Do Your Coils Need To Be Cradled?

What’s old is new again. Coil cradles are making a big comeback these days. But here at Feed Lease, they never went away. We’ve been building the kings of coil containment with rugged, heavy-duty steel construction and hardened nest rolls all along, although in recent years they’ve been upgraded and refined with enhanced features. 

Coil cradles don’t get promoted as much, but there are several benefits to choosing them over more conventional coil-reel-based lines. They are generally less expensive and, depending on the application, cradles can be a more effective and efficient way to handle thicker materials since they are ideal for thicknesses between .060 inches and .75 inches, including high strength materials. That also makes them particularly useful for fineblanking applications. 

Cradles may have you thinking of babies rocking, but there’s nothing delicate about Feed Lease coil cradles. They can handle coil weights ranging from 4,000 to 60,000 pounds, and widths from two inches to 84 inches. Surely, those material capacities can satisfy almost any application.

Coil cradles are a good choice because they will generally require less floor space than a conventional feeding system. They also offer excellent containment as materials stay within the confines of the entire system.

Coil cradles are simple to operate; so less-experienced people can work the machine. That’s important with employee turnover and rising labor costs.

Today, Feed Lease coil cradles feature AC variable frequency drives that provide automatic variable payout speeds and inside plates that are independently adjustable to handle a variety of widths. Our cradles are also available with inline pinch rolls or powered straighteners; curved material deflectors for loop confinement, flip-open chutes for loading and a peeler/debender to peel the leading edge and backbend for threading.

So, are you ready to take a step back in history to save money and floor space? Give us a call at 248-377-0000 and we’ll get your coils cradled asap.

Congratulations! It's an ERP!

We adopted an enterprise resource planning software package (ERP) at Feed Lease. Perhaps “given birth to” the software is a better description since we felt like we were going through contractions, hyperventilating and feeling an intense pressure to push during its early installation. 

But now that our baby is mostly up and running, we are experiencing some of the joys ERP’s bring to businesses. Still, this whole process of transforming our business to operate at a much higher level of efficiency has been our greatest undertaking. And while this transition will probably take 12-18 months to be fully realized, we all see it as very promising. (Twelve to 18 months...that’s when children start walking on their own, right?)

Just as the addition of a baby changes everything for parents, adjusting to our new ERP has been both challenging and eye-opening. How our business operated without an ERP was a lot like how the human body operates on junk food. It’ll run on junk food, but it won’t be as healthy, predictable and energized as it could be. You’ll never get peak performance from junk food. The ERP has allowed us to see that peak performance is well within our reach. And that’s very exciting for us.

The whole process isn’t without its trepidations. You have to expect some level of anxiety when you go from using a hammer and chisel to the space age overnight. We’re all electronic now. We’ve gone digital and now, nothing can happen unless it’s in the system. Deals we used to do over the phone have to be done within the ERP.  

But that inconvenience is way overshadowed by the information that is now instantly available at our fingertips. Data analysis, which we lagged in, is instantaneous.

If nothing else, and there is a ton of “else,” the ERP is letting us see down the road. Operating efficiencies, accuracy in reporting, data, cost breakdowns; this system will positively affect our entire processing system in terms of time and money. 

We understand there is little instant gratification in the early days of this 12-18 month implementation. We’re changing a lot of dirty diapers. But we have all the tools we need now for success and most of them were already a part of us: our strong, cohesive team. Our family. Who better to help us grow and nurture this ERP? 

You know, I just realized if you change the “E” in ERP to a “U,” you get something else newborns do. 

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Looking for more information from Feed Lease? We are the experts in coil handling equipment, coil cradles and more. Visit our website today to learn about all the products and services we provide!

Zig-Zag Is In. Are You?

Imagine a customer ordering and receiving a press mounted Zig-Zag Roll Feed and you're on your way to enjoying your own bliss. One Ohio customer recently learned that he could rake in the savings with the Roll Feed Model RFZZ-3-24 Zig-Zag.

Not only could he run multiple blanks out of a single strip, his metal stamper roll feeds guaranteed him optimization in part output, which in turn, minimized his web scrap.

Consider for a moment what he now sees happening within his own shop - multiple out blanks based on blank diameter for added scrap savings.

This Ohio customer has seen the light when it comes to the Zig-Zag Roll Feed Model RFZZ-3-24, and so can you!

Discover the mechanics of Zig-Zag roll feeds. They are mounted on linear rails and can be programmed to move up to 6" in either direction. Up to three 3.25" blank can then be stamped. The Zig-Zag is height adjustable and is entrance self-centering. Zig-Zag Roll Feed Model RFZZ-3-24, can accept a maximum stock width of 24" (61 cm), a maximum stock thickness of .125 (3.1 mm), and finally, a maximum side shuttle of 12" (30.5 cm). The Zig-Zag also provides hand crank adjustment and V-Grooved edge guides.

Take a look at the other model sizes to suit almost any application and you're on your way to additional bliss.

Try your own hand at a Zig-Zag; you don't even have to live in Ohio.

Call us! We will be more than happy to provide you with a proposal with full specifications.

Maximum Material Yield? Are you getting the most out of your material?

Get the Feed Lease Zig-Zag advantage to optimize part output and gain scrap savings of up to 13%!
Feed Lease Servo Driven Zig-Zag roll feeds can get you the boost you deserve. Simply enter the Blank Diameter, Web Width, Strip Width and 2 or 3 blanks out of the strip to achieve optimal material yield and maximum savings.

Feed Lease Zig-Zag roll feeds are available in a wide variety of width, thickness and blank diameter capacities and come with numerous standard features. Fully programmable and available press mounted or cabinet mounted, the roll feed rides on linear rails for smooth, accurate operation. A servo driven ball screw drives the X-axis while a second servo drive simultaneously advances the Y-axis for optimal positioning. Entrance and exit self-centering, hand crank adjustable, V-grooved, edge guides provide consistent, accurate guiding through the roll feed and into your die.

Call today with your requirements and get the Feed Lease Zig-Zag advantage! You can also contact us on the web! We look forward to working with you!

A Tradition of Innovation: Feed Lease Servo Grip Feed

Since 1969, Feed Lease has committed itself to building high-quality, high- performance press automation and coil handling equipment. In the early 1980s, we designed and manufactured our first electronic servo feed. Our in-house personnel have had years of experience in designing and engineering precision machinery for presses and servo feed equipment.

Today, we continue to design the same high-quality products that have served our customers for over 45 years, while providing a superior level of innovation. Our groundbreaking, CAD-based engineering department allows us to provide the most up-to-date servo feed equipment on the market, including our new Servo Grip Feed.

Read More about the Servo Grip Feed