Right-sized fibre laser cutting

Although Mill Finish aims for primarily stainless steel work, the shop is well provisioned for cutting, bending, and finishing a variety of metals, like this 1/8-in. mild steel part.

In the past few years, fibre laser cutting systems have advanced such that it’s now possible to purchase a 12-kW machine. With each incremental increase in power, fabricators can achieve faster cutting times and the ability to cut a broader selection of materials that require fewer finishing processes. But the question sometimes is, Is this necessary for my shop, or just a nice-to-have?

For instance, JR Sehmbi, owner of Brampton, Ont.-based Mill Finish Industries, decided that a 3-kW machine made perfect sense for what he required. Sometimes the power is in what you can do with the machine, not the kilowatts it uses.

Entrepreneurial Spirit

Sehmbi developed his fabricating skills at Millomat, a business founded by his father and currently run by his older brother, Mani. For several years the brothers built up the fabricating sophistication of that company together.

However, JR Sehmbi always had a keen interest in automotive and an entrepreneurial spirit, and a year ago decided to strike out on his own, focusing Mill Finish on producing aftermarket parts for the automotive industry, at least initially.

“I started ripping my own car apart the minute I could drive,” Sehmbi said. “I went to college for automotive technical work and worked in that field before starting an automotive engineering program. I was diverted from that when, for family reasons, I went back to Millomat. But my fascination with the sector never stopped.”

Mill Finish produces a broad array of parts for the automotive aftermarket, such as flanges, mandrel-bent tubing, brackets, and caps.

“At this point automotive makes up about 40 per cent of the business,” said Sehmbi. “Beyond that, I’ve found work for us in the aerospace and elevator industries that has been valuable.”

Sehmbi thinks of his customers as those who often need “white-glove treatment” for their parts.

“For instance, working on stainless steel parts for the elevator industry, the grain direction has to be perfect and the welds have to be precise and carefully polished,” he said. “This is the sort of precise work we aim to specialize in.”

Here we see the shop's laser cutting 12-ga. stainless steel.

Made to Measure

When Mill Finish first became an independent pursuit for Sehmbi, all of the laser cutting was still managed through Millomat, and Sehmbi’s team focused on bending and finishing processes. He had two skilled welders; a Baykal 130-ton, 10-ft. press brake; and a 4-axis Haas CNC with which to meet the needs of the business.

As his customer list grew, however, Sehmbi knew he needed to invest in-house, and he knew it had to be right-sized for both the shop space and customers’ need.

“Realistically, my ROI and overhead right now required me to sharpen my pencil in choosing machines to purchase,” he said. “However, I’ve worked on Mitsubishi lasers for several years now, and it was always a good working relationship, so it was a natural fit for me to invest with them again.”

Sehmbi purchased a Mitsubishi 3015 SR-F 3-kW fibre laser. It has a 3-m by 1.5-m footprint.

“Both cost and space were important for me,” said Sehmbi. Mill Finish occupies two 3,500-sq.-ft. facilities that share a wall. The laser and any materials that come in for jobs occupy one unit, while bending and assembly occupy the other.

“Before the laser came in, it was hard to believe it would dominate the space as it does, but between its footprint and raw materials, it requires a fair amount of real estate.”

As for the choice of a 3-kW model, Sehmbi insists that it can do what he requires.

“With the amount and type of work I’m pushing through, the 3-kW does what I need,” he said. “We cut everything from 20-ga. to 1/8-in. stainless steel, and ½-in. mild steel is the upper limit of what we produce in-house, so for the majority of what we do, this laser fits the bill perfectly. While we could always use a more powerful laser, and will no doubt invest in one in years to come, it’s always important to look at your cost-benefit ratio and make the decision that makes sense for the coming few years.”

One additional benefit that Mill Finish is taking advantage of with the laser is access to Mitsubishi’s remote 360 software, which monitors the machine’s diagnostics to ensure that it stays up and running at all times and is serviced when needed.

For the majority of Mill Finish's work, the 3-kW fibre laser fits the bill perfectly.

The other investment Sehmbi made alongside the laser was in a 50-ton, 4-ft. Diamond series electric press brake, a line sold by Mitsubishi in North America.

“Ninety per cent of what we bend is small bracketry,” said Sehmbi. “It makes no sense to use our Baykal for that. The use of a small electric machine like this means we can bend faster while using less power.”

Pandemic Push

Sehmbi’s laser was put to work shortly after arrival for pandemic-related jobs. It has been used to produce sneeze guards, social distancing signs, and medical-grade stainless steel tanks.

The sneeze guards started production in March after a local hospital requested them. The company is currently making about 80 sneeze guards weekly for U.S. and Canadian retailers, restaurants, and medical offices. The Mitsubishi laser is used to make the guard’s steel legs.

The social distancing signs, made from aluminum and stainless steel and cut using the fibre laser, have been so popular with grocery stores and medical offices that the 100 Mill Finish is producing weekly barely meet demand.

The company has made 18 stainless steel tanks for Canadian pharmaceutical companies since mid-March, using the fibre laser to cut the complete tank assembly.

Sehmbi credits the ease of use of the laser for the shop being able to tackle such a variety of projects so promptly after the laser’s arrival.

“Mitsubishi’s commitment to us over those years is priceless, and their continued support was a big selling feature,” Sehmbi said. “The laser itself is a workhorse. It is consistent—I never have to worry about condition adjustments. I can jump from 20-ga. stainless all the way to half-inch stainless and the machine cuts flawlessly. It was very easy to pick up on and learn. I feel as though the machine is so well set up from the factory, it leaves nothing for the operator to do other than hit the start button.”

Process Management

The fibre laser is being used to cut complete stainless steel tank assemblies for Canadian pharmaceutical companies.

Mill Finish currently has six employees managing a busy single shift, but Sehmbi already has plans for growth. Not only is he taking delivery of yet another CNC mill shortly, he’s working on streamlining processes via new workflow software.

“We have invested in workflow software, a custom-made, app-based system, but it’s still in testing stages,” he said. “We are trying to push forward with that and streamline it because workflow is key to any shop that is high-mix/low-volume. If a customer has a product that has to be laser-cut, bent, welded, polished, and powder-coated, with the number of people who have to handle that part, it’s easy for something to go wrong. Setting up software that manages that flow is difficult but once it’s up and running, it will be a game-changer.”

Workflow management is also important in a shop where space is at a premium.

“We can’t stock a lot of material here,” he said. “While we keep enough on hand to tackle regular jobs, we have to keep jobs moving through so we don’t get bottlenecks anywhere in the shop.”

Like so many other shop owners, Sehmbi is keen to hire another highly skilled welder who can handle stainless steel.

“If someone can weld stainless well, they are going to be able to do the more basic work we do in mild steel also,” he said.

Beyond that, the goal is to invest in a new facility as soon as possible.

“Ultimately, I want to be in a space that allows room for a tower to accompany the laser and space for more raw material,” he said. “The work we have coming in is promising and should get us to that goal soon.”

Editor Robert Colman can be reached at rcolman@canadianfabweld.com.

Mill Finish Industries, millfinish.ca

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