Aalborg-based Mekoprint Mechanics has ordered a new press line from AP&T. The new line, the company’s third from AP&T, will not only increase production capacity, but also enable the manufacturing of large metal components.

“Following a period of great fluctuation in demand for our products, we’re now seeing a strong recovery from many customers,” says Karsten Møller, technology and product manager at Mekoprint Mechanics. “To increase capacity and strengthen our competitiveness, we’re making a substantial investment in new buildings and machines, of which, the new AP&T production line is an important part.”

Mekoprint Mechanics manufactures cabinets, chassis parts, front panels and other metal components for a large number of companies in different industries. For installation in the autumn, the new line includes a press with 500 ton of press force, a 1900 x 1600 mm press table and a SpeedFeeder for unloading. The order also includes two years of complete service and maintenance.

Just over three years ago, the company installed a similar line, which saw the addition of another press in 2019. But AP&T has an even earlier history of delivering equipment to Mekoprint.

“We’ve been collaborating with AP&T for decades and we’re thoroughly confident in their ability to deliver technology that meets our needs for reliability, flexibility and productivity,” says Møller. “Having access to quick, local service is also highly beneficial to us.”

Peter Karlsson, key account and area sales manager at AP&T, adds: “It’s great that Mekoprint is now strongly investing in the future and that we at AP&T are part of their expansion journey.”

For further information
www.aptgroup.com

A Plymouth manufacturer is playing a key role in helping to develop a new seating system for wheelchairs that improves function and corrects body posture. Source Engineering, a specialist in pressed and machined components, has supported Matrix Seating with a complex stamped part that acts as a locking clamp for the company’s micro modules, which are shaped to deliver customised support.

A 5-strong engineering team has worked with inventor Dr Steve Cousins to come up with a 11-stage progression tool capable of producing the ‘lock’ in spring steel; vital for delivering strength and flexibility at a unit price that works. Around 120,000 of the components have already been manufactured and delivered, with an increase in sales from the UK, mainland Europe, the Middle East and the US set to result in surging volumes.

“Steve approached us about coming up with a stamped metal part to replace what was previously a plastic and then hybrid component,” explains Pablo Gutierrez, technical director at Source Engineering. “He’d been to a number of other suppliers, but we were the only one prepared to invest the design time in trying to come up with a solution that worked.”

The 11-stage progression tool has been proven to deliver both parts successfully, with the firm’s wire erosion capabilities producing an accurate tooling insert that fits like a jigsaw to create the different circular and hex-shaped holes.

Dr Steve Cousins, founder Matrix Seating, says: “Our manufacturing is all completed in the UK and Source Engineering is a very welcome addition to our supply chain, understanding the potential of our product and going above and beyond to deliver parts that have come through a tough engineering challenge.”

For further information
www.source-engineering.co.uk

North Rhine-Westphalia-based Wolfgang Fischer Stahl GmbH has installed a new B+S cut-to-length line as part of the expansion of its steel service centre. The investment allows the flexible production of flat and dimensional sheets in any batch size, which is not bound to the size of complete coils. Even different coating systems are no problem for the new, highly automated cut-to-length line.

“When expanding its machine park, Fischer Stahl attached importance to being able to supply its customers with even smaller lot sizes than before, if required,” says Dr Lutz-Stefan Heinrich, managing director of Schnutz GmbH, which belongs to the B+S group. “For this reason, it was clear from the outset that the new cut-to-length line had to be capable of processing partial coils.”

Another decisive factor in the choice of the B+S cut-to-length line was the gentle treatment of coated or pre-painted material surfaces, which is ensured by a special foiling system upstream and corresponding intermediate rollers within the high-performance levelling machines. A flying, high-precision slide shear also minimises the cutting tolerance.

From a coil store with three locations, a coil lift truck feeds the decoiler with coils of up to 15 tonne mass, which can be uncoiled either from above or below. If there is an intermediate paper layer in the coil, it can be removed cleanly by means of a corresponding re-winder and disposed of. Furthermore, it is possible to rewind coils that are only to be partially processed. The coil lift truck finally returns these partial coils to the coil store, where they are automatically weighed.

“In this way Fischer Stahl can also assemble small batch sizes and still always knows exactly what quantities are being returned to the coil warehouse,” Heinrich explains.

For further information
www.b-s-germany.de