FAST TURNAROUND PROJECTS AT CUTLASERCUT REQUIRE RAPID CUTTING TOOL SOLUTIONS FROM ITC

CutLaserCut is a design and manufacturing company that specialises in fast turnaround production services in a number of sectors, including creative (art, fashion, jewellery, architecture), engineering, retail and sign making to name but a few. Initially set up as a laser cutting business in 2010, CutLaserCut invested in a CNC routing machine in 2017 to expand its service offering. It is here that Industrial Tooling Corporation (ITC) stepped in to support the company widen its diversification strategy.

Operating out of two facilities, CutLaserCut has a single Trotec Speedy 400 laser at its Camberwell site and a larger production studio with six CO2 lasers and a host of additional equipment at its south coast facility. The largest laser machine offers a working area of 3 x 2 m, while the Biesse Rover Plast J FT 1530 CNC routing machine that arrived in 2017 offers a work envelope of 3 x 1.6 m. It is this machine that led CutLaserCut to ITC.

Combining laser technology with the router, CutLaserCut can process everything from cast acrylic sheets to plywood, ‘organic’ materials, plastics, wood and wooden boards, card, paper, leather, foam, and much more. The arrival of the router opened opportunities to machine new materials with a technology that CutLaserCut had no experienced previously. A visit to the Sign UK exhibition led to a timely meeting with Sally Hunt from ITC.

Russ Mellor from CutLaserCut recalls: “We were originally a laser cutting business, but we purchased the Biesse CNC router to expand the range of materials with which we could work. Biesse is not a specialist in cutting tools, so we visited the Sign UK exhibition where we met Sally Hunt from ITC. We were immediately impressed with her depth of knowledge and helpful attitude. Since 2017, Sally and the ITC team have been a fabulous resource that we’ve been happy to rely on. A trusted partner in all aspects of CNC tooling.”

As a company that specialises in delivering a fast response to demanding sectors, CutLaserCut can rapidly turn around anything from simple B2C parts, one-offs and specialist projects to more involved B2B product development and production runs. To satisfy client demands with rapid lead times, CutLaserCut relies on high-quality cutting tools from ITC for machining a vast array of materials.

In a fast-paced environment, CutLaserCut needs maximum machine uptime and optimal productivity levels. To enable this outcome, ITC supports CutLaserCut with a diverse range of standard and bespoke tooling solutions that provide quality, performance, reliability and longevity. The performance and tool life are optimised by expert advice from ITC, a service that includes identifying the correct tool, geometry and coating for any given material.

“ITC has provided us with too many tools to remember over the past six years,” admits Mellor. “The lengthy list of standard products is also complemented by an entire range of specials that we have requested going back to the start of our working relationship. We tend to specify ITC’s 6 mm straight and compression cutters for general work, but we’ve had many larger, smaller and specialist tools over the years. Whenever a new project arrives, or if there’s a particular machining technique required, we can call or email ITC and ask for the best advice about tooling. This includes feed rates, number of passes and other technical details.”

Most recently, ITC provided CutLaserCut with a 12 mm radius point round cutter for a new technique that an established client wanted to try. Sally Hunt from ITC was able to propose the tool based on a photo of the effect the client was trying to achieve.

“She got it spot on and the tool did exactly what was needed,” reports Mellor. “The total time from client enquiry to delivery of the final parts was just seven days, including the selection, manufacture and delivery of the ITC point round cutter. Standard tooling is available on a next-day basis, even if ordered late in the day.”

He continues: “I’ve not found anything like this level of service from any other tool manufacturer, and we tried a few before finding ITC. Expert advice on tool selection, backed by expert engineers that can design, manufacture and deliver custom tooling if necessary, is a really good fit for us. I get the impression they value our business and we value their support.”

Alluding to the importance and value of ITC’s rapid and bespoke tooling service, Mellor concludes: “As we are a subcontract manufacturer, we rarely make the same thing twice, unless it’s a production run. Therefore, it’s of critical importance that our tooling works right the first time and keeps working with high levels of productivity and reliability until completion of the job. We’re always working on tight turnaround projects, so we can’t be dealing with tooling that do not perform as we expect and time being lost in re-specifying and replacing tooling. An issue like that could delay an entire project.

“This is where the high quality of ITC comes in. I can’t recall any instances where their tooling has let us down. Considering we have now worked with ITC for more than six years, that’s saying something.”

For further information www.itc-ltd.co.uk

Prototal buys CA Models

Prototal Industries has acquired CA Models, an additive manufacturing specialist based in Stirling. The acquisition adds metal additive manufacturing to the group’s offering and further enhances its capabilities in delivering innovative manufacturing solutions.The acquisition was completed on 1 February and Prototal Industries and CA Models are now working to secure a smooth and effective integration of the new team. Collectively, CA Models and Prototal UK will have an expanded market presence, enabling the group to reach a wider audience and serve customers more effectively and efficiently across the UK.

For further information www.prototalindustries.com

Helleris 130 years old

130 years ago, Hermann Heller opened a trading and manufacturing company for patented products and watchmaking tools in Nürtingen, Germany. With the business selling tools of all kinds, the engineer laid the foundations for the long-term success of the company, which entered the mechanical engineering sector in 1898 with the production of cold circular saws, blade skiving machines and thread cutting machines. In 1900, Hermann Heller’s brother Ernst, a trained tradesman, joined the company, marking the birth of ‘Gebr. Heller Werkzeug- und Maschinenfabrik’ (Heller).

Manufacturing state-of-the-art CNC machine tools, Heller today maintains the spirit of a family-run business with a strong sense of tradition. Since 2016, all shares in the group have been wholly owned by the family. Dr Thorsten Schmidt (CEO), Andreas Müßigmann (CFO), Dieter Drechsler (COO) and Peter Weber (CSO) currently manage the group.

For further information www.heller.biz

Standfast Precision invests in a Vulcan VMC

Located in Moray, northeast Scotland, subcontractor Standfast Precision Engineering continually invests in machine tools to serve its clients in the offshore and whisky distillery sectors. The company’s latest investment is a Vulcan 710L VMC supplied by the Engineering Technology Group (ETG), a machine that featuresa 4thaxis Lehmann rotary unit.

Company owner and director Graham Wilson says: “We had a small bed three-axis machine with a rotary unit, but the compact work area was limited by the 4thaxis unit. We could only process very small parts or would have to transfer components to our larger bed machines, disrupting our workflow and creating capacity issues.

“We reviewed the market, looking for a machine with a Siemens CNC in a short lead time, as our workload was ramping up,” he continues.“ETG provided the solution with the Vulcan 710L VMC, and it’s been a tremendous asset.”

With the space in the Vulcan, Standfast Precision can fit the 4th axis unit and a tailstock to stabilise larger parts. Operators program parts at the machine: the Siemens CNC has a large touchscreen interface that improves programming speed by at least 30%. The company typically produces batches from 10 to 20 off, so it can program 10 to 20 jobs every week with programs taking from 15 minutes to a couple of hours.The saving in programming time is therefore significant.

“We needed a machine with a particular specification for our requirements that was going to deliver reliability and performance,” says Wilson.“The Vulcan machine has more capacity, more torque, a streamlined 4thaxis unit and it provides the space for us to machine relatively large parts in either a three-axis or four-axis set-up.”

For further information www.engtechgroup.com

Rcapital buys FGP Group

Private investor Rcapital has completed the acquisition of aerospace and defence engineering business, FGP Group. The deal will protect over 200 jobs in Dorset. FGP Group comprises Weymouth-based FGP Systems Ltd, a precision engineering business which provides tight-tolerance machining, turning and fabrication services to blue-chip aerospace and defence customers, and FGP Lufton Ltd, which is based in Yeovil and manufactures a portfolio of parts for the aerospace sector. The group also includes a successful surface treatment and coating business, Ramp Surface Coatings.

For further information www.rcapital.co.uk