Winton Tube Bending Automation Improves Production Efficiency and Consistency for Capital Bending of Austin, Texas
Adam Siens, President of Capital Bending located in Austin, Texas, was introduced to Winton Machine at a tradeshow in Atlanta in 2006. He was searching for a solution to automate a significant portion of the company’s tube bending business. “When Darren Lamprecht and I started the company in 2004, we knew how to bend tube to meet semiconductor industry needs and specifications. But we were doing it by hand and we were losing customers.”
Customer success Capital Bending – Winton Machine USA
Sharing the workload, Siens and Lamprecht were able to do 100 bends by hand per day to attempt meeting customer demand. After their Winton RD20 eCNC machine was installed in 2007, their production dramatically increased to 1,000 bends in two days. “With the improved production time, we also were able to better meet higher quantity demands so our business started growing again,” said Siens. “We know we were also able to gain back some of the lost customers with the investment we made in the Winton RD20 eCNC with 3 Axis CNC Control and LRA Display.”
It was important to Siens and Lamprecht to buy an American made machine.
“Being from Texas, we have a deep rooted sense of patriotism. Working with George Winton and his software development team located in the United States allows us to support an American manufacturer and receive a high level of customer service.”
Winton worked with his software developers to design Capital Bending’s original RD20 eCNC to meet their customers’ tube part specifications. Minor modifications were made to the machine in 2009 and 2012 to improve and streamline its operations. A mandrel extractor assembly was added to move the mandrel in and out of the bend zone during the bending operation. And then software for off-line program data entry was added.
A major control upgrade to the machine was done in 2017 to take advantage of newer technology and software solutions. There were seven enhancements on the RD20 eCNC to increase part program storage, make the program entry easier and have more consistent accuracy of the parts being bent.
After the upgrades were made and the machine was shipped back to Capital Bending, there was a problem after the machine was re-installed. “We called George and told him the machine was not working properly,” Siens said. After several phone calls with Winton and troubleshooting, Siens and Lamprecht were able to fix the problem.
Once the initial frustration had subsided and the machine was working as planned, Siens realized how dedicated Winton was to help them resolve the issue. “He kept saying ‘How can I make this right’ and even showed up unannounced at our offices in person to deliver an internal mandrel lube to further improve our machine.”
“After we made the necessary mechanical adjustment, the technology upgrades saved us programming time and offered better control over the tube bending process,” Siens shared. “The upgrade reduced the LRA timing for the order of operation and gave us more control over the entire bend process.” Siens credits Winton and his team with designing and programming a hitch feed – not just end chuck.
In the 12 years Capital Bending has done business with Winton Machine, they have experienced great customer service and technical support. Seins said, “George and his team go over and above what’s needed.”
Capital Bending Austin TX using tube bending fabrication machine designed and built by Winton Machine USA
In a strategic move to qualify for more opportunities and grow the business, Capital Bending is pursuing ISO-9001 certification. By early 2020, Siens and Lamprecht plan to complete the necessary steps to meet the standards for compliance. “Many of our customers are already ISO-9000/01 certified and we needed to demonstrate our commitment to quality management,” Siens said. “In the discovery phase, we noted the storage capability of part specifications on our upgraded Winton machine was going to help us meet certain standards for efficiency and consistency.”
Siens believes that Winton and his team will be able to support their continuous improvement efforts. “We want to go to the next level to meet customer expectations and win more business. We know we have a partner with Winton Machine to help us get to the next level,” Siens said.
About Capital Bending LLC
Capital Bending specializes in bending stainless steel tubing and other materials on request. They are owner operators with over 20 years of experience. Capital Bending offers bending from 1/16” to 2” tubing diameter as well as full CNC capabilities for 1/4″ to 1/2” diameter tubing.
Adam Siens, President, adam@capitalbending.com
404 West Powell Lane Suite 507, Austin, TX 78753
Voice (512) 339-6240 | Fax (512) 535-0154
www.capitalbending.com
