CSM Sheet Metal was able to fi t
Mazak fi bre laser technology into its
unusual mill site
Mazak fi bre laser technology plus automation in bespoke layout suits
CSM Sheet Metal; switch to Trumpf punch press plus automation
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AMazak Optiplex Nexus 3015 Fiber
4 kW laser machine with bespoke
10-shelf automation towers has
boosted CSM Sheet Metal’s output and,
critically, ts into the available space within
the company’s former cotton mill site.
Explains managing director Paul King:
2D investments
“We operate out of a former cotton mill, so it
is hard to accommodate a large laser
machine because of the type of building with
all of the columns that are in the way. Laser
machines lend themselves to big, sprawling
factories, so while the easy option is often
to buy another machine, the footprint
doesn’t always suit the space you’re trying
to put it into. So, my rst thought was – what
ts the space?”
Automation was a must, with any
prospective system needed to exceed the
automation capacity of the previous
installation. “I’ve always been a believer in
automation, pushing to run machines lights
out wherever possible. I don’t understand
why more laser users aren’t using it. Our
previous laser had automation and that had
been successful, so I was interested in any
new automation system that offered multicassette
capacity.”
As a long-term CO2 laser source user,
after 18 years the Chorley, Lancs-based rm
PUNCH, PROFILE, BEND THE RIGHT SHAPES PRODUCED EFFICIENTLY
Automated
was keen to investigate bre laser
technology. The company approached Mazak
(https://is.gd/otocah) with its requirements.
Says King: “What really won me over was
that Mazak’s technical team was very
accommodating, providing constant dialogue
and feedback whilst con guring the system’s
layout. They were able to make it t my
space and, more than anything, they didn’t
compromise the ef ciencies I was getting
with the existing machines.”
The automation system arrived soon after
the bre laser, replacing the previous
18-year-old automated CO2-based
installation. The automation featured a
bespoke design, taking into account the
pillars and limited tower space available at
Swansey Mill, while allowing easy access for
loading sheets.
SAME POWER BUT FASTER
“Before I chose the Optiplex Nexus, Mazak
showed me some time studies on a given
set of components. Right then I realised
that, despite being the same power, the
bre laser was running twice as quick as my
CO2 machine and nearly seven times quicker
than my other, older laser. Everything up to
4 mm is now being processed on the Mazak
because of its ef ciency, but we are, on
occasion, even cutting thicker material up to
12 mm.”
King has praise for the automation
system, too. “I would load up my previous
machine on a Friday afternoon with a big
stack of 5 mm and 6 mm material and it
would still be running Monday morning, but
with the replacement technology the capacity
is less than a day,” says Paul. “The
automation has given us an incredible
capacity, and the machine seems to crunch
through any amount of work. I can’t
physically feed it enough.”
Other bene ts cited are reduced energy
consumption, with the Mazak using roughly
half the electricity of the current CO2
machine for the same amount of power, plus
reduced maintenance bills, mainly due to
the fact that it doesn’t have mirrors that
need replacing and cleaning, which also
impacts on our machine uptime.
Concludes King: We’ve nearly
100,000 ft2 to grow into at Swansey Mill,
and we’re continuously growing commercially
too – we’ve set ourselves a target to get to
£6 million revenue, and the new Optiplex
Nexus will be vital in helping us achieve
this.”
While pro ling has taken a large slice of
the market that punching machines would
have taken, there is a still a place for them.
Take Kintech, a leading specialist in the
fabrication of engineered parts, which is
bene ting from the installation of its rst
Trumpf machine (https://is.gd/uviboq), in
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/otocah)
/uviboq)
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