Telford-based Wrekin Sheet Metal has invested £1.1m in Amada automated punch-press and laser-cutting technology. An EMZ-3612MII electric punch press with AS-III MP300/40 tower and PR-III UL part remover, alongside a VENTIS-3015AJ fibre laser cutter with AS LUL3015 tower, arrived in August-September 2020. By leveraging the speed and capacity of these new machines, this progressive company is aiming to double its turnover to £5.5m within the coming 12 months.

“We see ourselves as an extension of our customers’ manufacturing facilities, with Amada machines central to this offer,” states sales director Simon Orpe. “We’ve been using Amada machines since day one, as we see them as the Rolls-Royce of manufacturing equipment. And although we assessed a range of machines from different suppliers, we favoured returning to Amada as they had solutions that were compatible with our shift to Industry 4.0. The new machines ticked a lot of boxes regarding data communication using Amada V-factory software.”

Wrekin Sheet Metal first decided it would move towards Industry 4.0 as part of its strategy to help combat the effects of Brexit.
“One of our major selling points is customer communication, and Industry 4.0 is very much that,” explains Orpe. “We recently set about investing in the necessary network and IT infrastructure that would be able to gather information for our customers. We typically have up to 400 different live parts in progress on our shop floor at any one time, and we want to reach a position where customers can log in and see the status of their components.”

With the arrival of the automated Amada EMZ-3612MII electric punch press and Amada Ventis-3015AJ fibre laser cutting machine – as well as the company’s investment in a powder-coating plant and new personnel – Wrekin Sheet Metal has spent circa £1.5m since the first COVID-19 lockdown in March 2020.

For further information
www.amada.eu

Within the framework of regional competence days and the ‘Euroblech Digital Innovation Summit’ online event, Bystronic presented its latest products and solutions for the fields of laser cutting, bending, automation and software.

Among other things, the sheet-metal processing specialist demonstrated how manufacturing environments can be intelligently networked to achieve even higher efficiency.
Numerous highlights were outlined. For instance, in order to offer sheet-metal processing companies even better support in an increasingly competitive environment, Bystronic is now advancing into a new dimension of fibre-laser cutting: the 15 kW ByStar Fiber. According to the company, this high-end fibre laser offers high-precision Bystronic technology and a reliable cutting process (even with the high laser output) to meet a wide range of applications.

The technological leap from conventional 3-12 kW systems to the new 15 kW level is significant: on average, thanks to the 15 kW laser, the cutting speed of the ByStar Fiber increases by up to 50% compared with a 10 kW laser source. As a result, sheet-metal processing companies can benefit from higher productivity at lower unit cost. In short, its 15 kW output means the latest ByStar Fiber cuts steel, aluminium and stainless steel precisely and reliably in thicknesses between 1 and 30 mm, and brass and copper in thicknesses up to 20 mm.
Bystronic’s 15 kW laser output enables extended applications in steel and aluminium of up to 50 mm, and thus offers flexibility both for large series and urgent customer orders. Regardless of whether cutting aluminium, other non-ferrous metals or steel, the Bystronic cutting head is said to excel with maximum precision in both thin and thick sheet. The new power level is available for the ByStar Fiber 3015 and ByStar Fiber 4020.

For further information
www.bystronic.com

Founded over 30 years ago, CLH Trailers has grown into one of the UK’s leading manufacturers of trailers for the agriculture, fishing, marine, sport, leisure and farming industries.

As the product range has grown, so has the factory, staff levels and investment in technology, with the latest addition to the plant list in West Wales being a plasma-cutting machine from Kerf Developments.

Shop-floor foreman Mark Reynolds says: “First and foremost, we wanted to buy British. We looked for a viable option and realised that laser cutting wasn’t suited to our business, whereas plasma was a perfect fit. We found several vendors and then spoke with customers for their testimonials. Out of the UK manufacturers, it was Kerf that had a reputation above all others.”

The company’s new Kerf RUR 2500p plasma machine with 4 x 2 m bed arrived in July. Primarily cutting black steel and aluminium in thicknesses from 1.5 to 25 mm, CLH Trailers specified the RUR2500p with the user-friendly Burny 10 LCD CNC, the 275 A Lincoln Spirit II 275 plasma unit and Lantek software to drive the high-definition Ultrasharp cutting technology.

Building a new factory unit specifically for the Kerf machine, managing director Chris Hussell says: “I wanted a plasma cutter with a robust build quality that was capable of running all day, every day. The Kerf machine has certainly given us that. The plasma unit can cut steel beyond 60 mm thick, which is more than we need, while the precision, repeatability and edge finishes are exceptional. We predict that the machine will pay for itself in less than 2 years.”

Adds Reynolds: “We’ve only had the Kerf machine a matter of weeks but it has already lightened the workload of our staff and machines, streamlining production in the process.”

For further information
www.kerfdevelopments.com

No matter what shape or size – round, cubic, small or large – machine shops can clamp any kind of workpiece with the Hainbuch modular system. Of particular note, machine operators are able to change over the various clamping devices very quickly.

Hainbuch is constantly adding to its modular system so that users can always find the optimum solution for every clamping application. However, one thing was still missing, a concept for clamping cubic parts, which is why Hainbuch has introduced the two-jaw module.

Classic clamping heads ensure the external gripping of round workpieces. However, when these devices reach their limits due to the requirement for machining larger diameter workpieces, then the three-jaw module is used. And now, for cubic parts, the new Hainbuch two-jaw module is the solution of choice for centric clamping in machining centres and milling machines. In just two minutes, it is possible to change from external clamping to centric clamping.

The two-jaw module is suitable for use at speeds of up to 1500 rpm. Due to its small, lightweight design, the solution is a good alternative to large and heavy centric clamping devices. The basic unit, into which the jaw module inserts, is a Hainbuch chuck or vice. Notably, the exchange of modules takes place without changing the clamping device and, thanks to the integrated Centrex quick-change interface, without any need for alignment.

For further information
www.hainbuch.com

Hexagon AB has signed an agreement to acquire DP Technology Corp, a developer and supplier of CAM software that offers Esprit as its flagship solution. Well known for its machine-optimised, edit-free G-code (toolpath), Esprit leverages a digital-twin simulation platform to model the finished part, tools and CNC machine. AI-based algorithms eliminate manual data input and provide machine operators with greater assurance of what will happen on the shop floor.

Founded in 1982 and headquartered in Camarillo, California, DP Technology employs around 260 people in 27 locations worldwide. The company also operates a network of 130 resellers across 44 countries, giving Esprit a global footprint and install base. DP Technology will function as part of Hexagon’s Manufacturing Intelligence division. Sales in 2019 amounted to €35m.

For further information
www.hexagonmi.com