SUBCONTRACTING NEWS

Lantek delivers major productivity gains

Australian laser subcontractor Online Laser can manufacture twice as much as before with the help of Lantek’s sheet metal CADCAM and ERP software. Based in Bendigo, Victoria, the company has two Bystronic Bystar fibre lasers and previously used a proprietary software system, which is now no longer supported, to manage the machines and the workflow through its factory.

Ben Harris, programming and production manager, says: “We were looking for an end-to-end system to manage our quotations, programming and production. With our old system there was no integration and we had to repeatedly enter the same information.”

Online Laser installed the Lantek system in July 2019 comprising Lantek Expert CADCAM, MES, Integra and WOS. This year it added the Lantek Opentalk connection directly to the laser machines so that validation of the status of the machines and the parts being manufactured is automatic.

“The vast majority of parts come as CAD models in several different formats, and we can import them directly into the Lantek software,” says Harris. “The integrated Lantek Expert can quickly analyse the laser cutting times and – within the Integra software – combine them with subcontract costs such as folding, powder coating or machining to produce an accurate price for the whole job. Previously this could have taken a few days, now it can be done in 1-2 hours and sometimes in minutes.”

Where the material type and thickness are the same, the company nests parts from different customers in the same sheet.

“The inventory system is worth the investment on its own,” states Harris. “We can manage remnants of material to use them up and keep track of stocks so that we don’t suddenly run out of material.”

For further information www.lantek.com

Kerfs cuts bottleneck at subcontractor

As a subcontract manufacturer, Q-Laser offers laser, waterjet, press brake and fabrication services throughout the UK. When the main division at Washington, Tyne & Wear, realised its waterjet cutting department based in nearby Hebburn was reaching full capacity, the company needed a solution. Kerf Developments provided the answer with a Semyx Optima 420 twin abrasive waterjet cutter.

Founded in 2012, Q-Laser set up its waterjet cutting division in 2019 to complement its laser, press brake and fabrication services, starting with a five-axis waterjet machine. Except for the pandemic, the waterjet division has grown exponentially, and the existing waterjet machine was struggling to meet the capacity demands of the business, so Q-Laser turned to the Optima 420 twin abrasive waterjet.

With two cutting heads, the 4 x 2 m bed machine instantly doubled cutting capacity in comparison to the company’s existing machine. In a sector where clients expect a quotation in hours and components cut and delivered in less than a week, the addition of the machine has alleviated the bottleneck, created additional capacity and immediately reduced lead times.

Company director Colin Hewitt says: “We gave Kerf a range of trial parts. The productivity, precision, cut quality and edge finishes were beyond anything else we had seen, so our decision to invest was made. A few months after the installation, Kerf has excelled in its service and consumable supply, which was a critical element for us. Kerf stocks all spare parts for the machine in the UK and they are available on a next-day service. This gives us complete confidence.”

For further information www.kerfdevelopments.com   

ParkerSteel grows its manufacturing capabilities

In 2023, ParkerSteel invested over £4m in significantly upgrading its processing capabilities. This total included the acquisition of two BLM tube laser cutting machines for its Dudley facility and an additional four machines for its Canterbury headquarters. The latter comprised a similar tube laser, a combined drill-and-saw, a mitre saw and a flat-bed fibre laser profiling centre from BLM Group.

The new 12 kW BLM LS7 4020 fibre laser cutting machine offers not just operational efficiency and flexibility but also much-needed redundancy for uninterrupted production. Factors influencing the purchase decision included its European build quality, CE marking, cost-effectiveness and the supportive approach of BLM’s UK team. In addition, the modular design facilitated rapid on-site assembly, significantly enhancing productivity at a crucial time for ParkerSteel.

A visit to the BLM Group’s manufacturing facility in Levico, Italy, by managing director Dylan Alexander provided reassurance of the equipment’s reliability and the manufacturer’s support. Since its commissioning in mid-October 2023, the LS7 4020 has demonstrated exceptional productivity, attributed to its 2 g table acceleration and an automatic pallet shuttle system, which together streamline operations and minimise changeover times to just nine seconds.

Ease of use is another commendable feature, with program handling, nesting and cutting cycles managed offline through SigmaNEST CADCAM software. The machine’s features include active piercing, nozzle centring and real-time control of cutting accuracy.


As ParkerSteel moves forward, its investment in the BLM LS7 4020 represents not just a commitment to technological advancement but also a strategic positioning for growth and innovation in the steel industry.

For further information www.blmgroup.com

Second Nukon machine for AD Laser Cutting

Just 18 months after purchasing the display machine from the Nukon Lasers UK stand at
MACH 2022, Greater Manchester-based AD Laser Cutting has taken delivery of a second
Nukon fibre laser. Whereas the company’s first fibre laser cutter was a Nukon ECO 315 4 kW
model, its new machine is from the European laser machine manufacturer’s REX model
range.
Just like Nukon’s ECO machines, the Nukon REX is able to accommodate flat sheet metal
sizes of up to 3 x 1.5 m. Chosen primarily for its side-mounted loading table, to better fit
with the available floorspace at AD Laser Cutting’s new subcontract manufacturing facility –
a move driven by the company’s growing order book – the Nukon REX also has a more
powerful 6 kW laser. This additional power will enable AD to precision-cut stainless steel up
to 25 mm thick.
We really couldn’t have imagined just how much precision laser-cutting work our first
machine from Nukon Lasers UK would enable us to complete,” comments AD Laser Cutting’s
managing director Darren Golden. “Projects undertaken have ranged from precision cutting
stainless steel components for the utilities sector, to manufacturing furniture components,
extraction panels and even stillages for a number of leading vehicle manufacturers. In fact,

only a short while after installation, the Nukon ECO 315 machine was running at near full
capacity.”
He continues: “It’s extremely intuitive to program, easy to use and has been trouble-free
since its installation. Moreover, the quality of cut has more than met the high standards that
our customers demand. Therefore, when it was time to grow the business and invest in a
second fibre laser machine, it seemed pretty obvious that it should also come from Nukon
Lasers UK.
For further information www.nukonlasers.co.uk

Citizen machine helps TAS rebalance business

Around 20 years ago, Gareth Davies started Burton-on-Trent company TAS Engineering as a steel, stainless steel and aluminium fabrication shop.In 2014, he established a machine shop to add extra value to the products the company was forming and welding. Today, there is a pair of three-axis vertical machining centres on-site and a trio CNC lathes, the latest of which is a pre-owned Cincom L20 sliding-head turning centre from Citizen Machinery.

What prompted the purchase in October 2023 of this 20-year-old lathe, the company’s first sliding-head model, was a desire for more efficient turningof components in various materials from bar up to 20 mm in diameter. A case in point is the ongoing production of a 16 mm diameter, 316 stainless steel magnet holder, which is welded to a small, laser-cut and bent plate to form part of a safety unit for industrial switchgear. The turned component, of which 200 are required per month, was previously produced complete on one of two fixed-head, twin-spindle lathesin a 2.5-minute cycle.

It was apparent that the steel magnet holder could be produced more quickly on a modern Citizen L20 twin-spindle sliding-head turning centre due to the faster axis motions of the gang tool carriers on the former compared with the turret movements of fixed-head lathes. However, Davies was surprised to find it was possible to machine the part more than three times faster on the Cincom: the cycle now takes just 48 seconds.

He says that although the purchase price of the lathe was only about 24% of the investment needed for a modern 20 mm capacity L-series Cincom, he was treated by all Citizen Machinery UK staff as though he were purchasing a new L20.

For further information www.citizenmachinery.co.uk