IT MAY NOT BE FOR EVERYBODY"Now, waterjet is not for everybody," says Aalto, "if you are planning on bringing it in-house." He warns to "be prepared to make not just up-front major capital investments in machinery and people, but also be prepared to make on-going expenditures, as well. The actual cost of the waterjet (between $130,000 to $200,000, including ancillary costs associated with site prep, computer support, etc.) when coupled with the actual operational costs, prevents many fabricators from justifying such an investment. "How many companies at the beginning of this decade, decided to 'save money' and bring their advertising in-house-step one being the purchase of high-end graphics technology? These companies invested in all kinds of hardware and software. And you know what? Most of them ultimately lost money on their new ventures, as what they didn't realize is that no matter how much capital they infused into their in-house department's computerized technology, they had to invest large amounts in people to run this equipment, as well. "The same holds true in waterjet. A person doesn't become a seasoned waterjet operator overnight. And because this phenomenon is so new, there really aren't a whole lot of seasoned waterjet operators with jobs, without jobs or looking for new jobs. If you want to get a highly skilled operator today, good luck in finding one. And, although a company that manufactures waterjet equipment can train people to work the machinery, can it train people to develop art ability? You should think about these items before purchasing any waterjet equipment for your company. |
"If you plan on out-sourcing for waterjet work and your firm is primarily a commodities house, a company that sells slabs and tiles in quantity, you should think again. This technology is really too sophisticated for simply cutting samples. You'd be wasting both your time and that of the company you contracted to do the work. Most progressive waterjet companies prefer to work on projects that for the most part, involve the intricate cutting that is only obtainable via this sort of technology," says Aalto. "However, waterjet design and cutting should not be ignored or presumed out of reach by the small supplier," says Richard Ward, manager of Daily Industries, whose company has published catalogs containing a wide variety of pre-engineered designs laid out in 12" x 12" tile with a typical 1/16" joint. "The idea is to make it possible for a client to specify precisely what they need by way of simply sending us a fax. The aim is to make it possible for very tile setter, fabricator and installer to offer the service of waterjet cutting," says Ward. TAKING THE PLUNGE So let's assume that you don't want to make the vast expenditure of bringing a water jet fabricating service into your business. You realize that if you offer waterjet work to your customers and prospects, it can not only make you major profits and give you the opportunity to work on some prestigious, high-end jobs, it can actually increase the sale of stone materials (A floor medallion in the entryway of a hotel may be 5% of the total floor cost). Generally speaking, the firm that sells the stone for that design also is the company providing the stone for the rest of the newly installed floor. |
||||||
|
Copyright © 2008 Harri Aalto/CEC. All rights reserved. Click on a flag below to translate the page. Please be patient. It takes a few moments. |
|||||||