Econ Engineering, a North Yorkshire engineering business that manufactures more than 80% of the winter maintenance and repair vehicles used on Britain’s roads, has invested £850,000 in a laser cutter that will increase the company’s production capabilities while cutting its energy costs.

The Bystronic Bystar Fiber 6225 Dynamic, which replaces Econ’s previous Bystar L 4025, uses nitrogen in the cutting process and has increased cutting speeds by up to 600% on metals under 3mm thick and 400% on metals from 4 to 10mm thick. Furthermore, the new machine has half the power consumption of the previous model.

Colin Trewhitt, Econ’s fabrication manager, said: “The new laser cutter is already delivering benefits for our business. We did not close down during the Covid-19 pandemic, but adapted our working practices accordingly to ensure the safety of our employees and customers; and with winter just four months away we are entering our busiest period, manufacturing gritters, snowploughs and spares for the growing fleets of Econ vehicles throughout the country.”

Last October, Econ — a family run firm that started in 1969 and is the UK’s largest producer of gritters and road-mending vehicles — launched a new engineering hub in Scotland and is to open a similar facility in Wales this autumn. The firm also has a hire fleet of more than 800 vehicles.