Humble Beginnings
KNS Metals, one of Victoria’s fastest growing family-owned and operated sheet-metal companies, was founded in 2014 by Kamal Singh.
Kamal had been working in the sheet-metal industry for over 30 years and took that knowledge with him when he started the company with his wife and two sons, including his eldest, Amal, who is now the General Manager of the company. The business has grown rapidly over the past several years, and they now operate with around 10 to 15 employees.
KNS Metals specialises in custom programming and design fabrication for both commercial and residential customers. Commercial is the backbone of the company, as it provides them with 95% of business, whilst residential makes up the remainder. Their other services include CNC turret punching, laser cutting, press brakes bending and welding. KNS operates Australia-wide but most of the clients that they deal directly with are based in Victoria.
The Investment
Kamal and Amal believe that their business has been successful due to their knowledge of the industry as well as their outstanding customer service.
“Our past experience as well as our critical and logical thinking helped a lot; and with this knowledge we can give customers great lead times and great quality products,” Kamal said.
Amal also holds an electrical engineering degree, and his knowledge has been beneficial in enhancing the company’s overall expertise.
Most of the company’s work comes through word-of-mouth, and they have never had much need to advertise. They are, however, now expanding into social media.
We were looking for the right machine and after discussion with Applied found that the Yawei pressbrake they offered was just what we were after
Kamal had become aware of Applied Machinery after purchasing an Amada AE-2510 turret punch from them. When KNS later required another new machine, Applied Machinery was the first place they turned to.
“We had dealt with Applied previously so it was only natural for us to do business with them again,” Kamal explained. “We were looking for the right machine and after discussion with Applied found that the Yawei pressbrake they offered was just what we were after,” he added.
Applied Machinery helped them set up the machine when it was delivered, and this service was not only impressive but also vital for KNS.
“When we moved to our new factory, Applied came in after-hours and helped us set up over just one weekend,” Amal said. “We packed up on Friday and we were back working on Monday, that’s how much of a help they were,” Kamal explained.
The subsequent service and back-up that Applied provided is another reason why KNS stuck with them. “We have a great working relationship with Applied and we are certain that will continue into the future,” Amal insisted.
The pressbrake has surpassed expectations and Kamal is extremely happy with the machine’s performance. “We are very pleased with how the machine’s gone so far,” Kamal said. “We will likely get a second one as we anticipate further growth in part thanks to the effect the pressbrake has had,” he added.
KNS was previously outsourcing a number of jobs due to a limitation on laser-cutting resources. However, once they began sub-contracting a couple of years ago, they realised that they needed to have their own in-house laser-cutter that would be able to perform high-quality precision cuts.
The Approach
KNS approached Applied again for a solution, and, after reviewing Yawei’s extensive range of fiber lasers, decided to purchase the Yawei HLF-1530 3kW model. They were particularly impressed with the machine’s quality components, such as the Siemens Controller.
This purchase allowed many of their previously outsourced jobs to come back in-house, and massively expanded their cutting capabilities.
The Yawei fiber laser has a number of clear benefits: “We have found that the fiber laser is consistent, and the speed and accuracy of cutting is brilliant,” Amal praised. The advantages of the machine have already had a direct impact on the service provided by KNS. “Our lead times have greatly improved as a result of having the machine,” Kamal said. “We feel that we have taken back control of certain elements of our business,” he added.
Their staff have also found the machine easy to use: “We’ve had the machine for 3-4 months now and our staff are very happy with its ease of use and the way in which it operates,” Amal said.
The company is also reassured that Applied is always on hand to assist them. “Occasionally, when we require additional assistance and technical guidance with the fiber laser, Applied has been available to help us right away; we are grateful for that support,” he continued.
We are already booked out for the next 6 months because of the work we are now able to perform with the Yawei
“Laser cutting has become a big part of our business in recent times so the machine was a vital purchase. We are already booked out for the next 6 months because of the work we are now able to perform with the Yawei,” Kamal explained.
Much like the pressbrake, the success of the fiber laser also means that a second machine is likely to come at some point in the future.
The Result
Moving forward, Amal and Kamal would like to keep on growing and expanding their customer base. “We are very happy with our growth over the past few years and in the short-term we will probably purchase another Yawei guillotine and turret punch press,” Kamal summed up.
Due to their growth and success in such a short time, they believe they may have to upscale yet again soon. “We will probably move to larger premises because we realise our current factory is not as big as what we wanted!” they said.
KNS Metals’ dedication to customer service and high-quality products will ensure that they will continue to be a leading Australian sheet-metal company long into the future.
Applied Machinery is the exclusive supplier of Yawei precision sheet metal machinery in Australia.
To find out more about their leading CNC fiber lasers, CNC pressbrakes and CNC turret punch presses, please contact Applied Machinery today.
