Simple doesn't mean easy. That's the experience of Rod York, owner of East Tennessee-based RYE-Corp., which specializes in the manufacture of dedicated, easy-to-use equipment for the stone industry that performs specific jobs and does it well.
The company's first tool that catered to industry work was the Scorpion Router Work Center. York designed it to replace the use of large stone polishing machines that were being repurposed to cut out granite counter tops.
An inveterate tinkerer,York wondered how to design a machine better suited to the task. "Why not make one machine where the arm was attached to the table, and it was smaller and easier to handle? That was the idea."
The design of the Scorpion eventually evolved into the Fab King Work Center, which can be used to cut out sinks, profile edges (using master/sector tooling), drill utility holes, polish back splashes, antique stone, and polish out scratches.
"Right now our bread and butter is the Fab King," York said. "It is basically the Scorpion on a different frame. It is one they called a cantilevered system, which gives it more rigidity. The Scorpion always had some deflection when it was fully extended. (The Fab King) is a more rigid and larger design."
Since founding the company, York has worked exclusively with distributors instead of attempting to market the tools, such as the Scorpion, himself. Despite their simplicity, the tools become mainstays for the shops that use them.
"It's been a godsend -the fact we've found a niche in the granite industry," York said. "(The tools) must be important because when my machines do go down, these guys want to fix them quick. They really rely on them even if they're simple."
Designing "simple" is not a simple undertaking, York said. It requires a lot of thought. The designs must be refined. "I spend 10 percent of the time designing equipment and another 90 percent shop-proofing it. Some of this stuff is manual, but motors and gear boxes mean more things that can go wrong and break. You try to think of what someone could do to break the equipment."
RYE-Corp. passed its five year anniversary in April. Prior to founding the company, York worked for VIC International for four years and then for Knoxville-based Sawing Systems. It was while working for the latter that inspiration struck and the Scorpion came to fruition. "Basically, I had people calling me and asking me if these big polishing machines (the Park Wizard and the Sawing System 5RP) would go high speed. Both those machines are designed for slab polishing, and they made them cut out sinks."
The machines were not designed for the purpose to which they were being turned, York said. "They were too heavy (for the operator) to 'feel' the cutout process. Plus you had to adjust the granite on sawhorses each time, which was time consuming."
Once he began designing the tool, York discovered that it was difficult to keep the arm of the saw rigid enough to eliminate the common problem of inadequate pressure causing the diamond bit to float or skim across the granite instead of cutting properly. "That's always been the problem with radial arm machines."
Finally, the solution presented itself while York was engaged in another task entirely."One night I was working on the brakes on my wife's car and saw the tapered bearings. I thought, 'that right there would solve the problem-that would keep the arm from coming up, and it would cut easier.' I went down to a patent attorney, got a patent and that was it for the Scorpion. It was born."
Once he had a product, things started moving quickly for York.
"I designed the saws so they'd be easy to install, easy to operate and easy to maintain. One thing i found out in granite was that George Jetson & Fred Flintstone just don't get along. Our philosophy is 'keep it simple, stupid.'"
Rod York wires up the control panel on a Renegade Gantry Saw, one of the simple, durable tools for which RYE-Corporation is known. The Renegade is primarily for dimensioning stone slabs, while the Fab King is a multi-function work center with radial arm action to polish, texture, drill or cut holes.
"We ran around from granite shop to granite shop showing people how we could cut out a sink in 10 minutes with no skill. From that point, I ... sold several hundred of those to various distributors."
In addition to simplicity in his designs, York strives to create tools that are easily repairable and do not use proprietary parts. "Everything I design is off the shelf. The Diamond Back Splash machine basically a flat polishing machine that use a $15 velcro pad."
In 2010,York developed his Renegade Gantry Saw, which is suited for dimensioning of stone slabs for counter top work. "I designed the saws so they'd be easy to install, easy to operate and easy to maintain. One thing I found out in granite was that George Jetson and Fred Flintstone just don't get along. Our philosophy is 'keep it simple, stupid.'"
The design of the Renegade is the case in point. "It's simple and uses less gizmos," York said, pointing out that an operator can move the bridge of saw by hand. It would be possible to motorize it, but York said a skilled operator can move it into place faster.
It was this philosophy that allowed York to find his niche. Although other manufacturers were churning out programmable, highly automated tools, there was a lack of simple, dedicated tools on the market, he said. "Nobody was going the other way. Nobody was saying let's keep it simple and durable."
There is a definite advantage to the approach, York said. "I don't get warranty calls."
Working through distributors allows York to concentrate on what he does best: design tools.
"A lot of my ideas come at 2 a.m.,"York said. "I can walk in here with a drawing on a napkin and..."
Machinist Teddy Bradley, an employee of Knoxville-based Dempster Machine Shop, and York's field technician interrupted York to say that, to be specific, the initial design for a new stone cycler had been scribbled on a Burger King napkin.
York turns to Dempster to bring his designs to life. "He's the man with all the ideas," Bradley said. "We just make them work."
York has worked in the stone industry for about 10 years. He attended Purdue University where he studied electrical engineering. After serving in the U.S. Air Force, York worked for a company where he designed equipment to eliminate redundant work in factories in order to prevent repetitive motion injuries.
One advantage that RYE-Corp. has is the fact that York has experience working with stone. "I know how to fabricate granite. I've polished edges, cut out sinks, and installed vanities. I know how to template."
"That's one of the things the customers love the most," Bradley said. "They've got someone who has been on the use and the installation side designing (the tools)."
Calling himself a jack of all trades, York said his background in electrical, mechanical, and hydraulic engineering has served him well.
"I'm trying to develop something that fits a niche in the market. That's been our whole business plan. Everything we've done is for a niche. That's why we're still in business."
In the end, the simple and dependable nature of RYE-Corp.'s products are their biggest selling point, York said. "My philosophy is I'll build a good reputation and the money will eventually follow."
For more information on RYE-Corp. or the Renegade and Fab King, visit the websites www.rye-corp.com and also www.braxtonbragg.com for videos of the machines in action.
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