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Pro-Weld Fabricating—Small Shop, Big Capabilities In the North Woods
Pro-Weld Fabricating Inc. was established in 1984 by its president Don Goerke. Goerke, who discovered his love of welding in third grade, enjoys discovering new cutting and welding technologies today as much—or more—than he did then. The ironworker and drill that established Pro-Weld as a quality shop has evolved into a complete manufacturing facility with the equipment needed to produce the full line of Johnson Outside Wood Furnaces, Lifetime Christmas tree stands, and to serve as a full service job shop for other manufacturers. “It just progressed,” says Goerke. “People believed in the work I was doing. They saw the quality…and they knew I wanted to stay around here.” Product Progression Park/picnic benches and burn barrels got the company up and running. Conveyors and rock pickers for local companies and parts for physical therapy equipment were added to the mix. Then, along came the Johnson Furnaces. The furnaces, with internal combustion systems, are available in three sizes. Their round, steel design is similar to that used in commercial boilers. By using 1/4" powder-coated steel, rather than stainless, the Johnson Furnaces have more strength and reliability than most other outside wood furnaces. As the company and product mix grew, the need for better tolerances and faster production led to the purchase of a used Whitney 647C. It was the first piece of CNC equipment at Pro-Weld. “It opened another door for us,” Goerke explains. “With the 647C, we had a very good burn. The customers were happy with their products.” Goerke, the third owner of the machine built in 1984, purchased a control retrofit and quickly put the machine into production. His throughput increased “tremendously”. Today, the 647C is still very functional and occasionally used for parts that have not yet been programmed for the new 3400 RTC. As the company stepped up production on the furnaces, it was ready for the next step which turned out to be the 3400 RTC. Surprise Fit Goerke is surprised to see the machine in his shop each morning. His initial reaction to the 3400 RTC was that it couldn’t fit in a smaller shop environment. But he has found that the machine fits perfectly and is earning its keep. “I never dreamed of having something like this in our shop. My distributor and Whitney helped show me that you don’t have to employ 100 people to have a machine like this—you can have seven, ten or twenty people and the machine makes you money.” The payback goal for Pro-Weld’s 3400 RTC is five years. Finding savings in expected and unexpected places, Goerke is confident that the payback will be accomplished in an even shorter time frame. With the slower economy, the 3400 RTC is running one shift, but as more “doors open” and business picks up, the machine will run two shifts. Goerke is using the 3400 RTC to open those doors. He shows Whitney parts to potential customers, produces prototype parts, and brings prospects into the shop to see production first hand. “Once they see what we can cut, they’re amazed,” Georke points out. “They can’t believe the cut quality and how fast it punches. The cut quality is unbelievable.” Pro-Weld is winning jobs away from competitors using laser cutters because the production speed allows them to complete the parts faster, lowering the cost for their customers. And, as they are getting more comfortable with the 3400, they are quoting on jobs that will use its forming and marking capabilities. 82% Savings Some of the larger, internal parts for the furnaces required handling by two operators. Then a full-time grinder would clean-up both sides before the parts could be welded. Since the 3400 RTC, one operator produces the parts, the grinding has been eliminated, and the parts are punched and cut eighty-two percent faster than before. Parts that took 45 minutes each to burn on the 647C and clean-up, are completed on the 3400 RTC and sent to the next process in eight minutes. “Plus it’s a better product. The tolerance is there so we can go directly to robotic welding,” Goerke explains. “Everything fits together like a glove.” Based on the 3400 punching accuracies, Goerke has developed a version of the “slot and tab” procedure to place parts that create handles on the furnace doors. The time-consuming measurement and placement procedure, previously part of the welding process, has been completely eliminated and each placement is straight and accurate. Skeleton Drop-Door Increased operator safety along with time savings were added with the optional skeleton drop door. Located on the out-feed side, the doors swing down to safely release the completed skeletons to a pallet below. A fork truck easily removes the skeletons at the end of the shift. Without the drop door table, additional floor space and labor would be needed to remove each of the heavy skeletons at the end of each nest. Christmas Tree Stands Goerke’s daughter, Kris Puffer, works in the office doing everything from purchasing to order entry to promotion of their distinctive line of Christmas tree stands. The project began as a favor for a friend who wanted a stand that would not tip over. The basic design, cut from 10 gauge steel and powder coated in red or white, was enhanced by tree patterns cut on each leg, allowing colored inserts to show through. The inserts, available in a variety of colors, add stamina as well as visual interest to the stands. The snug fit of the inserts into the outer legs demands smooth, finished edges and tight tolerances. All parts on the three size models, with the exception of the center 3/16" tubes, are cut on the 3400 RTC. The tree patterns are currently plasma cut, but Goerke is working with Whitney to develop customized tooling to stamp the shapes for increased productivity. Products from Pro-Weld’s spin-off, Lifetime Tree Stand Co., will be marketed through tree suppliers this holiday season. Advice Goerke is proud of his company. His goal for the future is to expand it’s customer base and continue to provide jobs for the “north woods” community that he loves. He values his relationships with employees, customers and suppliers. When first considering the 3400 RTC, he put his trust in his Whitney distributor, Ted Archambo of Angel Machinery, based in Menomonee Falls, WI. “Working with Ted is like shopping in a shoe store. He won’t sell you something that doesn’t fit,” says Goerke. “Since we started looking at the 3400 RTC, we’ve had the family care of Whitney and everybody involved. They’ve been there for us…the sale, installation, training…150 percent.” (Used with permission from Whitney Metal Fabrication News, August 2002) Home | All Applications | Punch/Plasma Machines | 3400 Series Applications |
