Page 30 - MetalForming-January-2019-issue
P. 30
FABRICATION
Laser-Cutting Addition
Heats Up Productivity
A new fiber laser machine speeds production of flat parts—without costly hard tooling— for a Detroit, MI, heating-equipment manufacturer.
BY LOUIS A. KREN, SENIOR EDITOR
Did you know that the Great Lakes region, specifically a radius around Lake Erie, rep- resents the hotbed of radiant heating in North America? That surprising fact comes from Joseph Wortman, president of Detroit Radiant Products Co., which essentially serves as the hotbed’s anchor. The Warren, MI, manufacturer, well-known for its supply of radiant- heating products for industrial, com- mercial, agricultural and residential use, operates out of a 120,000-sq.-ft. headquarters, with two other local loca- tions, plus one in Canada, giving the company a total of nearly 250,000 sq. ft. under roof.
As radiant-heating technology has evolved, the company finds itself need- ing to produce more and more flat sheetmetal parts. Extending its long- time expertise in stamping and deep
drawing, Detroit Radiant Products has brought in turret punch presses, and most recently installed a 2D fiber laser- cutting machine. All stay busy as the company continues to grow and dili- gently serves its diverse customer base.
Radiant-Heating Advancements Propel Growth
To best appreciate the company’s process expansion requires a look at the evolution of the company and of radiant heating itself. Detroit Radiant Products traces its roots to 1955 when a group of toolmakers, including Wortman’s grand- father Albert—who came to the United States prior to World War II from Ger- many—were parlaying their experience supplying the U.S. military during the war into producing drawn products such as copper floats for plumbing applica- tions, courtesy of their new company
A new fiber laser-cutting machine at Detroit Radiant Products has optimized flat-part production and prototyping, and offers top-notch cut edges, as this Michigan cutout shows.
28 MetalForming/January 2019
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