Milltek Sport has, for the past 40 years, being at the forefront of the design and manufacture of aftermarket performance exhaust systems, but with one eye on the future it has recently created a £3m Advanced Manufacturing Centre, adjacent to its Derby headquarters. At the heart of this investment are three machines from BLM Group that incorporate the very latest in fibre laser, robotics and bending technology.

While Milltek Sport’s core products will remain in demand for many years to come, the rise of electric vehicles influenced the company’s decision to invest, a move that is allowing it to appeal to new markets, such as heat shield manufacture for EVs. The three machines from BLM Groupinclude a BLM LC5 combination flat sheet and tube laser cutting system, and the BLM LT Free Hi-Flex five-axis, twin-robot, fibre laser cutting cell.

BLM Group’s LC5 integrates separatemodules for tube and flat sheet processing to enable a switch from tube processing to flat sheet instantly, without any need to reconfigure the machine. Milltek chose the 4kW (12kW optional) fibre laser for its machine, a choice that provides the capability to cut stainless steel up to 15mm thick. Adding to this versatility is the electric sheet pallet change system with dual shelves for sheet and tube.

Similarly, the BLM LT Free Hi-Flex five-axis robot cell features twin robot arms that can be operated individually, with a divider allowing one part to be cut by the 2kW fibre laser, while another is being set-up.Or, if the part demands it both robots can work in tandem.

Steve Pound, managing director of Milltek Sport, states: “We are seeing efficiency improve dramatically; up to 40% gains on some components.”
For further information www.blmgroup.com