4 Ways You Can Maximize ROI with SafanDarley

4 Ways You Can Maximize ROI 

Your company's return on investment (ROI) for sheet metal production technology is a function of improved safety, increased productivity, and reduced operating costs associated with the new equipment you've purchased. After implementation, your operation should be safer and more productive in terms of efficiency, quality, and consistency. If your operation is safer and more cost-efficient than it was before, your company will be more profitable.

SafanDarley was among the first major suppliers to fully embrace intelligent software, automation, and robotics in sheet metal fabrication equipment. As a result, our equipment is among the safest and most efficient in the business.

Here are four key features of our equipment that improve safety, increase productivity, reduce production costs, and ultimately deliver maximum ROI for our customers:

1. Safety: Passive Light Curtain

SafanDarley's entire line of press brakes features a light curtain safety system that is fully integrated into each machine's controls. The light curtain is motion activated and automatically releases the brake when the operator's hands exit the curtain.

By virtually eliminating the possibility of many common injuries associated with operating press brakes, safety is increased and production time is reduced. As the machine defaults to motion once the operator is out of the way, the operator does not have to set the machine back in motion for each brake — eliminating thousands of individual operator motions per year.

The most important design feature of our passive light curtain is that no training is needed to set it up or operate it. Unlike some of our competitors, setup and calibration for the light curtain are completed before each machine leaves our facility. This ensures safety in your facility from day 1 and reduces training costs — as well as the possibility of human error.

2. Productivity: Reduced Cycle Times

SafanDarley's servo-electronic technology is 30% faster than conventional press brakes, due to far shorter cycle times. Shorter cycle times have several important implications for safety and productivity.

Reducing non-productive downtime is an important factor for reducing injuries, as operators can remain engaged with less stopping and starting during production. Safety is paramount for our equipment, and shorter cycles result in reduced operator fatigue and fewer repetitive motion injuries associated with downtime between cycles.
Also, our CAD/CAM-compatible offline 3D programming software accelerates manufacturing processes and reduces inefficiencies and downtime.

3. Increased Control: Faster Stopping Times

Operators are human, and they make mistakes. For this reason, SafanDarley engineers industry-leading stopping times into each E-Brake and shear we produce. Safety is enhanced by giving operators the ability to stop the machine almost instantly, and operators have a better chance of catching production mistakes before wasting raw materials on errant bends and cuts.

4. Reduced Cost of Ownership: Significant Energy Savings and Superior Quality

In addition to the ROI resulting from increased production and safety, don't forget about reduced operating costs. SafanDarley's E-Brakes use powerful electro-motors, fixed and moveable rollers, and belts that work in combination to produce capacities of up to 330 tons while delivering energy savings of up to 50% compared to conventional hydraulic press brakes. How much would you save annually by using 50% less energy for each product you fabricate?

SafanDarley reduces the cost of ownership for our equipment by producing a smaller line of proven, bullet-proof machines. Rather than producing multiple lines of equipment for various purposes and industries, we focus on press brakes and shears — and deliver the highest quality equipment in the business.

Our quality-focused approach is especially evident in the automated cells we produce, as our cells include both a high-quality robot and press. Many manufacturers must choose between one or the other in terms of quality — and in the end, fabricators are stuck with replacing the lesser of the key parts. By providing our manufacturing customers with proven options for both the robot and the press, SafanDarley delivers a superior product and reduces the chance of downtime due to early equipment failure.

Realize ROI Every Way You Can

Taken in sum, ROI should be realized in several forms — including increased safety and retention of good operators, higher productivity, reduced insurance costs and regulatory issues, and significant energy savings.

I encourage you to take a longer-term total cost of ownership view of your equipment, including how much it will cost you to keep operating the equipment you already have.

If you're weighing the costs and benefits of a major press brake or sheet metal shear investment, be sure to think broader than just how many widgets it can produce. The right investment will yield ROI in many forms.

Feel free to contact us if you're thinking through the costs and benefits of a press brake or sheet metal shear investment.