Welding a Legacy with Cincinnati Press Brakes
For a quarter century, Tom Racicot has been a welder. The first 15 years of his career was spent at a welding company, where he learned the ropes and ultimately gained enough expertise that he hit his ceiling. As it turned out, he had just as much passion and talent for hands-on fabrication as he did for welding.
So in 2011, he set off on his own and opened T.R. Welding & Fabrication out of his garage. The Wappingers Falls, NY company welds steel, aluminum and stainless, and it provides custom welding, structural steel, aluminum and mobile welding services. Starting the company was riskier than staying put, but Tom didn’t think twice about it. His talent spoke for itself.
He took on jobs he could handle in that limited space. A little job here, a little job there, putting time in on nights and weekends. He kept putting money into the business, and people kept asking for larger jobs. Eventually, he moved into his own facility. When it came time to fill it with machines, Tom turned to something else he picked up at his previous job: Cincinnati Incorporated.
T.R. Welding turns to CI
When Tom first moved into his new space, he had a bandsaw, a torch set and not much else. That changed in a hurry. More jobs required more equipment, and he quickly bought a Cincinnati press brake that was born right when World War II ended. He had grown to trust the Cincinnati name after being hands-on with CI equipment at his previous job.
“The first CI press brake I purchased was a 14-footer made in 1945. It cost me more to ship it than it did to buy it. That was the same type of brake I used at the old welding shop,” he said. “I would look at the year it was made and the fact that it was still running and just be amazed.
“CI was burned into my head from using it. That’s pretty much why I set out and bought it. I like the product; it just seemed superior to everyone else. They make machines that will outlast me.”
That press brake served him well for some time. But eventually, he landed a large account with New York City, and Tom needed tighter tolerances. That’s when things really ramped up.
Bringing in the PROFORM
Tom looked at multiple press brake options, but in the end, the Cincinnati felt like coming home. “I really liked CI’s software. It was really user friendly. I can figure things out just from using it, and so can my guys. The machine itself is a beautiful piece of equipment. I clean it all the time and I love showing it to people.
Follow Tom on Instagram at @trwelding
Tom’s new 230PF-10 capably handles lots of quantity from all five New York City boroughs, and it also takes care of one-off stuff with ease. When he bought his first CI machine, the motivation was simple: have something that reliably bend parts. When the new PROFORM, it was a statement. T.R. Welding didn’t just bend parts. It did it as well as anyone in a 200-mile radius.
That statement immediately resonated with the City of New York. “They went through a lot of welders in the city, trying to find welders and fabricators that could make their parts,” Tom said. That changed when they saw the impeccable work coming from T.R. Welding.
The perks of the PROFORM
“I just like running the machine,” Tom said. “Setting it up, programming, bending. The designing aspect with the CAD program on the software is a helpful tool, too.”
Tom opted for a 5-axis backgage, and it’s welcome help for the random parts that come through the T.R. Welding door on a day-to-day basis. And the six inches of increased stroke helps to pull parts out. “If I didn’t have that, we’d be jockeying around trying to get parts out,” Tom said. “But instead it’s right out and we’re onto the next one.”
CI for life
T.R. Welding & Fabrication has elevated its efficiency and quality since welcoming the new 230PF-10 to the shop. As for that old CI press brake? Well, let’s just say Tom’s a loyal guy. “I still have the 1945 brake. I have no intention of ever selling it. It got me to where I am right now and it let me buy a newer machine.”
Looking for new fabrication equipment? CI machines last generations, and they inject shop floors with a dose of swagger the moment they’re installed. Do what Tom did and talk to CI. Let’s get started.
