Introducing Our New MultiCam 1000 Plasma Table

Introducing our new MultiCam 1000 Series CNC plasma table!! The last few months of hard work have paid off with the full installation of our new plasma table, finishing up late last week with today being the end of our first full week of production. The table is fantastic and has already saved us time with the multiple jobs that we have already completed. With the installation of our new equipment we can provide customers with faster production times and reduced prices.

Scroll down to see some more photos of the new CNC plasma table and a video of our new toy in action.

 

If you have any questions about your sheet metal fabrication needs or items you may need cut, please visit our contact page to send us your requests.

Custom Secondary Drain Pan

Custom secondary drain pans are something we fabricate for many applications. This particular pan will be placed underneath a washing machine, but most are for under a new air handler or hot water tank. Many of our customers like the basic blank drain pan without an outlet installed so they can add the drain on the job site. Because we don't weld in our shop this option works well, but we are able to install a basic drain if necessary. The fabrication process for our custom secondary drain pans is rather easy and we can knock them out within 24 hours. Two of the sides are Pittsburgh joints, which we seal with high temperature sealant to make sure the pan is waterproof.

Need a custom secondary drain pan? Go to our contact page and send us an email.

 

You can see more photos on our fabrication photos or Flickr pages.

Evening Link List: Apple, Hackers & Tax Credits

A few interesting reads from my afternoon and evening.... Nothing is safe from the hackers of today...including HVAC (Threat Post)

HVAC tax credits have been renewed for 2013 (Service Experts)

Slower rate, but housing prices should continue to rise in 2013 (Calculated Risk)

America's 11th largest tech company is....the ipad? (Apple 2.0)

Shameless plug. Cool video showing the fabrication and assembly of shipping containers (Tin Blog)

Fabricating Custom Ductwork in Glens Falls NY For Over 20 Years

K & E Sheet Metal has been fabricating custom ductwork in Glens Falls NY for over 20 years and we are doing our best to grow the business into the future, providing even better service to new and existing customers. We are a father and son business focusing on residential HVAC sheet metal fabrication along with residential heating and air conditioning installations. Our goal has and will forever be providing customers with quality, affordable duct fabrication and installation service. Helping home owners who need custom sheet metal fabrication with the products that will help them finish their ductwork installation properly. No job is too small for our shop when it comes to providing quality custom ductwork fittings for each and every one of our customers. We fabricate everything from standard custom ductwork to the smallest of sheet metal boxes or flat sheet metal for the everyday walk-in customer.

Because we have been fabricating custom ductwork in Glens Falls NY for so many years we have built a nice following of happy customers and relationships with area vendors. Our business was built on word of mouth advertising and customer recommendations are the catalyst to gaining an evolving local customer base. Our product speaks for itself locally and we work hard daily to continue the service that has kept the company alive over the last 20 years.

If you are looking for custom ductwork fittings or custom ductwork in Glens Falls NY, we are the place to call. We work with our customers to make sure they get the duct needed to finish the job properly.

Replacing your old furnace?

Are you replacing an old broken down furnace and need some custom transitions to fit the new furnace unit to the old duct? We can work with you to provide the custom transition needed to finish the job right, going over measurements and drawings or coming out to take measurements ourselves.

Need a custom supply air plenum or return air plenum?

These are our specialty and can fabricate your new supply air plenum in less than 24 hours from the time you place your order. Return air plenums take a bit longer but we will do our best to finish your order as soon as possible for an affordable price, helping you get the job done right.

Not sure what custom ductwork you need?

Do you live in and need custom ductwork in Glens Falls NY and your not sure what you need? Shoot us an email or give a call to see if we can help with your custom ductwork fabrication needs.

The Right Time For a New Equipment Investment

I am happy to say that after years of financial stagnation, we are finally taking steps toward growth with our first major equipment investment in years. Business has increased to a point where this decision makes sense, but that is not the reason we are taking on the risk of a major investment. The company has been mulled in a soup of non-growth for many years and it was time to start taking advantage of sexy interest rates and tax breaks to help the business move forward. Currently we are in the process of purchasing a new table plasma cutting system for our little sheet metal fabrication job shop. This would be our biggest equipment investment in many years. However, it would increase our production greatly and make it possible to search out bigger projects in the residential HVAC sheet metal fabrication markets locally. Seeing as our shop doesn't weld and has never owned a handheld plasma cutting machine, we are a bit green when it comes to dealing with consumables and pneumatic tools. The learning process will be educational, very interesting and eventually profitable.

Having the ability to decrease cut time and waste will make fabricating fittings like cold air boots, trunk duct reducers and custom transitions far easier and profitable for our micro-business. After hemming and hawing for a few months we finally took the leap and started heavily researching our new equipment investment.

I, as a business owner, want to create jobs in my community, but in order to make this happen the machinery needed to come first. I need to know I can bring in new business in order to keep a new employee working. The company is not in a position to do this just yet. Increasing productivity first was the most economical way for the company to reach some short and long term goals.

The quoting process is near completion and financing is on the horizon. Best case scenario would be  a initial equipment investment in our new plasma cutting table within a month or so, hopefully having everything installed by the end of the year. Hoping my optimism continues through the process.

Fingers X'd

Our HVAC Sheet Metal Fabrication Custom Job Shop Machinery & Equipment

Yesterday I posted the newest video to our YouTube page, showing the various machines we use for fabrication in our HVAC sheet metal custom job shop.

 

Here is a list of what we currently use to fabricate HVAC sheet metal ductwork and fittings.

K & E Sheet Metal Custom Job Shop Equipment:

Sheet Metal Bending

• (2) 8’ wide manual brakes with bending capability up to 16 gauge mild steel
• (2) 30” wide hand bench top brakes
• (1) Cheek bender with 24” bend length & 22 gauge mild steel capacity
• (1) 30” wide cleat bender with 20 gauge mild steel capacity

Sheet Metal Forming

• (1) Fourplex Roll Former with button lock and slip/drive capabilities. up to 22 gauge
• (2) Pittsburgh machines with 22 gauge capacity
• (1) 36” wide manual rolls with 22 gauge capacity
• (1) Tabletop Easy Edger with 22 gauge capacity

Sheet Metal Cutting

• (1) 52” wide foot operated shear with 16 gauge mild steel capacity
• (1) Bench top hand operated shear up to 20 gauge
• multiple hand operated long handle and aviation snips

Note: We DO NOT have any welding capabilities

Slowing Construction in Glens Falls, Queensbury Not Good For HVAC Business

Not surprisingly the local construction numbers in Glens Falls and Queensbury were down in 2011. The Post Star reported today that construction in both areas declined by roughly half the level of 2010.

From The Post Star:

The city issued building permits for $13.81 million of construction in 2011, compared with $25.26 million in 2010, according city Code Enforcement Office annual reports.

Queensbury experienced a similar decline in construction activity, dropping to $28.6 million in 2011 from $41.2 million in 2010, according to the town Community Development Office annual report.

Read more: Construction Activity Slows in 2011 for Glens Falls, Queensbury

We are seeing the same thing in our business with the majority of our work coming from people remodeling a room or basement, not building new homes. There is much less demand for full duct systems and more for furnace replacements or repairs. There has been minor demand for some movement of duct work for better air flow, upstairs heat or new additions. However, this has not been something to be counted on like it may have been in the past. The jobs are scare and competitive.

Because we focus on sheet metal fabrication along with heating and cooling installation, we have a good idea of what's going on locally. Granted, we are very small in comparison to other companies. However, we have been in the area for over 20 years and know many companies that have been seeing the same things. Much of the trickle down fabrication for these companies comes our way and last year was much slower.

If the 2011 trends continue through 2012, business in the local residential HVAC market will continue to feel the pain of the last few years. I don't see many of our customers on as regular a basis like before the financial crisis. Many have found jobs in other fields or signed on with larger companies in the area. This can hurt us a bit because a lot of our business comes from the micro business service and installation professionals.

We can only hope for a warm summer and good air conditioning sales because the mild winter has not helped the beginning of this year. A summer with last years cool temperatures and we could see some lower revenues through the middle of the year as well. Last year we noticed a lot of customers asking about widow units rather than a new central air system.

If that trend continues, it would not be good for business throughout 2012.

Replaced Your Furnace Filter Lately? Visit Our Tool Shop to Stock Up Today! Visit kesheetmetal.com/toolshop