C. Brown & Sons buys a TruLaser 3040

The laser will replace two existing machines and free up valuable floor space and is already being used to profile thick gauge mild steel 24 hours a day, five days a week. "While we did consider other suppliers, we felt the Trumpf TruLaser 3040 with 6 kW resonator, CoolLine advanced contouring technology and LiftMaster automation best suited our needs," explains company director Julian Adkins. "We wanted a machine to help process our thicker gauge orders, 20 and 25 mm thick mild steel, hence the 6 kW power source," he adds. The firm has 150-employees and a £55 million turnover, so it usually finances new machinery itself, but this time round it says "it felt more prudent to finance off balance sheet" and have an operating lease from Trumpf's Financial Services. An operating lease is not capitalised; instead it is accounted for as a rental expense and VAT is spread over the life of the agreement. "It's our first operating lease, but we think it works well for our requirements," says Mr Adkins. "We will most likely keep the machine for five years and then trade in for another model. "Our ambition is to laser cut quicker than we've ever managed before, so in all honesty the operating lease appears to be a good way of investing in our future." Aside from laser cutting, C. Brown & Sons also carries out shearing, plasma cutting, flame cutting and forming.