The best way to make sure you purchase the right portable roof panel machine is to be an educated consumer right from the beginning, as this equipment is a significant part of your business and production, In other words, it directly affects your profits.
You don’t necessarily want to buy the first new portable roof panel rollforming machine you look at. It’s important to compare and contrast attributes among the ones you’re interested in. When looking at your options, check for the following:
- Separate drive and forming rollers – The best rollforming machines tend to be ones with separate drive and forming rollers. Separating the two results in less stress on the metal because the rollers aren’t trying to form and drive the metal at the same time.
- Post-cut or pre-cut – There’s a noticeable difference between cutting the metal before it enters the forming stations (pre-cut) and after it exits the forming stations (post-cut). What option to choose depends on your personal preference and individual business needs. Here’s a further description of how the two differ:
- Post-cut – The metal part is formed first in the forming stations and cut AFTERWARD. One benefit of cutting after forming is complete is there are no length restrictions. Products can be cut as small as one foot long or shorter without any issues.
- Pre-cut – The metal is cut BEFORE it goes through the forming stations at the entry of the machine. Conversely to post-cut, there are short length restrictions on pre-cut machine shears. However, pre-cut offers a cleaner cut than post-cut machines.
- How many profiles the machine runs – If you want to offer many different profile options to your customers, you’ll want to make sure the new machine can accommodate tooling changes for the profiles you want to buy. You may also want to verify that the offered profiles are capable of passing the engineering and testing requirements that you may need.
- Machine speed – Most portable rollformers run fast and consistent enough so that panels can be continuously put up on the roofing structure. That being said, some machines may run slower or quicker depending on the use of hydraulics, so be sure to verify how fast it can run panels.
- Warranties – Before you buy new equipment, always make sure you know about the warranties on the machine or the various parts that are offered with the purchase. For example, NTM’s SSQ MultiPro Roof Panel Machines feature these warranties:
- Three years on parts (including electrical) / Three years labor
- Limited lifetime separation on drive rollers
- Limited lifetime on stainless steel forming rollers against normal wear and tear
- Servicing, parts availability, and training – No one wants their new machine to run into issues, but it’s imperative to know what to do if it does occur. This is why you should always ask the manufacturer if they offer service and training for the machines they sell. Plus, check how quickly they are typically able to get service or replacement parts when a machine goes down.
- Machine size – The size of the machine (length and weight) can make difference for some contractors. This especially true if you don’t plan to purchase a trailer for the rollformer because you may already have another form of transportation that might have size restrictions.
