Tube laser cuts costs
Hutchinson’s new tube laser is capable of the intricate profiling of tube in most metals
A tube laser installed at Northern Ireland subcontractor Hutchinson Engineering is giving customers cost savings of up to 40% by eliminating multiple operations.
The BLM ADIGE LT8 tube laser has allowed the company to take on a broader spectrum of work, speed up the manufacturing process and keep costs down.
“With the LT8 we can provide customers with up to 40% savings simply by eliminating multiple operations and the need for welding jigs,” says managing director Mark Hutchinson. “This gives us an important competitive edge but our biggest challenge in terms of moving forward is making more people aware of the many benefits that result from using a tube laser.”
With a round tube processing capacity of 12 mm to 220 mm and a maximum square section capacity of 200 mm by 200 mm, the LT8 Lasertube is capable of the intricate profiling of a wide range of tube and section weighing up to 35 kg/m.
Hutchinson Engineering’s design capability is channelled on-site through its H360 Ltd subsidiary, which exists to take ideas from concept to reality by way of 3D design, prototyping and testing. One example of how this works in practice is the re-designing of a component that previously required six separate operations to complete and is now completed in two operations – laser cutting of box section on the LT8 and welding of the assembly, with tab and slot techniques eliminating the need for jigs.
Images for this article - click to enlarge
Unless otherwise stated, all images copyright © Mercator Media 2012. This does not exclude the owner's assertion of copyright over the material.
