Laser Set to Stun....
19/01/2012 World Machinery Ltd
Robinson Engineering Ltd. is a County Durham based provider of sub-contract sheet metalwork and fabrication services to some of the most prestigious names in British industry. The recent installation of a large AMADA laser cutting machine from World Machinery has allowed the company to rapidly increase its business; faster and more flexible production allowing it to diversify and expand its customer base.Robinson Engineering Ltd. provides CNC laser cutting, CNC machining, welding and finishing services and has purchased the Amada X1 4.0kW (Mitsubishi based) laser cutting machine to complement its existing 2kW cutter. The new machine's larger bed size, pallet changer and increased power has immediately opened up opportunities to supply bigger parts, longer production runs and allowed a faster turnaround of jobs.
The new laser cutter was supplied by CNC laser cutting machine specialists, World Machinery of Bridgnorth in Shropshire. The company's Managing Director, Wayne Hipkiss, was able to advise Robinson Engineering that the Amada X1 would be ideal for its production purposes.
Mr Hipkiss, explains: "Subcontractors often have to meet tight delivery deadlines, the X1 can cut at up to 10m/sec which, coupled with automatic pallet changing, sets a high benchmark for speed of production for both single and multiple parts; they also have to be flexible as they can never know what the next job will be. Robinson's new machine is ultimately flexible as it will cut through 20mm mild steel, 12mm aluminium, 12mm stainless steel and other materials while maintaining a quality of finish that would satisfy the most demanding of clients. The Amada X1 is manufactured by Mitsubishi of Japan, machines for which we provide exclusive UK distribution and support."
Robinson Engineering Ltd. is a family firm, founded in 1985 by Arnold Robinson. His two sons, David and Brian, now Directors of the company, have continued the tradition of careful investment in technology, and steady expansion to meet the growing needs of the region's revitalised manufacturing industries.
David Robinson explains: "The Amada has more than doubled our laser cutting capacity due to its faster cutting capability. This has enabled us to grow, taking on bigger jobs than weren't previously possible, and subsequently bring new customers. We can now run jobs in parallel, or share big jobs across both machines to ensure we meet our customers' demanding timescales.
"Critically, we have to look hard at operating costs and long term capital returns. At the heart of the Amada X1 is a Mitsubishi cross flow laser; as there is no requirement for the expensive turbo overhaul that is needed with most other laser designs we expect longer term maintenance costs to be lower.
"In fact, maintenance promises to be low overall, so we expect to keep the machine working - and earning - for a larger proportion of time. The 2kW machine paid for itself quite quickly, and with steady growth we expect the same to be true for the Amada."
The North East is a centre for automotive production, and provides Robinsons with an increasing proportion of its work. Mr Robinson continues: "Parts we make ultimately end up being utilised by Bentley, Lotus, Land Rover, and even my favourite, Toylander; which builds exquisite miniature Land Rovers for aspiring young drivers!"
The Amada justified its purchase almost immediately after installation. A large automotive customer approached Robinson Engineering Ltd. with a need for a part to be reverse engineered with 20,000 units supplied over one weekend. Using the new laser cutting machine, the order was completed successfully and Robinson Engineering Ltd. is now a regular supplier to that customer.
Mr Robinson concludes: "It's the ability to do the seemingly impossible that makes us stand out as subcontract sheet metalworkers of excellence."
The Amada X1 was also supplied with the latest innovative Lantek Expert Cut CAD/CAM package from Lantek; designed specifically to allow easy integration of laser machines into existing production facilities. Lantek is the preferred integration software recommended by World Machinery, it allows virtually any existing CAD platform to work seamlessly with the machine as well as set-up and execute jobs either created by, or imported into, the Lantek software platform. The laser cutting technology modules are specific for each type of machine, providing management of the entire production process.
The Lantek software is an extremely high value solution; rather than sell a shell software system and charge more for specific function and integration modules all options are fully integrated. Designing a part, importing drawings, nesting (automatic or manual), generating the cut (automatic or manual), generating the CNC program and looking at the sheet metal store can all be achieved from the same standard program. Lantek is just one part of the overall installation and support package provided by World Machinery, effectively supplying a turnkey service to Robinson Engineering Ltd. which allowed the engineers to start working with the machine and generating revenue as quickly as possible.
For further information, please contact Wayne Hipkiss:
World Machinery Ltd, Alverley Industrial Estate, Alverley, Bridgnorth, Shropshire, WV16 6HG Tel: +44 (0) 1746 780154 Fax: +44 (0) 1746 780464 Email: sales@worldmc.co.uk Web: www.worldmc.co.uk
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