WEC adds tenth laser
WEC’s laser division will now offer ten machines, including two tube cutting machines
Metal fabricator and laser cutting specialist WEC Group has ordered a tenth laser to expand its capacity, bringing investment in its laser division to more than £1.5m over the past 12 months.
The order for the £500K Trumpf TruLaser 5030 5kW flat bed laser cutting machine follows another year of growth at the company. WEC’s laser division will now offer ten machines, including two tube cutting machines, across Laser Engineering UK in Darwen, and 5750 Components in Liverpool.
Says Wayne Wild, company Director and general manager of the laser division: “We are really excited about this new investment as it represents an important new milestone for the Group. WEC have traditionally been perceived as metal fabricators and heavy engineering specialists, but with a total of 10 laser cutting machines working around the clock, we are now also one of the largest laser cutting companies in the country, which enables us to compete effectively for large contracts”.
WEC’s investment in the latest technology coupled with the company’s substantial increase in staff during the recent downturn has enabled the Group to win its largest contract to date. To meet the requirements of the new contract, WEC has recently opened a brand new factory in North Yorshire, Sherburn Metalwork Ltd, and taken on an extra 50 staff.
Continues Mr Wild: “Our current order book at both our laser sites has reached unprecedented levels for both laser cutting and folding, and this new laser should help alleviate the bottlenecks and meet our customers’ expectations.”
The new machine is expected to be fully commissioned by the end of November.
The new Trumpf TruLaser is the sixth of its kind to be installed at WEC over the past 3 years.
Continues Mr Wild: “The success of our Laser Cutting division has been phenomenal. To satisfy the demand, we’ve had to purchase 4 additional lasers over the past two years as well as adding extra shifts and we’ve now nearly outgrown both our laser cutting factories.”
The Group is now looking at new opportunities to expand WEC’s laser activity to Yorkshire, the Midlands, and the South.
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