With more than three decades of experience in cutting, forming, welding and assembly of sheet metal components, supported by a modern enterprise resource planning system, Stoke-on-Trent subcontractor Grenville Engineering installed its first fibre laser cutting centre in November 2016, a 3 kW BySprint Fiber 3015 from Bystronic UK.
The 3 metre x 1.5 metre sheet capacity machine replaced an old CO2 laser facility from another supplier, leaving two 3.2 kW CO2 machines on site capable of cutting up to 20 mm thick mild steel. On thin materials, the fibre laser machine cuts two to three times faster and so is much more productive. It has the added advantage of superior performance when processing reflective materials.
Grenville can cut aluminium sheet to a maximum of 8 mm on its CO2 machines but 50 per cent thicker using fibre technology of similar power. Additionally, the latter can cut copper and its alloys, such as brass and bronze, whereas a CO2 machine is unable to tackle these materials due to back reflections damaging the optics. Grenville was therefore either turning this work away or putting it on less efficient turret punch presses.
Operations Director of the Stoke-on-Trent fabricator, Dali Dong commented, “In manufacturing, you have to keep moving with the times and in terms of laser cutting, that means changing over to fibre. We will eventually replace our two remaining CO2 machines with fibre equivalents of higher power to enable us to cut thicker materials efficiently and accurately. The big advantage with fibre laser cutting, apart from the speed when processing thinner materials, is its lower running costs. Electricity consumption is significantly less and no expensive laser assist gases are needed.”
Grant Barrett, Purchasing Director, cited the supplier’s good service record, as Grenville has used Bystronic press brakes for many years and the after-sales back-up has been exemplary.
Tel: +44 (0)844 848 5850
Email: david.larcombe@bystronic.com
www.bystronic.com
