he phrase “nothing lasts for-

ever” may be a cliché, but it

holds plenty of meaning in

T

the door and window industry. The

proof is in the machinery.

The Crucial

Considerations

in the

Aging equipment, product qual-

ity, efﬁciency and evolving trends

are just some of the factors that

force door and window companies

to take a hard look at their plant

capital.

Decision-

Making

Have you taken the time to take

the pulse of your machinery stock?

Do you think it might be time to

make an investment to improve

your production, or to solve some

growing problems that you know

will only get worse over time?

Process

If so, DWMis here to help. Here

are some top-to-bottom consider-

ations on whether it is time for your

shop to upgrade machinery, along

with observations from experts on

how the market is shaping up.

QUESTIONS

About Upgrading Your Machinery

B Y N I C K S T . D E N I S , W I T H C O N T R I B U T I O N S

F R O M P A U L B I E B E R A N D M I K E R O S A T O

Is Your Machinery

Ar_Oe_v_e_rS_t_i_mp_ea_,r_me_a_nP_y_ma_ar_ct_hs_i_n_e_rA_y v_c_oa_mil_pa_a_nb_i_el_se_b?_e_g_i_n_t_o_p_h_a_s_e_o_u_t

2

1

Reliable?

parts and inventory for older equipment. Once you ﬁnd that spare

Is it constantly getting shut down

parts are no longer available for your machine, you should consider

retiring it and upgrading to a new generation.

for unplanned ﬁxes and unscheduled

maintenance? You should keep a log

on each piece of machinery, and refer

back to it often—when a machine

was serviced, how it was serviced, and

who performed it. If you’re servicing

a machine six times a month when

it used to require two tune-ups a

month, take the hint.

We are seeing orders up. Our customers are experiencing the

improved marketing and are deﬁnitely positioning themselves

for continued growth through automation. The capital is being

released more now than in the last several years.

—John C. Moore, GED Integrated Solutions

What is the

Quality of

Is There Fluid

4

Leakage That

3

2

017 has been a very good

Output?

You Can’t Solve?

year for us. We have seen a

sharp increase in investment

so far this year. The quoting

activity for 2018 projects

is also strong right now.

Glass quality is a tell-tale sign of

Constant oil leaks from hydrau-

lic lines, continuous water leaking

from washers, and other issues

with ﬂuids are easy things to see.

If you’re saying, “Gee, I’ve replaced

that pump four times in the last

year and a half,” then it may be

time to look at other options.

the condition of your machinery.

Consider your washer: Do you have

to run your glass through it twice? Or

your edger: Are you getting perfect

edges with one pass? How about your

tempering oven: Is the glass coming

out ﬂat and true? Quality is critical.

—Mike Bifﬂ, Stürtz Machinery

4

8

Door & Window Market

www.dwmmag.com

Are You Meeting Your Output

Are You Experiencing

6

Bottlenecks?

5

Goals and Needs?

Unplanned maintenance can be a big time-killer. And some-

If you’re seeing bottlenecks from depart-

times, it doesn’t take an actual problem with your machinery to

slow you down. Are you able to meet your output goals success-

fully with your existing equipment? If you’re running a particular

machine all day and still not keeping up with demand, it may be

time to upgrade to a bigger, faster machine. Or, that machine may

just need a little help from additional equipment.

ment to department, you may need to add

capacity.

The machinery market is booming

right now. Our sales volume has doubled

last year. We are in a very strong growth

trend and we are expecting to double our

sales this year, too. Compared to

last year, we have sold three

Do You Need Extra Machinery

to Improve Efﬁciency?

7

times more to date.

Are you having a hard time loading and unloading? If you

added some supplementary machinery such as small cranes,

would that improve your output? Your machine today may need

two people to operate it. A newer version of that same type of

machine may need one, and that second person could be better

used elsewhere in the shop.

—

Jonathan Chauvette, Groupe Eugenie

What’s The Reason

8

for Your Downtimes?

Ask yourself, “Are my set-up times becom-

ing longer, and is there new equipment that’s

more automated and can streamline things?”

If so, it is time to do the math. If you’re spend-

ing three-and-a-half hours a day doing set up,

ﬁgure out how much more you could produce

in a day with upgraded equipment.

We continue to see a lot of activity in automation in general.

Speciﬁcally, fabrication saws and automated welding and

cleaning lines are garnering a lot of demand right now.

—

Mike Bifﬂ, Stürtz Machinery

What Are Your

9

As housing has rebounded, the window

manufacturers have gotten healthy on a

volume basis, and the need for increased

staff has occurred. That may have

been a motivation for some companies

that had maxed out multiple shifts to

add additional equipment to increase

production capacity.

Customers Ordering?

Take a look at the products you ﬁnd yourself having to buy out-

of-house that you’d like to produce in-house, and stay up to date

on the latest industry trends. If you don’t have the capabilities,

your customers will go to someone who does.

How Could More

0

Automation Beneﬁt You?

1

—

Jack Pennuto Jr., Formtek Group

Your business is expanding and you need to increase capacity

and output, but you know that the manufacturing sector is suffering

from a lack of qualiﬁed labor. Because of that, many companies are

leaning toward automation to make up the difference and reduce

costs. Automation and robotic integration also can help cut down

on accidents and maximize worker safety. And remember: You

don’t have to do away with the employee you’ve “replaced.” You can

repurpose them, often with more rewarding or challenging jobs.

1

1 Do_O_n_cY_eo_yu_o_uH_da_e_cv_i_de_e t_oh_ne_aS_mp_aa_c_hc_i_ne_e?_r_y

upgrade or expansion, one of your ﬁrst thoughts

should be, “Where is this piece of equipment

going to go?” The main options are to add it in an

existing space (if there’s room), expand the size of

your facility (or buy/rent more space) or put the

new equipment in place of the old machine. The

latter option can be difﬁcult, because it requires

that operation to be shut down so the old machine

can be removed and the new one installed. If you

have the space, putting in a second line allows you

to keep your business going, and the ﬁrst line can

be upgraded or removed later.

Automation is absolutely a major driver. Labor issues

seem to be industry-wide from contract labor for builders

to factory labor. GED is continually looking to provide

solutions to our customers’ labor and production issues by

offering advanced robotics and automation as well as our

software solutions that allow them to optimize, control

and monitor all aspects of their operations.

continued on page 50

—

John C. Moore, GED Integrated Solutions

www.dwmmag.com

August/September 2017

49

₃Are There Other

₁₄How Will You

Finance It?

1

QUESTIONS

continued from page 49

Deals to Be Had?

Some vendors may give you a

break on your purchase if you’re

willing to use your machinery

as an example they can refer

or show to potential customers.

They may not have the particu-

lar machine you’re purchasing in

your region or part of the coun-

try, and opening your doors to

other shops could be a win-win

for you and the vendor.

And When?

If you plan on ﬁnancing the new

machinery through a loan, take a

look at interest rates. It may be best

to buy sooner rather than later if

interest rates currently are low. Or

maybe you’re looking to pay in cash.

Do you have enough to handle such

a major purchase? One other thing

to consider: Cash may be the most

economical route at the time, but

think about whether you’re willing

to have your own money tied up in

case something goes wrong.

Are There Trade-in

2

Deals Available?

Check with the supplier of your

original machine, or even other sup-

pliers, to see if they would accept a

trade-in of your equipment. They

may be able to refurbish and resell

it, and you may get a discount on a

newer piece of machinery.

1

We have seen a steady increase in equipment orders

correlating with the housing rebound.

—

Jessica Metz, Erdman Automation

What Does

1

⁶it Cost to

₅What Will be Your Return on Investment?

This one is self-explanatory. How long will it take for this purchase to

pay itself back? Conduct simple cost-beneﬁt analyses across all of the

options you’re considering.

1

Run the Piece of

Equipment?

Some machines will use a lot

more electricity than others, so

your operating costs are higher.

That can be a major sticking point,

depending on utility costs where

you’re located.

What Quality and Lifespan

1

7

are You Looking for?

What’s the time period you want the machinery to operate for? Some may

say, “I only want it to last ﬁve years because the technology is changing so

quickly.” Or they may just want to run the equipment into the ground and are

prepared to upgrade again in the short term. Others are willing to spend the

big bucks and want to get as many years out of the equipment as possible.

There is a large demand

in the millwork industry.

What was once a traditional

industry is now starting to

modernize itself.

What Kind of Service Do

1

8

—Chauvette, Groupe Eugenie

These Companies Offer?

Service is arguably the most important aspect of the machinery business.

Who are the

Major Players?

Find out which companies are proven to offer top-notch service and stand 19

behind their equipment. It’s very likely the machinery is manufactured in

another country, but the company should have good, reliable representation

in the U.S. Find a manufacturer that will train your staff thoroughly on how to

operate the machine. Also, ask where they stock their spare parts, and whether

they have mechanics in the U.S. Finally, ask whether interchangeable parts are

available, or if they’re speciﬁc to a certain company.

Start by researching who the

most reputable machinery compa-

nies and vendors are. Ask around.

Start reading up on machinery

in industry publications. Attend

trade shows, and meet with repre-

sentatives face-to-face.

What Kind of Warranty Does

2

0

Nick St. Denis is the research editor of

USGlass magazine, sister publication

to DWM. Paul Bieber is the owner of

Bieber Consulting Group. Mike Rosato

is the machine sales engineer of Salem

Distributing Co.

the Machine Include?

Most machines come with standard, comparable warranties. Where suppli-

ers get competitive is by offering extended warranties. Things like long-term

programming and software help are also critical, as machinery operators need

more assistance than they have in the past.

y

5

0

Door & Window Market

www.dwmmag.com