Product category:
CNC punching and profiling
News Release from: LVD (UK) | Subject: Delta 1250LB punch press, LVD Axel 2513L profiler
Edited by the Manufacturingtalk Editorial
Team on 11 January 2002
Laser and CNC punch press win customers
Having a quick, competent reaction to customer requirements has helped Computerised Sheet Metal (CSM) to more than triple its turnover in the last three years.
Having a quick, competent reaction to customer requirements has helped Computerised Sheet Metal (CSM) to more than triple its turnover in the last three years And, as managing director Paul King outlines, his company's strategy for success has been the investment in modern manufacturing systems and planning ahead to meet future customer requirements
This article was originally published on Manufacturingtalk on 25 Jun 2001 at 8.00am (UK)
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Paul King does not claim to have a crystal ball but market leading trends are dictating higher use of automation and credible machine installation to remain competitive.
His most recent installations have been an LVD Delta 1250LB punch press and an LVD Axel 2513L laser profiling machine supplied by LVD UK of Marlow.
Both of these high productive machines have been fitted with automated load/unload capabilities which will allow CSM to run minimally manned production for a wide range of component profiles.
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Laser profiling machine gets more productive
Expanding the advantages of its modular concept design, two new versions of the LVD Axel 'flying optics' laser profiling machine are now available with fully integrated shuttle tables
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Precision sub-contractor's CNC laser cutting system purchase allows it cut 2500 by 1250mm mild steel sheet up 16mm thick, SS up to 6mm and aluminium up to 5mm in thickness.
Laser cut parts break new ground in car production
Two LVD laser profiling machines, an LVD Shape punch press and two LVD multi-axis press brakes are used at Park Sheet Metal of Coventry on work for the new Lea Francis 20/230 sports roadster
In addition, a LVD PPEB multi-axis press brake with 4.2 metre beam and 135 tonnes bending force has provided his company with significantly improved bending facilities.
While the automated handling on the punch press is a major source for improved productivity, the speed of the more advanced Axel laser means CSM can tackle jobs that would be uneconomic on an existing LVD Helius laser.
Likewise, the PPEB can complete a job in one set-up that previously demanded use of two upstroking machines.
Paul King, has steered the Whittle-le-Woods near Chorley company through this period of rapid growth, developing facilities to provide a comprehensive manufacturing service from punching through to fabrication, assembly and paint finishing.
He says: "We operate in an extremely competitive sector where a policy of keeping up to date with key technology gives us an edge.
When we bought our LVD Helius laser machine in 1998 we only had less than eight hours of work a day for it.
However, within six months it was running 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
We also aim to upgrade major production facilities regularly; the Delta 1250, for instance is our third generation of LVD turret punch press, having started with a Shape Beta back in 1984." Computerised Sheet Metal is part of a privately owned group of businesses founded by Mr John Kelso.
CSM has been in business since 1978 when John Sheet Metal was founded to manufacture parts for conveyor systems and has traded under its current name since 1985 when it became a specialist supplier of architectural sheet metal.
Today, the company is much more broadly based.
As well as subcontract parts for cash till manufacture it produces fascias for domestic cookers, precision fabrications for the electronics industry and high quality architectural duct work.
In addition, it has developed its own range of forecourt cabinets and signage for petrol filling stations, while a sister company based in Stoke specialises in working with copper for railway applications.
"Around 80 per cent of our business is subcontract work while the remainder is our own products," says Paul King.
"We have built up good working partnerships with many of our customers and provide many of them with detailed design work based on job appraisal aimed at taking cost out of the design.
As a result, about 40 per cent of throughput is regular contract work and batch quantities can range between 10 and several thousand." Since acquiring its first LVD Helius laser, CSM has developed an integrated approach to manufacturing which draws on the strengths of both laser and punching processes.
As Paul King outlines: "Each method has basic advantages.
The laser provides unfettered creative possibilities and requires very little set-up while punching machines are also able to form, for which our company has an ongoing requirement.
Punching machines are also more economic on longer runs while on the other hand, a laser cut blank has no witness marks and needs no deburring." In general, CSM put lower quantities on the Helius where set-up savings give costs comparable with punching.
Paul King explained: "We have also produced jobs where both laser and punch are used in tandem; usually we perform laser operations first and create datum points before transferring the sheet to a punch press for finishing.
We have also used the laser to create a nest which aligns outsourced components such as stainless steel sinks for cutting of specific features." The latest tranche of investment in LVD equipment came on the back of a need for a fall-back plan during the periods of full capacity on the existing laser machine.
Some customers were asking for a 'disaster plan' to be put in place to assure supply of their components." As Paul King confirms: "As we were then reaching full capacity all the time on the Helius it made sense to buy a second laser machine and we were very attracted by the unmanned operating possibilities offered by the Axel.
When we looked closely, we were very impressed by its sheer speed, as well as its capability to run unmanned for up to 12 hours." He outlines how certain jobs are loaded to the Axel which would not be profitable on the Helius.
"Its higher productivity and speed allows us to laser cut where we would formerly have used a punch press.
It has also broadened the scope of what we can do, as its 2kW laser can handle material up to 16mm thick and put 4mm diameter holes through 6mm plate.
The handling system is also very good giving us an overall 90 per cent efficiency, while on cosmetically sensitive work, it prevents damage and we've been processing a lot more stainless steel since we acquired it," he relays.
The decision to purchase the LVD Delta 1250 LB with load/unload automation was made at the same time as the Axel.
CSM was already operating a stand-alone Delta 1250 LB alongside an older Delta 1000 and Paul King was well aware of the capabilities of the larger capacity machine.
"Business was very buoyant and I realised that we needed the additional speed that a second large capacity punch press could provide," he says.
"We reasoned that the Delta 1250 LB could be even more productive if we went for an automation package." And so it is, as he describes a panel job: "We used to get a yield of 280 components each night shift, but the first time we ran the automated machine we got 500!" The productivity improvement arose partly from the ability to run through scheduled and unscheduled breaks, partly from more consistent and quicker load/unload cycle and less operator fatigue.
Whereas CSM allowed 80 seconds for manual load/unload, the automatic system needs just 25 seconds.
"With punching time of 220 seconds, the automation provides an additional 25 per cent bottom line productive capability." he maintains.
"The automated punch is mainly used on long running jobs," Paul King confirms, and even on this basis overall efficiency is around 70 per cent.
The slightly lower overall efficiency is partly related to the way that we manage the machine," he counters to questions on the difference.
"As a result, we've recently upgraded our programming software to a system that provides dynamic nesting capabilities and we expect a higher capability to process much smaller batches now on the system.
In any case, our experience with the Axel and the Delta 1250 LB has convinced us of the value of automated handling." Apart from the productivity gain, CSM are highly confident that safety issues are also improved related to automated sheet handling.
In addition, it allows night shift operation of the Axel, the 1250 LB and the Helius by a single operator so direct labour costs are significantly reduced.
"Another bonus," he maintains.
As CSM's profiling capabilities increased then so did its need for bending capacity.
In addition, the company's success in reducing engineering cost out of customers' products had begun to demand a more sophisticated in-house bending capability.
In one instance, it had developed a manufacturing process for square window screens that resulted in a product that was 20 per cent lighter and 30 per cent cheaper to produce.
However, 20 bends were needed to complete each panel and with CSM's existing upstroking machines, it needed two machine set-ups to produce 18 bends on one, and the final two on the other.
"We bought the LVD PPEB partly on the basis of this job," Paul King recalls.
"The 4.2 metre beam allows us to have all the set-ups on one machine while the accuracy and ease of sheet handling, compared with the 'upstrokers' is a total revelation.
The machine's influence within the company has been on a par with the combination of lasers and the handling automation because it has highlighted the value of accurate bending in the ease of production and the quality of the end product." The software and general controllability of the PPEB are highly rated.
The CSM machine has eight controlled axes which provide a host of bending possibilities.
Moreover, although seemingly more complex it is regarded by the operators as one of the easier press brakes to set up and use, as Paul King confirms: "Despite its operational capabilities, we don't need to have super-skilled operators on the machine because the power of the software makes it extremely user friendly.
It's a very impressive machine," he insists.
The benefits of the investment programme at the Whittle-le-Woods have been felt throughout the group to which it belongs.
One of the constituent companies is Conway Products, a well-known leading manufacturer of trailer tents and folding campers with a regular need for sheet metal components.
Some of these are now being produced at CSM where the combination of highly modern manufacturing resources has resulted in parallel reductions on cost and improvements in quality.
For instance, a panel which used to take 15 minutes to process can now be completed in just 160 seconds.
To which Paul King reflects: "Essentially that's what we're in business to do.
Our growth over the last few years has been rooted in saving our customers money and improving their quality.
We're very aware that we can only do that by continuing to invest in modern, highly cost-efficient manufacturing equipment which LVD have been able to supply.".
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