Walk into a machine shop and there is a good chance that you will see the distinctive LNS logo alongside the latest generation of machine tools.
Founded in Switzerland in 1973, the company is now a world leader in the field of machine tool peripherals — everything from swarf conveyors, through to bar-feeders, coolant management systems and air filtration systems (including mist extraction).
In fact, LNS has been so successful in recent decades that the company now has manufacturing plants in China, Taiwan, the USA, the UK and Japan — plus an assembly plant in Switzerland.
There are now more than 120,000 bar feeders in operation across the world; moreover, some 100,000 swarf conveyor units have been sold globally, and LNS has an increasing presence in the supply of high-pressure coolant systems.
Nigel Hampson, who is head of sales in the UK, says: “Our goal is to become the global partner of choice for companies wanting to automate their manufacturing processes with innovative solutions. The ethos of the company is problem solving — providing solutions to machining problems that machine users are experiencing.”
LNS’s Turbo MH-series filtration conveyor is a good example of the company’s commitment to innovation. “A Mazak customer had an issue with swarf due to the high-volume nature of the cutting it was undertaking. We worked with Mazak to develop a new type of filtration conveyor system, which combines a hinge-belt conveyor, a scraper conveyor and a brush system to clean the filter boxes. The Turbo MH series that was subsequently developed constantly recirculates the coolant and takes the swarf away with virtually no machine down-time.”
This commitment to innovation and customer service has resulted in the company’s Barnsley facility working three shifts a day to keep up with demand; and when visitors walk through the facility, it is easy for them to appreciate the importance of the company’s sheet metal-cutting operations. At the far end of the facility is the laser cutting operation; this supplies parts to the welding facility, which in turn feeds the paint spraying and assembly processes. The potential for any problems with sheet metal cutting to impact the rest of the manufacturing process is clear.
Machine down-time
Steve Kirk, maintenance manager at LNS Europe’s UK manufacturing site in Barnsley, says: “We had an older laser machine that was manufactured in 2000 and was coming to the end of its operational life. I was becoming increasingly concerned by its downtime, particularly when we had a couple of occasions when even the machine manufacturer was struggling to diagnose faults. The maintenance was out-sourced and was generally OK — in fact, most faults were rectified in one or two days — but the cost of parts was prohibitive and rising year on year.
“We never reached a crisis point, because we ensured that we always had enough parts stockpiled to cover a few days of down-time, but longer periods of inactivity were an increasing risk. To protect the business, we needed to upgrade our laser capability.”
Mr Kirk looked at a number of machines before selecting a Mazak Optiplex 3015 II from Worcester-based Yamazaki Mazak UK Ltd (www.mazakeu.com). This machine is equipped with a 4kW resonator and offers 120m/min rapid-traverse rates — a combination designed to provide ultra-high-speed cutting while maintaining high levels of accuracy.
What swung the decision in favour of Mazak was the after-sales service the company was prepared to put in place, as Mr Kirk highlights. “This was a major investment for us, and we knew we would need technical support, particularly in the first few months. I knew that Mazak was prepared to support us through this period — and after.
“We had a lot to learn in those first few months, but our operators soon saw that the Optiplex is far superior to our previous machine. It is not only faster and more accurate but can also cut through thicker metal. I would say we are 25-30% more productive; if anything, our operators struggle to keep up with the machine.”
Looking to the future, LNS has ensured that there is the option to automate its new machine. “The Optiplex is prepped for automation, but we aren’t using it yet. We manually load the sheet metal, but if demand continues at the present rate, I can see a time when we will go over to automatic loading. By prepping for automation, we have future-proofed our sheet metal cutting.”