Shapely cuts - sheet metalworking technology in action

Following a move to larger premises and recent major investment in Trumpf profiling technology (01582 725335), supported by production control software, Nottingham-based Lasershape has helped boosted its performance and output. "When I think back to 2010, before we owned any Trumpf machines, Lasershape had reached a plateau," explains the company's managing director, Tim Leam. "We had run out of space and run out of machine capacity, which meant we had to move premises and invest in new equipment – one without the other seemed pointless." The 90-employee company today operates four CNC laser profiling centres from Trumpf at its new 38,000 ft2 facility. In August 2011, the company installed two Trumpf CO2 lasers (a TruLaser 3030 with 5 kW resonator and a TruLaser 3040, also with 5 kW output) to its pair of 3 kW TruLaser 5030 fibre models, installed a year earlier. Aside from the four Trumpf laser profiling centres, the firm operates three water jet machines and two press brakes. "Previously, we used laser cutting machines supplied by another manufacturer, so this was our first experience of Trumpf," Mr Leam says. "However, the machines are far quicker and more flexible than we ever anticipated. We know this, because we have Trumpf monitoring software, which presents us with a range of information, such as daily up-time graphs and shift efficiencies. We can use this data to set each shift manager a target moving forward, for example. It's helped our business a lot." For sheet thickness above 5 mm, the Trumpf TruLaser CO2 machines are preferred; anything thinner is processed by the TruLaser 5030 fibre machines. The latter also handle reflective materials, such as copper and brass, which were previously cut using water jet technology in cycle times around 20 times greater, in some instances. Lasershape says one of the reasons behind its business success is a planned and aggressive attack on lead-times in recent years, partly through the introduction of new machinery and partly through new production control software systems. Today, Lasershape quotes typical lead-time as 48-72 hours, but in reality many orders get despatched the same day – the company manufactures for 10,000-plus different components per month. "Twice a day, we generate nests optimised for the orders that come in," says Mr Leam. "We keep between £200,000 and £300,000 of material stock – all of which is fully traceable – to help facilitate quick turnaround even further. In a way, it means batch sizes are fairly irrelevant and we handle anything from 1-off up to 100,000." Elsewhere, now a market leader and international supplier of screw flights (augers), screw shafts, bucket elevators, screw conveyors and feeders, Pressed Flights started business as a two-man company producing garden gates, railings and bespoke designs for general industry and local councils almost 25 years ago. Image: Pressed Flights has boosted production with a Kerf Developments plasma machine The Littleborough, Lancs-based company has invested in the latest CADCAM facilities and machine tools to cement its leading position in its niche market, with the latest addition to the company's plant list a Kerf RUR2500P plasma cutting machine (01706 757 670) for cutting its screw profiles. The screw profiles, from 50 to 4 m diameter, are cut on the Kerf RUR 2500P prior to being pressed to a form that is then assembled and welded around a turned bar to create a thread profile. The new machine has both increased material capacity and reduced throughput times. As Pressed Flights' general manager, Mark Cryer, explains: "We previously had a small conventional plasma cutting system for our production runs. This was limited to cutting material up to 12 mm thick, so our workload was restricted by the machine's capabilities. The plasma cutting bottleneck was delaying our delivery lead times and holding our business back. From the outset, the Kerf RUR2500P machine significantly increased our productivity by over 2.5 times. What we used to produce in five days is now possible in two." Lead times have tumbled, capacity doubled, bottlenecks eliminated and business increased, says the company. The RUR2500P can cut materials up to 35 mm and, with an output of 150 amp, it is over three times that of the previous unit's 45 amp, alloying duplex steel and nickel alloys to be cut as fast as brass or aluminium, while minimising dross. Other benefits are reduced torch consumption and reduced torch change time. "Consumables, such as the torch parts, electrodes and nozzles, required changing up to four times a day with the previous system; the RUR2500P consumables only need changing around once a day," Mr Cryer adds. "Additionally, the Kerf machine is fitted with a 'fast disconnect' system. Where the previous machine would take over 5 minutes to change the parts, up to four times a day, the Kerf machine allows us to pre-load new torch bodies, so changeovers are done in 5-6 seconds. This saves us a couple of hours in downtime each week." He concludes: "The quality of our components has improved significantly, as has the consistency of the screw flights produced on the plasma machine. We are delighted we acquired this machine, as the quality and consistency is supported by service support that is first class." ON THEIR GUARD At Caerphilly-based Procter Machine Guards, an LVD Easy-Form press brake and an LVD Pullmax CNC punch press (02476 323228) are providing flexibility and right-first-time accuracy. Last year, the company upgraded its old Pullmax CNC punch press, choosing another Pullmax machine – now supplied and manufactured by LVD. As managing director Jeremy Procter says: "We'd had a first-class return on the previous machine, so it was a logical choice to go for another Pullmax." Manufacturing a broad spread of products for many sectors, on a daily basis the company needs to manufacture a wide range of components, in different thicknesses (1 to 5 mm), sizes, materials and volumes, often with complex multiple angles and mitres, which have to come together accurately as kits for fabrication. Image: Procter Machine Guards opted for Pullmax, again The installed Pullmax 720 can handle sheets up to 3 by 1.5 m, and has a single head and 20 tools stored in a revolving carousel. Any tool can be rotated a full 360° and each carousel position can hold any size tool (up to 90 mm). The single-head design also gives the machine the ability to form parts with flanges up to 75 mm high. Cassette-held tooling is fast change, crucial as tools and dies two or three times a day. Installed in September 2011, the Pullmax 720 was quickly followed by a new 3 m, 135 tonne LVD Easy-Form press brake, equipped with LVD's patented Easy-Form adaptive forming system, which uses automatic in-process measurement and correction to ensure an always-correct bend angle. Production manager Graham Mayo explains its importance: "A kit of parts for a guard will include components in a number of different thicknesses – and we need all the parts to be able to make the fabrication. So we have to have that flexibility to change quickly from one thickness to another on the press brake, too. And because the parts are all nested on the sheet, the orientation with respect to the rolling direction will change, too – and that also affects the bending parameters. "We make complicated parts, such as large trays, where you are bending at multiple angles. On parts such as big base trays or cranked sliding doors, we are talking complex mitres and multiple angles that all have to come together correctly when the part is fabricated. It is very critical that we get the angle right," says Graham Mayo. The company has two other press brakes but the LVD machine is providing around 40% of its bending capacity because of the speed of set-up – with no need to make trial bends or adjust for different thicknesses. Box item Take That robot has Amada to thank A large proportion of structural parts for Om, the giant robot that took centre-stage on Take That's record breaking Progress Tour in 2011, were produced by Thetford-based Warren Services, using state-of-the-art Amada technology (01562 749736). Image: Take That and Om - built with Amada technology, with the help of Warren Services The internal skeleton and drive tug for the 60 ft robotic Om featured a multitude of mild steel plate parts, ranging in thickness from 5 up to 20 mm. With a lead-time of just eight weeks between receipt of drawing and first rehearsals, the speed and flexibility of Warren Services' automated laser and folding cell was fundamental to the success of the project. "We couldn't have done it without Amada," states the company's managing director, Will Bridgman. "The laser and software technology are absolutely amazing and yet again they have proved their value to Warren Services." First published in Machinery, September 2012