At one time, ironworkers had their hands full when attempting
to bend or cut rebar. They'd use bolt cutters or cutting
torches to obtain the desired lengths. But that all changed
with the advent of rebar processing machines. Now rebar, which is manufactured several feet long,
can be loaded into a machine where desired lengths are
programmed into a computer and giant cutting jaws snip
off what's needed. The cut rebar is transported, via a
conveyor system, and automatically dropped into corrals,
where it is tied and tagged into bundles for shipment.
There are only two companies in the United States that
manufactures rebar processing machines and an estimated
half dozen total throughout the world. Rebar Machine Service
Inc. of Las Vegas is the only company on the West Coast
making machines. Originally formed by Paul Green in San Diego, Calif.,
in 1964, he moved his entire operation to Las Vegas in
1991. R.M.S. is currently situated on 2 acres of land
in the southeast region of the Las Vegas Valley.A rebar-processing
machine is made in 10-foot lengths and includes a cutter
and bender. Depending on how many corrals are needed,
making it possible to cut several lengths for different
orders, the machinery could stretch 134 feet long or bigger
and weigh more than 42,000 pounds. The price tag for a
system ranges from $150,000 to $200,000. "It takes three weeks to make a rebar processing
machine," Green says. "It requires 1,200 man
hours and another 40 hours in the field setting it up.
It resembles a giant Lego set when finished." R.M.S. is a family owned and operated business. It consists
of Paul, president; his wife Lea, chief executive officer;
and sons Tom and Dave, both supervisors. The company also
includes 14 families of loyal employees, who Green paid
to move to Southern Nevada. Green used to be an electrician for the Southern Pacific
Railroad before he got into the rebar machine business.
Always mechanically inclined, he surmised in the 1960s
that the premise behind hydraulics in machinery must follow
the same principals as those involving the flow of electricity.
In following this theory, he successfully invented the
first automated rebar bender controller in 1964. The dial-controlled machine revolutionized the way ironworkers
did their jobs, making their lives easier and improving
productivity. Green grew his company by developing computerized
controllers. Today, customers buy systems with computer
chips created by R.M.S. that will program rebar processing
machines to make whatever cuts and bends are needed. The
company also designs its own computer boards to accommodate
the electronic chips. "The idea is to get the best cut out of the steel
without wasting anything," Green explains. "You
can have up to eight jobs (orders for rebar lengths) going
at the same time, and the machine will cut and place them
(in corrals) to be tagged." R.M.S. sells and services machines all over the world,
Green says. He estimates that most of the rebar used in
projects worldwide was cut on machines he made. Many of
these machines are 20 years old and still run, he says. For information, contact: Rebar Machine Service Inc.,
5935 Emerald Ave., Las Vegas, NV. 89122. Phone: (702)
454-8688, or 1-800-798-5595. Fax: (702)
454-6645. |
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