Barnsley-based Howat Group, a specialist stockholder serving the oil and gas industry, has installed a 14th Kasto bandsaw — a KastoWin pro AC 5.6 — at its new £2 million centre, which opened at the end of 2018 to coincide with the oil and gas sector’s emergence from a downturn that started in 2014.

Half of the sum went on acquiring a 60,000m² property in the Dearne Valley area of Barnsley, and the remainder was spent on infrastructure, materials-handling equipment, two new Kasto bandsaws and refurbishment of all the older models, some of which have been in service since the 1990s but still cut accurately.

The German-built KastoWin pro, supplied by Milton Keynes-based Kasto Ltd (www.kasto.com/uk), is designed for cutting tough nickel, titanium and stainless steel alloys up to 560mm in diameter, using a tungsten carbide-tipped (TCT) blade.

However, it also undertakes the economical cutting of low-alloy steels when the blade is swapped for a high-speed steel (HSS) bi-metal type.

Emma Parkinson, Howat’s operations director, said: “We have four dedicated carbide cutting bandsaws on-site, which include KastoTec AC5s and now the KastoWin pro, which is even more capable. They are ideal for cutting our
Inconel 625, 718, 725, 825, 925 and K500 stock.

“The latest investment was not only to increase our overall cutting capacity but also to improve efficiencies around nickel alloy cutting specifically.

"The remainder of our sawing plant — with capacities up to 800mm diameter — is intended for bi-metal cutting
but can also use TCT blades with off-set teeth.

"The advantage of the latest KastoWin pro saw, apart from its ability to use either type of blade economically, is its high productivity, which is down to fast cutting speeds and quick set-up using the new touch-screen control.”