The LT fiber system allows the shop to cut into the tube. According to Andre Luciano, this eliminates the need to measure components as before, and allows components to be easily assembled like a puzzle. Image: Strength of Atlantis
Atlantis Strength has been Canada’s leading manufacturer of commercial-grade fitness equipment for nearly 40 years. However, remaining a leader in a competitive and fickle field like the fitness industry requires continuous tweaking to improve both the design and manufacturing of our approximately 300 SKUs of mostly steel weight training products. and change is required.
That’s why in 2016, the company launched more innovative and reliable products to meet growing metal cutting needs, to reduce reliance on laser cutting outsourcing and move away from the arduous use of hybrid machines that require manual intervention. I started looking for a way. We perform cutting at our factory and headquarters in Laval, Que.
“Atlantis Strength is a leader in the field,” said Jordan Sansouci, CEO of Atlantis Strength and son of founder Raymond Sansouci. “We became interested in adding laser cutting to our in-house capabilities to better control the cost and inventory of the components we manufacture and use to build our facilities.”
BLM Group is a manufacturer of precision, high-performance laser cutting and sawing machines, CNC bending machines and end forming machines.
Several visits to Atlantis Strength’s two-building factory and headquarters (which also includes a gym and showroom) and numerous meetings between BLM Group sales representatives in eastern Canada and the fitness equipment company’s manufacturing team. After discussions, Atlantis entered into an agreement to acquire the BLM Group of companies. 2017 LT Fiber.
“We wanted to do business with the best in the industry and the number one company in laser cutting,” said Sansouci. “BLM Group offered us a competitive price, and the installation and integration of the system into our production process proceeded as planned.”
Enhancement with fiber laser cutting
LT fiber is a family of laser cutting systems that generate the laser beam directly inside the optical fiber itself, as opposed to systems that generate the laser beam externally and then introduce and transport the beam through the optical fiber. , designed for maximum effectiveness. Evaluate both the performance and outcomes of fiber laser technology.
Among the many advantages of 3D systems are reduced power consumption and installation power, higher beam quality, faster cutting speed to laser power ratio, and the ability to process highly reflective materials.
It also features CNC adjustment settings at the push of a button, automatic job switching within two minutes, and the ability to measure tubes in the preload position and support them through completion for maximum cut quality. and guarantee accuracy.
The adaptability of the machine and its programming software also allows special sections and profiles to be processed in fully automated work cycles.
The LT fiber system offers design possibilities that the company was not previously aware of and are currently exploring and mastering.
This system is also known for its reliability and low maintenance costs, as it uses gas for cutting and the laser is generated by laser optics.
Atlantis received a $500,000 repayable loan from the Government of Canada and the Government of Quebec to support the purchase of a system believed to improve productivity and foster growth.
“This automation will further increase our competitiveness and enable us to pursue global expansion,” Atlantis Strength founder Raymond Sansouci said in a government press release announcing the funding.
The LT fiber system, installed and operating at Atlantis Strength since early 2020, just before the pandemic, has exceeded expectations.
“This has given us design possibilities that we weren’t even aware of, and that we’re still exploring and mastering,” said Andre Luciano, director of operations at Atlantis Strength. ”.
Among other things, the system allows numbers to be engraved on steel components used in gym equipment, Luciano said. This is a welcome change and a more durable alternative to the numbered stickers that were applied to these parts by hand.
“You can now also cut into the tube,” he said. “Now we don’t have to measure things like we used to, and now we can easily put them together like a puzzle.”
Expansion through tube bending
Because of the successful integration and use of the LT fiber system, Sansouci said it once again turned to BLM Group when the company decided to acquire an automated tube bending machine to further strengthen its in-house production capabilities. I did.
“We ended up relying on one company in Quebec that could do what we needed,” he said. “We send them 40 tubes in bulk, stockpile them when they come back, and use them when they need them. But it cost a lot of money and also took a lot of space. .”
He said having its own tube vendor will enhance the company’s just-in-time inventory needs and help meet the insatiable market demand for high-quality, custom-made fitness equipment like the one Atlantis makes. Ta.
BLM Elect 102 Tube Bender gained Atlantis Strength in both time and space. The company uses it every day, adjusting and fine-tuning the various programs to maximize the machine’s use and potential.
“We have a 35-week lead time, but we don’t have time to build and store inventory,” Sansoucy says. “The more stages of the production process you can control, the better the results.”
The company ultimately settled on BLM Group’s Elect 102 tube bender. Fully automated and configurable, the Elect 102 model bends tubing of standard or special cross-sections, end-formed tubing, minimal straight lines between bends, and a variety of materials including precious, hard, and soft metals. It is designed to.
Powerful, reliable and easy to operate, even for inexperienced operators, the Elect series tube benders can be equipped with up to eight bending toolsets simultaneously and are available in a variety of sizes for tubes up to 150 mm diameter. Masu.
In addition to speed, efficiency, and aesthetic perfection with minimal ovalization of the part, even in the tightest bends, the Elect system allows tubes of any cross-section to be cut with minimal straightness and without scrap. Fixed and variable radius bends can be performed. During bending, both ends are formed and flanged.
“We won time and space,” Luciano said. “We use it every day. And we adjust and run different programs to maximize the usage and potential of the machine.”
new opportunities for change
The company uses tube benders to bend the tubes needed to make gym equipment, from plate-mounted machines, weightlifting platforms, and multi-stations to racks, rigs, and benches for professional teams, schools, gyms, and private training. On sale. We sell luxury home equipment through over 40 dealers in over 65 countries around the world.
Sans Souci said he and his production team will continue to look for ways to streamline and improve operations. That could one day include new machines such as robotic welding cells and laser cleaning machines that remove rust without damaging various metals.
“We are focused on controlling costs and improving manufacturing with new programs and systems,” Sans Souci said. “In doing so, we can continue to grow and take advantage of new opportunities in emerging markets like Asia.”
His father said in 2013 that the design and quality of modern gym equipment, as well as the exercise methods and diets used by trainers, athletes, and the general public to achieve their bodybuilding, strength, and fitness goals. He said that the company has evolved a lot since he started making his own equipment. Early 1980s.
Raymond Sansouci, the bodybuilder who won the Mr. Canada title in 1979, was mostly welded using ideas and inspiration he gained from training by visiting gyms and health clubs across the United States and Canada. I started designing and building strength machines with frames and heavier gauges. Steel and higher resistance levels are the same foundations used in the manufacture of Atlantis products today.
Raymond Sansouci, founder of Atlantis Strength, a bodybuilder who won the Mr. Canada title in 1979, used the ideas and inspiration he gained from visiting gyms to create a mostly welded frame, heavier steel gauge, and more We started designing and building strength equipment with high resistance.
“Many of the things that were available in the past were fine for light use, but they weren’t durable or heavy enough for heavy use,” says Raymond Sansouci. It’s written in the company’s history on its website. “We wanted to create equipment that strong people could train with and that didn’t have to be repaired every week.”
Raymond Sansouci faced many challenges in his early years, juggling school, family, and the manufacturing business he was starting.
“It was very difficult,” he continued. “Parts were missing and everything was new, so we had to improvise. I was also running a gym at night and finishing my degree, so I started building pads at 4 a.m. so they could be delivered the same day. There were times when I had to close it.”
As the business grew, primarily due to demand from across Canada and the United States, so did the need for manufacturing space. After several moves, Atlantis settled in its current location in 1998.
The company currently has approximately 100 employees, most of whom are involved in designing and producing gym equipment that meets the ever-changing trends and needs of the fitness industry.
While his son Jordan is now in charge of day-to-day operations, Raymond Sansouci, 68, is in charge of researching and developing new products.
“Today’s facilities must accommodate a much wider range of members than ever before, and we are sensitive to the new demands placed on our customers,” wrote Raymond Sansouci. “We’ve been perfecting strength training equipment for over 40 years, and we don’t plan on stopping anytime soon.”
Meanwhile, Jordan Sansouci joined the company in 2019 after working summers at his family’s business from an early age and graduating with a degree in chemical engineering from Polytechnic University in Montreal. He said he is focused on finding ways to keep his body slim. Mean and cutting edge.
“I grew up watching my dad run Atlantis Strength and regularly visited the gym with him whenever we traveled,” he said. “It has allowed me to continue with my day-to-day operations, both in business and in the fitness industry.”
He is focused on finding ways to run the company more efficiently and help build the Atlantis Strength brand.
“We are committed to helping people push their limits and become better physically and mentally,” he said. “We design and manufacture every piece of equipment with the user in mind, using the best materials possible. And to create a quality product, we use quality human resources. , parts and partners.”
Contributor Mark Cardwell can be reached at [email protected].
Atlantis Strength, atlantisstrength.com
BLM Group, www.blmgroup.com