An Essex-based manufacturer is using its expertise in cutting systems to design and make vital equipment to support frontline medical staff in the fight against COVID-19. Blackman & White has responded to the national call for urgent PPE by getting its CAD engineers to create a visor that is made from polycarbonate or acetate to make the most of its in-house cutting capabilities.

The firm is looking to utilise spare capacity in the demo room at its facility in Maldon, where Orion and Genesis V machines can use dual motion control routers and laser capabilities to produce 300 units a day. Bosses are now appealing for other businesses to support their efforts by: helping to source material that is currently hard to find or not of the right quality; assisting with product specifications; and identifying healthcare facilities in need of this vital safety equipment.
Eiko White, director at Blackman & White, says: “We can easily make 300 per day, but we’re struggling to source the right quality material; this is where we need help. The big stumbling blocks are 1 mm polycarbonate and 1 mm acetate.
“Our customers, who have been quick to come forward and offer their assistance, have been making do with alternatives, but supplies are drying up and, inherently, the costs are climbing,” she adds. “If we can get access to the right material, we can hopefully do our bit to protect NHS and care workers on the frontline.”
Blackman & White, which employs 28 people, is the UK’s only manufacturer of cutting systems, with all machines designed and manufactured from start to finish at its factory.
For further information www.blackmanandwhite.com

Concept Metal Products has invested in an additional Kimla machine to boost its 10 m metal-cutting offerings.

Having already purchased 10 x 2 m (4 kW) and 4 x 2 m (6 kW) Kimla fibre lasers, the company has ordered a third machine to increase further increase its capacity. The 6 kW, 10 x 2 m machine will be installed at the firm’s Manchester factory by MBA Engineering later this year.
One of the only companies in the northwest to cut and bend up to 10 m lengths, Concept Metal specialises in fabricating larger items for a range of different industries, including highways, rail, nuclear and waste management.
General manager at Concept Metal Products, Dean Barnard, says: “Being able to provide a larger scale of laser-cutting capabilities to our customers and a range of industries is of huge benefit to us. It’s great to be able to offer these services with the high level of efficiency and precision that comes hand-in-hand when working with Kimla machines.
“As this is our third laser-cutting machine investment, we needed a machine able to manufacture long parts as this is something only we can offer in the northwest,” he adds. “Combined with our LVD tandem press, which is capable of forming parts up to 9 m long with first-bend depth up to 605 mm, the additional Kimla laser cutter will assist in boosting this area of the business.”
Managing director of MBA Engineering, Bradley McBain, adds: “This is another example of how we deliver solutions to match a company’s business strategy, rather than simply supply an off-the-shelf solution.”
For further information https://mba-eng.co.uk/

Accujet, a small engineering company that specialises in profiling and fabrication, is becoming the go-to business for artists, sculptors and designers. Based in Upton, near Poole, Accujet has created art installations and sculptures that are on prominent display around the country. Well-known artists, including Luke Jerram, Tom Hiscocks and Stuart Semple, take their concepts to the team at Accujet, which turns them into reality.

The company was set up 10 years ago by Ken Battrick, who had no idea that within a decade, a third of his growing business would be in the art and design sector. “I sold my house and bought a waterjet cutting machine; it was 2009 and the country was in recession,” he says. “I envisaged working as a subcontractor for other engineering firms and that’s how we started.”
The first art commission for Accujet then arrived from Dorset-based maze maker Adrian Fisher, and from then onwards the company’s reputation grew and it started to take on other art-related work – often at very short notice.
“I bought a second waterjet machine and hired another engineer who has experience in graphic design and 3D modelling,” says Battrick. “Later, we invested in our own laser-cutting machine and fabrication department.”
The company is now a team of seven and has taken over three units on the Upton Industrial Estate.
“Our art side of things is something we want to develop further,” says Battrick. “In engineering, you never really see the end product, but with art I can go and see a piece of work that we have made for an artist and be proud of it. Artists choose to work with us because we are able to understand their concepts and designs, and show enthusiasm for their work.”
For further information www.accujet.co.uk

A specialist in prototyping and low-volume production for a host of high-end automotive OEM and tier-one manufacturers has invested in a new TruLaser 1030 Fiber from Trumpf, the first machine of its type to be installed in the UK.

The TruLaser 1030 Fiber has enabled Essex-based ASE Design & Development Ltd to bring in-house its previously outsourced requirements for 2D aluminium and stainless steel components, which it was not able to cut cost effectively on its ageing CO2 laser cutter from another supplier.
“Our previous CO2 laser was getting older, more inefficient and slower,” states director Andrew Easter. “Such was its performance that we were sending our 2D aluminium and stainless steel parts to third-party subcontractors.”
Frustrated with the situation, the company decided to research the market for a suitable alternative. As ASE already had a TruLaser Cell 3000 3D laser cutter, which had been successful at producing a host of five-axis components since its installation in 2017, Trumpf proved the supplier of preference.
“We did look at a new flat-bed laser from our previous supplier, but the TruLaser 1030 fiber was clearly the better machine,” says Easter.
Work at ASE typically falls within the 0.5 to 4 mm thickness range, usually from aluminium, stainless steel and mild steel. Grilles, bracketry and pressings are among the common types of components produced, typically in low-volume production quantities.
“Since installing the TruLaser 1030 fiber we have stopped putting our laser cutting out to subcontractors, which is a significant saving,” explains Easter. “What’s more, we are making major savings against our previous machine in terms of running costs, as we operate with compressed air as the assist gas where possible, particularly when cutting aluminium.”
For further information www.uk.trumpf.com

A bespoke Noblegen nitrogen generation system has been supplied by MBA Engineering to Anord Mardix, saving the manufacturer in excess of £1000 per month. After acquiring a new CO2 fibre laser cutting system, Anord Mardix quickly noticed how expensive it was to purchase nitrogen for the machine. With this in mind, the team identified the need to invest so it could bring its nitrogen production in-house.

Due to the shortage of factory floor space at Anord Mardix, MBA Engineering provided a bespoke machine to fit into a specific area of 2 x 2.5 m. The MBA Engineering team split the system’s skid, while items on the machinery’s plinth were separated, meaning the equipment could be flexibly fit in and around the factory floor.
“The fact that we now have our own equipment for generating the nitrogen we need to operate our CO2 fibre laser has not only resulted in significant cost savings, we’re also saving on factory floor space since we no longer need to store nitrogen canisters,” says Darren Gollogly at Anord Mardix.
MBA Engineering exclusively partnered with Noblegen in 2018 to save manufacturers up to £1000 per month on the gas costs relating to operating certain machinery, including eliminating the expenses and CO2 emissions associated with regular canister deliveries.
“While the Anord Mardix team wasn’t sure it had the space to install its own nitrogen generation system, we were able to provide a bespoke solution that fitted into the manufacturer’s available area,” says Bradley McBain, managing director of MBA Engineering. “This proves that we have the capability to provide nitrogen generation systems to manufacturers, no matter what the specification.”
For further information https://mba-eng.co.uk/