Copper Alloys Ltd — based in Stoke-on-Trent and specialising in copper and nickel-based alloys — supplies forgings, castings and precision-engineered components to customers around the world for use in diverse applications in the defence, aerospace, petrochemical and other sectors.

After encountering speed and accuracy problems with a production bandsaw, the company turned — not for the first time — to Kettering-based Prosaw (www.prosaw.co.uk).

The job in question involves cutting cast aluminium/bronze billets up to 810mm in diameter (they are cast adjacent to the cutting facility, to which they are transferred on cooling).

The machine suggested by Prosaw is a Danobat bandsaw with an automatic feed system that re-positions the billet after each cut, making continuous production possible. This machine requires little or no operator interaction and is reliable enough to operate automatically for 24hr each day.

Copper Alloys was already using two Danobat bandsaws on similar applications, and all three machines now use the same program. Managing director John Dudley says: “We purchased our first Danobat machine from Prosaw 10 years ago and have always been delighted with their quality. The new machine’s speed and straightness in cut will increase our yield and significantly reduce the risk of producing scrap products.”