Jon Day, managing director of Charles Day Steels predicts that demand for innovative laser cut solutions to stainless, and other high value material, will continue to grow despite declining markets. The company continues to expand with a third machine installation planned for 2003.
€œMany customers have found that laser can dramatically reduce the costs of their existing products when they consider, not only the initial improvement in like-for-like manufacturing costs, but also take into account the quality improvements and the downstream savings delivered by laser, € says Jon Day.
The company has developed its own methods of laser cutting stainless steels at 20.0mm thick, which compares to a maximum of only 15.0mm thickness cut by many of its competitors.The latest machine will be even faster and more accurate. Aimed mainly at the stainless precision market, it will continue the trend of replacing more conventional machining processes.
€œCustomers are able to design more complex parts which can be produced in one operation. With no hard tooling, modifications can be made simply by changing the CNC programme, € adds Mr Day.
A laser tube cutting service was added last year, which produced the tube component at the same cost the customer was paying for the previous finishing operation, generating a saving of some 60%. Charles Day also offers large flame cutting, stainless steel cutting, plasma cutting and downstream services.
