Established in 1964, Goodman Metal Works supplies mild-steel and stainless-steel fabrications to companies throughout the UK and Europe.

The family run business, which specialises in larger fabrications weighing up to 25 tonnes, has a comprehensive range of manufacturing resources, including cutting, welding, machining, grinding, stress relieving, shot blasting and painting — all housed in a 45,000ft₂ facility on the outskirts of Nottingham (www.goodmanmetalworks.co.uk).

Goodman undertakes work for the construction, recycling, automotive, offshore, mining and quarrying sectors. The company also manufactures a range of components for power generation and renewable-energy applications.

Managing director Richard Goodman says: “Our service is based on experience, knowledge and reliability. From one-offs to large-batch production, we have the know-how and the systems in place to cope with all types of orders.

“To ensure that our customers continue to receive a quality service, we employ highly skilled staff and invest in the best-possible production aids.”

One of the company’s recent purchases was a Laser Genius fibre laser cutting machine from Coventry-based Prima Power UK Ltd (www.primapower.com).

Mr Goodman says: “The diverse nature of our customer base means we need our manufacturing plant to be as adaptable as possible.

“For example, we produce and supply fully assembled products for the sub-sea market, including cable-laying and safe-storage solutions. In contrast, we also work with architectural designers to create centrepieces and landmark structures for towns and cities.

“Our new Laser Genius machine provides the flexibility we need — and it offers an accuracy of 0.03mm. Furthermore, it accommodates plate up to 4 x 2m and can process mild steel up to 25mm thick, stainless steel of up to 20mm and aluminium up to 12mm.

Compared to modern systems, our previous laser cutting machine was proving uneconomical in terms of its consumption of electricity and gas — and the cost of maintaining it was continually rising.

Our latest Prima Power machine has considerably improved our efficiencies in all of these areas, while allowing us to quote competitive prices.

“Following a trouble-free machine installation and operator training, Prima Power’s engineers have made regular visits to help ensure that we can maximise the machine’s potential.

“As the Laser Genius’s controls and software are so intuitive and easy to use, our staff were very soon ‘up to speed’; and now the machine is in full production, it is proving to be highly accurate and extremely productive.”

Local grant

Nottinghamshire County Council supported Goodman’s purchase of the Prima Power machine with a £178,000 grant from its Economic Development Fund. The Council set up the £6 million fund to help businesses in the county grow and create employment.

Councillor Diana Meale, chairman of the Economic Development Committee, said: “We were very impressed by Mr Goodman’s plans to modernise and grow the company, and we recognised that the purchase of the Laser Genius machine was key to his company’s on-going development.

“I’m delighted that the Council has been able to support his plans, which include creating 13 new jobs in advanced manufacturing and engineering positions, in addition to apprenticeship opportunities.”

The Laser Genius machine, as purchased by Goodman Metal Works, uses materials such as carbon fibre and synthetic granite in its structure to maximise productivity when cutting medium to thin sheet metal.

The machine’s single universal lens features a fast focal axis with a 35mm stroke for the cutting of a variety of materials and thicknesses — and the ‘optical chain’ is totally sealed and protected from any contamination.

As well as a quick alignment system, the machine features a Safe Impact Protection System to protect the machine’s head in the event of a crash.

A wide range of nozzles for a variety of applications can be automatically exchanged, and laser powers from 2 to 6kW can be specified.

The machine’s efficiency is further enhanced by the use of highly dynamic linear motors; these can increase productivity by up to 15% compared to traditional systems.

Dedicated software suites (Smart Cut, Max Cut and Night Cut) optimise the laser cutting process for each application.