12 kW fibre laser exceeds expectations

The most powerful flat-bed laser-profiling centre ever to be installed in the UK for processing sheet metal has started operation at subcontractor ESP Laser Cutting, a specialist in producing components from 3 x 1.5 m sheet in an array of materials to a thickness of 30 mm. ESP’s investment follows the development of a 12 kW fibre laser source by Bystronic, which has delivered a machine of that power, a ByStar Fiber 3015 to the contract machinist’s factory in Rotherham.

Delivering one-fifth more energy to the metal sheet than the previous most powerful fibre laser (10 kW), the new source was expected to be 20% faster at cutting. What ESP’s joint owners Steve McMillan and Paul Short actually experience is a typical productivity increase of 33%.
For processing one particular job, chain links from 10 mm mild steel sheet, a three-fold productivity improvement was gained on the 12 kW machine. When formerly profiling the parts on the ByStar Fiber 10 kW machine that is still in use at the Rotherham facility, 200 components per hour was the maximum output, as there was not sufficient laser power to employ nitrogen as the assist gas. Instead, oxygen had to be used, requiring the cutting speed to be reduced so that acceptable edge quality could be achieved.
By contrast, the 12 kW machine produces 600 parts per hour, as the higher power allows the use of nitrogen and hence full profiling speed. There is the added advantage that cut edges are better, especially on the underside of the sheet, than when formerly using ‘active’ oxygen, as ‘inert’ nitrogen does not react with the sheet material. ESP employs a profiling speed of 6900 mm/min when producing the chain links, although the machine is capable of 150 m/min on thin gauges.
For further information www.bystronic.co.uk

Metrology event at the MTC

Experts in metrology and inspection at the Coventry-based Manufacturing Technology Centre (MTC) are hosting a free event that intends to help manufacturers improve their processes and product quality through the latest metrology innovations.

The ‘Focus on Metrology’ event on 27 November will highlight the latest research and thinking in metrology developed by the MTC, its academic partners and leading industrialists. Notably, the event will centre on the important collaborations driving metrology forward, as well as measurement and inspection technologies which can benefit UK manufacturers.
Speakers from a range of sectors will provide an industry perspective on how metrology and inspection techniques are helping to improve competitiveness, processes, and component quality.
“Inspection techniques are vital to high-value manufacturing and, when implemented properly, can mean that products are safer, stronger, and perform better than the competition,” says MTC technology director Ken Young.
For further information https://is.gd/qinoni

Sales record for Trumpf UK

In the UK, Trumpf recorded an order intake of £65m and sales of £60m in 2018/19, a 29% increase on the previous year’s figures.

“We continued, for a second consecutive year, to see a high number of customers purchasing more complex solutions,” explains managing director Lee Moakes. “There was also very strong growth in bending, especially automated bending. Trumpf is now providing its most comprehensive package ever to ensure customers get the best return on their investments. We’ve also increased our technical service capacity by more than 15% this year, ensuring we are prepared for further growth.”
Overall, the Trumpf Group recorded a renewed increase in sales in the 2018/19 fiscal year, which ended on 30 June 2019. Total sales rose by 6.1% to €3.78bn. Revenues for the Machine Tools division climbed by 1.2% to €2.39bn.
For further information www.uk.trumpf.com

Capacity boost at Fein

Power-tool manufacturer, Fein, has restructured its UK operations to offer more support to end users across the country and strengthen its application-based metalworking strategy.

As part of the restructure, Fein has split its sales operation into three areas – north, central and south – with multiple managers covering each region. Area sales managers will focus on supporting Fein dealers, while area technical sales managers will provide consultative support to end users. The move will enable Fein to work even more closely with those in the metalworking sector.
For further information https://fein.com/en_uk/

Röhm inclusion project underway

Working together successfully is a key feature of successful inclusion projects for people with and without disabilities. Clamping and gripping technology specialist Röhm, headquartered in Sontheim, Germany, wholeheartedly supports this philosophy.

The Lebenshilfe workshop for disabled people at Heidenheim and Giengen (HWW GmbH) and Röhm have been in close contact for some time now, collaborating on the implementation of a corresponding ‘pioneering project’. Its objective is to create 12 long-term jobs outside the workshop for disabled people who work at HWW GmbH. These positions will be fully integrated into the company’s operations.
But what makes this project so special? Well, Röhm is the first employer, at least in the rural district of Heidenheim, to create a significant number of long-term jobs instead of individual or temporary project-related jobs.
In the future, people with and without disabilities will work alongside each other. Within the scope of an internship, the first participants are already working with Röhm personnel in three assembly teams – fully integrated into operational processes, not in a separate area. Their tasks include the assembly and packaging of Röhm drill chucks.
“This project is very close to my heart and I would like to encourage other companies to integrate people with disabilities into their operations and society in general,” says Röhm CEO Gerhard Glanz.
German companies with 20 or more employees have an obligation to fill at least 5 % of their jobs with disabled people. Companies failing to meet this quota must make compensatory payments.
For further information www.roehm.biz