Continuous investment in CNC is the growth recipe

The purchase of a CNC panel bender in 2001 followed by the arrival of a new generation CNC combined punch shear in March 2002 has made this sub contractor a force to be reckoned with.

The news may be filled with dismal stories of failing UK manufacturing and of the economy being on the brink of recession, but at Greenfield Engineering Limited in Devon there is massive optimism, investment and success.

Established in 1989, specialising in precision sheet metal work, Greenfield has grown from two people working out of a small unit to a work force of forty-five operating twenty-four hours a day in a 22,000 square feet purpose built factory with a turnover of GBP 3.5 million.

Delivering in their own fleet of lorries Greenfield ship products to customers throughout the UK and continental Europe.

The purchase of a Salvagnini panel bender in 2001 followed by the arrival of a new generation S4 punch shear in March 2002 has made this sub contractor a force to be reckoned with.

Founder and Managing Director Frank Green embodies the almost dauntingly positive, work hungry, high quality service ethos of the company.

The factory floor has an impressive array of new equipment from press brakes to automated turret punches and a recently introduced laser.

All supported by off-line programming software, in-house finishing offering full pretreatment, stove enamelling and online powder coating.

So why the move to Salvagnini systems? Greenfield wanted something different, something that they could offer their customers that would make Greenfield stand out even more from other subcontractors.

In 2000 Greenfield started researching the methods available for forming/bending sheet metal.

They looked at robotic press brakes, visited exhibitions - Mach 2000 at the NEC and then spent a week at Blech in Hanover viewing all new equipment on offer.

There was one machine that really stood out from the rest, the Salvagnini Performer compact panel bender.

The Greenfield team assessed the Performer's capabilities and moved quickly from being impressed by the software and the machine's performance to thinking what they could offer customers with such a system.

However there was one big concern, Salvagnini's old reputation for being unreliable.

Whispers of 'fantastic performance when it works but nothing but trouble when it doesn't floated in from the sidelines.

Greenfield analysed the scenario.

Many of the comments were coming from other machine manufacturers who, for all their warnings, were busily trying to reinvent Salvagnini technology in their own machines.

It was decided that the Performer compact panel bender offered the best option and solution to Greenfield's immediate and future requirements and so a Performer was ordered.

After twelve months working with the Performer had Frank Green made the right choice? "It was a gamble for Greenfield.

We have actually had 100% uptime and no problems with the machine whatsoever.

The quality of the products that are being produced on the Performer are so good.

When I say that we have a Salvagnini people ask what do you manufacture? When I say that we are a subcontractor they say, "Wow, a subcontractor with a Salvagnini"! Then all of a sudden they want to come down and see our operation." Did Greenfield sit back contentedly with their new equipment? Unsurprisingly the answer is no.

Following the successful introduction of the Performer Greenfield travelled to Salvagnini Italy to view an S4P4 (punch-shear-bend) Automated System.

The S4 punch shear with MD store and auto stacking arrived at Greenfield in March 2002.

It is the first of the new generation of Salvagnini punch shear machines to arrive in the UK since the launch at EMO 2001.

More notably Greenfield are the first subcontractor in the UK to have a Salvagnini S4 system.

No subcontractor has ever had the capabilities that they now have.

The next six to twelve months should be a very interesting time at Greenfield Engineering as they enter new territory in UK precision sheet metal work subcontracting.

Frank Green "Jon Grainger (Salvagnini's U.K.

Sales Manager) is a good engineer.

He understands both the machines and sheet metal manufacturing processes, which is important.

Unlike other suppliers he can help you with the technical approach in introducing new technology into your factory.

Jon understands the sheet metal industry and that is very refreshing.

Nothing is too much trouble for Salvagnini, and after the machine is installed the support continues.".

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