U.S. manufacturing firms, both large and small, are embracing bold innovations to drive profits and build resilience in today’s fiercely competitive global market. California Dynamics Corp (CALDYN), a highly specialized company, has established itself as a leader in seismic protection and noise/vibration isolation.
CALDYN is raising the bar to stay competitive both domestically and internationally. With a strategic focus on advanced technology, they have transformed their operations by investing in the cutting-edge Prima Power Platino linear 2-D plate laser cutter. This state-of-the-art innovation is driving efficiency and redefining their capabilities.
“This technology has dramatically improved our manufacturing processes,” says Tim Benkert, president of CALDYN. “It isn’t just about boosting production efficiency, it’s about delivering consistent, high-quality results with shorter lead times to our customers while opening doors to new opportunities for our growth and profitability.”
Trusted experts
Since 1966, CALDYN has specialized in mitigating the impact of seismic activity, noise and vibration. The company provides a wide range of solutions, including spring isolators for critical systems, such as mechanical, electrical, plumbing (MEP); HVAC in hospitals and data centers; and custom-engineered rubber mounts for industrial machinery.
In addition to safeguarding buildings and essential motorized systems from seismic forces and storms, CALDYN’s innovations also reduce noise and vibration. They create quieter, more comfortable and functional interior spaces in schools, hotels, libraries, offices, data centers and residential buildings, allowing them to optimally serve their intended purposes.
Based in California, one of the most seismically active regions in the world, CALDYN has built a trusted reputation in earthquake safety. With more than 50 years of hands-on experience, CALDYN’s solutions have been rigorously tested and proven under extreme real-world earthquake conditions.
What sets CALDYN apart is their dedication to product certification through strict independent third-party testing, including shake table testing that replicates severe seismic events. This certification is highly valued in the United States and worldwide, particularly in regions lacking rigorous standards or comprehensive product testing.
Fast turnaround times
CALDYN recognizes that maintaining efficiency and agility is essential to staying competitive within their product category. Reliable delivery with short lead times is at the heart of their operations, ensuring customers get what they need, when they need it. Business success depends upon the ability to scale operations swiftly and adapt to diverse customer needs with a vast product portfolio that varies in sizes, types and materials.
Spring isolators play a critical role in large-scale electrical projects, and their availability can significantly impact project timelines.
“Our customers depend on us to deliver on time, and we simply can’t let a relatively inexpensive component like a spring isolator delay completion of a multi-million-dollar electrical generator project,” Benkart explains.
He adds, “We’ve seen other suppliers struggle with long lead times and inefficient production. Issues that, in our view, are entirely avoidable. That’s why we’ve made it our mission to operate differently, and this commitment has been a major driver behind our continued success in securing new business.”
The automation journey
Justin McGeorge, operations manager at CALDYN, says the company’s rapid growth drives them to constantly rethink their manufacturing processes. “As our business has expanded, we realized we needed more efficient ways to handle critical tasks like cutting and drilling base plates,” he explains.
The previous approach, which relied on outsourcing these tasks, was both inefficient and difficult to manage. External vendors often struggled to keep up with demand, and the manual nature of the work added unnecessary delays.
To address these challenges, CALDYN invested in automation. After thorough research, the team there chose the Platino 2-D linear laser cutting machine.
The Platino Linear is a versatile, reliable and easy-to-use laser cutter designed to efficiently process any material and shape. Its maintenance-free linear drive system ensures significantly greater uptime and a longer service life compared to traditional drive systems.
An affordable system with a compact footprint, the laser cutter delivers operating cost savings through improved energy efficiency (up to 40 percent wall-plug efficiency) and reduced gas consumption by 40 percent or more.
Additionally, its modular design allows integration with a range of automation modules. This flexibility makes it an ideal solution for companies at any stage of their automation journey, whether they are just starting out, operating fully automated facilities or preparing to advance their automation capabilities over time.
A perfect fit
“The Platino offered exactly what we needed – a cost-effective, compact, premium automated solution that could handle cutting and drilling with precision,” McGeorge says.
A key factor in their decision was also the integration with the Prima Power Compact Server, which streamlined material handling in a space-efficient way. “The automation and seamless workflow provided by this system have been game-changing for us,” McGeorge adds.
With this new setup, CALDYN is now able to maintain control over their production process while meeting growing customer demands more effectively. According to McGeorge, the decision to bring laser cutting in-house was initially driven by a pressing need to address inefficiencies with outsourcing.
“Our vendors for laser cutting just couldn’t keep up,” he explains. “We were constantly facing delays and struggling to meet production demands.”
However, the implementation of the Platino has far exceeded expectations, solving far more than this original problem.
“We’ve gone from struggling to meet production demands to having extra capacity,” McGeorge says. “Laser cutting used to be a bottleneck, but now we’re easily meeting deadlines and even have capacity to spare.”
Direct cost savings
The direct cost-saving benefits have been substantial. Oscar Esrade, lead CAD programmer, shares how Prima Power’s NC Express e3 software has significantly accelerated his workflow and enabled him to deliver superior results.
“With the automatic nesting software, I’m achieving 93 percent or better utilization of materials,” he says. “It’s like playing Tetris – everything fits together perfectly.
“There’s far less waste now,” he adds. “If we only need half a sheet of material for a production run, we create programs to utilize the remaining material to produce standard parts to replenish our inventory. We’re no longer just playing catch-up all the time. It’s quite the opposite – we’re ahead and fully stocked.”
Close collaboration
The expertise and support provided by the Prima Power team were instrumental in fully leveraging the capabilities of the new system.
As Justin McGeorge note, “Our close collaboration with Simone made a tremendous difference for us.” Simone Bonetto, Prima Power’s 2-D laser sales manager, brought invaluable knowledge in advanced laser programming and efficient nesting techniques.
As McGeorge notes, “Our close collaboration with Simone made a tremendous difference for us. His guidance not only boosted our productivity during the programming phase but also streamlined production on the shop floor.
“The laser cutter is an incredible tool,” he continues. “It’s easy to use, but its many features and possibilities come with a learning curve. With Simone’s guidance, we quickly started unlocking its potential, and this process will continue to evolve. As we master its capabilities, we’re discovering exciting new ways to use it more effectively and take advantage of it to innovate and do things we never thought possible.”
Improved Workflow
The benefits of the Platino have rippled throughout the workflow, driving efficiencies across multiple stages of production. One major improvement is the reallocation of resources.
“Previously, our welders were tasked with cutting and hole punching, a slow and inefficient manual process that diverted their attention from welding,” McGeorge explains. “Now, the laser cutter handles these tasks with incredible speed and precision, completing them in a fraction of the time. This change allows our welders to dedicate their time entirely to welding, greatly improving the efficiency of our operations.”
Additionally, the automation capabilities allow machine operators to focus on other critical tasks. Ivan Cruz, lead machine operator, shares his experience.
“I just load three to five programs into the machine, and it runs on its own,” he says. “The integrated Prima Compact Server automatically loads sheets of metal, freeing me up to simultaneously operate other machines.”
The laser cutter is a highly advanced and powerful machine, yet it remains remarkably safe and easy to operate.
“With built-in barriers, sensors and alarms, I feel very safe working with this equipment,” Cruz adds. “And despite its sophistication, it’s surprisingly straightforward to use.”
Strategic planning
On top of the immediate benefits of accelerating production throughput, minimizing material waste, and boosting productivity through task automation and workflow optimization, the laser cutter has driven a more holistic approach to production.
“It’s such a reliable and fast tool,” McGeorge says, “that we’re constantly finding new ways to incorporate it into our processes, which pushes us to rethink and refine how we approach production as a whole.”
This shift has fostered a mindset of innovation and long-term planning. By leveraging the laser cutter’s capabilities, CALDYN can optimize other stages of the production process, ensuring resources are used effectively and customer needs are met.
“It isn’t not just about the speed or accuracy,” he adds. “It’s about aligning our entire workflow to fully utilize the tool’s potential, which makes us smarter and more deliberate in our planning.”
From savings to profits
“Our initial goal with the Platino was to enhance operational efficiency and cut costs,” Benkert says. “Within just a few months, it has not only surpassed those objectives but delivered an outstanding return on investment.”
By bringing laser cutting in-house and leveraging automation, CALDYN has not only overcome previous production bottlenecks but also unlocked new business opportunities; expanded their product portfolio; and positioned themselves as a more agile, innovative and customer-focused leader in seismic protection. The Prima Power solution has proven to be a strategic asset, driving both immediate gains and long-term growth and setting a new standard for excellence in manufacturing within the industry.
