SUBCONTRACTING NEWS

Like a brand new machine after 21 years

“Quality never goes out of style,” they say. Well for Water Jet Sweden cutting machines quality never goes out of performance either! The recent refurbishment of a 21-year-old waterjet cutting machine to almost-new condition by the in-house team recently demonstrated this perfectly, making it ready for many more years of quality cutting.

In 2001, Water Jet Sweden sold the machine to a Norwegian waterjet contract cutter. After 21 years of cutting, the customer decided to upgrade its workshop by investing in a new machine. Like many other well-maintained machines from Water Jet Sweden, the performance was still good, and a general ‘facelift’ could be worth the investment. The customer service team at Water Jet Sweden seized the opportunity and bought the old machine.

“We’ve supported the customer since the machine was delivered in 2001, and have good knowledge of both operating hours and service history,” says Ronny Martinsson, customer service manager at Water Jet Sweden.

Looking at the refurbished machine, it is difficult to imagine that it has been in production for 21 years. Although it looked a little more run-down than when purchased, after a thorough clean, the potential was clearly visible. Every renovation project is different: this time the frame was repainted, new table grids installed, hoses replaced and, most importantly, the electrical system replaced with a new Fanuc CNC system. The system change included everything from cables, motors and electrical cabinets to a modern PanelOne operator panel.

The refurbished machine is now ready for delivery to a new customer in Germany, a forging company that will use the machine as a workstation in its workshop. It cost about 60% of what an equivalent new machine would cost.
For further information www.waterjetsweden.co.uk

£450,000 investment

Hull-based Paragon Toolmaking has further invested in new machinery with a £450,000 spend set to accelerate production and increase automation when manufacturing precision tools. The investment includes a new CNC machine with a 3 x 2 m bed to cope with large die sets and plates, and work at twice the speed of previous machinery. Further investments include a new automated 700 x 1000mm surface grinder that will also help increase production speeds, freeing up operatives to work on other projects.Thesemachines follow the purchase of a new CMM last year.
For further information www.paragontoolmaking.com

Midtherm lasers set for growth after £1.2m investment

A specialist subcontract laser cutting and forming specialist is reaping the operational and environmental benefits of a £1.2m machine investment. Midtherm Laser, which employs 45 people at its factory in Dudley, has increased its capacity and speed of processing thanks to the installation of a new Bystronic Bystar Fiber 12kW laser with part automation.

One of the largest purchases in its 23-year history introduces the next level of power in fibre laser cutting. It will help the company deliver high cutting dynamics and thin to thick cutting capabilities to a customer base that spans aerospace, automotive and decorative work, to food processing, agricultural and conveyors.

The machine has also made a massive difference to the firm’s environmental performance, with the Bystronic model replacing two older CO2 machines and delivering a 50% energy saving, the equivalent of powering 2100 average homes every month.

“Our expertise in laser cutting and metal forming is respected throughout our sector and has led to us increasing sales by a further 6% last year, a great achievement considering the volatility of the market,” explains Mark Hannon, director of Midtherm Laser.“The 12 kW Bystar Fiber is a class-leading machine that can cut from 0.5 to 30mm in mild steel, aluminium and a host of other materials. It gives us more capacity to target new opportunities and, importantly, means three quarters of our machines are now fibre technology instead of gas.”

He adds: “With this in mind, and when you consider we’ve also invested in LED lighting, sensor switches, and electric vehicles and charging for our staff on the road, it’s not difficult to see how we have managed to cut our energy usage in half since 2018.”
For further information www.midthermlaser.co.uk

SM Thompson invests further in laser technology

Steel plate processor SM Thompson has invested in a new 22kW fibre laser cutting machine that will boost efficiency and drive the firm’s ambitions forward.The Teesside-based business has invested in a state-of-the-art laser cutting machine that will not only support more environmentally friendly ways of working but enable larger client orders and faster process.

Managing director Harvey Thompson says: “Our continued investment in new machinery enables us to offer a range of services to our customers. By enhancing the range and capabilities of our machinery, we can respond readily to market changes.It’s always been our ethos to invest in the latest technology to keep us at the top of the game. This machine continues that strategy.”

Beyond its high cut quality, the laser can offer etching suitable for bend lines and profile identification, which supports larger orders and identifying parts quickly, saving valuable time and money. The high-end fibre laser provides precise technology and a stable cutting process up to the highest laser power.

Harvey adds: “When we purchased a 12kW machine a little over a year ago, I was so impressed by its precision and efficiency that I knew straight away this was the future of large quantity orders. Six months later, our order was in for our new 22kW laser.”

As a steel plate specialist, the SM Thompson team cuts steel from 1 to 350mm thick using a range of laser, plasma and flame cutting machinery. The company also presses, rolls and chamfers material in a variety of shapes and sizes, working with mild and stainless steel, as well as aluminium, brass, copper and titanium.
For further informationwww.smthompson.co.uk

Longevity of lathes prompts repeat purchases

It is often said that a subcontractor does not know what type of work will be coming through the door tomorrow, so needs versatile machine tools to produce a wide variety of components. With this thought in mind, the mainstay for production of a large proportion of turned parts at contract machinist Repro Engineering are CNC turning centres from Citizen Machinery, both Miyano fixed-head lathes and Cincom sliding-head models.

The first Miyano to arrive (in 1997) was a BND42S twin-spindle lathe with live tooling. It departed just three years ago after 23 years of service, having produced more than 2 million components, most in one hit and a large proportion in lights-out operation. The second Miyano, a BND51S, arrived in 1998 and was sold in mid-2022 after an even longer period on the shop floor.

Repro Engineering’s owner and managing director Richard Palmer says: “We have a policy of regularly reviewing our capacity and keeping plant up to date. In the case of the Miyanos, however, earlier exchange simply wasn’t necessary, as the machines continued to hold tolerance.”

The replacement for the BND51S was a more capable BNJ-51SY, which arrived in May 2022. Featuring two turrets and Y-axis movement of the main turret, the lathe facilitates complex machining operations at the main and sub spindles simultaneously. Nine Miyano machines have been purchased over the years.

Regarding Repro Engineering’s sliding-head capacity, the subcontractor operates three Cincom lathes capable of machining parts up to 32 mm diameter bar. Impressed with the quality and longevity of the Miyano machines, Palmer decided to approach Citizen for larger Swiss-type lathes capable of producing bigger diameter, often shaft-type components. He purchased a Cincom A32-VII in 2009, followed by a more highly specified M32-VIII with a B-axis in 2013, and another A32-VII two years later.
For further information www.citizenmachinery.co.uk