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Top 10 Service Center Equipment Brands Download PDF Coil Processing's Top 10 Sawing's Top 10 Cutting's Top 10 Material Handling's Top 10 By the Staff of Metal Center News Service center executives reveal their favorite makes of metal processing equipment in this informal brand survey by Metal Center News. Herr-Voss Stamco, Hyd-Mech, Hypertherm and Walker Magnetics lead their respective categories in the Metal Center News Top 10 Service Center Equipment Brands lists for 2014. The top three vote-getters in each category were as follows: • Coil Processing: Herr-Voss Stamco, Red Bud Industries and Delta Steel Technologies; • Sawing: Hyd-Mech, HE&M Saw and Marvel/Spartan; • Cutting: Hypertherm, Messer Cutting Systems and Trumpf; • Material Handling: Walker Magnetics, Caldwell Co. and Bushman Equipment. Information for these brand rankings was gathered through a series of e-mail polls beginning last fall. Respondents were given an alphabetical list of the 15 largest companies in each product category with instructions to "check all they would endorse and buy from in the future." Respondents also had the opportunity to write in additional company names or brands not on the lists. The final ranking, based simply on the total number of votes each company received, gives a rough indication of which brands currently command the largest share of mind, and highest levels of customer satisfaction, among service center executives. This methodology does not attempt to rank companies by size or market share, but rather to measure the relative level of brand awareness they have achieved among respondents to MCN's surveys. Due to its limited sample size, this ranking should be viewed as an informal measure of brand preference. Service centers continue to invest in value-added processing, which generates about 20 percent of the typical distributor's revenues. Several factors are fueling investment in new equipment today: Automation and computerized controls make the latest machinery much more efficient and productive. The proliferation of more affordable laser and plasma cutting equipment is increasing demand for stay-flat steel sheets. That, in turn, is promoting interest in new leveling and coil processing technology. Similarly, service centers and toll processors are beginning to upgrade their coil lines to handle the new generation of advanced high-strength steels. By all indications, capital investment is alive and well in the post-recession service center industry. Service centers continue to invest in value-added processing, which generates about 20 percent of the typical distributor’s revenues. Coil Processing Leading makers of coil levelers, slitters, cut-to-length lines, multiblanking lines, straighteners, edge conditioners, shears, press brakes and accessories. 1. Herr-Voss Stamco—Herr-Voss Stamco, Callery, Pa.: cut-to-length, multiblanking, slitting, Strand Extensioner slitting, Enhanced Leveling Technology, tension leveling, process lines, www.herr-voss.com. 2. Red Bud Industries—Red Bud Industries, Red Bud, Ill.: cut-to-length, blanking, multiblanking, slitting, stretcher leveling, EPS acidless pickling, www.redbudindustries.com 3. Delta Steel Technologies—Delta Steel Technologies, Irving, Texas: cut-to-length, temper mill cut-to-length, leveling, slitting, galvanizing, pickling, coating, cold rolling, rotary shears www.dbimfg.com. 4. Bradbury—The Bradbury Group, Moundridge, Kan.: automated production systems, coil processing, controls, cut-to-length systems, folding, leveling, punching, rollforming, shearing, stacking, steel framing, tooling, automation, www.bradburygroup.com. 5. Braner USA/Loopco—Braner USA, Schiller Park, Ill.: roller leveling, slitting, cut-to-length, blanking, packaging, scrap chopping, traverse winding, specialty coil processing lines, www.braner.com. 6. Butech Bliss—Butech Bliss, Salem, Ohio: coil processing, cut-to-length, slitting, pickling, leveling, shearing, scrap chopping, material handling, tempering, mill equipment, extrusion and forging presses, engineering services, www.butechbliss.com. 7. Leveltek—Leveltek International LLC, Benwood, W.Va.: stretch leveling systems for light- to heavy-gauge cut-to-length, coil-to-coil lines, www.leveltek.com. 8. Chicago Slitter—Chicago Slitter, Itasca, Ill.: coil slitting, blanking, cut-to-length, shearing, punching, bending, packaging, scrap handling equipment, www.chicagoslitter.com. 9. Machine Concepts—Machine Concepts, Minster, Ohio: coil processing, leveling, slitting, side trimming, stacking, specialty equipment, www.machineconcepts.com. 10. Formtek—The Formtek Group includes such long-time brands as Iowa Precision, Cedar Rapids, Iowa, and CWP, Clinton, Maine: automated coil processing systems and coil handling equipment, www.formtekgroup.com. Sawing Leading makers of band saws, plate saws, circular saws, blades, cutting fluids and accessories. 1. Hyd-Mech—Hyd-Mech Group Ltd., Woodstock, Ontario: band saws, circular cold saws, material handling, www.hyd-mech.com. 2. HE&M Saw—HE&M Saw Inc., Pryor, Okla.: band saws, plate saws, metalworking fluids, material handling equipment, accessories, www.hemsaw.com. 3. Marvel/Spartan—Marvel Manufacturing Co. Inc., Oshkosh, Wis.: band saws, plate saws, circular saws, ironworkers, www.marvelsaws.com. 4. Behringer—Behringer Saws Inc., Morgantown, Pa.: horizontal band saws, plate saws, hack saws, circular cold saws, structural fabricating equipment, www.behringersaws.com. 5. DoALL—DoALL Sawing Products, Wheeling, Ill.: band saws, blades, cutting fluids, material handling, www.doallsawing.com. 6. Peddinghaus—Peddinghaus Corp., Bradley, Ill.: structural band saws, miter saws, material handling, plate processing, ironworkers, www.peddinghaus.com. 7. Amada—Amada Machine Tools America Inc., Schaumburg, Ill.: band saws, blades, milling machines, grinders, turning centers, www.amadamt.com. 8. Cosen—Cosen Saws USA, Charlotte, N.C.: band saws in manual, semi-automatic, automatic and NC programmable models, www.cosen.com. 9. Schelling—Schelling America, Morrisville, N.C.: cut-to-size plate sawing systems for steel and nonferrous metals, www.schelling.com. 10. Metlsaw—Metlsaw Systems Inc., Benicia, Calif.: circular saws, plate saws, cutoff saws, cold saws, extrusion saws, remnant saws, combination saws, blades, material handling, www.metlsaw.com. Cutting Leading makers of oxyfuel, plasma and laser cutting systems and accessories. 1. Hypertherm—Hypertherm Inc., Hanover, N.H.: plasma, laser cutting equipment, controls, consumables, www.hypertherm.com. 2. Messer Cutting Systems—Messer Cutting Systems, Menomonee Falls, Wis.: CNC laser, plasma, oxyfuel cutting systems, www.messer-cs.com. 3. Trumpf—Trumpf Inc., Farmington, Conn.: laser cutting, machine tools, www.us.trumpf.com. 4. ESAB—ESAB Cutting Systems, Florence, S.C.: welding, laser, plasma, oxyfuel, waterjet cutting, controls, www.esab-cutting.com. 5. Mazak—Mazak Corp., Florence, Ky.: lasers, cutting tools, machining centers, www.mazakusa.com. 6. Cincinnati—Cincinnati Inc., Harrison, Ohio: lasers, shears, press brakes, stamping presses, software, material handling, www.e-ci.com. 7. Peddinghaus—Peddinghaus Corp., Bradley, Ill.: thermal cutting/coping with oxyfuel, plasma, www.peddinghaus.com. 8. Bystronic—Bystronic Inc., North America, Elgin, Ill.: laser cutting, waterjet cutting, automation, software, www.bystronicusa.com. 9. Koike Aronson—Koike Aronson Inc./Ransome, Arcade, N.Y.: oxyfuel, CNC plasma, laser, waterjet cutting, welding equipment, www.koike.com. 10. RDI Laser Blanking—RDI Laser Blanking Systems, Itasca, Ill., part of the RDI Group of companies that also includes Chicago Slitter, now offers a coil-fed laser blanking system, www.therdigroup.com. Material Handling Leading makers of automated storage and retrieval systems, racks, shelving, coil-handling equipment, conveyors, cranes, magnetic lifters, and other devices. 1. Walker Magnetics—Walker Magnetics, Worcester, Mass.: magnets for workholding, clamping, lifting, separation, www.walkermagnet.com. 2. Caldwell—The Caldwell Group Inc., Rockford, Ill.: pallet lifters, coil upenders, coil hooks and grabs, slings, lifting and spreader beams, mechanical, vacuum and magnetic sheet lifters, lift truck accessories, www.caldw ellinc.com. 3. Bushman—Bushman Equipment Inc., Butler, Wis., cranes, below-the-hook lifting devices, floor-based upenders, inverters and coil cars, www.bushman.com. 4. Canrack Metal Center Systems—Canrack Storage Systems Inc., Mississauga, Ontario: racks for sheet, plate, bar, coil products, bar and sheet order filling stations, CNC shear feeders, www.canrack.com. 5. Hubtex—Hubtex of North America, Greer, S.C.; lift trucks, side loaders, order pickers, gripping, swiveling, tilting devices, www.hubtexna.com. 6. Butech Bliss—Butech Bliss, Salem, Ohio: coil cars, stacker lift tables, conveyors, upenders, www.butechbliss.com. 7. Morris Material Handling—Morris Material Handling, Oak Creek, Wis., part of Konecranes: P&H overhead cranes, hoists, www.morriscranes.com. 8. Coiltech Corp.—Coiltech Corp., Schiller Park, Ill.: coil processing and handling equipment, coil cars, coil upenders, coil grabs, coil lifts, www.coiltechcorp.com. 9. Avon Engineering—Avon Engineering, Hamilton, Ontario: below-the-hook lifting devices, C-hooks, clam shell buckets, spreader beams, pallet lifters, floor-based handling devices, inverters, lift tables, transfer cars, upenders, and coil stackers and banding systems, www.avonengineering.com. 10. KASTO—KASTO Inc., Export, Pa.: automated storage and retrieval systems, bar/linear storage systems, sheet metal storage systems, www.kastoinc.com.