of material to fit various applications,” said Deal. “The waterjet cutter gives us the flexibility and reliability that we need to maintain our high standards for each cut. In a short period of time, the waterjet has been able to reduce our lead times significantly, allow control over quality, and ultimately secure orders we may have otherwise not been awarded.”

Depending on the scope of the project, HCF can spend anywhere between two to six weeks to complete a customized equipment project. Waterjet technology offered faster turnaround times for most projects, according to Randy Bailey. Their shop cuts piece parts out of ½" thick stainless steel which are later formed. When the customer wants the delivery date to be on the same day as the request date, HCF relies on the MAXIEM.

Bailey described how the MAXIEM cutting compared to traditional machining processes when a project opportunity came to create a hanger bearing out of ¾" thick stainless steel. With traditional cutting equipment, Bailey estimates it would take a day and half to finalize the project after much machining, cleaning, and welding. When he instructed his operators to utilize the MAXIEM machine to fabricate the hanger bearing, secondary machining processes were eliminated. They seamlessly completed the project in less than one hour.

Whenever HCF’s operators use the waterjet, they discover a new manufacturing capability. With Intelli-MAX® Basic, they can easily generate a cutting path for their custom designs. They also frequently access the computer-controlled cutting qualities from the software’s material database.

“The ease of use is also an impressive feature of this product,” said Brenda Deal. “This provides more flexibility in training multiple operators to run and maintain the equipment.”

HCF’s waterjet equipment acquisition shows how the MAXIEM product line adequately serves the small business sector. Since obtaining in-house waterjet cutting capabilities, HCF has increased their competitive edge and looks forward to the continued success of their custom fabrication business.

Humboldt Controls and Fabricating
Location: Humboldt, IA
Specializes In: Design, fabrication, and control of all types of industrial equipment
Founded: 2001
Website: www.humboldtcf.com