Prize Turns Profit on Day 1 for IMTS Waterjet Winner with WARDJet E-1515 Waterjet Machine

Laureate Machine and Automation celebrate the installation of their prize, a WARDJet waterjet machine, won as part of the Build It! Challenge competition that took place during the IMTS 2016 trade show in Chicago, IL. John Mullet, Laureate owner, won one of two machines given away by waterjet manufacturer WARDJet Inc. Mr. Mullet represented the “pro side” of the challenge that placed students up against industry professionals in a waterjet build-off. On the student side, Missouri University of Science and Technology walked away as the educational winner, which brought the combined total prize packages to$200,000.

Sizing Things Up
So what do you do when you win a waterjet? In John’s case, he asked for a bigger one. As he saw it, the prize, an E-1515 machine (1.5 meter by 1.5 meter) with a 5’x5’ cutting area, might not serve his needs as well as WARDJet’s 1530 E-Series model with a 5’x10’ cutting area. John was offered a trade-up option in which WARDJet credited Laureate the value of the smaller machine allowing the company to purchase the E-1530 for the difference in price.

The Perfect Fit
Laureate, established in 2000, focuses on designing and building automated finishing systems. The business was already equipped to do CNC machining, wire EDM, welding/fabrication, but John had also previously considered a waterjet purchase knowing the versatility of waterjet technology would complement his capabilities. So his new prize was a more than a welcomed addition.

The E-1515 was delivered and installed over a three day period that included some basic training and calibration from WARDJet. John grasped the value of both his machine and working with the WARDJet team. “After the guys came out [WARDJet Installers] and did the ball bar calibration; it’s cutting within a few thousandths of circularity on a 24″ diameter circle. Pretty amazing for this large of a machine,” John reported.

Cut Right To It
Who wouldn’t want a quick return on their investment? To WARDJet’s surprise, the guys at Laureate were ready to put the machine to work before the installers even packed up to leave. John and his crew started cutting parts immediately and the shop made money on the first day of official operation. “We’ve already experienced a cost savings by cutting [in-house] some of the parts we were previously contracting outside,” John said. He went on to explain that the company had been outsourcing waterjet cutting of some large tool and jig blanks that he could now bring in-house and cut on his new waterjet. Furthermore, John clearly saw some notable differences when using the WARDJet machine. “I am really impressed with the rigidity of this machine and the quality of cut compared to what we were seeing on parts cut on the cantilevered design machine our sub-contractor was using.”

It’s fair to say that this prize landed in good hands. And that having additional in-house capabilities will help Laureate’s bottom line while providing more control over quality and lead times. Hopefully John will continue to realize these benefits and more, all tied back to having won the WARDJet waterjet.

For more information, visit www.wardjet.com.