Western Steel, Inc.

Micah Olesky, CEO and Vice President of Western Steel, emphasizes their commitment to serving all customers, big or small, without minimum order requirements. Their clientele includes sectors from manufacturing, construction, military/government, ornamental, and infrastructure. “We regularly cut parts for OEM and after-market car and equipment companies, signs, construction-related parts, and equipment manufacturing,” Olesky stated.

To meet customer needs, Western Steel has continually expanded its offerings and services by investing in technology. This strategic move has enabled them to provide high-quality parts more efficiently and cost-effectively, allowing their customers to focus on assembly and installation. “Our commitment to quality is demonstrated through our invest in technology for our customers, while providing on-time delivery and industry-leading customer service,” said Olesky. He added that Western Steel values its employees and aims to extend a family-like environment to its customers as well.

One of the biggest challenges they have faced is the labor market. “As the older generation retires, finding skilled workers who know the ins and outs of things like bending material, plasma cutting, drilling etc., has been challenging,” Olesky noted. “We have addressed this challenge with our new technology. While technology by no means replaces skilled labor, it is there to support them, make their jobs easier, and frankly, the new generation gets excited about fancy machinery.”

When it came time to purchase laser equipment, their choice was clear, and they focused immediately on Mazak. “Over the years, we had visits from several companies wanting to show us their laser technology. However, I had heard much about Mazak, the reliability of their machines, the quality to which they are built, and their after-sales support,” said Olesky. Due to Mazak’s outstanding reputation, they purchased an OPTIPLEX 3015 NEO 15 kW in February of 2023, with the machine installed in September of that same year.

“The initial reaction to the new laser technology was great,” Olesky reported. “Coming from a background of plasma machines, we were amazed at the simplicity and the speed at which we could cut parts. Furthermore, we loved the quality of the cut compared to a high-definition plasma. The ease and simplicity of the machine’s operating system is a big plus for everyone.”

Furthermore, the flexibility of Mazak's laser processing machines—including its capability of unmanned operation, convenient features such as the nozzle center check camera, and its ability to automatically switch between workpieces of different materials and thicknesses without having to intervene with the machine to change out consumables—has been appreciated by operators.

Unlike previous experiences with other manufacturing equipment, Mazak provided on-site training for the new laser machine, ensuring a seamless transition for Western Steel’s team. “Mazak came to our facility and trained our employees on our actual machine at our request,” Olesky shared. “After a few days of training, we had a great starting grasp on the system. After Mazak’s trainers left, with the online support system, our operators could get assistance within minutes of requesting it to fine-tune the machine,” said Olesky.

“During initial startup and over the first few weeks of operations, we encountered some mechanical problems. While this is not surprising and typically expected of a new machine, Mazak was there with immediate support and almost always had a tech onsite within 24 hours of first reporting the problem. I couldn’t speak more highly of how Mazak handled it,” said Olesky.

The OPTIPLEX 3015 NEO 15 kW allowed Western Steel to retire an older high-definition plasma and a waterjet, enhancing their production efficiency. “Not only was the new laser capable of handling the combined workload of both those machines, it allowed us to bring our overall production back to a 3-5 day lead time. We currently run the machine with a 3-man crew on each shift. Not only does the machine produce a substantially larger amount in a given shift, it does so at a cheaper hourly rate than our plasmas,” Olesky commented. He also added that their average plate utilization is nearly 20% higher than on the plasmas due to how tightly they can pack parts onto a sheet. Another area in which OPTIPLEX NEO is more efficient is the after-cutting cleanup. Olesky reported that 95% of parts have no edge cleanup after cutting, unlike plasma, where 100% of parts must be run through the surface finisher or hand-grinder to clean up dross-buildup.

“The quality has really exceeded our expectations, and the reliability has been excellent. Most importantly, we have been impressed with the support. It has been the most beneficial and seamless partnership we have experienced with a machine manufacturer,” Olesky stated.

Western Steel purchased another OPTIPLEX 3015 NEO ten months after the initial purchase, and currently, both machines operate 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Looking ahead, Western Steel plans to introduce new models to expand their business. “It truly has become a great partnership,” Olesky concluded.

Olesky highlighted some timing metrics that shows the success Western Steel has encountered:

*1: Drilled and plasma cut
*2: Cut on waterjet