Inside Ryerson Centralia: Advancements in Metal Fabrication
In Focus
“If you call me and say, ‘I need these parts available ASAP,’ the automation at this facility will allow us to fabricate metal faster than anyone else, without question.”
The facility that James Porter, general manager for Ryerson Advanced Processing, speaks of is located within 75 miles of Seattle and Portland. It is a state-of-the-art service center that is at the epicenter of integrated fabrication, featuring 214,000-square-feet of advanced processing capabilities across sheet, plate, and long products.
With new advances in automation, delivery times, and safety, Ryerson’s Centralia location is a leading example of what the metal fabrication industry can achieve through technology and experience.
Let’s look around:
State-Of-The-Art Processing Equipment
Porter highlights that “the automation can pick up and set down an entire 96”x240” plate. In the laser world there are automations that can pick up smaller plates, but this is the first time our cutting system partner has made a system this big.”
The automation can autoload metal plate and pick-up finished products simultaneously to unload. Prior to the opening of the Centralia plant, this process was handled manually using cranes. This change has brought some notable improvements to the process.
"... this new system means human error is brought virtually to zero."
James Porter, Ryerson
“The first thing is safety,” Porter explains. “You’re not flying plate over people’s heads anymore. That’s the number one thing I like. Number two, this new system means human error is brought virtually to zero. There’s physical separation between what the automated system is handling and where the workers are, leading to a more efficient process that’s safer and less error prone.”
Technical Innovation
These broad improvements in efficiency, safety, and error-reduction are complemented by technical innovations.
Porter gives one example. “As you burn plate over time, slag builds up on the slats. Automation will time out if the slats aren’t changed—it simply guarantees the highest level of quality across the board, which we love.”
Innovations like these have been incorporated into virtually every step of the metal fabrication process. It’s no small feat to pick up plate of this size, particularly for stainless, which can’t be picked up with magnets.
“In the past you would have had to use suction cups or a similar solution that might scar the plate. The new plant uses fingers with a regular weight distribution pickup to make the process much easier.”
That versatility helps ensure the Centralia plant will remain a cutting-edge metal fabricator for the long-term, offering new value and productivity gains for Ryerson’s clients. On top of the improvements to safety and accuracy, these technical upgrades offer a state-of-the-art solution for metal fabrication that leads to better outcomes across the board.
“Automation adds capacity into the process,” says Porter. “If automation allows you to load plate in 10 minutes rather than 20, you in turn gain that many ten-minute touches throughout the day. That means more parts for the customer to meet their demand.”
Drilling & Milling
The new Centralia plant also adds an all-in-one solution to drilling, tapping, and plasma beveling. This state-of-the-art machine can drill and tap hole patterns in plate before burning the profile of the part out, something Porter highlights as significant.
“The accuracy is almost machine accuracy prior to burning the profile. If you do it the old school method then you burn the blank, then pick it up and take it to a machining center, which someone must program and pay an operator to run, and then finally burn the holes. This does it all at once. You don’t need a machining center and a plasma op machine with two operators. It’s truly all-in-one.”
Able to cut a bevel and handle larger parts than previous systems, this solution creates a cost-savings and productivity gain unprecedented in the wider metal fabrication industry. It’s all part of Ryerson’s commitment to offering clients the absolute best for their fabrication needs.
Interested in learning more about how our capabilities can become a game-changer for your organization? Contact Ryerson Advanced Processing for more details.
Contact a metal processing expert today!