ShopSolutions Case Histories of Manufacturing Problem Solving Shop’s Diversity Rides on Waterjet Cutting W
hat do a 260-mph (418-kph) Ford Mustang funny car, a 48" (1.2-m) manhole lid, a kitchen counter- top and a 56' (17-m) semitrailer have in common? They all center around Brian Hough’s shop, West Coast Steel Fabricators (Eugene, OR), and benefit from versatile afford- able waterjet cutting technology. Brian Hough’s business extends beyond the West Coast Steel Fabricators job shop and into three other divisions— OTI, Olympus Trailers, and Cascade Truck Body & Trailer Sales. OTI manufactures equipment for wastewater treatment facilities; Olympus Trailers builds large motorsports and utility trailers; and Cascade Truck Body & Trailer Sales up-fits trucks for service and heavy-duty industrial use. And about that Ford Mustang funny
car, Brian also runs his own NHRA Top Alcohol Funny Car racing team, Brian Hough Racing. He’s also the team’s championship driver. West Coast Steel Fabricators began operation in 1979 and does custom fab- rication work that includes conveyors, bins, hoppers, tanks, trusses, ductwork, and silos, among others. In essence, listing what products the versatile 50-person shop has not created would be easier. Besides his regular custom- ers, Hough shares the shop’s fabricat- ing expertise and capabilities with all his other divisions, including the Top Alcohol Funny Car racing team.
parts without the hassle of tool changes or complex fixtur- ing. Plus, compared with his other production equipment, abrasive waterjet cutting generates much smoother surface finishes, which in many instances eliminates the need for secondary machining.
“I had long been interested in waterjet cutting, so when I
was ready, I contacted OMAX Corp. The company appealed to me because it is nearby in Kent, WA, and is a close-knit, family-oriented, US-based company,” said Hough. “Once I decided on a machine, OMAX had it here within three days, and that same day, I was up and running.”
Brian Hough’s Top Alcohol Funny Car hits speeds approaching 260 mph (418 kph) while covering the quarter mile in 5.6 seconds. All of Hough’s businesses have benefited from the precision cutting and quality finish provided by the OMAX Maxiem 1530 JetCutting Center.
A few years ago, Hough looked to expand and diversify his business in the face of the new economic reality. He wanted to expand his custom steel product offerings and elevate com- ponent quality to higher levels. That is when he incorporated his first abrasive waterjet cutting machine into his shop. With abrasive waterjet technology, Hough now handles a wider range of production runs, including fast prototype de- velopment. He is able to quickly turn around highly accurate
Hough’s machine is a Maxiem 1530 JetCutting Center. First introduced in 2009, the Maxiem line has proven its ability to meet customer demands for cost-efficient, versa- tile waterjet cutting technology. More than 20 different sizes currently comprise the Maxiem line, and each model incor- porates OMAX’s proven direct drive pump technology and Intelli-MAX software suite. Hough’s 1530 model employs an X-Y cutting travel of 10' 2" × 5' 2" (3 × 1.6 m)
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