SUBCONTRACTING NEWS

Metalworking Entrepreneur Makes Sparks Fly With Trumpf

At just 18 years old, Peter Götzl founded a one-man metalworking business in Erbendorf, Germany. Two decades later, he leads one of the country’s most advanced contract manufacturers, with a fully automated, digitally connected sheet metal production facility built around Trumpf laser cutting technology.

After qualifying as a master craftsman, Götzl established the business in 2005, initially producing railings and fences. As demand grew, outsourcing laser-cut components created production bottlenecks, prompting him to explore laser cutting technology for himself.

A demonstration of a Trumpf TruLaser Tube 7000 convinced him that laser tube cutting could dramatically increase productivity and precision while opening new business opportunities. The investment required a new production hall and additional staff, but the gamble paid off. Installed in 2014, the machine nearly doubled production speed and transformed the company from a traditional metalworking shop into a modern subcontract manufacturer.

Growth accelerated further as Götzl expanded into high-volume production for industries including automotive, storage systems, furniture and renewable energy. A second TruLaser Tube 7000 followed in 2017, supported by responsive Trumpf service that minimised downtime and reinforced confidence in the partnership.

Inspired by a visit to Trumpf’s Smart Factory in Chicago, Götzl embarked on an ambitious digitalisation programme. Since 2019, he has invested around €25m in an automated production facility, including seven laser tube cutting machines, TruBend press brakes, TruDisk lasers, a 24 kW flat-bed laser, automated storage from Stopa and Oseon production control software.

Around €12m of that investment has been in Trumpf technology. Designed with future growth in mind, the facility provides the capacity, flexibility and automation to serve increasingly demanding manufacturing requirements while positioning the company for the next decade of expansion.More information www.trumpf.com

Fabricator Transitions From CO2 To Fibre Laser With BLM

Helping to position Bell Steel Fabrications, Cricklade, for its next phase of growth is an 8 kW BLM LS7 fibre laser profiling centre, replacing a decade-old CO2 laser cutter. The investment supports the fabricator’s diverse customer base, including its specialist production of bespoke stainless steel exhaust systems for classic cars, which accounts for around 40% of turnover.

Established in 1977, Bell Steel Fabrications has grown into a 21-employee business supplying customers in the UK and overseas. Managing director Matthew Bell first encountered BLM Group at the MACH 2010 exhibition, leading to the purchase of an Elect 80 electric tube bender that has delivered reliable performance and strong aftersales support ever since.

“When the time came to replace our flat-bed laser, BLM was the natural choice,” says Bell. “We assessed three suppliers but felt BLM offered the best combination of quality and value.”

Installed in March 2026, the LS7 delivers reductions in operating costs compared with the previous CO2 machine. Bell estimates annual electricity and gas savings of around £20,000, while benefiting from faster processing, lower maintenance requirements and greater energy efficiency.

The machine processes mild steel, stainless steel and aluminium components for applications ranging from classic vehicle parts and architectural metalwork to structural fabrications and industrial equipment. Features including fly-cut technology, active piercing, automatic focus adjustment and automatic nozzle changing improve productivity, particularly for the company’s high mix of small-batch and prototype work.

Although Bell Steel Fabrications has not yet automated material handling, the LS7 can be integrated with BLM storage and handling systems as production demands grow. The investment provides greater productivity, flexibility and future capacity, strengthening the company’s position as a value-focused engineering partner for subcontract manufacturing.

More information www.blmgroup.com

£2.5m EU opportunity

A major UK metal stamping company is targeting £2.5m of new EU opportunities after appointing a new European technical specialist. Brandauer, which provides precision components for more than 15 high-value sectors, has brought in multilingual industry expert Jürgen Wollbold to increase its presence on the ground in France, Germany and Spain. Wollbold says: “We’ve identified £5m of new opportunities across the EU and I feel it’s more than reasonable to believe we can convert at least half of these, especially those that involve precision stamping, in-house tooling, laminations and press-fit applications.”

More information www.brandauer.co.uk

£30m Push Into Aerospace, Defence And Anergy

Securing more than £30m of new orders in defence, energy and aerospace is helping one of Bridgnorth’s largest employers bounce back from a tough trading period. Grainger & Worrall is utilising is technical expertise and production capability in complex aluminium sand casting to win work with customers manufacturing light aircraft engines, specialist vehicle transmissions and datacentre applications.

The senior management team is looking to capitalise on this recent upturn by signing off a £1m investment programme and completing a recruitment drive for 30 new employees across its manufacturing, maintenance and quality departments. Grainger & Worrall has been delivering full-process precision casting solutions for more than 70 years. Employing over 450 people, the company serves global clients across five continents.

More information www.gwcast.com

Auto parts supplier opens Pune manufacturing plant

Feintool has officially inaugurated its first production facility in India, located in the industrial hub of Pune. Production is now being ramped up to fulfil initial customer orders, with a focus on fine-blanked automotive components. At the opening ceremony, CEO Lars Reich underlined the strategic relevance of the new site: “Feintool is proud to meet its customers’ demand for local production. We’re in the right place at the right time to benefit sustainably from the momentum in the Indian automotive industry and capitalise on further opportunities in the country’s growing industrial markets.”

More information www.feintool.com