Nu Dimensions finds its flow

The 5-axis machines have allowed the shop to perform ultra-precise and complex cuts like contour bevelling in 1.5-in. GR2 titanium. Images: Nu Dimensions

In 2010 Sean Taylor, with eight years of experience with owning a fabrication shop in the Lower Mainland, B.C., believed that there was a market for a shop that was dedicated to waterjet services. He and his business partner and good friend Benjamin Boogaerts turned this belief into reality when they started Nu Dimensions Fabricating & Manufacturing Ltd..

The shop launched in a 3,000-sq.-ft. facility in Delta, B.C., with one 5-axis waterjet machine. Three years later the duo purchased a second 5-axis waterjet. As capacity grew, the team purchased a 7,500-sq.-ft. facility in Surrey, B.C., and added a standard waterjet. Two years after that, the shop expanded into the adjacent empty space, growing to 16,000 sq. ft. and adding another standard and 5-axis waterjet. Today the shop has five waterjets and one CNC router machine.

“We are definitely a Flow shop,” said Taylor, co-owner and operations manager. “I’ve been doing this for 22 years now. I started working for one of the first waterjet shops in the province. I’ve always worked with Flow machines, so when we started the company, we wanted something that would differentiate us from some of the other shops in the area. We took the leap and went with a Flow 5-axis waterjet right off the bat.”

At that time 5-axis waterjet technology was fairly new to the market and few shops, if any, were competing in this space. Taylor and the team had no previous experience with the technology but quickly realized that there was an opportunity for growth.

“When I look back to 2010 when we first started, that 5-axis brought in a lot of work for us,” he said. “No one had really seen it in our market. It basically set the foundation for the company. The relationships we have with our customers were built early, and we continue to work with those same customers and companies. We’ve grown but stayed in the same space, focusing on waterjet cutting. It’s been really great.”

Today the shop employs 14 people and has enjoyed continual growth year after year.

Upgraded Equipment

Taylor credits much of the shop’s success with running top-of-the-line machines and having the capacity to take on big projects.

“All of our machines are interchangeable,” said Taylor. “The heart and soul of every machine we operate is an intensifier pump – dual 94,000-PSI pumps. It’s one of the fastest on the market. And with this, lots of doors have opened for us and has allowed us to offer a lot of value-added services.”

When Taylor was looking at waterjet technology, speed was one of the biggest considerations. Various types of pumps are available for a machine, such as intensifier and direct-drive pumps, and they can range in power from 60,000 to 94,000 PSI and 50 to 100 HP.

“All of our machines have dual intensifiers with 94,000 PSI and 100 HP,” he said. “So, these machines are putting out the highest amount of pressure and volume in the market. We can go up against the conventional 60,000-PSI, 50-HP machine and, in most cases, we will be 30 per cent faster.”

Nu Dimensions started with a single waterjet machine, a custom painted Flow Mach 4B IFB, at its original 3,500-sq.-ft. facility.

And while the initial investment was higher than some of the other equipment on the market, Taylor said that the machines are worth it and have quickly paid for themselves.

“If you are a company like us, productivity is everything,” he said. “Time is money, and production means everything. The fact that we are able to turn out as much work as we do each day is really significant.”

Working With 5-axis

The shop has diversified its sectors by working in food processing, theme park development, signage, and wastewater treatment. However, the core of its business is in the oil and gas segment.

“We have an extensive inventory system, so we are able to turn around orders in a day if needed. We can service most jobs with the inventory we carry. This has been essential for work in the oil and gas sector, which tends to be very high-demand and requiring quick turnover.”

Although the shop specializes in cutting stainless steel, it does take on a fair bit of work in steel and aluminum. The core of its projects tends to be heavy plate, particularly ¾- to 3-in. stainless. However, Nu Dimensions often takes on special projects. Right now the team is involved with work for the Kitimat LNG plant, using two of its waterjets solely for this project.

“With 5-axis we really start to see a difference working with heavy plate,” said Taylor. “There are significant time savings. For example, if we were competing with another company – one that has just a standard waterjet – and we were to cut 1/8-in. stainless, there wouldn’t be much difference in speed, but when we get into that thick material, we really excel.”

The 5-axis machines have allowed the shop to perform ultra-precise and complex cuts such as bevels, countersinks, and 3D shapes.

Weld Prep

“The one thing we do a lot of today, which never even crossed my mind when we originally bought our 5-axis, is weld prep on heavy plate,” said Taylor. “We've done some case studies with clients to demonstrate the benefits of using waterjet for weld prep rather than using a welder. Having a welder who is making upwards of $55/hour grinding stainless to weld is not an effective use of their time and can slow them down. We deliver a product that a welder can fit up and weld. They can save money and get stuff out the door faster if we do it on the 5-axis waterjet, which works so great for both companies.”

And while the 5-axis waterjets have allowed the shop to take on some public art installations and other creative projects, the majority of work on these machines is weld preparation. Beyond that, the team also does a lot of contour bevelling and pipe flange work.

Maintenance

“Are you able to effectively perform in-house maintenance?” he asked. “If the machine goes down, is there someone on staff that is mechanically inclined to fix it? This can really make or break you.”

The core of the shop’s projects tends to be heavy plate, particularly ¾- to 3-in stainless. This Pacific Northwest artwork was cut from ¾-in. steel plate.

In the early days in-house maintenance was more difficult because the technology was fairly new, and the shop was small and stretched pretty thin. Now Nu Dimensions has one worker dedicated to maintaining the machines. This way, if there is a problem with the machine, the shop doesn’t need to wait for a technician and can get it back online with as little downtime as possible.

Continued Success

Nu Dimensions works with customers across Western Canada – the Lower Mainland is its primary focus, but it does do work in Alberta and a few projects in Saskatchewan, as well as larger projects in northern B.C. Taylor was surprised when the shop even started picking up some work for customers in China.

Year over year the shop has continued to grow. From the onset Taylor recognized that they needed to embrace 5-axis waterjet cutting.

“It was a bit of a learning curve in the beginning, but not in the way you would think,” said Taylor. “We just needed to wrap our heads around the new capabilities and look at waterjet cutting in a different manner. I could put an operator on the machine and within days he would be able to run it. The simplicity is there once you understand what is possible.”

With 5-axis the tip height is critical. If the tip height is too high or too low, then the angle of the cut changes, and this can ruin a part. The Flow machines are equipped with height sensors that can correct this issue along with a host of other features to control the plates.

Taylor noted that one area of concern for the shop comes with the expanded capabilities of laser cutting. As this technology continually expands to cut thicker materials, it potentially could affect Nu Dimensions’ business. But for now, Taylor does not see this as a problem. In fact, he is confident moving forward with 5-axis waterjet cutting.

“As the technology has progressed it’s gotten better and easier to program and operate,” he said. “We went from conventional, straight up and down cutting to cutting different angles and complex parts. At the beginning we really relied on skilled operators, but now that we’ve spent 10 years in this space, we feel very confident in what we can offer. In theory, lots of things are possible, but we wanted to make sure we could successfully deliver what we were offering. It was a matter of figuring out the best cutting dynamics and where we could shine, and I think we’ve found that. And now we are looking to grow even more by adding another 5-axis waterjet. That’s six machines in 10 years. I’d call that a success.”

Associate Editor Lindsay Luminoso can be reached at lluminoso@canadianfabweld.com.

Nu Dimensions, nudimensions.ca

Flow International Corp., www.flowwaterjet.com

The 5-axis waterjet machines allow Nu Dimensions to perform 45-degree mitring on a range of metals and marble tile.