Burton’s Engineering Services, based in Grimsby and established in 2020, can now offer a laser cutting service with the installation of a Lincoln Electric Linc-Cut 2040A fibre laser system. The 12kW machine, supplied by Rochdale-based
Kerf Developments, marks a significant diversification for a company that has built its reputation on site services, breakdowns, repairs, and factory maintenance for the food and waste sectors.
Thomas Burton founded the company during the first Covid-19 lockdown — a move many considered risky. But as he reflects: “We had no option. My employer was laying people off and said there was no work out there. But I knew there was. The gamble paid off, and after starting, we grew rapidly and we eventually took on my previous employer’s work too. We started getting a lot of project work and short shutdown work.”
Specialising in repair, maintenance and overhaul of equipment such as production lines, radial stackers, shredders and optical sorters, the company provides both labour and engineering expertise for time-critical maintenance and overhauls. Today, Burton’s Engineering Services employs 52 staff —a remarkable achievement in just five years. Mr Burton explained that diversification was essential: “We needed something else to fall back on, and when a brief quiet period materialised, we invested in our laser-cutting capability.”
The decision was driven by a clear gap in the local market. Mr Burton said: “There is only one competitor in Grimsby, and a lot of sheet metal workers in the area use a service based in Hull, over one hour’s drive away.”
Service and turnroundPaul Eastburn from Kerf Developments agreed: “Companies were having to go out of the area. Burton’s business model is based on service and turnround — investing in the Lincoln Electric Linc-Cut 2040A fibre laser machine has enabled us to offer a fast service and the option to work through the night to get parts cut quickly.” The strategy aims for 24-48hr turnround times for local engineering companies and project-based work, particularly serving the numerous food-processing and pharmaceutical plants in the area.
Mr Burton admits the investment was made without any guaranteed customers, but that the gamble has paid off — the machine now runs more than 12hr a day. The choice of a Lincoln Electric over other brands was influenced by previous experience. “We needed a hand-held plasma cutter for cutting seized steel plates in a Rademacker bakery machine and only a Lincoln plasma cutter proved capable of the task. Impressed by this, I then wondered if Lincoln did a fibre laser — I did some research and was pleased to find that it did. I didn’t know laser cutting that well, so it was more brand loyalty. However, the outstanding performance has validated our choice. Customers are delighted with the fast turnround service we can provide, and the quality of the cut is second-to-none.”
The Linc-Cut 2040A features a 2 x 4m cutting bed and a 12kW laser. “I wanted a 12kW laser to cater for the diverse material thicknesses we handle. If you are investing, why not go for the best?” Mr Eastburn continued: “Because Burton is offering a sub-contract service, it is trying to give itself every chance of covering all areas of the market, hence the reason for choosing the 12kW machine.”
Mr Burton added: “The cutting capacity is impressive. We have cut everything from 0.5 to 25mm stainless, and 1 to 40mm mild steel with cutting speeds up to 45m/min depending upon material thickness.”
Furthermore. the shuttle table on the Linc-Cut 2040A has proved critical for productivity. Mr Burton continued; “While it is cutting, we can unload parts from the shuttle table and load the next sheet. It allows continuous operation and maximises our productivity.”
He also specified Lantek nesting software for offline programming, which was recommended by Kerf — the software suite includes comprehensive technology tables with cutting parameters for various materials, thicknesses, speeds, feeds and acceleration rates. Lincoln Electric’s proprietary software further improves productivity, setup times and programming, simplifying the learning process.
The machine’s workload has exceeded all expectations. Mr Burton said: “It runs all day, but on one recent project involving 276 sheets of 3mm stainless steel, we were cutting day and night — running 24hr a day until project completion. That reliability and uptime are another reason we selected the Lincoln from Kerf Developments.”
Always cuttingJobs range from production runs to small quantities. He continued: “On one recent job, we had to cut 2,000 parts with pieces measuring 600 x 700mm. As well as cutting stainless and mild steel, we will occasionally do aluminium work too. The machine is always cutting, and we always have one man running it. When customer production lines are down, the hourly cost can be significant. One food plant recently reported that downtime for a production line creates losses of £7,000 per hour, so having the Lincoln machine to support our customers in getting production up and running urgently is imperative — and the local fast support service provided by Kerf when required is hugely appreciated.”
The laser installation is just the start of Burton’s investment programme. Mr Burton explained: “We have just purchased a CNC press brake as it goes hand-in-hand with fibre laser cutting”. A current opportunity involves manufacturing auxiliary chains for a waste processing customer. The components are currently sourced from the USA at approximately £250,000 per unit with three-month lead times. “Having the capability to produce this locally will significantly reduce the lead-times and costs for the customer whilst enhancing quality and enabling the end user to have a complete service from a single source.”
Mr Burton acknowledges the scale of the investment: “We have ploughed seven figures into this now, referring to the new premises on Euro Park specifically chosen to accommodate the laser system and additional equipment. The business case is already being validated, as Mr Eastburn added: “The business has a real entrepreneurial spirit. Thomas realised the gap in the market was there, and he is already picking up major contracts.”
He concluded: “We are delighted with the Lincoln Electric Linc-Cut 2040A fibre laser system. It is an excellent machine. We are likely to buy a second Lincoln machine when the existing machine gets too busy.”