Impulse Point of Purchase, a designer and manufacturer of award-winning POP displays across a number of industries, has invested in a new Durma HD-FL 3015 fibre laser cutter with automated loader from Axe & Status. The machine is delivering a 30% increase in speed on thinner-gauge materials, and around 10% on average across all thicknesses, providing a notable impact on bottom-line profitability.

Based in Sandy, Bedfordshire, Impulse POP draws upon many decades of experience in the provision of end-to-end engineering, manufacturing and installation services to retail segments that include sport, music, fashion and jewellery, food and drink, health and beauty, and DIY and gardening. Each solution provides brands with highly effective merchandising opportunities.

Mark McKeown, a man with over 30 years of experience in the POP sector, established the business in 2005. After just three years, the company moved into its current 10,000 sq ft facility and has since grown into a £1.5m turnover business.

“We’re still smaller than some of our competitors but we offer a first-class tailored service,” he says. “We provide an intimacy with our customers that is often missing with many of the larger market players. Our customers use us because they know we can solve their problems.”

The in-house production capabilities of Impulse POP are a major advantage when it comes to winning new contracts, which is why the company insists on regular investment to keep pace with the latest manufacturing technologies. “We had a CO2 laser cutter from another supplier and, although there was nothing wrong with the machine, we knew that investing in a fibre-based solution would bring a number of important advantages,” says McKeown. “I see a laser cutter as a workhorse and, although we scrutinised many machines, we couldn’t see sense in spending top dollar unless we could really monetise that value. We have Durma press brakes, as well as a corner notcher and a guillotine, so it was a proven brand for us. The Durma HD-FL 3015 fibre laser cutter soon became the clear favourite. We also wanted a loader/unloader so we could work unmanned during the day and lights-out overnight.” Installed in October 2021, such is the confidence in the new automated Durma fibre laser cutter that Impulse POP dispensed with its previous CO2 machine.

“We had a couple of teething issues, which is normal, but Axe & Status, including the team from Durma in Turkey, reacted very quickly,” states McKeown. “I’m very happy with the support we received and I really like the machine; it was absolutely a good decision from our perspective.”

The majority of the material that Impulse POP processes is mild steel (for its display customers), but the company also runs aluminium and stainless steel. In addition, the introduction of the Durma fibre laser means Impulse can run copper and brass if needed.

Typically, the company works with material thicknesses from 1 to 12 mm. Impulse selected the 4 kW Durma HD-FL 3015, which can process mild steel up to 20 mm thick, stainless steel up to 10 mm, and aluminium up to 12 mm. However, versions up to 20 kW are available if companies want to cut even thicker materials. The HD-FL 3015 offers 3060 x 1530 x 160 mm in the X, Y and Z axis respectively, although models up to the HD-F 16030 are available from Axe & Status with travels that extend to 16200 x 3100 x 185 mm. Control is via Sinumerik 840D SL with 19” touchscreen.

“We design everything in SolidWorks and use Lantek as our programming software, from where the Durma laser pulls jobs as required over the network – we simply press the start button,” explains McKeown. “Once cut, we bend, weld and finish the parts accordingly.”

A good example of the work that Impulse POP handles is a display completed recently for Candy King, a leading supplier of pick and mix sweets, which wanted 950 units for the UK’s entire portfolio of One Stop convenience stores. This attractive POP solution featured a 1.2 mm mild steel body produced on the Durma laser, with the full assembly undergoing welding, powder coating and the application of branded transfers.

“It was amazing to watch this job on the laser,” states McKeown. “It took just 90 seconds to cut a full sheet of three display bodies, which was very fast. Within 10 hours we had completed the entire 950. Running the job on our new fibre laser with automated loader/unloader was quicker than using our previous CO2 machine, so it gave economies of scale. The Durma is at least 10% faster on average. However, for thinner work, such as the 1.2 mm mild steel display for Candy King, it’s more like 30% quicker.”

The Durma HD-FL 3015 fibre laser cutter features a linear motor motion system that delivers very high acceleration (synchronised 35 m/s2), speed (synchronised 226 m/min) and positioning/repeatability (±0.03 mm). The savings that Impulse POP accrues from the additional speed are supplemented by its use of compressed air as the assist gas.

“This strategy works really well on thinner materials,” says McKeown. “As long as the air is clean, it’s effectively free because we’re running our compressor anyway. We ran compressed air for the Candy King job, which probably saved around £150 of nitrogen. I also like the zero warm-up time with fibre technology. We would previously wait around 20 minutes for our CO2 laser to be ready.”

Being a full service provider with fast manufacturing technologies is key to success at Impulse, which is capable of supplying quickly and efficiently across a wide range of materials, including metal, wood and acrylic. Temporary and permanent retail displays, as well as in-store, pop-up, event and exhibition display stands, are all within the team’s in-house capabilities.

Notably, the Durma laser not only delivers short cycle times, but outstanding quality and flexibility in manufacturing, all of which bodes well for a bright future. “Of course, certain challenges remain, not least the fact that metal prices have doubled since the onset of the pandemic,” concludes McKeown. “What’s more, energy prices are rising almost constantly and transport companies are hitting us with surcharges to cover their growing fuel bills. All of this makes costing tricky. However, we are renowned for our problem-solving and we’ll find a way, particularly with the help of our new Durma laser cutter. Investment remains key to our ongoing success.”

For further information
www.axestatus.com

Founded in 1992, P&T Precision Engineering has an established reputation as a subcontract manufacturer that specialises in the production of jigs, fixtures and machined components for the food, medical and pharmaceutical sector. Historically a manual machine shop, the County Kildare based company has made the transition from manual to CNC machining with the support of the Engineering Technology Group (ETG) Ireland.

Discussing the transition from manual machine shop to CNC facility, Darragh Walsh, managing director of P&T Precision Engineering, says: “We were a small family company with six employees and we decided to invest in CNC machines from ETG. We ended up buying quite a lot of new equipment. This helped us to grow in certain sectors and helped our customers to get more products in shorter lead times. In a short period, we have gone from six staff to 22, but we have also grown our number of machines – and we hope to grow that into the future as well.”

Jamie Fletchmore, managing director at ETG Ireland, adds: “P&T was an up and coming family-run business that was transitioning from manual machines into the CNC world. They approached us and we sat down and spoke about the first machining centre, introducing them to the Quaser MV184. From there, we migrated on every two years and they were buying more technology, which included the Nakamura AS200L turning centre. Two years later they purchased another Quaser MV184.”

The Quaser MV184 vertical machining centre from ETG is a model that provides X, Y and Z-axis travels of 1020 x 610 x 610 mm. This spacious work envelope covers a 1200 x 600 mm bed upon which users can load parts weighing up to 500 kg. The BT40 taper spindle machine provides a maximum spindle speed of 12,000 rpm, supported by a 30-position ATC.

“This type of machine is a big step up from where they were, machining parts on manual machines in multiple operations,” says Fletchmore. “With the Quaser MV184, P&T were able to take those manually machined parts from drawing and CAD model straight into the machine with a finished part coming off. As a result, they were able to get the parts through the shop floor much faster, and that also reduces the downtime involved with going from one operation to another as part of the manual process. Investing in our machines and technology has enabled P&T to move through different types of components and different kinds of materials, especially harder materials. This has allowed them to enter new markets.”

He continues: “It opened doors and opportunities that led the company to then look at the Nakamura AS200L turning centre. The AS200L introduced P&T to a new range of machine tools. They were making parts in multiple operations on a lathe, but by using the Nakamura AS200L turning centre they can finish those parts complete in one operation. P&T are now able to do all of the milling, drilling, tapping – and transfer parts to the second spindle – in one complete operation.”

The Nakamura AS200L twin-spindle turning centre from ETG is a 65 mm diameter bar capacity machine with an 8-inch chuck that offers a turning capacity up to 340 mm diameter with a maximum turning length of 570 mm – providing sufficient capacity for the requirements of P&T. With an 11/15 kW, 4500 rpm main spindle motor and a sub-spindle unit offering 5.5/7.5 kW and 6000 rpm, the Nakamura AS200L is suitable for the productive turning of all material types with its blend of power, torque and spindle speed. A driven tooling unit has a capacity for up to 15 tools with a maximum spindle speed of 6000 rpm and 3.7/5.5 kW spindle power.

“P&T is a very creative company and they do a lot of design work for their customers,” says Fletchmore. “They came to us with particular types of work and asked if they could do it on our machines. We sat down with them and supported and guided them through the different ways that we could approach jobs – in a way that was different to what they were doing in the past. That has enabled P&T to create much better components, much quicker, while retaining and improving upon the precision and the tolerances of parts.”

Says Walsh: “We went to ETG because they provide great support and service, as well as fantastic quality machines with great repeatability and durability. We have never had any issues with any machine that ETG hasn’t been able to fix within a couple of hours. The Nakamura AS200L turning centre has enabled us to machine components in a much faster time because there are fewer set-ups. So, instead of taking jobs from the lathe to the mill, we can now do it all in one shot. This has decreased our machining times, reduced our delivery times and means we can get more parts through the machine shop.”

ETG Ireland provided all of the training, as the Heidenhain CNC control was new to P&T. This included full operator training where ETG Ireland went in and set P&T parts up with the shop floor machinists and went through the full machining aspect. In short, ETG Ireland has taken P&T from manual machining to full CNC.

Looking to the future, Walsh concludes: “The future for P&T will hopefully see us expand to 2000 sq ft and grow our workforce to help increase capacity. This will certainly result in more machine tools from ETG Ireland.”

For further information
www.millscnc.co.uk

Strategic and prudent investment in advanced Doosan machine tools is helping contract manufacturing specialist, Oxford Engineering Ltd (part of the Oxford Engineering Group), achieve significant organic growth, secure new business wins and deliver high-quality manufacturing solutions congruent with its aspirational and motivational vision statement.

Mills CNC, the exclusive distributor of Doosan machine tools in the UK and Ireland, has recently supplied the company with three new multi-tasking machines. The machines, all DNC-linked and equipped with the latest FANUC controls, comprise a DNM 6700 vertical machining centre, a 10/12” chuck SMX 2600S turn-mill machine, and a 21” chuck (large-capacity) Puma 5100MB lathe.

The machines were delivered and installed at the company’s well-resourced machine shop facility over a six-month period (October 2021 – April 2022) and have taken their place alongside the company’s (but not the group’s) first Doosan machine tool investment – a DNM 750L II vertical machining centre acquired in June 2019.

Says Karim Sekkat, CEO, Oxford Engineering Group: “Doosan machine tools, supplied and supported by Mills CNC, are technically excellent machines. They are flexible and reliable, deliver outstanding accuracy and repeatability, and help us keep our quality, delivery and cost promises to our customers.”

He adds: “We now have four Doosan machines installed at Oxford Engineering Ltd’s facility in Abingdon but, across the whole group, the number is considerably higher, with our two Hutton Engineering facilities, in Bicester and Abingdon, having a total of over 20 Doosan machines between them.”

However, it is not just the technical capacity and capabilities of Doosan machine tools that have made, and continue to make, them so attractive to Oxford Engineering: it is the service and support provided by Mills CNC that adds to their appeal.

“Doosan machines are reliable but, if and when, any issues arise that affect their performance or cause downtime, we know that Mills’ after-sales and support services will help keep any disruption to our and our customers’ production schedules to a minimum,” says Sekkat.

Oxford Engineering Ltd, is a vertically integrated contract manufacturing specialist that provides a range of high integrity services and solutions, which include technical consultancy, precision machining, welding, fabrication, assembly and testing, to a growing number of global customers operating in the medical, nuclear, semiconductor, aerospace, defence and scientific instrumentation sectors.

Like all other companies in the group (such as Hutton Precision Engineering and Oxford Engineering Estonia), Oxford Engineering Ltd is characterised by its data-driven approach, where the company acts and makes decisions based on facts and manufacturing KPIs, as opposed to ones based on guesses, anecdotal evidence or ‘gut’ reactions.

As such, this strategy, focused on the collection, processing and interpretation of real-time data (gained from a variety of sources that include the company’s shop floor equipment and MRP/ERP systems), enables senior managers to continuously monitor and benchmark performance against KPIs, identify issues and factors that affect/impact upon productivity, spot emerging trends and opportunities, and make strategic and timely interventions to ensure process optimisation.

“We operate in highly-regulated markets where there is an emphasis on continuous improvement, innovation, traceability, process reliability and cost reduction,” states Sekkat. “To ensure we are able to provide our customers with the best possible service and solutions, we adopt a holistic approach that covers all aspects of production, including supply chain management and logistics issues, lean manufacturing methods and imperatives.

“In this way we are able to build and customise our manufacturing operations and processes around individual customer requirements,” he continues. “As such, our customers have come to expect, and now rely on us, to have advanced manufacturing technologies and optimised processes in place to help them outperform their competitors and delight their customers.”

To ensure that this can occur, Oxford Engineering has implemented a company-wide continuous improvement programme and, as such, makes regular investment in its people, plant and equipment, as well as its processes and systems. For example, in addition to the recent investment made in the three new Doosan machine tools, the company has significantly strengthened its metrology/inspection credentials with the acquisition of a laser-driven Global S Chrome coordinate measuring machine (CMM).

“It’s all about being the best we can possibly be,” says Sekkat.

The three new Doosan machines acquired by Oxford Engineering comprise an advanced vertical machining centre with a 4th-axis unit, a multi-axis turn-mill machine featuring an integrated bar feeder and a large-capacity turning centre with large bore capabilities and driven tooling. Mills CNC says these machines provide Oxford Engineering with reliable cutting performance and flexibility and, irrespective of the materials machined or the part accuracies and/or surface finishes required, are more than up to the task.

The latest machine tool investments also highlight and encapsulate Oxford Engineering’s technology preferences and imperatives, namely to invest in FANUC-controlled Doosan multi-axis and multi-tasking machines with integrated automation.

Says Sekkat: “We know from our group experience that multi-tasking Doosan machines from Mills CNC supplied with integrated automation are proven performers and help us reduce job set up and part cycle times, avoid production bottlenecks, ensure improved asset utilisation and meet ever-stringent customer delivery deadlines.

“We work in partnership with customers to create strong, mutually-profitable and long-term strategic alliances,” he concludes. “Our investment in Doosan machines tools from Mills CNC is an important cornerstone in establishing and maintaining these relationships.”

For further information
www.millscnc.co.uk

Bristol-based Nerc Precision Engineering (NPE) Ltd has been on a rapid growth trajectory since its inception in May 2018, marking the fourth anniversary of its founding with the recent installation of a DMG Mori CMX600V machining centre. Investing in prestige technology is a philosophy of this small business, as highlighted by its newly formed partnership with cutting fluid specialist ITW Rocol.

Commenting upon the growth of the business, managing director Konrad Nerc says: “When my wife and I started the business, we aimed to invest in the best technology to ensure that we could deliver the highest quality components and service with lead times and pricing that would be the industry benchmark. As a small and agile manufacturer with innovative technology investments that include five-axis machining, our philosophy and customer service is enabling us to evolve rapidly.”

In the past two years, the subcontract manufacturer has invested in a DMG Mori DMU50 five-axis and a CMX600V three-axis machining centre that are supported by zero-point clamping from Lang, cutting tools from Ceratizit, Hoffmann and Tungaloy and, of course, cutting fluid from ITW Rocol. Producing everything from one-offs and prototypes to batch production, the ISO9001-accredited subcontract manufacturer typically serves customers in the defence, offshore, automotive and general subcontract sectors, with the aerospace industry rapidly emerging as its most prominent market.

Like any fledgling business, finding the best quality products and services is a learning curve, and this has certainly been the case for the company located near Bristol airport when considering its cutting fluids.

“Our initial cutting fluid supplier was a well-known name in the industry, but the quality of the fluid was quite poor,” says Nerc. “The fluid consumption was high, the coolant left a lot of residue on our components, we suffered from tramp oil and foaming, and the staff suffered with skin irritation. We soon moved to a very high-end brand of cutting oil. This premium brand eliminated tramp oil, foaming and skin irritation for staff, while the consumption was also reduced and it improved tool life and surface finishes. However, we found the poor service unacceptable, especially considering the increased cost for a barrel of oil. We eventually moved to a third vendor with a brand equally well recognised as a premium product. Although the quality of fluid, performance and cost were relatively similar to the second supplier – once again, it was the service and support that was lacking.”

This trial and error process led Nerc to cast a hopeful query on LinkedIn for advice and support. It was here that ITW Rocol answered the call for help.

“ITW Rocol came to investigate our cutting fluid requirements,” says Nerc. “Following an initial consultation, we trialled three different Rocol fluids. Testing more than one product was due to the diversity of the materials we were cutting, the varying operations and machining parameters, and some of the products being new to market for Rocol. Rocol emptied and cleaned the sump of a machine, and we tried our first fluid, and the results were impressive. The quality of the fluid was excellent, and the support has been second to none.”

Since the trial commenced last year, Nerc has won a series of new customers and sizeable orders in the aerospace industry, with work in this sector now accounting for 95% of turnover. This has seen the materials machined narrow from stainless steel, steel, copper, brass and a multitude of ferrous and non-ferrous metals, to primarily aluminium and aerospace-grade alloys. With this evolution, ITW Rocol identified its TRI-Logic cutting fluid as the most suitable solution. TRI-Logic is a range of maximum-life, extreme-pressure cutting fluids which demonstrate inherent stability and cutting performance that improves surface finish and tool life while reducing foaming and odours. Furthermore, as a fluid formulated from a proprietary blend of specially selected additives that maximise sump life, TRI-Logic also offers high corrosion protection.

To undertake the trial, ITW Rocol supplied a 55-litre barrel of its TRI-Logic to Nerc. This barrel was utilised in the initial trial that required the emptying and cleaning of one machine sump to demonstrate the difference between Rocol and its fellow ‘premium-brand’ rivals. With the results rapidly becoming evident, the remainder of the barrel was used to continually ‘top-up’ the fluid of the remaining three machines to limit disruption to production while maximising results for Nerc.

From a results perspective, fluid life has improved drastically and oil consumption has reduced by over 50%. Logic would tell any engineer that a 50% consumption reduction would naturally reduce the fluid costs by 50%, yielding a huge saving. However, the ITW Rocol TRI-Logic EP has a retail cost 50% less than its rival premium brands. With a 50% reduction in the purchase price and a 50% fluid consumption reduction, the savings are even higher.

“The 50% cost reduction is something that every small business wants to take advantage of, but when the consumption also reduces by 50%, the cost of coolant stops being a concern,” says Nerc. “Our initial 55-litre barrel lasted from July to February and we’ve recently taken delivery of a 200-litre drum of TRI-Logic. Our initial projections were that Rocol’s TRI-Logic would provide a cutting fluid consumption reduction of 25%. However, with the new aerospace work, we’re running four machining centres up to 16 hours a day and we are busier than ever before. Running at optimal production rates, we’re recognising that our cutting fluid consumption is at least 50% less.”

The performance of the two previous premium brands far exceeded that of the first brand used by Nerc in terms of extended tool life, sump life, improved surface finishes, and reductions in foaming, tramp oil, oil residue on parts, and skin irritation. The ITW Rocol TRI-Logic has matched and even exceeded the performance of its rival brands in all areas.

The 200-litre barrel of ITW Rocol’s TRI-Logic cutting fluid has been supplied with an automatic fluid mixer that accurately mixes and dispenses the correct dilution of cutting fluid and water. With a built-in double-check valve and vacuum breaker that is WRAS approved, the system meets the most stringent of safety requirements for category 3 fluids and ISO EN 1717 regulations.

“For our business, specifying cutting fluid has been the hardest thing to get right and find an improvement,” states Nerc. “Unlike capital and ancillary equipment, the challenges with cutting fluid can be the most difficult aspect of the business to optimise. The challenge of trialling new coolants has several implications. For example, emptying and cleaning machines to trial fluids can be time-consuming with machine downtime – and then there is the concern that the new fluid may not improve your productivity, fluid life and tool life; or it may not be compatible with the materials machined. There’s also concern over tramp oil, foaming, residue on components, skin irritation, disposal and much more. Thankfully, Rocol resolved all of this, and the results have been fantastic.”

With service and support from all three of its previous cutting fluid vendors being an issue for the company, Nerc concludes: “The service and support from Rocol is second to none. They reviewed our business, listened to our concerns and then provided a solution that has exceeded everything else that went before. Most importantly, a Rocol engineer is always on call to check our machines and support us accordingly.”

For further information
www.rocol.com