Case study
Scott's Steelworkz: Our first NZ customer, still cutting
Scott's Steelworkz Ltd · Waiuku, South Auckland · Installed January 2016
Customer Background
Scott Archer runs Scott's Steelworkz Ltd in Waiuku, South Auckland, a metal fabrication and engineering business he and his wife Jo have built over many years.
Scott did not start out in waterjet cutting. He spent years as a sheet metal engineer working for a large company, and later started Scott's Steelworkz with contracting work for local businesses and maintenance shutdown work at the local steel mill. Waterjet cutting had been a dream since he started work in the industry - Scott saw how it could open up a wider range of materials and applications for the workshop.
In 2015, that decision led him to VICHOR - and to the first VICHOR waterjet ever installed in New Zealand.
What Scott Was Worried About
Scott wasn't shopping for the cheapest waterjet on the market. He was shopping for one that wouldn't leave him stranded.
In his own words from June 2015, before he placed the order:
"I am close to making my choice of waterjet. I am looking at 3 machines. I will be cutting lots of different materials. I like the 5 axis for bevels and counter sinking and for cutting 3D parts."
Behind that message were two concerns:
- Will the machine actually do the job? Scott needed to cut everything from steel to stone to wood, and he wanted a 5-axis head for bevelled and 3D work and the specialist work this could do.
- Will the support be there when something breaks? A waterjet down for two weeks is a workshop on hold. With the supplier on the other side of the world, Scott needed to know that distance wouldn't get in the way when something went wrong.
Why Scott Chose VICHOR
Scott and Jo flew to China and spent time at our factory, seeing machines in operation before placing the order.
After the visit, Scott emailed:
"We feel very comfortable with your company and machine."
The factory visit gave Scott and Jo enough confidence to move ahead.
Scott placed the order in August 2015.
Machine and Configuration
VICHOR WCM-P60II-G2040-A5, delivered CIF Auckland.
- WCM-P60II intensifier pump;
- 2000 x 4000 mm cutting table;
- 5-axis cutting head;
- CNC system;
- Tool kit and spare parts kit;
- Abrasive delivery system
- Automatic abrasive removal system;
- Water softener;
- Oil chiller;
- Contact height sensing & anti-collision system;
- Soft starter
Plus the 2015 Recommended consumable parts package.
He chose a full configuration that matched how he expected to use the machine, rather than simply choosing the lowest-cost option.
Installation and Early Operation
The container arrived in Waiuku on 24 November 2015. Jo's email that morning:
"Good news, our machine arrived today. Opened container and all looks good. Will be unloading it tomorrow. Thanks for all your hard work."
Our installation engineer flew to New Zealand in early January 2016 to commission the machine alongside Scott and his son Brad. The machine was producing parts within days.
About five months after installation, Scott needed a replacement UHP tube and seals while he had jobs waiting. Replacement seals and tube were on his bench within 4 days. After it was running again, Scott wrote:
"I have found that other people in New Zealand with a Chinese waterjet do not have the support that we have from you. We are very grateful."
That early support became an important part of the relationship.
Ten Years Later
The machine is still in production. As of August 2025, it had recorded over 4,000 operating hours across 10 years. Scott still cuts steel, stainless steel, aluminium, stone, wood, glass - and increasingly, the corten and stainless garden art that Scott's Steelworkz is now well known for.
The machine has been maintained, not replaced. Seals, poppet valves, mixing chambers, hoppers, UHP parts - Scott has bought consumables and wear items from us almost every year since 2016. The rest of the machine has stayed.
In August 2025, ordering his next batch of spares, Scott wrote:
"Our machine has now run for 4000 hours over 10 years. We are very pleased."
A few months later, Scott wrote:
"Thank you, your personal service makes us feel confident and valued."
What This Case Proves
The first VICHOR machine in New Zealand is still cutting in the same business more than ten years later, after being moved to new premises twice. For a buyer on the other side of the world, that is a practical reference.
Scott's Steelworkz became VICHOR's first customer in New Zealand with an order placed in 2015.
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