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News Release from: Kasto
Edited by the Manufacturingtalk Editorial
Team on 13 March 2006
Metal sawing sales to UK manufacturers
soar
Normally, UK metal sawing machine sales go to stockholders, but in 2005, Kasto reported that sales to the manufacturing sector 'soared to 60%' resulting in a 50% increase in turnover.
German-built Kasto sawing machines were introduced to the UK in the 1970s, since which time a majority of its sales - as high as 70 to 80% in some years - has been into the stockholding sector, with the remainder going to manufacturing companies "Last year for the first time the reverse was true, as the proportion of our sales to manufacturers soared to 60%," said Ernst Wagner, managing director of Kasto's Southampton, UK, subsidiary
This article was originally published on Manufacturingtalk on 23 May 2001 at 8.00am (UK)
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He continued, "I believe it is symptomatic of the underlying strength of manufacturing in the UK, despite unprecedented competition from abroad.
The greater number of sawing machines bought by the production sector was coupled with a 50% increase in our turnover, so investment by manufacturing companies is at its highest level for many years." Another trend noted by Wagner is a raised awareness of the advantages of using high-technology saws capable of exploiting the productivity advantages of carbide blades.
Four KASTOtec machines designed for carbide bandsawing were sold for every one KASTOtwin HSS bandsaw last year; and the latter are also capable of running carbide blades, and often do.
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There is a lot of interest in circular carbide sawing as well, notably from subcontract suppliers to the automotive industry, and many live projects have been carried over from 2005.
"People are starting to accept the concept of longer-term cost of ownership and the return on investment, rather than just initial capital cost, and are taking it much more seriously," commented Wagner.
"In the past, companies have tended to buy the cheapest machine, but not any more.
It is low cost per cut that counts, and you do not achieve that if the machine runs at slow speeds and feeds, or keeps breaking down." Automated storage and retrieval systems for efficiently supplying bar, tube and other long material to sawing machines is a technology that has been adopted by stockholders for many years and is now finding favour amongst OEMs.
Last year, Kasto sold multi-level Unitower systems, one linked to a KASTOtec bandsaw, into two manufacturers specialising in diesel generators and medical equipment.
In addition, entry-level Unibloc cradle systems have been installed in three more stockholding environments.
Predicted Wagner "Sales of storage systems will be the next big thing for our company.
They have traditionally been a relatively small part of our business, as industry has been reluctant to accept the advantages.
However, last year these systems accounted for 11% of our turnover, up from four per cent in 2004.
I think that within three to five years, half of our turnover will come from storage systems, not only for long product but also sheet metal, and for both types of stock." Wagner added: "For the latter applications, our German parent has just introduced its first ever range of computer-controlled sheet metal towers, stacking cradles, and other systems based on gantry, longitudinal and honeycomb storage." Wagner observed that Kasto worldwide has installed over 1,000 systems for automated storage and retrieval of material, and pointed out that this side of the business is growing in many other countries as well.
The German parent company enjoyed 30% growth in order intake in 2005 compared with the previous year, partly as a result of increased business in storage systems.
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