Enfield-based BIZ Engineering, a long-established company with a comprehensive knowledge of the sheet metal industry, has invested in a 3kW TruLaser 1030 fiber laser cutter, supplied by Luton-based Trumpf Ltd, to meet growing demand and replace previous CO₂-based technology.

This increasingly popular entry-level machine is proving that Trumpf offers laser cutting solutions to suit all budgets, while providing high levels of capability, productivity and quality across the sector, as BIZ Engineering can attest.

BIZ Engineering’s history is traceable back to 1816, when it began trading initially as a builders’ merchant from the Commercial Road in Shoreditch, East London. Although the company remains a family-run business, a lot has changed in the subsequent two centuries. Today, the sub-contract fabrication specialist employs 23 people and is part of BIZ Group Holdings, also comprising BIZ Karts and BIZ Power Tools.

Industries served by the company include food, construction, aircraft, materials handling, electrical and retail, to list but a few. Notable recent projects — such as packaging conveyor systems, cycle parking systems, high-rise balconies, building cladding cassette systems and retail checkout barriers — indicate the diverse nature of products supplied.

Of course, serving so many different types of customer across the UK demands investment in the latest manufacturing technologies to ensure the highest quality and widest specification of product.

Paul Jones, who joined the company in 2017 as managing director following over 30 years of experience in precision sheet metal and other engineering sectors, said: “We are currently growing year-on-year, which is testament to our investment programme, ongoing diversification and commitment to customers – existing and new.”

While BIZ Engineering offers a range of subcontract manufacturing services, including CNC punching, routing, bending, welding and shot blasting, the company’s latest investment drive has centred on laser cutting. Two new fibre-laser machines have arrived in the past 18 months, the most recent of which is an entry-level Trumpf TruLaser 1030 fiber – one of the most cost-efficient and economical laser machines from the TruLaser range.

Mr Jones explained: “When I arrived, we had two small Trumpf CO₂ lasers which were 18 and 20 years old respectively and, although still operational, we took the decision to replace them with fibre lasers. In comparison with our CO₂ machines we knew fibre would be around five times faster, provide more capability and cut running costs by two-thirds.”

The first laser cutter to arrive was a low-cost model from a non-European supplier. However, when inviting quotations from various suppliers for a second machine, BIZ Engineering was surprised to learn that the price differential to an entry-level Trumpf laser cutter was smaller than expected, despite the higher productivity, better build quality and extensive functionality.

User-friendly control
He added: “We installed the TruLaser 1030 fiber in November 2020, and since then it has become a great asset to our business. We sent four of our operatives on the Trumpf training course, where they discovered that the machine’s Touchpoint control is very user-friendly.”

On a daily basis the company is using its recent arrival to process aluminium up to 12mm thick and stainless steel up to 15mm, as well as many different gauges of mild steel.

The 3kW TruDisk laser supplied with BIZ Engineering’s TruLaser 1030 fiber allows users to cut all common type of sheet metal, quickly and to a high standard. Despite its classification as an entry-level model, the TruLaser 1030 offers a number of advanced features, such as collision protection, touch display with intuitive menu navigation and a Central Link function for digital connectivity. The machine is available in lengths up to 6m, and laser power up to 6kW.

The TruLaser 1030 at BIZ Engineering produces parts in batch sizes from one-off to 300-off, 12 hours a day, with plans afoot to extend the current single-shift working pattern.

Mr Jones concluded: “The speed and part quality offered by the machine is fantastic, while we are also making savings thanks to the elimination of CO₂. Machine usability is also very important. We had been using our previous machines for the past 15-20 years, so there is always a degree of apprehension in the face of change.

“But our operators have really taken to the TruLaser 1030 fiber, which is great because our key market differentiator is high-end quality, so the Trumpf adds real value in that respect. We are the main supplier to a lot of our customers and they rely on us and our manufacturing capabilities to deliver right-first-time components in accordance with tight delivery schedules.

“There is very little margin for failure in this industry, which is why we believe investing in a Trumpf laser cutter represents an astute business decision.”