Lasershape invests in additional floorspace and equipment

This move sees one of the UK’s leading supplier of subcontract CNC-profiled components transition into what it claims is a complete service company by adding fabrication, powder coat painting, assembly and packaging to its portfolio offer for customers.

The project was part funded by the D2N2 business growth program and will create around 20 jobs in Nottingham.

By refurbishing three additional units to the rear of Lasershape’s existing facility in Chilwell, Nottingham, the company has added 25,000ft² to its capacity, taking total floor space to circa 60,000ft². The units, which are already live, house dedicated areas for fabrication, painting and assembly/packaging, as well as an inspection room that will shortly house a new co-ordinate measuring machine, new customer meeting rooms and a new accounts office.

An extra benefit is that the company will now have separate goods-in and goods-out, which will help ease congestion during busy periods. Lasershape’s three new units are connected by a specially constructed tunnel to the existing factory.

Managing director Tim Leam said: “As Lasershape has grown, so has the size of our customer profile. Whilst we carry excellent supplier ratings with our customers, a growing number of larger clients were asking us to extend our capability beyond CNC laser profiling and waterjet cutting, and become a complete service supplier.”

With an investment value of £1 million, a new 7,000ft², five-stage, environmentally-friendly dry-powder paint line from Gema is at the heart of Lasershape’s expansion.

“Rather than simply transition into powder coating without any previous experience, we decided to take a more strategic approach, and avoid the usual learning curves”, explained Mr Leam. “For many years we have partnered with a paint shop in Bedfordshire called Quality Plus Finishing, a company with 20 years’ experience in high-end finishes for sectors such as medical and audio, so we asked them to consider a joint venture. They accepted and agreed to transfer their staff and experience to our facility and manage the new paint line.”

Lasershape www.lasershape.com