Lillbacka USA • 1629 Prime Court, Suite 400 • Orlando, FL 32809Phone (847) 301-1300 • Fax (847) 301-2562 • www.lillbackausa.com

V O LU M E 1 0 2 0 1 7

Finn-Power Crimpers Add CapacityAnd Muscle at Powertrack...pages 2 & 3

New Finn-Power Intelligent Crimper Control...page 5

Spotlight on Service – FMS Machine Tool, Inc., Maple Heights, OH...page 6

Service and Innovation SpellSuccess for GEIB Industries...pages 8 & 9

A L S O I N T H I S I S S U E > > > > > > > > > > > > Trade Shows ...............................................................................4New Products .............................................................................7Technology Days .............................................................10-11CC Series Cable Crimpers ................................................... 12

Customer Profile 2

Powertrack International LLC was founded in 1974. The company specializes in hydraulic and industrial hose and fittings products. With its headquarters/facility in Pittsburgh, PA, and two other locations in Long Beach, CA and Houston, TX, Powertrack is prepared to fill the hose assembly needs of a diverse customer base.

According to Keith Richards, vice president of sales & marketing at Powertrack’s Long Beach, CA facility, while all three locations target many of the same industries, they all have their unique customer base. “Our Pittsburgh facility has many steel mill customers; Houston is very active in oil and gas; and our Long Beach facility is also strong in oil and gas, but also in agriculture and heavy construction,” explains Richards. Other Powertrack specialty products include mud pump hoses, fracking hoses, oil suction hoses, rotary suction hoses, Kelly hoses, BOP hoses and a variety of hydraulic hoses and assemblies.

By 2013, Powertrack was looking to increase its market position in the oil and gas industry – and fracking was a major consideration in this segment. “This translated into increased large diameter water

Finn-Power Crimpers Add New Capacity and Muscle at Powertrack

suction and discharge hose,” explains Richards. “The swaging process was taking too long and wasn’t very accurate. We were also increasing our position in the rotary hose market. These were previously produced on swagers. Today with the new style of shorter fittings, we can now crimp and make it a more flexible hose, an easier hose to handle because we aren’t working on this big, bulky fitting that we have to swage. Now we can crimp the smaller fitting.”

Finn-Power CrimpersThis led Powertrack to search for a crimper that could handle the larger diameter hose. In 2013, Powertrack invested in two FP175UC Finn-Power crimping machines for the Pittsburgh and Long Beach facilities. In 2015, the company also purchased an FP175UC for its Houston location. “We purchased the Finn-Power crimpers to expand our capability to crimp large bore oilfield and gas drilling hoses and hydraulic hose assemblies,” explains Richards. “We believe that the additional capacity to crimp these large bore oil and gas hoses will improve our ability to assist energy exploration companies in the extraction and production of crude oil and natural gases.”

The FP175 is an ideal choice when the operation requires crimping of very large hoses or reduction of big pipes. It is suitable for connecting parts requiring extremely high forces. FP175 is one of the largest and strongest standard-made crimping machines on the market utilizing a globally-proven non-wearing lubricated guide system assuring accuracy and durability year after year.

continued on page 3

Keith Richards, vice president of sales & marketing purchased the Finn-Power crimpers to expand Powertrack’s capability to crimp large bore oilfield and gas drilling hoses and hydraulic hose assemblies.

Powertrack crimps just about anything that is above 2” on the FP175, including hydraulic hose, concrete hose, rotary/Kelly hose, water & petroleum suction hose, large diameter fracking hose, etc.

Customer Profile 3

Continued from page 2

Other features of the FP175 include:• Crimping range up to 320 mm (12.60”)• Large die opening to 475 mm (18.7”)• Hard and ground lubricated non-wearing guide

system• Capability of handling all shapes of fittings• Variety of larger die sets available• Speed, force and accuracy combined in the same

single machine• Horizontal construction available upon request

“We crimp just about anything that is above 2” on the FP175,” says Richards, “including hydraulic hose, concrete hose, rotary/Kelly hose, water & petroleum suction hose, large diameter fracking hose, etc. There is such a wide range of products that we sell, that we keep the Finn-Power machine very busy every day.”

"The FP175 has performed great. We’ve had no problems at all. It’s easy to change the dies, it’s easy to program the settings...and we can do everything with that machine."

High Performance and Excellent Accuracy“The FP175 has performed great,” says Richards. “We’ve had no problems at all. It’s easy to change the dies, it’s easy to program the settings...and we can do everything with that machine. The accuracy and repeatability has been great and we’ve had no issues with improper crimps. It is always consistent all the way through from the first crimp to the last.”

The Powertrack Long Beach facility has seven employees in a 15,000-square-foot facility, with a 14,000-sqare-foot yard for testing. “One thing that separates us from a lot of companies is the large Finn-Power crimper and the ability for us to pressure test each assembly that comes off our production,” says Richards. “We test and certify all of our hoses. Since we cater so much to the refineries in the oil and gas industry, a failure could be catastrophic not only in injury but also environmental cleanup.”

Higher Productivity“In the industrial market, everything is based for crimping purposes on the OD of the hose,” concludes Richards. “With the Finn-Power crimper, we can easily adjust the crimp specs to accommodate the hose. On a swager you cannot. If the die does not meet the criteria of the ultimate spec, you have to change the die out again. Your inventory of swage dies is 2 -3 times the amount the inventory of crimping dies. It is much easier to change the setting on a crimper than to disassemble a swage die and install a new swage die. Swaging process doubles or triples our production time. We can produce at least 30+ hose assemblies with the FP175 in the time it takes to swage 15 assemblies.”

FP175 is one of the largest and strongest standard-made crimping machines on the market utilizing globally proven non-wearing lubricated guide system assuring accuracy and durability year after year.

The FP175 is an ideal choice when the operation requires crimping of very large hoses or reduction of big pipes. It is suitable for connecting parts requiring extremely high forces.

"The accuracy and repeatability has been great and we’ve had no issues with improper crimps. It is always consistent all the way through from the first crimp to the last."

"One thing that separates us from a lot of companies is the large Finn-Power crimper and the ability for us to pressure test each assembly that comes off our production."

Trade Show 4

Lillbacka Turns Heads at FABTECH 2016 – Las VegasLillbacka USA exhibited at FABTECH 2016 in Las Vegas last November. The Lillbacka USA booth provided an excellent experience for existing and prospective customers. In addition to numerous crimper models on display, presentations were shown by means of multiple video screens which provided insight into the world and history of the Lillbacka Corporation. Also featured were Finn-Power’s vast assortment of machines in its product line and reviews of customer testimonials on the productivity and quality of their Finn-Power crimpers.

Great Show, Great Turnout, Great OpportunitiesLillbacka USA participated in the ConAGG/IFPE Show in Las Vegas on March 7 – 11. The show’s focus was on Construction and Agricultural equipment. The Finn-Power booth featured the new P32NMS crimper, a CM91 Saw with a Measuring Table, the eye-catching Finn-Reel 7, and the portable duo of the P16AP and Finn-Cut hose cutter.Many new visitors to the Lillbacka USA booth inquired about our current ability to supply equipment to make 'kits' which would consist of our hose saws and production crimpers with a focus on the UC3 control. Our 'kit' capability was well received and explained by our applications manager, Juan Ortega, and the sales team of Jesse Cox and Sam Dyke.

New Product 5

New Intelligent Crimper ControlThe new Finn-Power Intelligent Crimper Control (ICC) has an industrial-grade touch screen that is engineered for tough conditions. Visual symbols on the control guide assist the operator to complete the task with ease and comfort. The ICC menus are language neutral, thus allowing operators with different language backgrounds to be comfortable in operating the machine. The screen has brightness and contrast control to provide optimum readability in any lighting condition.

State-of-the-art quality monitoring assures that the crimp is made to the correct diameter and crimping pressure at all times. A report is automatically generated confirming that only quality assemblies are produced.

Connectivity of the control to the company network, and even to the internet, elevates the crimping machine and crimping cell management to new levels where all machines, regardless of their global locations, is provided with the ability to use the latest updated crimping data and parameters.

Lillbacka Finn-Power machines have earned the reputation for producing high quality, robust, accurate, and durable machines serving various

industrial applications, including: hydraulic and industrial hose assemblies, wire, cable, metals, plastics, rubber, fiberglass, wood, and ropes that are formed or joined together.The newly developed ICC has a long list of standard features to assure the crimping process is performed to the highest standards regardless of the material crimped. Please visit www.Lillbackausa.com for more information on the standard features.

The new Finn-Power Intelligent Crimper Control was developed with the vast knowledge that the Lillbacka Group has gained during the 40+ years of manufacturing the industry’s finest crimping machines.

The many benefits of the new Finn-Power Intelligent Crimper Control includes: diameter crimping, actual die position, actual pressure, counter counts ascending/descending, motor stand-by, and greasing alarm.

The ICC provides the Finn-Power customers with the ultimate in usability, connectivity, and quality control. Data transfer is available through USB or Ethernet TCP/IP.

Spotlight on Service 6

FMS Machine Tool, Inc., Maple Heights, OH, has been an integral part of the Lillbacka USA service team since 2010. The company has a 20,000-square-foot service center and showroom and two sales offices in Cleveland and Atlanta. In addition to selling various machine lines, FMS provides preventative maintenance, service, integration, machine rebuilding, and replacement parts for its customers.

According to Dave Saiko, president & ceo, his company’s flexibility is its strength. “In addition to our excellent service partnership with Lillbacka, we service everything we sell,” explains Saiko. “We have three service technicians who are factory trained directly by Lillbacka in servicing and rebuilding the entire Finn-Power product line. We also have three service vans providing preventative maintenance and emergency service for Finn-Power customers. These vans are fully equipped with specialty tools that are needed to work on the Finn-Power crimpers. Our role is to be a strong partner in the Finn-Power crimper family by representing Lillbacka to their customers. While we do not sell the product,

we pride ourselves in providing outstanding service and support for the entire Finn-Power product line.”

Word on the Street“The feedback we get from our customers is that the Finn-Power product is second to none,” continues Saiko. “Finn-Power has the reputation as the industry benchmark for all crimpers. We do the aftermarket service, installation, preventative maintenance, and rebuild on the crimper heads. At times, customers will send the crimper heads directly to our facility in Cleveland. We rebuild the heads and send them directly back to the customers. In other cases, we are requested to go directly to the customer’s facility and perform work on site. Lillbacka has a comprehensive rebuild program and checklist in place for rebuilding all crimping heads that come in from the customers. The rebuild program is very well organized and very successful for customers.”

“We feel very fortunate to have our partnership with Lillbacka,” concludes Saiko. “We enjoy a very close and supportive relationship with Lillbacka management. We like to think of ourselves as an extension of the Finn-Power team.”

FMS Machine Tool, Inc.www.fmsmachinery.com

Strong Service Commitment Key to Success for FMS Machine Tool, Inc.

Dave Saiko, FMS president & ceo, has three service technicians who are factory trained directly by Lillbacka in servicing and rebuilding the entire Finn-Power product line.

Some Finn-Power customers will send the crimper heads directly to the FMS facility in Cleveland. FMS rebuilds the heads and sends them directly back to the customers.

FMS has three service vans providing preventative maintenance and emergency service for Finn-Power customers. These vans are fully equipped with specialty tools that are needed to work on the Finn-Power crimpers.

"The feedback we get from our customers is that the Finn-Power product is second to none. Finn-Power has the reputation as the industry benchmark for all crimpers."

New Products 7

Introducing the New Finn-Power NMS LinesP16NMS – Fast, Easy, and Compact Crimpers for Field Service and On-Site Work

This machine is a new version of Lillbacka's popular classic P16 series. P16NMS is portable crimping machine which is designed for field service and on-site work. This service machine is easy and very comfortable to operate and it makes crimping faster and more efficient. P16NMS is highly reliable, simple and straight-forward to use. This crimping machine is perfectly suitable for crimping smaller parts. P16NMS is also space-saving and portable because of its compact size and design. Finn-Power service machines are simple and straightforward in construction, easy to operate, and highly reliable. They are light in weight, which allows them to be easily carried to any location.

P20NMS & P32NMS – Versatile Update Crimpers for Repair Shops and Serial Production

Lillbacka's complete line of NMS machines also includes the P20NMS and P32NMS that are designed for heavy use in harsh environments.

The new P20NMS and P32NMS are fast, strong, and reliable for the hardest crimping environments. Their robust metal bodies and durable covers are designed for heavy usage. The crimpers are compact in size for easy movement to any location in service

operations. The machines require very little maintenance and are very easy to operate.

These new models turn hydraulics off to conserve energy and to reduce workplace noise levels whenever the machine is idle. Innovative engineering provides quality and productivity while the new design protects the machine when operating in the toughest environments. Ease of use invite operators to partner with the machine to produce high quality crimps day after day.

The compact ergonomic design and high productivity make these machines a great choice for high production volumes. A vast range of options allow these machines to be configured to meet customers’ particular need in the serial production. The innovative design of the P20NMS and P32NMS works easily in left or right hand operation as the feeding can be either from front or rear of the machine. The opening to feed the machine can be easily set with the semi-automatic MS control for each job.

8Customer Profile

GEIB Industries moved into its new 74,000-square-foot facility in Bensenville, IL last February. The move to this high-profile industrial building was the culmination of 70 years of hard work in helping its customers fill their hose and fittings requirements.

What sets GEIB apart from its competitors is its focus on only hose assemblies and hose related products. “Our product line consists of hydraulic, metal, industrial, Teflon (PTFE), thermoplastic, and composite hoses,” explains Chris Geib, president.

“There aren’t many companies that have the ability to fabricate all hose varieties in-house. Hose is all we do…and we really focus on it.”

GEIB also has a very diverse customer base that has helped the company maintain a steady growth trajectory. “Each year, the company grows from anywhere between 3 – 12%,” says Geib. “We don’t have large peaks and valleys because we have such a diverse customer base that crosses over many different industries. And we are equally divided between OEM and MRO accounts, which also helps with our diversification. We don’t hone in on one particular market segment then live and die in it.”

Key MarketsSome key markets for GEIB include: industrial engine builders, pump manufacturers, food processing, hydraulic equipment, packaging, steel mills, petro-chemical plants, and nuclear power plants. “We really excel when a customer needs a hose-centric supplier,” Geib continues. “If hose is an important piece of their business, that’s when we shine. We have the ability to provide all hose products, the service, the engineering, and the know-how customers need from one source.”

Supplier SelectionGEIB chooses its suppliers carefully. “We align ourselves with the leading companies in the hose industry,” explains Geib. “We take pride in developing relationships with highly respected suppliers.”

GEIB has chosen Lillbacka Finn-Power crimpers to fabricate its hose assemblies. The company has a total of five Finn-Power crimpers and one hose cutting machine. The latest additions have been the Finn-Power FP20UC crimper and the CM75PH hose cutting machine.

FP20UC CrimperThe FP20UC serial production crimper was designed for high-volume production applications that require optimal crimping force, speed, and efficiency. It offers a 10 mm – 61 mm crimping range and operates with a 1500 kN crimping force. The FP20UC is highly efficient and can produce 2,300 crimps per hour with unmatched speed, accuracy, repeatability, and quality.

Service and Innovation Spell Success for GEIB Industries

"We explain to prospective customers what the Finn-Power crimpers mean to our quality and reliability.”

Two of the latest Finn-Power machines to be added to GEIB’S arsenal are the CM75PH hose cutter (above) and the FP20UC crimper (right). Both machines have helped increase the company’s productivity and quality.

Chris Geib, president, represents the third generation in this thriving family business. Through the years, Geib has purchased five Finn-Power crimpers and one hose cutting machine.

continued on page 9

Customer Profile 9

UC ControllerThe UC Controller has computing power and features never seen before on crimpingmachines, such as automated quality control reporting options and an easy-to-use menu guided operation. The UC Controller has many options such as pressure crimping, multi-step crimping, and process control monitoring. The UC Controller also has energy-efficient modes to place the crimper into a standby mode when not in operation.

Hose Cutting MachineWhen GEIB purchased the FP20UC crimper, they also purchased the Finn-Power CM75PH hose cutting machine. This hose cutting machine is designed to cut all types of hose up to 2” and 3” diameter, 6-spiral hoses. The 520/650 mm diameter blades operate at 3,000 rpm. The hose is pushed against the blade by a pneumatic cylinder. Piston movement speed can be quickly and easily adjusted to choose optimal cutting speed for each type of hose. Lower speeds are used with thick hoses to avoid overheating of the blade. The blade can be re-sharpened when necessary. The cutter has a built-in bin for the collection of cutting waste.

Finn-Power Crimpers“Before we purchased the Finn-Power crimpers we used another crimper brand,” says Mike Mirch, general manager. “They were real dinosaurs in terms of stroke speed. They were very slow and had very low tonnage. In addition, the older crimpers had huge footprints. We replaced them with the Finn-Power crimpers. We purchased five Finn-Power crimpers because we are using them in such a diverse way. We are a job shop…not a production house. We crimp small lots of 5, 10, 15, 20 units. Each Finn-Power crimper is performing a different service for the different styles of hoses that we sell.”

Quick Change Tool SystemAnother Finn-Power crimper feature that GEIB likes is the Quick Change Tool System (QC), which allows the entire die set to be changed in one easy operation. The pins on the QC Tool engage the QC holes in the dies. As the master dies open/close, the die segments are released from the master dies and retained by the QC tool. The die segments are held to the tool by a magnet. The die set then can be stored in the QC storage rack. In this way, the

segments are kept in complete sets and are always used in the same order. “The speed of the Finn-Power crimper is definitely a benefit, both in the stroke of the crimping and in the ability to quickly change dies,” explains Geib. “Because we are a job shop, we change on every order. The order has 6 or 7 line items, and 80% of the time each one of these different line items will need to have a different die change.”

Crimp IntegrityIntegrity of the crimp is very important for Geib. “We have a tremendous maintenanceschedule, and the Finn-Power crimpers are extremely sturdy and reliable. They keep their ovality, and the crimp spec is always right on. We also use the Finn-Power crimpers for coolant lines and large oxygen and water hoses used in the primary metals market, and steam hose assemblies used in oil and gas refineries, nuclear power plants, etc.

“New customers often visit our facility,” continues Geib. “They are impressed by the ease of use of the Finn-Power crimpers and their attractive appearance. The crimpers really help us sell our facility. There is a lot of engineering in the crimpers. They are very reliable, the hardest working, and the most durable. We explain to prospective customers what the Finn-Power crimpers mean to our quality and reliability.”

“The speed of the Finn-Power crimper is definitely a benefit, both in the stroke of the crimping and in the ability to quickly change dies."

The GEIB product line consists of hydraulic, metal, industrial, Teflon (PTFE), thermoplastic, and composite hoses. There aren’t many companies that have the ability to fabricate all hose varieties in-house.

Continued from page 8

Technology Days 10

Lillbacka USA Hosts Technology Day & Golf Tournament Lillbacka USA held its annual Technology Day and Golf Tournament on February 17 & 18, 2017. Approximately 30 sales reps and service providers attended the meeting. Several customers visited during the afternoon and saw a demonstration of the equipment and had the opportunity to speak to members of the Lillbacka applications engineering team.

Finn-Power machines that were on display included the Finn-Power TC120 Cell with robot, the new P16NMS crimper, and the 145UC3 with pinning attachment and BCR bar code reader. Some additional new options to enhance the productivity and profitability of the Finn-Power product offering were also presented. Lillbacka USA maintains an array of demonstration machines for viewing in its Orlando showroom which gave customers the opportunity to speak to sales and engineering personnel about specific applications and equipment needs.

On Friday evening, an Appreciation Dinner was held at Norman’s at the Ritz Carlton outside on the terrace overlooking the lake. It was an enjoyable evening for those in attendance, including some spouses. Sam Dyke, VP of Sales, thanked the group for their participation and support of Lillbacka USA. For Saturday’s Golf Tournament, the foursomes included customers, potential customers, sales reps, and service providers. There was one ladies group. The morning began with breakfast outdoors alongside the practice greens. After the round of golf at the Eagle Creek Golf Course, the day concluded with lunch and the awards ceremony at the club house.

The 2018 annual event is scheduled for February 16 & 17, 2018. If interested in attending, please contact Lillbacka to reserve your place.

For more information, please contact sales@lillbackausa.com

Golf Tournament 11

No matter what the application, Finn-Power CC Series Cable Crimpers set the industry standard for accuracy, repeatability, and quality. Finn-Power machines meet the highest quality requirements across many industries, including wire, cable, metals, plastics, rubber, fiberglass, wood, and ropes to be formed or joined together.

Lillbacka is the world’s leading manufacturer for portable, benchtop and production model crimping machines, saws and accessories. Finn-Power machines are built from high-quality materials utilizing modern manufacturing technologies and processes that provide accuracy and repeatability where durability is key.

Since 1973, Lillbacka’s Finn-Power Crimpers have been the industry’s choice for quality and dependability.

Crimping since 1973

Visit us at www.lillbackausa.com1629 Prime Court, Suite 400 , Orlando, FL 32809Phone (847) 301-1300

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