Close Brothers Asset Finance has arranged a bespoke CBILS (Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme) hire-purchase agreement for Savcon Engineering to fund the acquisition of the firm’s second Mazak 6 kW fibre laser processing machine.

Based in Stratford-upon-Avon, Savcon Engineering specialises in CNC machining, presswork and large-scale fabrication, including various components for the agricultural industry, vehicle suspension parts, and high-precision components for the electronic industry, among others.

Andrew Maude, area sales manager for Close Brothers Asset Finance’s engineering division, says: “Emerging from lockdown, Savcon Engineering’s order book has increased rapidly as customer projects started moving again, but with their existing Mazak laser running round the clock, they understood that to keep up with demand they would need to outsource, costing an estimated £30,000 per month.

“The flexible nature of CBILS meant we could offer a 0% deposit deal, allowing Savcon Engineering to keep their cash flow intact, freeing up cash to buy the materials required and cope with order book growth,” he adds.

Rob Stone, CEO of Savcon Engineering, says: “This was a significant investment for us, but it’s one we needed if we were going to continue growing the business and keep up with demand. We’re really pleased with the flexible way that Close Brothers Asset Finance structured the package, comprehending the importance of keeping cash flow unaffected. This partnership approach is something we truly value; they clearly understood what we wanted to do and worked out a deal that suited our needs.”

For further information
www.closeassetfinance.co.uk

LVD now offers YSD LaserONE, a new cost-effective laser-cutting machine designed to put the advantages of fibre-laser technology within easy reach of sheet-metal fabricators by eliminating the extras that increase machine cost and complexity. LaserONE is available with a 2 or 4 kW laser power source in a 3000 x 1500mm table size and with optional Load-Assist automation.

Developed to address the market need for a truly low-cost, ultra-practical fibre laser cutting machine, LVD designs, manufactures, sells and services the LaserONE. Engineered and tested by LVD in Belgium to function as a reliable and efficient machine, LaserONE cuts a variety of materials and thicknesses with the flexibility of fibre-laser technology, offers low operating and maintenance costs, and provides a quick return on investment, reports the company.

The machine features a Precitec cutting head with NC-focus, automatic focal adjustment and crash protection, Raycus laser source, Siemens control, and servo motors and drives.

LVD’s YSD LaserONE is equipped with an automatic pallet changer for fast interchanging of the shuttle tables in a cycle time of approximately 30 seconds. An optional Load-Assist automation system offers easy loading/unloading.

For further information
www.lvdgroup.com

A contract producer of sheet-metal components says its web shop played a major role in helping the business compensate for a downturn in automotive and mechanical engineering orders caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Based at Luhe-Wildenau, in Bavaria, Trio Metall und Design GmbH provides a complete sheet-metal service from consulting, designing and planning, to manufacturing ‘ready-for-assembly’ components, ranging from single parts and small runs, right through to large quantities. Using the latest laser technology programmed by Radan CADCAM software from Hexagon Manufacturing Intelligence, the company also works with non-ferrous metals such as copper, brass and titanium.

Developed around Radan, Trio Metall’s web shop portal gives its customers 24-hour access to request components, receive an offer, and place the order.

After going live in September 2019, around 500 orders worth more than €500,000 were placed through the ‘Trionline 24’ web shop in its first year.

The system delivers orders digitally to Trio Metall’s ERP system, which transfers them to Radan’s Ordermanager MRP module for production processing.

Completed orders are passed back from MRP to ERP, triggering the subsequent processes for shipping and invoicing. This process means that horizontal logistics are now digitally mapped, alongside the vertical manufacturing operations.

Trio’s workshop features an Amada EML-3610 NT combination machine, two Amada ENSIS AJ3015 laser cutters equipped with storage towers, and number of Amada press brakes.

Christian Weinberg, key account manager at Trio, says: “Our web shop enables us to keep up with the age of digitisation and the ‘Internet of Things’ by offering and making our services and capacities accessible to a global audience. It’s the interface between customers and our state-of-the-art machinery, around the clock, 365 days a year. We reach a number of sectors, as well as a wide range of applications, via this sales channel, which we consider to be extremely important for the future. We’ll continue to develop the web shop and its scope of services, as well as further digitise and automate internal processes, in order to produce parts even more cost-effectively, and stay ahead of the market. ”

For further information
www.radan.com

For manufacturers seeking a cost-effective CNC plasma cutting table that is easy to install, easy to set up and even easier to operate, Kerf Developments says it has the solution with the new Linc-Cut S 1530. Designed and developed by Lincoln Electric, Kerf will be supplying and commissioning the machines in the UK, providing operator training, and offering service, support and spares.

Suitable for cutting mild steel and stainless steel plate up to 1.5 x 3 m, the Linc-Cut 1530 makes high-speed plasma cutting affordable for small fabrication companies, sheet-metal contractors, custom-vehicle fabricators and prototyping specialists.

Parts that customers may want to manufacture on the machine can be input using a variety of methods. The CAD software supplied as part of the turnkey package enables users to draw components, while the system also allows users to import parts in standard file formats such as DXF or DWG. Some 36 standard parametric shapes are pre-loaded into the software, including everything from simple adjustable rectangles through to complex circular flanges, to simplify and accelerate part programming for the end user. Once drawn, the system can nest components with the potential for manual or automated programming for maximum material utilisation and cost savings.

The Linc-Cut 1530 is fitted with the latest Lincoln Electric Flexcut 125 A plasma system, which is said to offer excellent cutting and marking performance with a low bevel angle and high cut quality. Furthermore, the machine is capable of cutting 25 mm steel plate at up to 800 mm/min, and thin sheets in the 6 mm range at speeds beyond 5300 mm/min.

For further information
www.kerfdevelopments.com

Manufacturing IT expert Lantek had another successful year at EuroBLECH – albeit virtual. The EuroBLECH 2021 Digital Innovation Summit, which took place at the end of last year, was the online version of the trade show for sheet-metal manufacturers. Lantek reports that its full range of manufacturing solutions proved popular with delegates at the digital show.

In particular, the presentation ‘Data: The other raw material of sheet metal – challenges and opportunities’, by Lantek area manager José Antonio Lorenzo, was attended by many online visitors.

“Sheet-metal processing is our business and your business – and we do everything we can to ensure that you work as efficiently as possible,” said Lorenzo during his presentation at the EuroBLECH Digital Innovation Summit.

Lorenzo’s appearance was part of Lantek’s contribution to the EuroBLECH virtual lecture series. In the 15-minute presentation, his main points were solidified with short explainer videos. In a live Q&A that followed, Christoph Lenhard, sales manager for Germany, Austria and Switzerland, posed frequently-asked customer questions to Lorenzo.

In addition to their participation in the lecture series, visitors could also register for personal meetings or connect in real-time with 17 Lantek experts. In these live chats, company specialists answered visitor questions face-to-face and made initial business contacts.

“Interested visitors and customers have embraced this new way of meeting very well,” says Lenhard. “Numerous conversations centred on specific use cases in which our portfolio can be helpful. Many potential clients have realised – through the current crisis – how quickly they must digitise their processes.

“It was a completely new format for all of us, and proved a very good alternative to in-person trade shows,” he adds.

For further information
www.lantek.com