Wednesbury-based
Duright Engineering Ltd, a leading UK tube cutting and processing specialist, prides itself on the quality of the products it cuts as well as its ability to meet exacting lead times. Operating 24/7, it works its machines hard and as a consequence, machinery replacement is normally based on age and performance. However, Duright’s latest investment in two BLM LT7 fibre laser tube cutting machines, supplied by BLM Group UK Ltd in Bedford, have bucked that trend and provide Duright with the cabability to develop its service and drive further efficiencies.
While Covid-19 had a negative impact on many manufacturing busineses, the sub-contractor saw business grow due to its exposure to the medical equipment sector, where it was involved manufacturing parts for beds for the Nightingale hospitals, among many other medical-related projects.
Ross Taylor, Duright Engineering managing director, said: “The pandemic proved to be a busy time for us and in part drove our decision to invest in our first BLM LT7, as it provided a step-change in technology in terms of how easy and quick it was to set and improved performance on a lot of the exotic materials that we cut. The technology and in-built control software enhances the ability of our operators.”
Mr Taylor was pleasantly surprised by how quickly the operators adapted to the new technology of the BLM LT7 fibre laser, so much so that within 12 months a second machine was ordered. Furthermore, these machines are supported by a new liquid nitrogen generating system, that is alone delivering savings of between £5,000 and £7,000 per month.
Increased capacityAdd to this the efficiencies brought to the business by the BLM LT7 laser tube machines, Duright is able to offer exceptional service, but also very competitive rates. Moreover, as a result of the investment in the two fibre lasers, the company has generated increased capacity to enable Duright to take on new business.
The BLM LT7 Laser Tube features a 3-D cutting head equipped with a 3kW fiber laser, efficiencies are created through innovative design features such as the automatic setting of the tube loader, spindle, steady rest and intermediate supports in preparation for the next job with no interruption to the production cycle. The automatic tube loader can handle round and square tubes, rectangular profiles, open profiles, or special sections weighing up to 23kg/m and up to 8.5m in length, while tube between 12mm and 152.4mm can be cut.
Mr Taylor continued: “At Duright we run an extremely tight production system with every job, every operation, barcoded so everything has an allocated time whether that be set up or production. Our target is to achieve 80% efficiency on a daily basis, with 80 to 84% being the typical figure. The new BLM LT7 machines are achieving 93% efficiency, even with 10 or 12 changeovers in a 24hr period, the machines are much more streamlined. For us, this is a big benefit as we operate 24/6 pushing machines as hard as they can go with no spare time.”
BLM Group has been a supplier to Duright Engineering for many years, a relationship built on trust and quality of the machines, along with the technical support available. As Mr Taylor mentions, machines are worked hard and the LT712 laser tube that the LT7s are superseding has been at Duright for 14 years and still produces parts efficiently to the highest quality, but the LT7 brings added benefits.
Mr Taylor concluded: “The LT7 cuts so much faster than the old machine, but speed isn’t everything, everything else is. The fiber laser technology has come on leaps and bounds and the speed at which we can change from one job to another, with limited operator input is major step forward. Add to that the level of support we can call on from BLM both here in the UK and in Italy is second to none.”