MPJ Fabrications relies on MSS lasers and nitrogen generation
2 mins read
MPJ Fabrications has grown its business and has benefited from lower cost second-hand laser profiling equipment supplied by MSS Lasers, with its latest investment taking in both a laser profiler and nitrogen generation technology.
This latest investment follows a forced move to smaller premises in December last year. The company has installed a 4 kW Trumpf lasef profiler boasting a front loading pallet system, together with a high pressure nitrogen generation plant, also supplied by MSS. Both, critically, offer space savings to the company.
The Trumpf replaced a larger 4 kW LVD Axel laser profiler with pallet changing system and 11 m footprint, also supplied by MSS, and which itself was a replacement for two machines, a 2 kW LVD Helius machine, purchased in 2005, and a second 3 kW Helius that followed that.
MPJ started as a management buy-out of the fabrication workshop of a pump manufacturing company in 2002. With three years of contracts and co-location on the pump manufacturer's site, MPJ prospered, with the firm using an old Strippit CNC punch press to produce many sheet metal parts, while it subcontracted laser cut components until the 2005 purchase.
At 7 by 5 m, the Trumpf machine has a smaller footprint than the Axel, while the nitrogen generator takes less space than do bottles of gas.
The Trumpf uses nitrogen to purge the bellows and for cutting. "The quality of the cutting on the Trumpf is excellent," explains managing director Mike Jeffs. "Furthermore, cutting with nitrogen takes out an operation. Previously, we had to clean the oxidised edges of our components so that any welding would stick properly and, similarly, for powder coated parts to avoid chipping."
But nitrogen bottles took up space, so the generator was another space saver. "The system is absolutely fantastic," says Mr Jeffs. "Previously, we had to use two nitrogen banks, which only lasted two days, and one oxygen bank. Each bank contains 15 bottles, is 1.5 by 1 m in size and weighs 1.5 tonnes.
"These are difficult to manoeuvre and use up valuable space. We also used to be subject to delivery delays when we ran low on nitrogen causing disruption to production. With the nitrogen generator, we let it run overnight, and there is plenty of gas for us to start cutting at 6 am and run all day with nitrogen. As well as saving the cost of gas and the potential disruption of running out, we now also use less oxygen, making further savings."
MPJ relies completely on its laser cutting machine as virtually every part it manufactures goes through it. "The service that we get from MSS Lasers is absolutely vital to us," underlines Mr Jeffs. "We believe in relationships built on trust. Not only has MSS Lasers provided us with affordable machinery, but its service is first class and, in the five years we have been working together, there has never been a single occasion when it has let us down."
