By Fiona Vernon
People enter a career wanting to make a difference and end up finding solutions to problems that people weren’t even aware existed. When someone from Dallas, Texas, to Detroit, Michigan, runs into a problem to which they need a solution that hasn’t yet been created, they can call the engineers at Berran Industrial Group, Inc. for their expertise in designing special custom machinery and programs that will solve any client’s issues. They have earned a reputation for building safe, high-quality, durable, easy-to-maintain machines and custom automation systems. Any customer from Portland, Oregon, to Jacksonville, Florida, who has experienced their unparalleled support realize that they have received the best machine for their dollar. Berran strives to provide the most economical and efficient solution to any manufacturing need, while truly standing behind everything that they do and building relationships with every customer. The result is a comprehensive blending of their people and ideas in each business. They provide custom assembly machines for a diverse customer base — which includes automotive, toy, window, wood, steel, food processing, foundry, medical, golf, and numerous others —and cutting and trim equipment for a variety of programs and a technology base that allows them to be competitive with on-demand or full automation systems. Berran is pleased to announce a major innovation in cutting extremely thin-walled, oddly-shaped plastic products and parts, such as automotive and air ductwork, that is ideal for automotive suppliers and the plastic industry with their plastic trim cutting machine.
Berran Industrial Group’s plastic trim cutting machine patent evolved from over 30 years of building special custom machinery for tier 1 and tier 2 automotive suppliers, as well as from its work in the medical, toy, sporting, and many more industries from Dallas to Jacksonville. Paul Zuzik, the vice president of Berran’s Engineering Group, states that they are able to cut materials and thin spots, such as in the blow-molding process, with a high degree of accuracy that has never been attained with conventional hot knives and guillotines. While they have been involved with robotic cutters for small batch production parts that can do the job of cutting thin-walled parts using saw blade technology, Berran’s process involves no saw chips or small debris that causes a removal problem because of the static that can occur within the parts. When someone is contemplating the process of engine air management ductwork, Berran goes to obsessive lengths to ensure that the product is as clean as possible after the process through which they have put the part. For the plastics industry, it’s not uncommon for Berran to produce machines that include hot knife cutting, both servo and conventionally driven, punching guillotines, boring, drilling, ultrasonic welding, leak testing, and heat stake welding.
Mr. Zuzik, VP of sales/engineering, states that Berran Industrial Group, Inc. was one of the innovators in many of the custom machines for automotive parts when they produced the first hot knife cutting operation for automotive ductwork over 20 years ago. Berran’s designs are based on what he calls “American beef” designs. For example, while structural aluminum tubing makes for a fine-looking, easy-to-manufacture machine, Berran prefers the ruggedness and rigidity of a welded tubular frame. Applications exist where appearance is important and rigidity is not as big an issue when the customer handles numerous pieces of delicate equipment; however, when it comes than the traditional production floor, a beefy frame is critical for the durability necessary to ensure countless years of consistent production. Berran works with customers on the specifics of each component, but they don’t stop there. They apply the 140 years’ combined machine-building experience of its employees to the application regarding every aspect, from handling the machine off the truck and operation on the production floor, to storing it in the warehouse.
On the subject of safety, Berran Industrial Group, Inc. is extremely proud of the record performance of its machines. In 37 years, only a handful of situations have resulted in a safety incident report; however, they were ultimately determined to be operator-contributed. To Berran’s knowledge, the thousands of machines that they have produced from Portland to Detroit have generated less than two or three days of lost time. This safety record is based upon Berran’s years of experience and growth within the safety industry combined with proper custom automation and assembly machine designs. They have spent thousands of hours on customers’ production floors to evolve their knowledge of safety requirements, not only as dictated by OSHA, but based on the ethical commitment to protect people using their machinery. Mr. Zuzik and the entire company realizes that no one acquires a superior safety record by accident. It takes commitment on the part of their customer, as well as the knowledge base and commitment from Berran, to achieve their exceptional level of performance.
Any Customer from Portland, Oregon, to Jacksonville, Florida, looking for custom machines for the plastic industry, automotive suppliers, or any other industry, can rely upon the reputation of safety and innovation that Berran Industrial Group, Inc. has created with the help of their impressive customer base. Their recent innovative plastic trim cutting machine for cutting thin-walled parts, such as automotive or air ductwork, has taken the industry by storm in the possibilities to which it can lead. Every industry from Dallas, Texas, to Detroit, Michigan, can trust Berran to create a pioneering solution with their industry-leading custom automation and assembly machines. Businesses everywhere trust the safety and reputation that the engineers at Berran have created with their ground-breaking special custom machinery that takes each of their client’s business to the next level.
Berran Industrial Group, Inc.
570 Wolf Ledges Pkwy
Akron, Ohio 44311
330.253.5800
berranindustrialgroup.com/