Hello from ALMCO!
Reflecting on ALMCO’s Evolution
It’s budget time for many companies and here at ALMCO it is interesting to review the equipment orders we have shipped this year and remember the projects from years past. When I started at ALMCO in 1987, we made deburring and finishing equipment with a small number of parts washers. Most of the equipment made was for deburring and most of that was vibratory deburring. The parts washer volume became a slightly larger amount of the overall business each year but was still less than the deburring volume. This year has seen a significant increase in the number of parts washer projects, and we will end the year at about 58% parts washers, 42% deburring equipment. This year’s parts washer business is more than double last year’s volume. I feel this is due to product improvements by the engineering group and ALMCO’s ability to customize our standard line to fit the application. Every parts washer is different because every application is different. We put forth our best effort to figure out what design will work best for your parts AND work well with your operation.
Shifting Trends: Parts Washers vs. Deburring Equipment
A group of us recently discussed cabinet washers. There are so many types of cabinets washers that I thought it would be good to highlight some of the variety in these washers. The first variable is part conveyance. Will the washer need a turntable, an indexing turntable (carousel), an oscillating shuttle, a stationary fixture or will the parts be held by a robot in the cabinet? The next variable is the doors. These can have a lift-up lid, swinging doors, vertically or horizontally sliding doors. These can be powered or moved by hand. The third variable is whether the washer is pass-through or in-and-out. There are also options for wash, rinse, blow-off, dryer, etc. and nozzle configuration as well as part size, weight, etc. With all these variables, it is easy to see why the term “cabinet washer” is almost too generic to describe these machines.
FABTECH Exhibit Insights
I was working in the booth at the ALMCO exhibit this year at FABTECH and it was much better than I expected. It seemed that companies were putting off capital purchases in the third quarter and I thought it would be slow at FABTECH. It was about as busy as usual, and we had a good number of discussions this year. It is always interesting to hear about the projects from various customers. There were several people that I spoke with that reported that their company was still busy, but it was due to having a large backlog going into the third quarter and that orders had slowed by July. This was consistent with what I had been observing across several of the industries that we serve. Overall, we were quite pleased with the activity at FABTECH.
The Fourth Quarter Outlook
The fourth quarter started out great for ALMCO as our incoming orders returned to normal levels. I believe that orders will remain strong and grow throughout 2024. Quoting activity has been consistently strong all year, indicating there is a need for equipment. I expect that companies will start spending more on capital equipment this quarter and that things will get very busy at ALMCO. Since our schedule is filled through 2023, we already know that we will end the year with the most shipments in the history of ALMCO. Not bad for a year when there was supposed to be a recession.
For all your parts washing, deburring and finishing needs, please check out our equipment offerings.
I hope that your business is doing well and that you end the year on a high note. I hope that you get to spend time with family and friends as the end of the year approaches and that all is well to start 2024.
Best Regards,
Tim Grahn
General Manager