GTR has been at the forefront of the sheet metal fabrication industry for over 50 years. We stand out by continuously reinvesting in our company and prioritizing top-line equipment to handle complex orders.
But how we define manufacturing equipment is much broader than most other shops.Â
GTR’s Investing Philosophy for Custom Sheet Metal Fabrication
At GTR, we pride ourselves on our holistic approach to equipment investments. We consider every aspect of the sheet metal fabrication process—not just the flashy machines.
When we discuss equipment investments, we’re referring to:
- The machines that create parts
- The software directing the machines
- The equipment we use to clean our facilities
Most shops focus on machine investments and let their software and cleaning equipment fall by the wayside. Throughout our decades in the industry, we’ve seen shops go under because of this. Â
Our holistic investments across our shop reflect our determination to deliver no less than the best. That requires equipment like our advanced punch/laser combination machine and our upgraded floor cleaner.
How Our Recent Equipment Investments Benefit Customers
Our shop already has an impressive range of sheet metal fabrication capabilities, so we prioritize automation investments that improve repeatability, reliability, and efficiency.
Here are a few of our recent investments and how they benefit customers:
Amada EML laser/punch system
Our newest Amada machine, an EML-K3610 Laser/Punch Combo w/ARS 3015 6 Shelf Auto-Load/Unloader & Parts Picker, is a force of machinery. It pairs a multi-purpose turret with a precise 3kW fiber laser to ensure tight tolerances and rapid production speed.
The laser/punch system increases our lights-out machining capabilities because it runs overnight and on weekends. Automating the process as much as possible minimizes human error and increases part repeatability.
Amada maintenance plan
At GTR, we exclusively use Amada machines for their superior production quality. We spend approximately $75,000 annually on a maintenance program to keep our machines in excellent shape and receive service within hours if a machine malfunctions.Â
Investing in this rapid maintenance solution ensures customers receive orders on time, even if we experience machining issues.
ProtoPlus equipment
We spent $1.5 million to upgrade all our equipment in our ProtoPlus prototyping facility—every machine is brand-new. Those upgrades reduce setup times and increase production speed and repeatability. Our sheet metal prototype service delivers a quote within hours and a prototype in days.Â
Paperless Parts software
We invested in Paperless Parts software to streamline our quoting system and customer communications. We can identify repeat parts quickly, easily organize customer data, and identify manufacturability issues before production begins.Â
Equipment investments on the customer side are just as important as in our shop. Paperless Parts makes the quoting process seamless and error-free for customers and employees.Â
GTR’s Future Investment Plans for Custom Sheet Metal Fabrication
Our 50-year journey to where we are today reflects a relentless commitment to innovation and forward-thinking leaders. And it’s not just for our benefit—it’s to guarantee customer projects receive the quality and attention they deserve.
Here’s a sneak peek into our future investment plans:
- Updating equipment to the latest models
- Expanding our tooling library
- Increasing automation capabilities
- Enhancing information flow through software updates
At GTR, we will continue to invest in the latest equipment to ensure customers receive high-quality parts with impeccable precision and faster lead times.Â
Request a quote today.Â