Hull-based Kintech, a leading specialist in the fabrication of engineered parts, is benefitting from the installation of its first automated Trumpf TruPunch 3000 (www.trumpf.com), which is being used to perform ‘lights out’ production of parts for the caravan, leisure, retail and medical sectors.

The company was formed in 2009, when present chairman Carl Canty acquired the assets of the former fabrication business John A Kinnersley Co Ltd, which had been established for 40 years.

Mr Canty said: “Although the machines were perfectly operational, it was clear that the last 10 years of business at Kinnersley had seen minimal investment.

“Since the establishment of Kintech, we have steadily been updating, which has resulted in more orders and revenue growth.”

Kintech currently employs 60 people and has enjoyed year-on-year growth since its formation.

Its core business is the punching, bending and powder coating of sheet and tube.

Mr Canty said: “Our punch press was old and could no longer keep up with demand. In fact, we had started to sub-contract our punching work, so we decided to replace the machine.

"Although I thought that my previous machine tool supplier would be hard to beat, the TruPunch from Trumpf was more attractive, both technically and financially.”

Kintech produces many parts from large panels and a number of these sheets have short punching times of 2-3min. Such jobs can be labour-intensive, which makes automation very attractive.

Kintech requested that its TruPunch 3000 be accompanied by a full-sized SheetMaster load/unload system.

Installed in July 2018, the automated TruPunch 3000 has been busy producing large panels for caravans and sun-bed equipment, mainly from 1.0-1.5mm-thick sheet.

Typical materials processed on the machine include galvanised steel, zintec and aluminium.

Many of the longer-running repeat jobs are processed unmanned overnight and at weekends, with more intricate jobs completed during the day.