TruFlow Spray Booths Australia is an Australian designer, manufacturer and installer of industrial and commercial spray booth products. TruFlow’s Director Anton Pirie spoke to AMT about the company’s recent decision to purchase a Deratech press brake from CMTS Sheetmetal Machines.
From humble beginnings with only two staff members almost 20 years ago, TruFlow Spray Booths Australia has grown to an Australia-wide operation employing 40-plus workers. The company manufactures unique custom-made spray booths that have been installed in a variety of industries including aviation, automotive repair, commercial trucking, industrial painting and cabinet making.
AMT: Why did you need the new machine?
Anton Pirie: We had an old second-hand 3.2m press brake that we had purchased through CMTS about 10 years ago, and although it was still running well, it wasn’t keeping up with our production. Neither was the additional 5m press brake machine, which is about 40 years old now, so we understood that we needed to update our press brake technology.
AMT: How important are the press brakes to your business?
AP: Very important! The press brake machines are a major piece of our production; they run all day every day. They are a major part of the manufacture of the roof and wall packs for our spray booths and burner boxes. Both machines are 95% of our business. This is why it is so important to get the right machine from the right company. If something goes wrong, it will have a drastic effect on our production.
AMT: How is the Deratech press brake machine?
AP: It’s brilliant; it’s so simple to work with. We purchased a Deratech Technica 250-ton, 6,100mm machine, with two CNC front sheet supports. We had just put on a new operator, and it normally takes a while for a new operator to get up to speed. The Deratech press brake machine is so easy to use it is like the operator has been doing it for years. The software is so simple that if you can draw the folds with your finger and insert the sizes required, then you are good to go. It’s just that easy to deal with. This is so important to us because the new operator is now running the machine like a pro and that helps production levels.
AMT: Why did you choose CMTS?
AP: We had about six different companies who gave us quotes. When Michael [Schneider, Director of Sales & Service at CMTS] came in, there was a difference about him. He was honest and to the point, he told me exactly how it is – that enabled me to trust him. He even talked about competitor products in high regard, and I liked that. I liked the way he approached things. He didn’t talk down his competitors, and just told me the facts about the Deratech machine and everything I needed to know.
AMT: How was your experience with CMTS?
It was great. Michael kept us updated all the way through the process. When the machine was installed, they were fantastic – so helpful. He came in and gave my team all the training we needed. He even came back to deliver extra training when we asked. He knew that this installation was important to us and treated it with the respect it needed.
I’ve had machines installed before and sometimes it can take months to get it operational, but with CMTS it only took a short time and we were up and running. They are such good people to deal with – if more people were like them the world would be a better place.