Lankapaja Corporation, one of the biggest and best-known sheet metal subcontractors in Finland, has invested in Prima Power’s Night Train FMS automated storage solution for its Nummela facility. The solution includes a new Combi Genius 1530 combi laser machine, which brings together laser cutting and punching technology with an automatic LSR loading and stacking robot.

“With automation we could reduce the number of different machines, increase production efficiency and lower costs,” explains R&D manager Christian Öberg.

According to Öberg, automation is one of the elements perceived as a guarantee that a supplier will be able to offer its customers competitive prices now and in the future.

“We do a lot of small runs, making shift times important,” he says. “This is why we chose the most flexible sheet metal machine on the market: Prima Power’s combi laser. It can run even small batches efficiently.”

Lankapaja runs the machines in two shifts, totalling about 8-12 hours of effective operating time per day, per machine. With the help of the automated storage solution, the goal is to reach 15-20 operating hours per day, per machine: a huge increase in productivity that will not trigger the additional costs of manual alternatives.

Jon Törnwall, IT manager at Lankapaja, goes further into the details: “This requires a new kind of thinking for programming and job queue planning. We investigated this at length and noticed that most waste in production comes specifically from the picking, loading and unloading of sheet metal. We believe we will reach our goal by automating these steps and that in the future, with the help of the storage solution, we will manage the same amount of work with two machines as we do now with three machines.”

For further information
www.primapower.com

Flow International, a developer and manufacturer of ultra-high-pressure waterjet cutting systems, is releasing its next generation of intensifier pump technology, the MotoJet X. The company says that MotoJet X features state-of-the-art technology advancements focused on maximising customer uptime, improving usability and nearly eliminating hands-on customer maintenance.

“Our engineering team has invested significant effort in designing, testing and refining intensifier pump technology to achieve a 95% uptime guarantee with a pump that outlasts and outperforms the rest,” says Tim Fabian, vice president of marketing and product management at Flow.

The pump is a full-service solution. Flow’s trained technical service personnel will conduct all maintenance at needed intervals, keeping customers up and running with minimal effort on their part, and allowing them to focus their attention and resources on other areas of their business.

“This white glove, comprehensive service is somewhat new to the waterjet industry, but it’s not new in the world of convenience we live in,” says Fabian. “Having an expert team available to service your equipment is a benefit that makes a huge difference in customer operations, and once you have access to it, you realise just what a difference it truly makes to your business.”

The MotoJet X features ultra-quiet operation with a sound-deadening design. Furthermore, the design includes easy access points with quick-remove side panels, an air-assisted lid and an automatic interior light. The MotoJet X has a status light built directly into the lid handle, providing quick visibility to the operating status of the pump, and comes IoT enabled and smart connection ready.

Flow’s MotoJet X operates at 60,000 psi (4136 bar) with both 30 and 50 hp (22.3 and 37.2 kW) options, and is compatible across the entire Flow Mach series of waterjet solutions.

For further information
www.flowwaterjet.com