“Whether they are operating a one-man shop or have 200 machines, manufacturers have to do everything they can to be competitive at all levels,” says Steven Kaplan, president of S. Kaplan Sewing Machine Co. Inc. in Newark, N.J. “They have to take advantage of labor-saving devices.”
Equipment manufacturers have learned a lot in recent years about what fabricators want from their purchases, and how these expectations affect the specialty fabrics industry.
Before proposing a machinery solution
, Hoffman Brothers will first try to qualify a customer’s needs, then offer several options in different price ranges. “We have a large staff of people with many combined years of experience, specifically in the cut-and-sew industry,” Hoffman says, “so we know what works and what doesn’t.”Repair work and maintenance are at the top of customers’ requests when buying a machine from S. Kaplan Sewing. “It is very difficult to find good, competent mechanics nationwide,” Kaplan says, adding that most of his customers don’t have the time or desire to learn how to do the work themselves. “You would be surprised how many people send their machines to us from very, very far away to be repaired or rebuilt because my mechanics know what they are doing.”
At Grass Valley, Calif.-based Autometrix Precision Cutting Systems Inc., sales staff work closely with new customers “to assist them in developing a deeper understanding of the software side of their future purchase,” says sales manager Doug Hardy. Autometrix offers what it calls “Software Coaches” for online training before and after installation; after product installation is complete, the manufacturer trains personnel on both equipment and software at the customer’s facility.
Autometrix also sells an optional service contract that includes unlimited phone support, as well as a loaner program that ships a replacement component to the customer via overnight delivery.
Before delivering a spreading or automated laser cutting machine to a customer, The Fox Company in Charlotte, N.C., will first test it to ensure its performance. After the machine is installed, Fox will train personnel on operating, maintenance and troubleshooting, with on-call support should problems arise.
As president Harry Berzack puts it, “When you get into the more sophisticated sewing, spreading and cutting machines, where these could run customers six figures, they demand and deserve full support.”
Customization addresses a customer’s specific needs that may not be met in an off-the-shelf solution. Manufacturers and suppliers report that tailoring equipment is often the norm, not the exception. And even in situations that call for a standard machine, modifications are usually available.
“The customer comes to us with the concept of a product they want to manufacture,” Hoffman explains, “and if the machinery doesn’t exist to do that, we have the ability to design and manufacture specialty equipment specifically for the customer’s needs.”
Customization helps ensure that customers receive exactly what they need. “There is no point in giving a customer a 120-inch-wide machine if he isn’t going to use more than 60 inches,” Berzack says. “It is no use putting in a footer or an under-table rewind if he isn’t going to use [those features]. The industrial fabrics industry has an extremely wide range of different requirements.”
Some situations, however, do call for a machine that adapts to future needs. As fabric supplies get wider, so, too, do the machines, says Thomas Carlson, manager of Carlson Design in Tulsa, Okla., a provider of large-bed plotter/cutters. “If I have a 72-inch-wide bed and suddenly I want to cut 87-inch-wide material, I have to hand cut that,” he notes. “Once you automate, you don’t want to go back to hand cutting. My tendency might be to look ahead and get a 96-inch-wide machine.”
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