We are thrilled to announce a major expansion of our territory! Capital Machine is proud to extend our reach and our unparalleled service and support to the Mid-Atlantic region. This is more than just a geographic expansion; it’s a commitment to bringing our core philosophy of providing the best machines and the most reliable service to more fabricators and manufacturers. Now serving West Virginia, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Delaware, New Jersey, and New York.
Category: Articles
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Rick is Capital Machine’s solution expert. He is a seasoned Solution Expert with over 20 years of experience helping metal fabrication shops optimize workflows, boost productivity, and solve complex forming challenges. Known for his consultative approach, Rick blends deep technical expertise with hands-on problem solving to deliver equipment and process solutions that drive measurable results for manufacturers.” |
Beyond the Machines: How a Holistic Approach Transformed One Fabricator’s Forming Department
With over two decades in the metal fabrication industry, I’ve seen a common pattern: customers often come to us with a specific equipment request, but the real opportunity lies in solving the underlying operational challenges behind that request. At Capital Machine Technologies, our goal isn’t just to deliver a machine — it’s to partner with customers in transforming how they work.
The Initial Request
Earlier this year, a customer approached us at our Tech Expo looking for a CNC press brake with an auto tool changer. A straightforward request — but rather than quoting it blindly, we visited their facility to understand the why.
Our site visit uncovered four major challenges:
- Material handling strain when working with large formed parts.
- Inconsistent accuracy on large panels due to operator variability.
- Crowning issues reducing quality.
- Ongoing operator training needs that slowed production.
The Recommended Solution
A single machine couldn’t solve all four problems. Instead, we proposed:
- Adding a Power Bend Professional Folder to handle large, complex parts with minimal material handling.
- Retaining their existing press brake for high-precision smaller parts.
- Retraining their operators on a vision machine they’d purchased five years ago but hadn’t been fully utilizing.
Results:
- Reduced labor and improved safety.
- Higher forming accuracy with fewer reworks.
- Freed-up brake capacity for high-volume production.
- A more confident, capable team.
Industry Trends: Why This Approach Matters Now
The challenges faced by this customer are part of broader shifts in the fabrication industry:
- Labor Shortages & Skills Gaps
Fabrication shops nationwide are feeling the pinch of skilled labor shortages. Automation and process optimization are no longer luxuries — they’re essential for staying competitive. Solutions like panel folders reduce dependence on specialized brake operators and enable consistent results with less training. - Increasing Part Complexity & Customization
Customers are demanding more complex, custom parts in shorter lead times. Flexible forming solutions let shops quickly adapt to varying part sizes and shapes without excessive setup times. - Safety & Ergonomics as Competitive Differentiators
Shops that invest in equipment to minimize heavy lifting and repetitive strain not only protect their workforce but also improve retention — a critical factor in a tight labor market.
The Future of Workflow Optimization in Fabrication
Looking ahead, the most competitive fabrication shops will:
- Integrate automation with existing assets rather than replacing everything at once.
- Leverage data from machines and operators to identify bottlenecks and prioritize improvements.
- Adopt multi-machine strategies where each piece of equipment is optimized for specific part types, reducing wear, downtime, and inefficiencies.
- Invest in ongoing training so operators can adapt to evolving technology.
At Capital Machine, we believe the “one-size-fits-all” approach is a thing of the past. The future lies in tailored solutions that address your shop’s unique challenges and position you for sustainable growth.
Conclusion
This project reinforced a simple truth:
The right solution isn’t always the one you’re asked for — it’s the one that makes your whole operation better.
If your shop is facing challenges with part handling, accuracy, or operator training, I’d be happy to visit, review your process, and help identify opportunities for improvement.
Contact our Solutions Team Today
The May edition of The Fabricator, introduces readers to the world of animatronics, interactive characters and puppets that are brought to life with the help of the OMAX Maxiem 1530 waterjet cutting machine. This all takes place at Animax Designs, Nashville, TN, machine shop.
James Hudak is the manager of the machine shop, with six individuals working along-side him, two which are certified welders. Although the nature of Animax’s work is unique, it’s similar to life in any other shop. Except, Hudak and his team bring amazing characters to life, including giant dinosaurs!
Hudak also helped to animate cartoon figures, monsters, and other mythical creatures during his nine years with Animax Designs Inc., Nashville, Tenn. Officially, the company, founded in 1989, is dedicated to creating “extraordinary three-dimensional characters with artistic integrity and cutting-edge technology,” per the website.
“It’s more or less whatever the client wants, and we’ll look at the project and say, ‘Yeah, we can do that no matter what.’ Then we figure it out or we send it out to be worked on,” Hudak said.
At Animax Designs, the pressure is to keep the project moving forward. Delays in one department have a domino effect, squeezing other departments’ timeframe to get their jobs done.
To help it become more responsive, the machine shop purchased and installed an OMAX Maxiem 1530 waterjet cutting machine from machine tool distributor Capital Machine Technologies. The waterjet was installed in April 2020.
Hudak has called the waterjet a “game-changer” in being able to meet the requests of customers, both internally and externally.
Click here to get the full-story
Davis, Dan. “Craft and common sense”. The Fabricator, March 2021/VOL. 51 NO. 3 How a waterjet helps to bring characters to life for Nashville designer. Accessed 26 May 2021.
#OMAX #Waterjet #Fabricating
In the latest edition of The Fabricator, Dan Davis takes us into the world of metal fabricating at NASA with Spencer Wells, whose actual title is mechanical engineering technician, in the Prototype Development Laboratory (PDL) at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
“We’re far from a production shop here,” Wells said. “We’re basically a one-stop shop for prototyping. That’s why we have so many capabilities.
“So, if you had engineers or scientists with an idea or a concept that needed to be worked through and it involved sheet metal or even composites that required fabricating, machining, or electrical work, they would have to go to the outside world and find a company to work on each of those areas. You would have to deal with multiple businesses. Instead, they come here. We work through all of those problems and get those engineers and scientists what they need.”
When the search began for a new press brake, one of Wells’ co-workers suggested an electric brake, something he had seen at a tradeshow. Wells said he didn’t have any experience with that type of press brake, but he was intrigued to learn more. When he began to see this type of equipment in action, he liked what he saw.
“We thought with this type of press brake and with new software, it was going to allow us to do first part, right part every time,” Wells said.
Capital Machine Technologies introduced Wells to the SafanDarley E-Brake, giving Wells the reassurance that he can bend the “first part… right part.”
“We all have different things that we need to do around here. I don’t necessarily have a day to set up the press brake and try to get the right bend for one or two parts,” Wells said. “I need to be confident in the software and the press brake so when I punch in the numbers, I can go over to the press brake and bend one part and have it right.”
Davis, Dan. “Inside metal fabricating at NASA”. The Fabricator, March 2021/VOL. 51 NO. 3 A fabricator’s role in getting man back to the moon. Accessed 4 March 2021.
#SafanDarley #ElectricPressBrake #MetalFabrication
A customer of Capital Machine, Rough Country (one of the nation’s largest sellers of lift kits and suspension products for utility vehicles and trucks in the U.S.), sought out the assistance of our Sales Engineer, Jeff Price. They found themselves in a predicament; their press brakes were slowing down production.
They had a large press brake that was operating slowly. Which is an issue in a manufacturing facility where brake operators are expected to run a minimum amount of strokes per day.
There are also two smaller press brakes that were quicker. However, they need tweaking after some jobs to dial in the specified tolerances for the job. That takes time to do and obviously minimizes productivity.
To keep up with demand, Rough Country manufacturing management began the search for new press brake technology in 2018. Jeff Price, invited Jeff Epperson, Rough Country’s Manufacturing Manager, to go see an SafanDarley electric press brake in action at a customer’s location and Epperson liked what he saw. As a result, Rough Country purchased the 88-ton E-Brake 80-2550 and had it installed in December 2018.
Capital Machine and the introduction to the SafanDarley line of electric press brakes resolved Rough Country’s press brake conundrum. Read the fully story on The Fabricator.