Over the years, the product portfolio at Murata Machinery USA (Muratec USA) has grown substantially. The company has introduced new machines, automation of various types, and cutting-edge technologies and software, all with a united goal: to help its customers achieve their maximum potential.
Despite all of the new offerings, the team at Muratec USA approaches each and every customer the same way they always have: They provide customers with the support and training they need to be successful for the life of the machine at no additional cost beyond the initial purchase price.
“Providing remote support 24 hours a day, 365 days a year for the lifetime of a machine at no additional cost to the customer would probably be a really bad business plan,” says Matt Ward, fabrication business unit manager at Muratec USA, “but that’s what we do. Remote support is available for all of the machines we have out in the field, including the older turret punches from the 70s, 80s and 90s.”
So why would a company like Muratec USA choose to do that? Simply put, it’s about preserving a legacy – one that was founded on an entirely new way of working. When a company’s foundations are built on the introduction of a “world’s first” product, customer education and support are paramount. The role of a trailblazer, of course, carries responsibilities far beyond just paving the way – a trailblazer must also show the way. In Muratec’s case, they are willing to walk hand in hand with customers to give them the assurance they need to successfully use and maintain their equipment.
Pioneering ways
The origins of Murata Machinery were established in Japan in 1935 but truly took shape when the company established a technical collaboration with Wiedemann Machine Co. Wiedemann, which was founded in 1916, introduced the first punch press to the manufacturing industry in 1934 and then the first NC turret punch press in 1955.
“When Murata Machinery merged with Wiedemann, we instantly took on one of, if not the most, prolific turret punch builders of all time,” Ward says. “Murata, however, was also a pioneering company in its own right in that it brought the electric servo to the turret punch in 1994, thus establishing itself as the most experienced in the market in arguably the most important advancement in the history of the turret punch.”
While much has changed and technology has advanced, there are still hundreds, if not thousands of machines built before 1990 that are still in operation today. Those users have benefited from the company’s long legacy of innovation, and their machines have inspired the development of new equipment, including Muratec’s MF30510HL, a hybrid punch-laser machine based on the turret punch press that started it all.
Machine differentiators
Owing to the rich engineering traditions at Muratec, there are several key technological advancements in the MF30510HL that differentiates it from other punch-laser machines on the market. For starters, it can process a full 5-ft.-by-10-ft. sheet with both the laser and punch with no repositioning required.
The hybrid machine also features a four-station tapping unit that allows M2-M10 tapping in material up to 1/4 in. thick without the need for traditional turret punch tapping tools, which use stations on the turret that can create major limitations. The tapping process is also separate from the punching/forming and laser cutting processes and can be programmed directly in the software.
For customers that have long used Muratec or Wiedemann punch machines or for those that are new to the brand, the MF30510HL is available in both Wiedemann 114/112 and spring turret style layouts.
“This allows customers with an existing investment in tooling to keep their tools and integrate them into our punch-laser and turret punches, including the MF30510HL,” Ward explains. “If a fabricator had to reinvest in their tooling, depending on what they’re making, how many tools it requires and their complexity, we could be talking up to $80,000 or more.”
For those unfamiliar with the 114/112 style layout, it was developed by Wiedemann about a half a century ago and adopted by Muratec across the company’s combination and turret punch product lines. Compared to the spring turret style layout, the Wiedemann style is only slightly narrower.
“The spring style is basically what everybody in the industry uses,” Ward says, “so if a customer had one of our competitors’ punches but bought a new Muratec punch, or if they had a Wiedemann punch, they could transfer over that tooling, which makes the machine so much more versatile. The beautiful thing about tooling is that it’s reusable; if it’s maintained properly, it can be resharpened.”
Breaking down the MF30510HL further, Ward explains that the 30 in its name refers to its 30 tons of punching force while the 510 stands for the 5-ft.-by-10-ft. sheets it can process. The MF refers to its multi-functionality with the HL serving as a nod to its hybrid laser with up to 4 kW of power. Additional items, such as a dust collector, slug conveyor and slug vacuum unit, were specifically selected for the MF30510HL and come standard with every unit.
“This combination machine really lives up to its name in every facet,” Ward says. “The multi-tasker handles laser cutting, punching and forming, drilling, tapping and other sheet metal processing, meaning there’s no need to shuffle parts from one machine to another. Operators can focus on downstream tasks like welding, painting and inspection, cutting out bottlenecks and speeding up workflows.
“Throw in some of our robust automation,” he adds, “and suddenly you have reduced your labor dependence, maximized your machine utilization, and enhanced your precision and consistency.”
Labor first
Speaking of automation, customers have various options, including single sheet and multi-stack loading and uloading as well as tower storage. Customers can also take advantage of Muratec’s new FG3015 sorting loader that separates and organizes parts from metal sheets, all of which help customers overcome persistent labor shortages and the seemingly ever-present skills gap.
“New machines and new automation can be intimidating, but with advances in controls and 24/7 support, more and more customers are finding out that automation can truly be for everyone,” Ward says. “Automation removes the question of consistency and enables the customer to produce precision parts over and over again while not competing with varying factors, such as labor demands or shortages.”
Regardless of the type of equipment or automation a customer chooses, the installation and training they receive is thorough and tailored to the company. Ward says that depending on the platform and the customer’s capability levels, training for operators and maintenance staff typically spans one or two weeks. Muratec will even stay on site to train multiple shifts for the companies that need it.
“It’s a courtesy that we provide with every machine – even if a customer already has 10 of our machines in the building,” he explains. “When they buy the 11th one, we’re going to go out and set it up as if it were the first time. That includes running first-piece approvals with them, getting them checked out with their quality lab and getting everything signed off. Before we leave, we’re going make sure that the machine is running production, and then we’ll follow up with two to three subsequent visits. And that is of no cost to the customer.”
Direct access
Once Muratec has left and the customer is running the machine independently, they aren’t on their own. Customers have direct access to the Team Muratec in North Carolina when they have questions or need help. If it’s after hours, they have access to the company’s teams in Japan. So whether customers are connecting with someone in North America or the other side of the globe, they can easily turn over their controls to a Muratec engineer or programmer for them to troubleshoot issues, walk through parameter changes or whatever the customer needs – all in real time.
“Our intuitive control comes equipped with direct access to our teams in Charlotte, N.C., and Inuyama, Japan, via remote support,” Ward says. “This feature allows our teams to connect directly to the machine and interface with the operators in real time to understand any type of issue they may be facing, walking them through step by step until a resolution is received.”
This level of around-the-clock customer support is applicable with the MF platform as well as with any new piece of fabrication equipment customers purchase from Muratec. Ward, in fact, describes that commitment to customer service as one of the pillars that have kept the company on steady ground throughout the years.
“Our commitment to customers has built the loyalty and the following that we have,” he says. “It has sustained us over the years even if we faced bumps in the road or struggled. That level of customer service and the rock-solid product has steered us through and brought us back to the forefront.”
Ward adds that the relationship with customers goes both ways and that their feedback was instrumental in the development of the MF30510HL. Building on the advancements of the past is a big part of the company’s history, but doing so has always been driven by customer needs.
“As we all know, everyone is being tasked with doing more with less,” Ward says. “Unfortunately, this has become more prevalent with each passing year since 2020. Our customers typically have the same goals: combining operations, reducing floor space and removing human error from manufacturing. Our MF30510HL machine meets those challenges directly.”
