The Laser Cutting Co, Sheffield (www.lasercutting.co.uk), has announced a significant investment in its machining capabilities; this will allow it to meet growing customer demand for larger and more-complex workpieces.

The Yamazaki Mazak 3D Fabri Gear 400 tube laser cutting machine is the first of its kind to be sold in the UK; it gives the Laser Cutting Co the capacity to cut regular and irregular 3-D structured sections — including H, I and L beams — as well as square and round pipes up to 8,000mm long and 406mm in diameter. It has already helped to speed up production times by 30%.

Managing director Jon Day said: “Purchasing the Fabri Gear 400 was the next logical step for the business, and we are delighted to be the first company in the UK to offer such a high level of precision laser cutting.

“Our first Mazak machine — a Fabri Gear 300 — served us very well, but we were increasingly finding that the market was demanding the capability to machine larger and more-complex work, along with bevelling and tapping, which is quite a specialist area to be operating in.

“The increased capacity and speed of the 400 have allowed us to meet the complex level of machining our customers were looking for.”

Ian White, general sales manager (laser) at Yamazaki Mazak UK (www.mazakeu.co.uk), said: “The 3D Fabri Gear 400 is one of our largest laser machines, and it is truly capable of providing a ‘done in one’ solution for the fast yet highly precise cutting of exceptionally large and complex 3-D workpieces.

“The Laser Cutting Co is one of the leading forces in the UK’s sub-contract laser machining market, and it will be well placed to furnish the growing demands of an expanding customer base.”