Portuguese Steel: 37 Years of Experience Empowered by Akyapak

Company Overview

Portuguese Steel (Ipek Steel) is a family-owned company with almost four decades of experience in structural steel fabrication for commercial and residential projects. Founded by the Cabral family, the company continues to grow under the leadership of General Manager Antonio Cabral, delivering reliable, high-quality steel structures across Portugal.

Before the Collaboration

Operating within a compact workspace and managing demanding project timelines, Portuguese Steel needed a faster and more accurate production solution. Their previous single-spindle machine limited productivity and required more labor. Meeting customer deadlines while maintaining high standards became increasingly challenging.

Customer Testimonial

It works excellently, with perfect quality in everything it does. The three cylinder heads work simultaneously, giving us quality and agility in production. We reduced our production time by almost half and the machine has exceeded what we imagined.

Antonio Cabral - General Manager

Portuguese Steel

Company Profile

Industry: Structural Steel Fabrication

Portuguese Steel specializes in commercial and residential steel structures, combining craftsmanship with advanced technology.

Location: Newark, New Jersey, USA

Operating from the heart of the Ironbound district, the company runs two modern facilities totaling 25,000 sq. ft., equipped with automated machinery to ensure professional and efficient production.

Founded: 1988

Founded by Carlos Correia, Portuguese Structural Steel has evolved into a multi-generation family business that continues to grow through innovation, precision, and dedication.

Machines: Akyapak 3 ADM Beam Drill Line

Empowering the PSS team with precision, speed, and reliability, this advanced beam drilling system optimizes workflow, doubles production efficiency, and ensures accuracy  even in high-demand fabrication environments.

Challenges

Key issues before working with Akyapak:

Portuguese Structural Steel faced the daily challenge of keeping up with increasing production demands while operating within a compact workspace. The company’s projects  from warehouses to complex steel structures required speed, precision, and consistency, but their previous single-spindle system limited both capacity and agility. At the same time, labor specialization was another obstacle. Located in a region with a diverse and often immigrant workforce, training operators for advanced machinery was not always easy.

Limited workspace capacity

High production demand

Need for skilled operators

Requirement for speed and precision

Limited workspace capacity

High production demand

Need for skilled operators

Requirement for speed and precision

Akyapak’s Solution

Advantages of Akyapak Machines:

Akyapak machines brought together power, precision, and efficiency, transforming Portuguese Structural Steel’s daily operations. With easy installation, simultaneous multi-spindle drilling, and consistent performance, the 3 ADM Beam Drill Line delivered speed, reliability, and accuracy , even in a compact workspace.

Ease of Use

The installation was quick and simple. Despite not having a fully specialized workforce, the operator adapted to the system easily after a short training period. “He learned very easily and is working with the machine. He is not having any difficulty.” Today, the team manages all design, operation, and maintenance processes independently , ensuring continuous production from early mornings to late evenings.

Reliability

Even under intense production schedules , sometimes running until 9:00 p.m.  the Akyapak 3 ADM has performed flawlessly. “It’s doing everything we need, and the work doesn’t stop happening.” The machine’s durability and stable operation have allowed the company to meet tight project deadlines with confidence and peace of mind.

Precision

With its three simultaneously working spindles, the 3 ADM Beam Drill Line ensures perfect alignment and high-quality drilling on every beam. “It works excellently, with perfect quality in everything it does. We gained both quality and agility in our work.” Production time has been cut by nearly half, while maintaining accuracy and consistency across every project.

Akyapak | Portuguese Steel