High definition plasma-arc cutting installed

A high-definition CNC plasma-arc cutting machine, capable of cutting to a width of 4000mm, is being used by a steel fabricator to profile up to nine plates at a time.

Kerf Developments (Kerf) has supplied Aldridge Fabrications (Aldridge), UK, with a RUM high-definition plasma-arc cutting machine and is giving the steel fabricator exceptional after sales service.

Aldridge is a major supplier of fabricated steel components to clients such as JCB and Komatsu UK.

The company already had five gas cutters before turning to Littleborough, UK-based Kerf to supply, install and maintain the heavy duty plasma-arc profiling machine.

Capable of cutting to a width of 4000mm, the RUM is currently used by Aldridge to cut material up to 20mm thick and profile up to nine plates at a time at the company's Burntwood headquarters.

Works manager, Alex Neville, explained: "When looking for a suitable plasma machine, we considered a number of options but decided to go with Kerf".

He continued: "Everything about their proposition was right but quite apart from the quality of the machine it was their commitment to us and to our on-going service requirements that convinced us that they were the right people to deal with".

Neville said that the company uses the RUM 24h/day, seven days/week.

The machine only gets a four-hour break every Saturday evening.

"However, as well as putting a bespoke service and maintenance package in place, we were delighted with Kerf's commitment to responding to any reported problem within 24 hours and to keeping our downtime to the absolute minimum," said Neville.

The RUM has a strong track record in reliability and as Kerf managing director, Dan Taylor, explained to manufacturingtalk.com that makes it a superb choice for the steel fabrication industry.

He said: "The bridge construction is a rigid fabrication and is driven along the machine by twin side rack pinion drives, heavy duty servo motors and planetary gearboxes which are digitally synchronised and controlled by the Burny CNC system".

Taylor said that such a combination makes for a formidable machine and one which is well suited for the steel fabrication industry.

He added: "We are delighted that Alex and everyone at Aldridge has found the RUM to be a reliable piece of kit and equally pleased that our commitment to top quality service has made a difference".

As Neville concluded, the treatment Aldridge receives from Kerf is the defining factor in the relationship between the two companies: "Many suppliers profess to offer a high quality maintenance service.

However the reality is that in many cases, when a machine breaks down, they aren't able to get out to us for anything up to eight or nine days," he said.

"With Kerf, it is totally different and their commitment to being with us within 24 hours and to doing everything they can to have us back up and running before their engineer leaves is rare in our business.

We have been delighted with the service we have received from Dan and his team and look forward to working with Kerf long into the future.

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