Power Move
Upgrading to the latest Mazak laser-cutting technology has removed bottleneck and reduced costs for fabricator specializing in engineering and manufacturing auxiliary equipment for gas turbines
Father-son duo, Gene and Scott Schockemoehl started Schock Manufacturing in 2013. Starting out as a small fabrication shop, the company primarily focused on build-to-print manufacturing. Bringing with them years of previous work experience in the power generator industry, developing their own products was the natural next step.
Today Schock Manufacturing operates out of an 85,000-square-foot facility in Owasso, OK and specializes in engineering and manufacturing auxiliary equipment for gas turbines used in power generation, oil and gas, and industrial applications. With a focus on the inlet and exhaust side of the turbine, exhaust silencer panels, plenums, ducting & stacks, air intakes, and filter houses are a few of the products Schock manufactures.
In addition to engineering and manufacturing solutions, Schock offers turnkey solutions for aftermarket and retrofit gas turbine equipment—including on-site inspections, demolition, installation, and repair services.
Custom metal fabrication is one of the newer services Schock offers to other industries as well. Laser cutting, forming, rolling, and welding of sheet and structural steel components are a few of the many services offered.
Power On
Laser-cutting technology is not new to Schock. An older CO2 laser has been a part of their production process; however, the machine experienced regular downtime creating a bottleneck to throughput. With other departments waiting on parts from the laser, continuing the way things were was no longer a viable option. Most customers require short lead times and fast delivery of equipment and products. To remain competitive, the Schockemoehls found it necessary to start looking for a new solution.
“We had an older laser. When it works, it worked good. When it was down, it killed us,” shares Scott Schockemoehl, general manager. “Our welders are standing around, and it was a huge problem. We knew we couldn't keep operating that way, and we started looking for a solution.”
Having found it difficult to get support on their old CO2 laser, finding a partner that understood the importance of having a machine up and running was top of mind. Other important factors that were taken into consideration during the purchase included machine design, operability, and maintenance.
All major laser equipment manufacturers were considered during the research process, and they too offered good options on paper. However, Mazak offered a more comprehensive solution when it came to factors that were a priority to the Schockemoehls. The robust design of Mazak’s Optiplex 3015 NEO, especially the rack and pinion drives system stood out to them. Operator access for minimized work area restrictions, auto nozzle changing and calibration for ease of operation and reduced setup time, and the integrated material handling system for continuous production all played a role in the decision to move forward with Mazak.
‘We really kind of looked at all the options out there and started considering what was important to us,” recalls Scott Schockemoehl. “When visiting with Mazak, we kind of took a more holistic look at it. It's very fast, but we understood the importance of the automation system, specifically it had the operation controls right there with the operator. It just looked like it was put together much better than some of the other options out there.”
The Schockemoehls made the decision to partner with Mazak and purchased the OPTIPLEX 3015 NEO with the load/unload C-SERIES automation system. “We ended up buying a Mazak OPTIPLEX 3015 NEO 15kw,” explains Scott Schockemoehl. “And I believe we were actually the first people in the United States to have this machine. We had such faith in Mazak; we actually signed up sight unseen to get this machine.”
Power Up
Results were seen immediately after implementing the OPTIPLEX 3015 NEO 15kW laser, C-SERIES automation, and high pressure air system. The speed at which the laser was able to cut parts impressed the team the most. “I think the most impressive thing is the quality of the parts that we're able to produce and the speed at which it'll process parts,” remarks Gene Schockemoehl, president. “It can do very thick plate very fast,” adds Scott Schockemoehl. “We'd use it primarily for some thinner gauge material, but we have that versatility which is huge for us.”
The addition of automation with the laser has considerably increased throughput which has resulted in increased capacity and sales. Jobs that would have previously taken days now take hours to complete. “We were previously using a CO2 system that was manual,” notes Gene Schockemoehl. “It had change tables on it where you had to move the parts by hand, and it was very, very labor intensive. With the automation, we now have the ability to essentially put a pallet of raw material into the machine, and it literally runs continuously. We're able to process projects a lot faster really, in a matter of minutes rather than hours and days. It's a game changer for us.”
The switch to high pressure air from Nitrogen has reduced operating costs for Schock. “We use high pressure air only, and we get tremendous cut quality,” Scott Schockemoehl elaborates. “We have probably reduced our operating cost running lasers at least 50%, specifically using the Liberty System; that's a huge cost savings.” No longer dealing with bottlenecks, the team routinely works ahead of schedule and is looking to put additional work on the machine.
Super Power
Mazak’s customer-focused approach to service and support has played a crucial role in the successful operation of the new equipment. “Service and maintenance was key because if this machine is down, we're dead in the water,” shares Scott Schockemoehl. “The support we've received at all levels has been tremendous with Mazak. It’s made us comfortable in that that will be our future go-to on additional purchases”
And the Schockemoehls have already started to discuss future considerations. Their plans include replacing the old CO2 laser with a larger format NEO and introducing a tube laser to their production process. “We are looking to retire our CO2 laser and probably will replace that with a larger frame NEO; we're also considering potentially going with a tube laser,” concludes Scott Schockemoehl. “Mazak has been a great partner. They understand our needs for keeping this equipment running, and they help support us in every aspect to do so.”