World class is not a term that is bestowed lightly, but that's precisely what owners and brothers George and Johnny Nikollaj and cousin Tomy Lulgjuraj were aiming for when they opened 6 Salon in Royal Oak, MI in 2003. Along with their team of highly motivated and highly skilled stylists, the facility itself bespoke their commitment to excellence. The 3,400 sq ft shop with its clean, minimalist lines, innovative approach to workstation design, gleaming stainless steel, and light, airy feel looks more like an award winning design from Architectural Digest?than a typical salon.
"It's a highly stylized, minimalist space," notes Christian Unverzagt, design principal for M1/DTW, LLC of Detroit. M1/DTW is the design firm that helped the owners create the strikingly innovative yet highly functional space of their dreams.
In 2007 a second 6 Salon was opened, this one in Birmingham, MI. The Birmingham location proved too small to fully accommodate the owners' vision, so the decision was made to move the facility into a new space. Determined to employ the best possible talent, they once again chose Unverzagt and? M1/DTW for design, and to build the new stainless steel stations and fixtures, they chose 3-Dimensional Services.
3-Dimensional Services, a member of the 3-Dimensional Services Group (Rochester Hills, MI) firm specializes in design, engineering and analysis, in-house soft tooling, and complete build of first-off prototype parts as well as low to medium volume production runs. Their use of advanced process methods and manufacturing technologies, plus the expertise of their staff, mean that prototype parts - not just models -- are typically provided up to 70% faster than conventionally equipped prototype shops are able to offer.
Speedy Approach to Luxury
"We were approached this spring to make the 21 new workstations for the expanded Birmingham salon," says Steve Kelly, sales engineer for 3-Dimensional Services, "each consisting of a total of 24 different components in all." The material was high quality, 300 Series stainless steel, a luxurious looking metal chosen to ensure the consistency of 6 Salon's signature look.
First, 3-Dimensional Services had to enter M1/DTW's CAD drawings into their system, then program the machines that would be required for the processing. For some companies these can be time-consuming steps, but for 3-Dimensional this was quickly done as their design and engineering department utilizes advanced CAD software such as CATIA, Delcam, Mastercam, Unigraphics, SolidWorks, and ProEngineer, allowing them to work from virtually any data files, blueprints, or even sketches.
From its many processing options, 3-Dimensional Services chose to use its 3-axis, 6 kW CO2 NTC laser cutting system with a Rofin-Sinar laser. This system provides speed, accuracy, and flexibility in processing sheet material. Stainless steel, aluminum, and other highly refractive metals can sometimes present problems for laser processing because of their reflective nature; this was no problem for 3-Dimensional's 3-axis laser, however, because of its high power.
Keeping the steel's surface free of large scratches, nicks, and other blemishes was another issue.
"It was imperative that we maintain the luxurious look of this material throughout processing and handling," notes Kelly, "because appearance is an essential aspect of these workstations. The instructions out on the floor for every aspect of this job stressed that fact."
Fortunately, this wasn't the first time 3-Dimensional's skilled technicians had dealt with jobs where cosmetic factors were vital, so the right procedures and mindset were already in place.
After laser cutting and subsequent laser trimming came forming. 3-Dimensional Services has a variety of options for producing formed parts, including both hydraulic and mechanical presses, as well as press brakes and shears. In this case, its 100 ton Cincinnati press brake was chosen as the optimal tool. This was followed by welding and final assembly, all performed in-house.
Streamlined? Installation
The first fully fabricated station, with its 80 lb of formed metal, flat lengths and tubes, was completed a mere week after 3-Dimensional Services received the plans. Unlike other salons, the stations in 6 Salon don't rest on the floor; instead, they are suspended by metal tubes that connect with a plate that attaches to the ceiling. It's another way in which designer Unverzagt has attempted to make "the architecture and space almost seem to disappear," using the combination of design and materials to augment the light and heighten the interaction between stylist and customer.
Installation of the 21 stations in the Birmingham facility began soon after the first stations were completed. This task was made easier by another of 3-Dimensional Services' design innovations: the needed fasteners are built into the ceiling plates and pre-aligned for quicker installation.
When the new incarnation of 6 Salon Birmingham opened its doors in July 2013, visitors ?encountered more of a destination than a shop, one designed to both soothe their senses and amaze their eyes. For this they can thank the owners, designer Christian Unverzagt, and 3-Dimensional Services.
"We're pleased with the work we did on this job, building these 21 innovative new workstations," says Steve Kelly. "And oh yes," he adds with a smile, "we also built their new stainless steel magazine racks and innovative 'tool' boxes."
