In 2005, the Leicestershire sheet-metal sub-contractor Midland Metal Products (MMP) bought a Bystronic CO
2 laser profiler to replace three smaller laser cutters.
In May this year, the firm part-exchanged the CO
2 machine for a fibre laser version of identical capacity from the same supplier. The new machine is twice as fast when cutting zinc-coated and uncoated mild steel up to 3mm thick, doubling productivity when processing those materials.
As 90% of the factory’s throughput is mild steel and 80% of the material is 5mm thick or less, the impact of the new 3kW BySprint Fiber 3015 from Coventry-based Bystronic UK Ltd (
www.bystronic.com) has been dramatic. Stainless-steel and aluminium sheet is also being cut more efficiently, up to the machine’s maximum capacity of 3 x 1.5m.
Productivity has been boosted even at 5mm, although material thicker than that can normally be profiled faster on a CO
2 machine — certainly when piercing and cutting in a straight line. Nevertheless, the fibre laser is able to tackle heavier gauges with ease, and the small time penalty is far outweighed by the higher speeds when processing thinner materials.
Justin Sanders, production control manager at MMP, said: “We had been following the progress of fibre laser technology since 2012 and were monitoring the equipment on offer from four major OEMs. The decision to return to Bystronic for the latest purchase was down to the previous CO
2 machine’s reliability, the speed and price of the BySprint fibre laser profiler, and the successful cutting trials carried out at Bystronic’s technical centre in Coventry.”
The original CO
2 laser was installed with an integrated ByTrans 3015 automatic load/unload system, which in turn was interfaced with a Remmert computer-controlled sheet-metal storage system.
This equipment has been linked to the new fibre machine to form a similar automated cell, complete with the original nitrogen-generating plant; and even though the material being cut is thin and the cycle time per sheet is relatively short, 2-3hr of ‘lights out’ production is gained every day.
The Desford factory (near Leicester) operates round-the-clock on weekdays and for 12hr at weekends. Business at the 125-employee firm has been growing steadily over the past 18 months; on average, the company is winning a new customer every month — and demand is predicted to increase year on year. Keeping prices competitive and at the same time maintaining quality is crucial in the sheet-metal sector.
All customers are looking for good value, whether they are manufacturers of mobile rock crushers, suppliers of goals for various sports, security system specialists, machine builders, access equipment producers or supermarkets looking for an electronic point-of-sale stand.
MMP supplies this diverse range of customers with products and fabrications in small to medium volumes of generally less than 100.
One of its particular strengths that helps to keep costs down is being able to take raw sheet or tube and transform it into complex finished assemblies under one roof — often with the assistance of robotic arc welding. Plate up to 20mm thick is processed occasionally.
“Another important consideration in our choice of fibre machine was the level of service we could expect from the supplier,” says Mr Sanders. “We operate only one laser profiler alongside our punch press and eight press brakes, so reliability is critical for us to maintain productivity. Bystronic has 34 service engineers in the UK, so one can be on-site the same day, if needed.”
Further laser cutting plant will be installed at Desford in the coming years, as demand for the company’s sheet metal products and services grows; and now that fibre laser technology has reached maturity, this will be the process of choice for MMP, unless the proportion of thicker-gauge metal that it handles increases significantly.