EZG Manufacturing
Shaping Modern-Day Manufacturing

In the 1980s, while working in the masonry sector, Damian Lang realized that the construction equipment, especially masonry machines employed in the fields, were prone to failures, lacked sturdiness, and were highly unreliable. Lang was determined to improve the equipment quality and built a Grout Hog^® for masonry work to help contractors increase efficiency, profitability and withstand the most challenging construction sites. The Grout Hog includes a unique swiveling base that reduces the number of moves required by the forklift. Over time, he perfected models by patenting new features specific only to the EZ Grout line, like clog-prevention mechanisms and an innovative delivery system. After these successful innovations, Lang turned his creative focus to other masonry and construction areas and continued to upgrade the equipment quality. In 1998 Lang laid the cornerstone of EZG Manufacturing to expand the reach of his innovative products.

Although the company's three-decade-old legacy started with a single Grout Hog, it now comprises a diverse range of machines, such as the Refractory Mud Hog^®, Uphill Grout Hog^®, Hog Slopper^®, Hog Legs, Hog Pump^®, and Booger Hog^®. Adding to the repertoire, Lang introduced the Fence Hog^® for the fencing industry in the early 2000s, which is now available to customers in several models. Born out of the desire to serve on-site trade professionals better, EZG Manufacturing is a pioneer in manufacturing masonry, fencing, and construction equipment that at its very core was designed to increase safety, save time and reduce waste on the job.

As organizations are looking to get manufacturing outsourced to grow their assembly side processes, EZG Manufacturing proves to be a perfect partner. EZG Manufacturing is also a state-of-the-art custom fabrication and design shop that can handle virtually every metal fabrication process from bending and press braking to laser cutting, and machining. "We went to laser-cutting because that was something the industry was moving towards going from plasma cutters to laser cutters. Also, powder coating has been a big change, which is available in our facility," says Dan Kern, Operations Manager of EZG Manufacturing. The company's portfolio includes carbon, alloy, stainless steel, hastalloy, industrial plastics, and aluminum. EZG Manufacturing's design and manufacturing team has produced conveyors, racks, cages, mezzanines, tanks, and much more.

Next-Gen Metal Cutters

The latest addition to EZG Manufacturing's production line is a range of high-tech laser cutters, including a Mazak 10k Fiber laser, a Trumpf laser, and Co2 lasers.

Mazak laser cutters are one of the fastest cutting machines in the manufacturing sector, with the power to cut up to one-inch mild steel and an inch and quarter on stainless steel and aluminum. “With Mazak, we can provide fast performance and quality work to the customers. They come to us for missing or faulty parts attracted by our rapid turnaround time and willingness to work with them to fix the issue on time,” says Kern.

The Mazak OPTIPLEX-FIBER 3015 system is equipped with a multi-function torch different from the standard auto-focus cutting head. In addition to automatically adjusting the focus position, it can change the diameter of the raw laser beam. Operators can easily control focal point and beam size adjustments through various screens in the cutting technology tables or through G-code commands within the program. G-Code commands are only required with using subprograms to control the cutting process. Moreover, Mazak uses pencil style nozzles that are available in a variety of orifice sizes. In addition to this, each nozzle style is available in two different nozzle types. The orifice used for a given application is determined by the material being processed.

EZG Manufacturing uses a single step servo (Quick) pierce for most materials. This piercing style only uses the first step in the quick piercing section of the tech table. The focus field in the table will tell the machine what focus value to use for piercing. The focus value may be different than the focus setting specified for cutting. On the other hand, Mazak's multi-step servo piercing is used on thick mild steel applications between 5/16" and ¾"-inch. The process consists of several steps. The first step involves starting the pierce with a high nozzle gap at the initial lens position for a short duration. The subsequent steps drop to a lower nozzle gap, change the piercing power, and drive the lens down toward the material at a controlled feed rate. The pierce should break through the bottom of the material at or before the conclusion of the second step. The final step cleans out the hole with a short full power burst and moves the lens to the position required for cutting.

The company's decision to add the industry's top-notch laser-cutters to its portfolio is rooted in its value to provide the best services and support to the customers. "Our strength lies in evolving with the technologies and customer demands by introducing current, state-of-the-art equipment to address all of their concerns," says Kenny Jackson, Manufacturing Sales Manager, EZG Manufacturing. Furthermore, the company provides brake press work, robotic welding, and powder coating and assembly.

Dwelling on Customer Centricity and Constant Innovation

EZG Manufacturing's continuous effort toward becoming a customer-centric manufacturing stems from Lang's extensive work developing equipment designed to fulfill unique needs in various trades. As an author, Lang shares his experience in his book R.A.C.E. - Rewarding and Challenging Employees: For Profits in Masonry.

He also regularly offers seminars and consultations for masonry and construction organizations all over the country. In his endeavor, he is supported by EZG Manufacturing's competent leadership team. More than half of the company's management holds first-hand manufacturing experience and moved up the corporate ladder through their dedicated work efforts. The team leaders are continually working hard to grow their respective departments by coming up with new ideas and bringing innovative processes. The company incentivizes employees to contribute new ideas that foster a more manageable workflow to motivate them and ensure they are involved in the process of innovation. "Our mantra is to provide deserving employees with the best opportunities and promote them to leadership roles rather than hire from outside," says Jackson.

Moreover, all the employees are trained on newly launched machines to help clients fit and deploy recent technologies without delay. The decision to elevate in-house, long-standing employees benefits EZG Manufacturing to retain top talents that live by the company's values to deliver the best customer service. "We pride ourselves in 100 percent customer satisfaction, flexibility and quick turn over time, excellent after-service support," remarks Jackson.

The company always aims to solve a problem for clients while developing a new product. Most of EZG Manufacturing's products either lead to labor or cost savings, which is a huge benefit for clients. What truly sets EZG Manufacturing apart from its competitors is its ability to meet lead times. At the same time, the company is well diversified in terms of manufacturing abilities. "We can do almost anything dealing with metal, and in the fastest time possible," says Jackson.

EZG Manufacturing's ability to support clients did not suffer even during the pandemic. When a machine shop approached the firm to laser and weld medical equipment for COVID testing in the quickest turn-around time, EZG Manufacturing got to work at the earliest. All the different departments got together to finalize the parts drawings, manufacture them, and deliver the equipment on time to help the customer expand their COVID testing process.

EZG Manufacturing is quickly expanding its services and is becoming a leading industry voice. EZG Manufacturing has forged a long-standing partnership with companies of every size in the oil & gas, material handling, food processing, lawn and garden, medical, and construction sectors. The company now strives to continue expanding its customer base and improving its equipment line and technological offerings. At the same time, the company is looking to indulge in e-commerce activities due to the difficulties introduced by COVID-19, as all sectors are into online ordering. "We aspire to continue on the success path and stay on top of the manufacturing industry to become a recognized leader in the manufacturing sector," ends Kern.