Toro fabrication plant uses integrated laser cutting and bending cell to win work, cut costs, improve design, and raise productivity

Toro cell features two CINCINNATI CL-6 Laser Cutting Centers with left and right hand controls, enabling one operator to run both. The lasers feed cut parts to two CINCINNATI Autoform press brakes (rear of cell) when bending is required. All cell operators are cross-trained on both lasers and press brakes.

A "one stop" laser cutting and bending cell at Toro's Shakopee, Minnesota fabrication plant is bringing high-flex processing efficiencies to Toro's most expensive and complex grass-cutting machinery - large articulated "gang" mowers for golf courses and public green spaces.

Combining two CINCINNATI CL-6 laser cutting centers and two 175-ton Autoform CNC press brakes, also from Cincinnati Incorporated, the fabrication cell has cut costs on reel components by 20-30% and reduced outsourcing, while enhancing product development and manufacturability, says Greg Loek, manufacturing engineering manager.

Toro is the market leader - with 50% share - in commercial mowers for the golf course industry and large public and institutional lawn care. The mowers feature banks of reels or multiple rotary decks in articulated frames to adjust to contour changes and hydraulic control to maintain mowing height. "It's not unusual for a golf course to spend $20,000-$30,000 on a turf mower," says Loek. Sheet metal parts are the second largest cost element, after engines, he notes. Looking to increase profitability, Toro several years ago set an initiative on reducing the cost of sheet metal components.

At the time, the Shakopee plant was not a major player in sheet metal sourcing by Toro, according to Loek, supplying only 5-10% of Toro's requirements. "Investing in new, flexible equipment was one way we could be more competitive with outside vendors," he says. "Now Shakopee produces about 30-35% of all sheet metal needs on commercial landscape equipment. We provide a competitive price, while being able to help on design and manufacturing issues."

Ensuring that competitive price, Toro requires that the Shakopee plant submit a bid on each new component, then does sample bidding against outside suppliers. "We usually have a 20-30 percent advantage over outside suppliers on cost," states Loek.

The plant purchased its first laser, a 2000-watt CL-6 laser cutting system from Cincinnati Incorporated, in mid-1999 and a second CL-6 in February, 2001. The lasers are mirror machines, with left and right hand controls respectively, so one operator can service both. It added a third CL-6 with 4000 watt laser in January, 2003.

Shakopee outfits the CL-6 lasers with 5 x 10 ft. tables. This enables the plant to run 4 x 10 ft. sheets to maximize yield and part nesting capability. The lasers are integrated with a material-handling tower system, which stores the raw material, cues up the required sheet for the next job, and brings it to the operator for loading onto the open pallet on a CL-6's dual pallet system.

Greg Loek and Rob McArdell led creation of "one stop" metal fabrication cell at Toro's Shakopee, MN plant. Integrating two CINCINNATI CL-6 Laser Cutting Centers with two Autoform CNC Press Brakes, the cell has cut processing costs 20-30% on components for Toro's large commercial lawn mowers.

Shakopee engineers evaluated various makes of lasers before deciding on Cincinnati Incorporated. "The determining factor was the organization behind the laser," says Loek. "Being new to lasers on the engineering, operation and maintenance levels, it came down to service, reputation and experience. In order to bring on the laser on in a relatively short period of time and get through the learning curve, we felt most comfortable with CINCINNATI."

The decision proved sound. Machine installation, trianing, service and application assistance have all been excellent, he says.

The two lasers are located in a fabrication cell along with two CNC 175-ton Autoform press brakes, also from Cincinnati Incorporated. Work coming off the lasers goes to the Autoforms for bending. "Our concept for the cell was that any work that starts on the laser finishes here - it doesn't need to go anywhere else to be fabricated," says Loek. "We placed the press brakes right in the cell with the lasers."

"The Autoforms lets us do faster, more frequent setups," says Loek. "When we did the purchase justification, we figured they could reduce setup time by 50%. We've realized that goal because of how repeatable they are. We don't have to do all the shimming and adjusting."

According to Rob McArdell, manufacturing engineer, the plant is able to process a new part with multiple bends on the Autoform in about 10 minutes between programming and setup. Before, it would take an hour or more to do a part, he says.

The four-machine cell runs most of the time with just two operators. While the lasers are cutting, the laser operator is free to run one of the press brakes, explains Loek. If workload gets particularly heavy, a third operator is brought in to run a press brake. Shakopee cross-trains operators to run both the lasers and Autoforms. With installation of the third CL-6 installed, the cell goes to three operators per shift - one primarily to run the lasers, two to run the press brakes, but with any of them available to flex as spot conditions require, he says.

Toro's lowest volume machines, but highest in dollars and part count, the commercial golf course and turf maintenance units are pretty much built to order, all dictating the need for high flexibility and fast changeovers. The Shakopee plant runs about 1600 different part numbers on the lasers, says McArdell. "We process about 400 different orders a month, around 20 different part numbers a day. Our average lot size is about 150."

Autoform press brake's CNC control and programmable 6-axis backgage reduce setup time by 50% to enable faster, more frequent setups in adoption of high-flex processing efficiencies. The Autoforms have cut programming and setup time for a new part with multiple bends from an hour or more to about 10 minutes.

Many of the components contain complex external geometry and intricate internal features, making them particularly suited to CNC laser cutting, says McArdell. "Radiused features and tabs or slots are very common." The laser cell processes sheet steel from 16 gage to 3/8" with greatest utilization in 10 gage, 7 gage and 1/4" sizes.

The flexibility of the laser strengthens Toro's heavy emphasis on new product development, according to Loek. "A key factor in Toro's strong market share is product innovation," he stresses. "The pace of product development is a huge factor in the need for production flexibility. About 40-50% of the commercial mower products we build were developed within the last three years. These are new and different models, not just minor improvements. This means we're dealing with a steady stream of manufacturing changes and new product launches."

Prior to the lasers, designs had to be locked in early to arrange tooling for manufacture, he says. "Now we're making changes up to the last week before production begins. It's phenomenal the amount of changes that can take place nowadays."

In some cases, the laser cell is used to do prototyping and initial production run on parts that because of production volumes will eventually be hard tooled, he notes. "We have the flexibility to still make design changes, rather than having to change the hard tooling. We get to market a little quicker and have the chance to prove out the design with customers before committing to production tooling," says Loek.

Flexibility also has productivity benefits on existing products. A design change to an existing component can be made in minutes, at most a couple hours, enhancing continuous improvement efforts. Quick action also saves assembly delays. "Occasionally we'll get a call from an assembly plant that they're coming up short on a job and ask us to tuck a few parts in. It doesn't even cause of hiccup for us," says Loek.