Keeping a watch out

Ranger HVAC uses remote monitoring to make better shop floor decisions

Ranger HVAC remote360 predictive maintenance

Being new to fibre lasers, the Ranger team used the software to get answers to questions that they didn’t know enough to ask when being trained. It also helped them resolve any small hiccups on the machine that they didn’t know could arise.

Ranger Heating and Air Conditioning Products has spent the greater part of 20 years fabricating and manufacturing short-run systems and custom sheet metal designs. Located in Bradford, Ont., the shop was founded by Gerald Schlarb in 2003 and initially focused on producing components for HVAC units for product lines that were no longer being manufactured. For 10 years the shop outsourced its metal fabricated components, particularly its metal cabinet work. However, as lead times grew and its ability to meet customer needs were challenged, Gerald decided that this production model was no longer working for the shop.

The shop has taken many steps to expand its capabilities and grow its customer base. However, it was only within the last five years that the company really saw the nature of what it was cutting change. Ranger primarily works with steel in a gauge range of 16 to 20 in galvanized, satin-coated, and stainless variations. And as it moved to cutting 2-ft.-diameter circles, it saw the need to upgrade equipment from a punch press to a plasma table and then most recently a Mitsubishi ML3015SR-F20 2-kW fibre laser.

“We really love the custom work,” said Ryan Schlarb, production manager, Ranger HVAC. “In-house we are designing and manufacturing our own cabinets and with this new technology we are able to make adjustments on-the-fly and change the run of a unit. I think our strong suit is that we're fairly nimble and we try and be as cutting edge as we possibly can.”

And part of the reason Ranger HVAC has been able to be so nimble and maximize its new technology is its remote360 monitoring system from Mitsubishi.

Machine Monitoring

“Machine monitoring no longer needs to be done on the shop floor,” said Schlarb. “Now we are able to monitor and maintain before it’s too late to make any sort of corrections. I am now able to better keep an eye on what's happening without having to go onto the shop floor or stand over an operator. It also gives me the ability to schedule work and maintenance much further out.”

The shop decided to subscribe to the software when it purchased its fibre laser and has been using it to monitor various machine metrics. Schlarb said that he can see the laser’s beam hours, consumption costs, the next preventive maintenance interval, and what alarms have been plaguing the machine in the past day, week, or even months prior.

One of the main advantages for Schlarb is the ability to monitor the machine out of the office. Whether it’s because of a vacation or COVID-19 concerns, the software has allowed Schlarb to open up his phone or computer and see exactly what is happening.

“I have really been able to become more organized and gain significant insights about our production process, said Schlarb. “I have been able to learn about various aspects of the cutting process and make adjustments as needed. As the production manager, I’m always being pulled in many different directions, but remote360 has allowed me to pick up tips and tricks and really examine what we are doing right from my phone.”

Schlarb noted the ability to click a remote service button and be connected with a technician who already has real-time access to and data from the machine. If the software sends an alarm, a trained professional can see what is going on with the machine and diagnose and solve a lot of problems without requiring a technician to come into the shop.

“It really has allowed us to get up and running quickly and keep the machine running,” said Schlarb.

Ranger HVAC remote360 predictive maintenance

With remote360, Production Manager Ryan Schlarb can see the machine’s beam hours, consumption costs, the next preventive maintenance interval, and what alarms have been plaguing the machine in the past day, week, or even months prior.

Making Better Decisions

This new fibre laser gave many in the shop their introduction to working with the technology. Schlarb and his team took quite a bit a time familiarizing themselves with the features as well as the ins and outs of the machine,, and the software was a great tool for the team to get answers to questions that they didn’t know enough to ask when being trained. It also helped them resolve any small hiccups on the machine that they didn’t know could arise.

Schlarb also noted that moving from plasma cutting to fibre laser cutting was a big shift and he wasn’t always sure of the best course of action with certain projects. He really liked the fact that he could call up Mitsubishi and they could provide information about what he could be doing better, or they could virtually show him machines in the showroom and he could see how they were running. This made foraying into fibre laser technology much easier and more successful.

“Having never nested or set up parts for a laser, I was wary of a few things like head crashes, tip-ups, and the like,” he said. “I was able to use the software to look at the nests, see what happened, and know key metrics about what was working and what wasn’t working. I also knew I would get an alarm if there was a serious issue. It allowed me to be more intuitive and learn from what was previously done and improve on it. It has given me so much useful information that I can make better decisions in the future not only with nesting, but even in design and drawings.”

Having access to trends in data has led Schlarb to reassess several aspects of the production process, in particular the shop’s nitrogen supply. Currently the shop is using high-pressure nitrogen bulk packs. But based on trends Schlarb has seen with the machine, he is thinking about moving to liquid nitrogen on-site in a larger holding tank.

“I am able to see the cost of my nitrogen over time and how much it will cost in nitrogen to run a certain part,” he said. “Nitrogen is a huge expense for us, and when I first saw when and how much we are using, it really surprised me. We can use one or even two bulk packs in a week’s time. With that information, I can now reassess what the best options are.”

Predictive Maintenance

Beyond the day-to-day information, remote360 has helped Schlarb with predictive maintenance. Before having it, Schlarb had to actively gather information and data about various aspects of the fabricating process, which was something often overlooked because of overwhelming volumes of work. Instead of taking time away from cutting, Schlarb now can assess trends and see where and when future challenges will arise.

Being able to see information about amperage cycles for valves on the nitrogen and oxygen, acceleration and amperage for the motors, and how the dust collector is working, for example, is a huge benefit to the Ranger team.

“It has been helpful to see these metrics,” said Schlarb. “I can see the consumption of the laser and costs of the nitrogen or oxygen I used to cut a particular nest. I can see the cost of the electricity that was consumed to cut that nest. I can check to make sure that we are costing our jobs correctly and what those costs are daily, monthly, and yearly. I can go through the machine, part by part, and see how that aspect is working at the moment and over time. It gives me information at my fingertips to then plan any maintenance work that may be needed in the future.”

The dashboard provides all sorts of information about the machine and makes it easier to predict when certain consumables will require maintenance or replacement.

“Knowing my daily performance rate and what active programs we are running has been useful in helping me better predict when I need to order more nozzles or order more nitrogen,” said Schlarb. “Am I getting low on steel? Should I put in an order now or, based on my schedule, should I wait? These are things I know now that I didn’t know before. Knowing how much run time we are doing in a day can allow me to better estimate not only how the machine is functioning on the shop floor, but also how to adjust how we want it to run.”

Ranger HVAC remote360 predictive maintenance

Having access to trends in data has led Schlarb to reassess several aspects of the production process and shop floor management.

Along with alarms to let Schlarb know when things are going wrong or consumables are getting low and require replacement, the software also can set a schedule for preventive maintenance checks. Schlarb is constantly reminded of the next scheduled preventive maintenance check and can better predict maintenance based off of that information.

“I can monitor when the preventive maintenance is due so I can better schedule my production,” he said. “I can see what materials we run the most so I can take into account the lifespan of my consumables that are being used and ensure that I have them in stock when the lifespan is over.”

Schlarb particularly sees a benefit from the monthly reports the software sends him. They give him a monthly overview of everything from beam time, idle time, and offline time to what alarms are more common in the month.

“I can also see what operators are the most efficient,” said Schlarb. “Or I can see what nests are generating the most problems for us so we can literally work with the shop floor to make their lives simpler. Frankly, the more I work with the software, the more useful it becomes to our operations. It’s customizable, so others in the office can set it up in a way that works for them without affecting how I set it up for myself. That is really great because we all may be focused on different aspects. When we bought the unit, we had a two-year subscription to remote360, and that'll be something that gets renewed well before that two years comes up because it's just so helpful to have.”

Associate Editor Lindsay Luminoso can be reached at lluminoso@canadianfabweld.com.

Photos courtesy of Ranger Heating and Air Conditioning Products, www.rangerhvac.com
About the Author
Canadian Metalworking / Canadian Fabricating & Welding

Lindsay Luminoso

Associate Editor

1154 Warden Avenue

Toronto, M1R 0A1 Canada

Lindsay Luminoso, associate editor, contributes to both Canadian Metalworking and Canadian Fabricating & Welding. She worked as an associate editor/web editor, at Canadian Metalworking from 2014-2016 and was most recently an associate editor at Design Engineering.

Luminoso has a bachelor of arts from Carleton University, a bachelor of education from Ottawa University, and a graduate certificate in book, magazine, and digital publishing from Centennial College.