Powerful cutting edge improvements

Investment by Essex based Young & Woods in the latest laser and turret punch press technology from Prima Power has enabled the company to increase production and find new markets. PES reports.

Investment by Essex based Young & Woods in the latest laser and turret punch press technology from Prima Power has enabled the company to increase production and find new markets. PES reports.

Essex-based Young & Woods is a leading provider of high quality, cost-effective sheetmetal solutions to a wide variety of industries. The company’s experienced workforce has access to a comprehensive range of modern manufacturing plant and is able to provide an all-embracing range of sheetmetal related services. Projects can be undertaken from small batch work to the large volume manufacture of metal components and fabrications.

Since the company’s formation in 1946, Young & Woods has pursued a progressive policy of investing in highly efficient, accurate metal processing machinery and employing highly skilled staff. Over the past 70 years these guiding principles have helped to guarantee the consistent quality of its output and have enabled the company to continually quote very competitive prices.

Young & Woods’ reputation for delivering high quality, cost-effective work has resulted in an ever-growing customer base and an expansion of the sectors it serves. This growth has supported a rolling program of regular investments in cutting-edge CNC metal processing plant.

Young & Woods director, Alan Lee explains: “We consider that investing in the best available machinery pays major dividends in terms of equipment reliability and both the quality and volume of our output. To ensure maximum benefit we work in partnership with our machine suppliers and remain loyal to those that provide us with the quality of machines and the levels of service we require.”

Long history

An example of Young & Wood’s affiliations with its suppliers is the company’s enduring relationship with Prima Power UK.

“Some years ago, having invested in what was then the world’s fastest laser profiling machine, the Prima Power Syncrono, the speed of the machine helped us to keep pace with the ever increasing demand for our services.” Mr Lee enthuses. “In fact, the Syncrono’s ability to cut holes in excess of 1,000 per minute and its automatic load/unload capabilities enabled us to introduce 24 hour unmanned operations. This considerably improved our productivity; it allowed us to reduce the price of our components and lower manufacturing lead-times. In addition, the outstanding precision of the Syncrono laser profiling machine has helped us to preserve our reputation for the quality of our work.

“Our excellent experience with the Syncrono and the high levels of service provided by Prima Power UK led us to favour the company when the need arose recently for another laser profile machine and a turret punch press. Although, to ensure value for money we benchmarked the latest Prima Power offerings against those of other leading manufacturers.

“Having examined several alternative laser profile machines and turret punch presses we decided that the Platino Fiber laser 2.0 and the Punch Genius from Prima Power best suited our needs.

“In addition to being efficient and flexible, the Platino Fiber laser 2.0 laser profile machine is very easy to use. Following its installation and operator training the machine was soon fully operational and providing the levels of productivity we need. Also, compared to our older Prima Power machine, we have been very impressed by the wide range of materials the Platino Fiber laser 2.0 is able to cut. In fact, machine’s ability to handle a much wider range of material has opened up several new markets to us.”

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The new 2.0 version of the Platino Fiber laser has been developed to maximise customer competitiveness according to application, therefore a series of option suites are dedicated to different production needs.

Smart Cut, allows fast cutting of thin sheets (up to 5mm) and delivers reductions in cycle times of up to 30%. Max Cut, is perfect for the fast cutting of medium-thick gauge sheets, delivering claimed reductions in processing times of up to 40%. Night Cut, is designed for intensive production, with higher piercing and cutting process safety.

The Platino 2.0 Fiber benefits from a compact, ergonomic machine design that offers excellent accessibility. In addition, a synthetic granite frame provides high levels of thermal stability and vibration damping. A new focusing head with a single, universal lens allows the efficient cutting of all materials and thicknesses, whilst the optical chain is totally sealed and protected from contamination.

Platino 2.0 Fiber is available with high brilliance, energy efficient fibre lasers from 2 to 6kW. The machine is supplied with a single lens suitable for all applications. Features such as the machine’s advanced sensors and optional automatic nozzle changer endure so that the Platino 2.0 Fiber’s accuracy, versatility and efficiency and make it the ideal laser profile machine for 24/7 non-stop production. Advanced onboard systems include a Safe Impact Protection System (SIPS) to protect the machine’s head in case of a crash and a quick alignment system (OPC).

The machine is delivered with a user-friendly P30L CNC with 17-inch LCD touchscreen and trackball. Fast and easy offline programming is achieved with the use of Maestro-Libellula and NC Express e3 CAD/CAM systems.

A wide range of modules allowing the automatic loading/unloading and storage of material are available. In addition, optional modules make possible integration with flexible manufacturing systems (FMS).

Pressing on

Purchased to increase the company’s punch press capacity, Young & Wood’s new Prima Power, Punch Genius is an innovative, new generation turret punch press that uses numerically controlled, servo-electric axes. Reflecting the company’s strategy of acquiring the latest, state-of-the-art machinery, the press is the first model of the recently launched Punch Genius range installed in the UK.

Mr Lee continues: “When we compared the performance of the new Punch Genius with the turret punch presses available from other suppliers, we found that the latest Prima Power machine had impressive speed of operation, it delivered outstanding energy efficiency and also had low maintenance requirements. Now fully operational, the Punch Genius is now producing impressive amounts of high quality work.”

The cornerstones of the Punch Genius’ productivity include a large tool capacity, the wide range of tools available and easy and fast set-ups. Forming, other auxiliary work stages and ease of use are further factors that reduce the manufacturing cost per component rendering Prima Power’s Punch Genius’ a highly productive and competitive manufacturing solution.

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The new Genius series features models with two complementary performance levels. ‘Pure’ meets all the targets set for an attractively priced, yet efficient production machine, whilst ‘Dynamic’ provides high productivity and performance. Both models come with the latest features and can be equipped with the whole range of options.

A new series option is an intelligent rotating ram head which shortens tool change time and increases the availability of in turret tools, especially index tools. Up to 300kN servo-electric punching force can be selected for the ram, whilst automatic overload protection and automatic central lubrication ensure dependable machine operation.

Another beneficial new feature is the inclusion of moving brushes, in front of and inside of the turret, to prevent the scratching of sensitive materials. The brushes’ movement is activated by the program when needed and a special scratch free punching mode is available.

Manual loading and unloading is facilitated by a movable table top, therefore even the smallest sheets can be handled close to the operator. The loading of heavy sheets is aided by the use of vertically moving sheet supports.

A TaskLoader can be used to choose programs for the machine direct from a barcode on the works order. To make the operator’s work easier, a new Android-based Tulus MUPS application has been developed. It provides instructions for tool set-ups and other operation tasks.

Young & Woods www.young-woods.com

Prima Power www.primapower.com

Company

Prima Power

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