Crowley Marine News
Serving boaters for over 35 years!
Ranger Brings About Change -- Better Work Conditions and a Better Product
Media Contact: Josh Ward
Blue Heron Communications
(800) 654-3766
josh@blueheroncomm.com
In its first 41 years, innovation and technological advancements have been a
staple of Ranger Boats' legendary reputation. In an increasingly competitive
industry, Ranger has set the bar once again, this time through an efficient and
resource-conscious manufacturing process made possible with the addition of a
custom JetTool® water jet.
Much in the same way that the RoadArmor®
system revolutionized the RangerTrail division of the boat company and pultruded
fiberglass changed the way transoms were built and components reinforced, the
new robotic water jet will fulfill one of the factory's least-popular jobs:
cutting holes and lids into the fiberglass, interior deck components of the more
than 40 different Ranger models.
"In the past, these interior deck
compartments were trimmed by some of the hardest-working men and women in the
factory - each dressed head-to-toe in protective gear - working with a variety
of jigs and making the cuts with routers, saws and drills," said Ranger Boats
President Randy Hopper. "It was a difficult job that generated a lot of
fiberglass dust. With the new robotic water jet everyone benefits: fellow
employees get a cleaner work environment and the cost savings from improved
efficiency help offset the rising cost of raw materials and the initial
equipment investment."
The process begins once the boats are wheeled
into the robotic water jet's booth. Following an introductory calibration
process where the machine uses lasers to measure the precise placement of the
cutouts, the robotic water jet forces water at 60,000 psi through a
near-microscopic nozzle opening, resulting in clean, uniform cuts. The jet trims
the interior deck on each Ranger model, including all hatch and storage
openings, precisely locating and drilling for deck hardware. Confined within its
675 square-foot booth housed inside the 364,000 square-foot production facility,
this advancement in boat building results in a cleaner work environment for
employees and an improved product for the consumer.
The difference in
results between robotic water jet trimming and conventional boat-building
methods are vast. For the consumer, the edges of compartments underneath the
deck that house batteries, breakers and pumps are smoother and offer a level of
quality not seen with conventional methods. When removing mounting plates on the
front deck to install electronics, the cutouts are uniform and do not impede
wiring. For the manufacturer, water jet cutting means improved production times
- as well as a significant savings in energy, maintenance and tool-making costs.
"There will be substantial annual savings each year in perishable
tooling," said Lance Newton, Ranger Boats' Engineering Project Manager. "As our
process becomes leaner, not only with the robotic trimming system but with other
processes as well, it results in decreased manufacturing costs for Ranger, which
can ultimately result in a more stable cost to our dealers and customers from
year to year."
