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No. 11 - 2009

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INSPIRED for TUBE

ENG

www.blmgroup.com

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Contents

www.blmgroup.com

pdf version and other news can be found in:

INSPIRED FOR TUBE

Contents

INSPIRED FOR TUBE

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OFFICE FURNITURE

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JOB SHOP

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JOB SHOP

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FENCING

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TECHNOLOGY

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LASER JOB SHOP

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CATERING EQUIPMENT SECTOR

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JOB SHOP

Aesthetic and laser cutting

The Revolutionary Lasertube

Twenty-four bending sequences

Attention to detail

The “fiber” further expands BLM´s product offering

Laser as common thread

Small-batch production but with high levels of complexity and quality

Looking over the horizon

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Inspired for tube By Communication BLM GROUP Antonio Farese Emanuela Colombo Giovanni Zacco Cristina Guzzetti e-mail: [email protected] tel. +39 031 7070 200

Produced by BLM GROUP Via Selvaregina 30 22063 Cantù (CO) Italy www.blmgroup.it Number INSPIRED FOR TUBE Nr. 11 - 10/2009

Design and Graphics by Studio Grafico Page Vincenzo De Rosa Fabrizio Santini Printed by Intergrafica Verona S.r.l. Verona

Photo Fabrizio Santini Vincenzo De Rosa Reproduction, even only in part, of the articles and illustrations published in this newsletter is strictly prohibited unless otherwise authorised.

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OPINION All the strategies designed to face the current global crisis have one thing in common: the need of making customers the center of the business. It is necessary to focus on improving the way we interact with customers. Treating each of our customers as unique set of needs and requirements by providing custom products, services, and solutions, it is not enough anymore. Required is a customer partnership that brings the customer and the supplier together in a more effective relationship. Accordingly, more effort has to be put in the development of technologies and tools aimed at strengthening customer relations. It is necessary to activate, as soon as possible, technologies Emanuela Colombo, Anna Mascheroni, Pietro Colombo, Paolo Colombo that substitute physical proximity with virtual proximity. These technologies should enable adequate levels of interactivity and communication during problem-solving tasks and, in general, customer-service performance and delivery. To improve its customer-service, the BLM Group set for 2010 an important objective, that is, to harmonize all services that could be provided remotely through Internet. In fact, it is by providing constant and valuable services to the customers, that it is possible to build a stable and long lasting relationship. Knowing and understanding the customers’ needs and expectations is the key to successful sales.

INSPIRED FOR TUBE

THE CENTRAL ROLE OF THE CUSTOMER

In order to achieve this objective, the following tools will be activated: • • • •

WRT (advanced teleservice) The audio/video sales support to reach the “all the customers” e-learning (self learning) e-training (distance training with teacher support).

In conclusion, a few words about the economic crisis outlook, to express confidence that the recovery will take place in a short time. Given the worldwide impact of the economic and financial crisis, global solutions are definitely expected to be implemented. However, after the crisis, to ensure work stability, it will be necessary to balance supply and demand. Three primary global objectives have to be set to achieve this equilibrium between demand and supply: • • a school with the vision and philosophy of spreading the real ethical values for the growth of the young people, able to teach them how to live by following the principle “no” to anarchy “no” to laxity - “yes” to the reciprocal respect of the rights and duties - “yes” to respect and ensure respect of the rules. • common trading rules across all world markets. • all manufactured goods should have a fixed lifespan. At the end of the lifespan the goods should be scrapped and replaced with innovative technology and new materials, respecting both the environment and natural resources. To conclude, I wish you all a future in equilibrium! Pietro Colombo President & CEO 3

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Laser technology enables the Czech manufacturer of office furniture, Hon-Nabytek s.r.o., to also offer job shop services

Office furniture

Aesthetic and laser cutting

INSPIRED FOR TUBE

the company was founded back in 1924 and, over the years, has specialized in the production of office furniture that, currently, is manufactured and sold under the brand name HOBIS. The HON j.s. is a group of companies which includes: Hon-Nabytek s.r.o., Nabytek EXNER s.r.o., located in Praga an office furniture specialist specialized, HON-KOV s.r.o, a metalworking production plant that manufactures all the metal parts for HOBIS and EXNER. With an overall turnover of 350 M€ and its 170 employees, the group is the largest furniture manufacturer in the Czech Republic. Every week, the Opava plant alone, manufactures 100 t of furniture. We are in the suburbs of Opava, in the Czech Republic, a few kilometers away from the border with Poland. The road we took to get to Opava was surrounded by a beautiful natural landscape. In the falling snow, we drove several kilometers through forests and little valleys, without seeing anyone except for a deer that suddenly, decided to cross the road in front of our car and forced us to come to an abrupt stop. It is not surprising, giving the surrounding environment that Hon-Nabytek started its operations and grew in the wood furniture industry. As the plant manager and partner Mr. Jan Kahle explains,

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From wood to metal In the office furniture manufacturing process, the early metal components were introduced to respond to the need for greater resistance and durability of some technical elements. These metal parts were initially purchased from outside suppliers but with the usual associated difficulties. Due to unsatisfactory precision and quality differences in identical batches, provided by different suppliers, complex internal re-work activities were necessary. One of the main problems was that, while wood parts were manufactured with CNC machines and therefore were extremely

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INSPIRED FOR TUBE

Office furniture

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cultural machinery production, a well-established sector in this area, to the general mechanical components production. Laser technology has also contributed to the development of new ideas that soon will become reality; in fact, the company is planning to launch an innovative furniture collection which should guarantee an important competitive advantage over its competitors. The solutions adopted in the workshop, are not only extremely clever in terms of efficiency of the joints, but also extremely effective in terms of speed of the final assembly process.

The adoption of laser technology

Tube and sheet metal finished products

The adoption in 2006 of one LT120 laser tube cutting machine and one ADILAS for sheet metal cutting immediately resulted in important competitive advantages, such as greater precision, reduced production costs, and innovative furniture design. Thanks to the laser high-productivity rate, Hon-Nabytek was able to allocate part of its production capacity to the job-shop activity, which, today, represents about half of the company´s total production. The manufactured parts are used in different market sectors, from the agri-

The HON j.s. group is not particularly concerned about the current difficult economic situation. The group is used to double-digit growth rates (18% in the past years). Also in 2008, the company has grown, even if at a lower growth rate of 10%. While the furniture industry has been affected by the economic crisis, the job shop sector continues to grow. In this sector, a critical success factor consists in the ability to provide quality finished products by combining tube and sheet metal.

HON NABITEK Olomucka 92 Opava Czech Republic Tel. +420 (553) 781121 Fax. +420 (553) 781126 www.hon-kovo.cz

Number 11 - october 2009

precise, metal parts were produced manually. As a result, these components did not fit together like they were supposed to, especially where large and interconnected assemblies were involved. In addition, originally, the metal elements were only used to make the product structure stronger, thus they were not visible. However, over the years, they have gradually become very important for the aesthetic of the final product, and accordingly, their quality and precision have become a critical production need. Therefore, to satisfy this demand, the company has adopted laser technology.

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BLM ‘super-size’ CNC tube laser provides stockholder with the ultimate in tube processing performance

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Job shop

The Revolutionary Lasertube Stockholding in the past equated to little more than ‘breaking bulk’; buying in volume from mills and selling on smaller quantities to lots of different customers. However, as customers began to request material ‘cut-to-length’, stockholders responded by offering a processing service using relatively low-tech equipment such as bandsaws and circular saws. Says Ralph Robinson, Managing Director of Barrett Steel Ltd’s Tubes Division: “We then realised that customers actually wanted more than just a cut-to-length capability. What they really want is a finished component, and we knew we could both justify and fund the purchase of the high-tech equipment needed to deliver exactly that...while taking cost out of the customer’s manufacturing process.”

The first step was to set up LaserTUBE Cutting, initially as a subsidiary of ISO 9001:2000-accredited tube and hollow section stockholder Tubes (UK) Ltd, to process stainless steel hollow sections for the coach-building industry. Now a separate company within the £240 million-plus turnover Barrett Steel Group, one of the largest independent steel stockholders in the UK, LaserTUBE Cutting in partnership with Tubes UK provides what Ralph Robinson describes as “the total solution in processing tubes and hollow steel sections”. As part of a continuing investment programme LaserTUBE Cutting has installed a massive 48 metre long by 20 metres wide, £1.25 million, tube laser alongside its four existing laser machines. Nine lorries were needed in November 2007 to transport the component parts of the aptly-named BLM ADIGE LT JUMBO CNC tube laser to the Tividale, West Midlands site where it is now processing round tube from 80 to 508 mm diameter, square hollow section up to 400 mm by 400 mm and hollow sections up to 500 mm by 300 mm in cutting thicknesses up to 16 mm. The maximum length of bar that can be loaded automatically is 18 metres. The first LT JUMBO installed in the UK, the new machine, which has two Siemens 840D CNCs controlling up to 28 axes, is housed in an extended 100,000 sq. ft. building situated adjacent to more than 5000 tonnes of hot and cold formed tube and hollow section stock held by Tubes UK. This

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Job shop

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additional 3500 W laser source power processing capacity means that LaserTUBE Cutting can now machine the whole of the Tubes UK range for a wide range of customers in the construction industry, railways and shipyards. Tubes UK also supplies round, square and rectangular hollow sections to manufacturers of heavy-duty trucks, earthmoving equipment, agricultural machinery and machine tools. “The reaction among customers to the installation of the LT JUMBO has been one of excitement because they can see that this latest investment will give them a competitive edge,” says Ralph Robinson. “It’s a win-win situation because we are helping customers to grow their businesses and to retain work in the UK, while at the same time we are expanding our role.” Back in 2000, having taken the decision to install the first BLM ADIGE tube laser, it was, he adds, “a case of saying to customers that it is better to produce a finished product in a single process than to move a piece of tube through several discrete operations on several different machines. We needed to change peoples’ perceptions by showing that significant savings can be made

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simply by switching to a new way of working. No longer is there any need for special tooling or jigs and fixturing, and should there be a design change it is a simple reprogramming exercise because the laser cutting and profiling process remains the same. In fact, all the inherent costs associated with the traditional multi-machine approach disappear.” Dave Cleaver, General Manager, LaserTUBE Cutting, acknowledges that when it comes to promoting added-value laser cutting, there is still a strong element of ‘we’ve always done it this way, so why should we change?’. His response? “Once you can convince a designer of the benefits that laser cutting gives, the ideas really start to flow because designers are always seeking to move to the next level,” he says. “You then find that the production manager sees the advantages that could result, for example, from minimising the flow of material through the workplace. Not having to move a component from machine to machine means that the accuracy and repeatability of the laser cutting process are unrivalled, and this eliminates the requirement for inspection of every component in a batch. It also provides additional benefits

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in subsequent welding and fabrication operations because parts fit together in exactly the same way every time.”

sulted in a more aesthetically pleasing structure, with clean lines and free flowing spans, and the added benefit of greater structural integrity.

Since installing a BLM ADIGE LT 651 CNC tube laser in 2000, LaserTUBE Cutting has added an LT 652 and a later-generation LT 712D capable of processing raw tube lengths of up to 8.5 metres. These three machines were joined in February 2007 by a BLM ADIGE LT COMBO capable of laser cutting tube as well as flat sheet material. Taking less than three minutes to change automatically between flat sheet and tube, the LT COMBO can profile tube up to 225 mm OD and 6.5 metres long and steel sheet up to 3 m by 8 m.

Summarising the strengths of the Tubes UK/LaserTUBE Cutting partnership, Ralph Robinson says: “We ensure consistent quality because we purchase material from quality suppliers and, in turn, provide our customers with full traceability and the reassurance that material and any subsequent processing will be consistent batch after batch. In addition to an extensive machining and processing capability that includes tube manipulation (bending and swaging) and deburring, we offer finishing services such as galvanising, powder coating and painting.”

TUBES UK Unit 8, Autobase Industrial Park Tipton Road Tividale

To which Dave Cleaver adds: “We now have several years’ experience of laser cutting, so rather than just quote against a drawing we look at ways of enhancing a design and making manufacture easier and less costly. All of a sudden, the buyer doesn’t have the final say, because discussions focus on more than price and delivery, and it’s no exaggeration to say that laser cutting is revolutionising the way in which tubular components are produced.”

West Midlands B69 3HU Tel: 0121 6015050 Fax: 0121 6015051 [email protected]

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Highlighting the versatility and flexibility of this ‘two systems in one’ machine, LaserTUBE Cutting recently used the LT COMBO to produce scalloped joints on structural components for Burton on Trent-based Conder Structures, a major designer and manufacturer of architectural steelwork structures. Laser cutting resulted in a 70 per cent time saving over previous methods while, as Jason Hensman, Managing Director, Conder Structures, points out, enabling complex connections to be made that have re-

Warley

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By taking advantage of its relevant experience and wide range of equipment, Mecart srl,

INSPIRED FOR TUBE

Job shop

Reggio Emilia, Italy, is able to fully satisfy any production requirement of its customers.

Twenty-four bending sequences Mecart srl specializes in metal tubular fabricating and bending and in particular for the gas oven and gas rail market.. The company was founded in 1977 as production unit of a major Italian kitchen range manufacturer. Over the years, Mecart has gradually diversified its production and target markets, additionally now acting as a dedicated “job shop”, and supplying the automotive and climate control sectors.

100 pieces with flexibility “The structure of our organization has been modified over the years to better respond to the changing market needs” says Davide Cervi who together with his father, Alberto, founder of the company, and his brother Andrea, manages and leads the family business. “We are proud of having, among our customers, some of the most important manufacturers of cookers, ovens and gas hobs , but we also can mention important names in the automotive industry. Due to the growing tendency in the Kitchen Industry to outsource production to low-cost labour countries, we had to find new end markets. Therefore, although we are still a significant manufacturer of tubular fittings for the kitchen industry, in Italy and countries like Russia and the Middle East, in the last years, we set as our primary objective the growth of our market share in the automotive sector and in all market sectors requiring fluid-conducting tubular elements, such as the refrigeration, air-conditioning, and hydraulic businesses. Although we prefer batches with over 100 pieces, we can also satisfy the growing market request for much smaller batches, thanks to the flexibility provided by our comprehensive range of technologically advanced systems and machines. We are able to serve customers requiring short runs and large industrial quantities

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of tubular components with small-medium diameter, in aluminium and steel”.

Over 40 Machines The most impressive aspect of Mecart is its wide range of equipment, consisting of over 40 machines. Even if the kings of the workshop are the tube bending machine, there is a complete range of end-forming machines to perform the simplest to the most complex of end forms. Hydraulic or electric, stand alone or integrated in one of the five robotised manufacturing cells located in the workshop, the tube bending machines represents the manufacturing central pillar at Mecart, today, their know-how and specialization of this fabricating process is taken for granted. “We are equipped to be a competent and reliable partner, able to carry out all the auxiliary manufacturing processes associated with the main bending process” says Andrea Cervi. “Customers expect tube job shops to provide finished products, thus the supplier has to be prepared to satisfy any request. In order to deal with this challenge, typically every year, we buy a new machine to either replace an old one or to respond to new and specific production needs”. “The role of the sub-contract manufacturer is evolving into a much more complex relationship. Today, we have to be a reliable partner for our customers, able to provide them with finished sub-components within a definite timeframe, in

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the quantity required and to the expected quality” states Davide Cervi. “To react rapidly to any unexpected event and always respect the contract conditions, it is necessary to have the best technologies available and a comprehensive range of equipment. Moreover, it is very important to take a proactive role during the design stage. The sub-contract manufacturer should have the ability and experience to provide the customer with competent advice and support to shorten and simplify the production cycle and, at the same time, maintain the necessary component functionality.

cellence, the people working in the company still have the modesty to listen to its customers, and this modesty has been, over the years, one of the main success factors. We have always appreciated the machines reliability and flexibility, together with the precision and repeatability of the bending process- adds Davide Cervi but it is the BLM Service that delights us every time in terms of speed of response and availability. Even though we have enough machines and production capacity to cover production in the event of a breakdown, the time necessary to solve the problem is always extremely short”.

Having the humility to listen

Complex shapes

Not only the extensive range of equipment but also the quality of it, is very impressive at Mecart; and this could not be otherwise, considering the close relationship with the BLM Group, a relationship which is more like a partnership than the typical supplier-customer sales relationship. PLANET, SWING, AST….the list of BLM machinery installed in the workshop is endless.

As mentioned above, during its diversification process, Mecart has progressively entered the automotive market; the company manufactures some particularly complex stainless steel serpentines bends starting with a 5 metre straight tube length of 10mm diameter x 1mm wall tube. “The shape of the component, with 24 different bending sequences including variable radius, represented a major challenge” says satisfied Mr. Davide. “Given the tube size, there were big interference problems between tube and machine, but we overcame them “easily”, thanks to the development of a special “thin” bending tool which enabled the movement of the bent tube on the machine”. Their significant experience has helped Mecart to position itself as a reliable production partner in very complex and demanding markets such as the automotive.

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Job shop

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MECART SRL Via A. Simonini, 7 42044 Gualtieri

Fax. +39 0522828619

Number 11 - october 2009

“The decision to establish a stable technological partnership with BLM proved itself to be a winning formula - says Mr. Alberto Cervi - because, in addition to the intrinsic machinery reliability and value, we can rely on BLM for quality customer service and technical support. In fact, the technicians are always ready and willing to listen to our production needs and problems, and we work together to find the best solutions. Even if BLM stand for ex-

Tel. +39 0522828786

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VM INOX SPA, Italy, combines meticulous attention to detail with the outstanding quality of the most modern laser technology

Fencing

Attention to detail What is impressive about the new facility of VM INOX, located in Gerenzano, in the province of Varese, is, first of all, the perfect order and cleanliness of the production area. Even the machines installed some time ago, which have since been running at full capacity, look new and in excellent conditions. Moreover, by observing the quality of the products in process, it is quite clear that this focus on order and cleanliness is not only consistent with the company´s image but also, and in particular, the result of its meticulous and continuous attention to detail.

From the iron age to stainless steel age VM Inox is a well-known brand name in the stainless steel fencing market. Ever since its foundation by the current owner Mr. Renato Vanzulli in 1976, the company has been committed to providing the customers with elegant solutions and outstanding quality; and this commitment explains in large part its success on the market. “VM Inox was born as an ironworker specialising in steel fencing products - tell us Vanzulli – but in 1982, when I started running the company, we began a process of automation and we began working with stainless steel instead of steel. The change was gradually implemented. In the be-

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ginning, we had two production facilities, one for steel fencing and one for stainless steel fencing. Then, in 2003, we took a step into the future and decided to fully invest in a new production unit entirely dedicated to stainless steel fencing manufacturing and to laser cutting services; this last activity, today, represents about 50% of the company´s turnover. Five year ago, VM Inox met the BLM Group for the first time and bought one ADIGE TS 72 sawing machine, a machine extremely fast and effective that has resisted the power of laser, and it is still used for the production of standard highvolume applications. “Significant scrap reduction and high cutting speed are two of the main advantages of laser technology” affirms Vanzulli.

From the combined system to Lasertube The introduction of laser technology, in 2006, resulted in important manufacturing process innovations. Before this investment, punching machines were employed to process high-volume orders, but to obtain satisfactory results, these machines required precise and “definned” tubes. Thanks to laser technology, it was possible to overcome the accuracy problems and, at the same time, to ob-

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Perfectly aligned and matching holes An additional remark has to be made about ArTube, the new programming software developed specifically for processing tubes. In an evolving world, where increasingly specialized software is capable of providing custom solutions for diverse requirements, the programming software needs the ability to flexibly interface with other programming softwares. ArTube has the capability to directly import very easily from different graphic formats. Mr. Vanzulli shows us, as an example, of an upmarket fencing model where the holes in the two rectangular cross rail tubes are laser cut prior to bending on a ring roller. Very cleverly the deformation caused to the holes by the ring rolling process is compensated for in the shape and positioning of the holes cut by the laser i.e it is not a true round hole prior to bending but it is after the deformation of the bending process.The round vertical tubes are then inserted with a perfect fit to create an extremely elegant fencing structure. The positioning and geometry of the holes are calculated with dedicated software to make sure that the holes are perfectly aligned after the bending operation. Then, ArTube imports the drawing and develops the working program for the tube laser. “

VM INOX Via Giovanni Falcone, 35 21040 Gerenzano (VA) Tel. 02/96489284 FAX 02/96487196 [email protected]

Number 11 - october 2009

tain other significant and decisive benefits. The first laser machine was an ADILAS 2, an integrated system for sheet metal and tube. The plan was to process tubes with flexibility and accuracy, and then to complete the production process with sheet metal cutting. The experiment succeeded in increasing production flexibility, and specifically, in extending the processing range and in developing new products through rapid and effective prototyping. After two years, the ADILAS 2 system has been replaced with its advanced successor, the LT COMBO. In addition to its higher productivity, and longer cut length and unloading capability, the new combined system is particularly valuable for its capability to work along the entire tube length, thus eliminating end scrap (this is especially important when processing expensive materials like stainless steel). The proverb “the appetite comes with eating” is most certainly true for VM INOX. In fact, the company´s next investment was an LT 722, a high productivity laser system totally dedicated to tube cutting. With this last investment, the workshop is fully equipped to provide the customers with the necessary flexibility and production capacity. “Speed and flexibility are key features and benefits of laser technology” affirms Mr. Vanzulli “and our investment decisions were certainly driven by these characteristics”.

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Fencing

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Innovative laser-cutting solutions from BLM Group

The “fiber” further expands BLM´s product offering

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Technology

on Show at EMO 2009 in Milan

Thanks to its complete and diversified range of laser tube cutting machines, the BLM Group is able to offer customised solutions for all production needs. This remarkable range has been developed over the years by constantly investing in dedicated research with the primary goals of taking advantage of the technological innovations and, at the same time, responding to the emerging demands created on the market by these innovations.

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In the last years, one innovation has particularly revolutionised the laser world: the use of laser sources with fibre resonators for metal processing. Even though fibre lasers, namely, lasers constructed within an optical fibre, have been very popular within the scientific sector, it is only recently that new laser sources, with enough beam power and quality for metal processing and cutting, have been developed. Laser light beams generated by solid-state laser sources, also with high-power intensity, were already transported within an optical fibre, although they were generated externally, and were already used in metal welding and cutting.

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It is not necessary to go into the technical details of this new technology to appreciate its potential. However, it is important to know that in the metal cutting world, the distinctive benefits offered by fibre laser (such as the possibility to cut highly reflective metals like brass and copper and the reduction in power consumption) make it an efficient complementary solution to the traditional and consolidated CO2 laser cutting technology which, at the moment, remains irreplaceable for many industrial applications.

The BLM Group is taking an active role in this technological revolution. In fact, the company has finalized, with substantial results, an important research program evaluating the implementation of these innovative laser sources on BLM machines. The success of this research will be presented in Milan at the EMO Exhibition, from the 5th to the 10th of October, where an “LT722” and an “LT Combo” will be exhibited equipped respectively with a 2 kw and a 3 kw fibre laser.

Number 11 - october 2009

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Tecnologia

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K. Moder Gmbh, in Germany, has made laser tube technology the cornerstone for its activity of pure job shop

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Laser job shop

Laser as common thread

Nordloh is a small village in northern Germany, near the border with the Netherlands, characterized by a rural landscape that evokes bucolic images quite in contrast with the presence of several major industries, like the one we are going to visit, the company K. MODER GMBH, whose owner, Klaus Moder, has welcomed us with kindness and enthusiasm.

Pioneer in laser technology I met Klaus Moder several years ago, when the first laser tube cutting system sold in Germany was installed, and yet, at that time, he had already gained relevant work experience in the field of laser. From the time when he started to work for Rofin Sinar, in 1983, and then for other companies, to the point when he decided to start its own business, in 1992, the common thread of his professional life has always been the laser technology and its industrial applications. Interviewing Mr. Moder is a little bit like retracing the history of laser tube from its origins, with the point of view of someone who has always believed in this technology and still smiles sat-

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isfied when somebody calls him a real pioneer in the laser field. When he decided to enter the tube market with a laser job shop business, Moder was working as commercial technician for the first company in Germany with a Lasertube, an ADIGE TT650. It´s no wonder, then, that his company started out with the acquisition of this piece of equipment, which, initially, was used to produce components for the automotive and indoor furniture industries. “With the ADIGE system I took a big step forward and since that moment, I have always been able to stay a step ahead of my competitors in laser tube processing” affirms Moder.

Open profiles and large-size tubes By visiting the production facility, it is immediately clear that K. MODER GMBH is an authentic tube job shop. In the beginning, most requests originated from the automotive and furniture sectors, but the use of laser for cutting metal tubes gained quickly ground and also other sectors started taking advantage of this innovative production technology.

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Consequently, today, it is not easy to categorize with precision the company´s customers, as they belong to many different industries. Thanks to the promising results achieved since the beginning of its operations, in 1991, the company purchased the second laser tube, a TT652, and moved to a bigger facility. “We needed this second system to start processing square and rectangular tubes” explains Mr. Moder. “This new capability opened new frontiers in the field of tube cutting significantly increasing the market demand”. The most recent investment, the Lasertube LT8, allows the company to win new business opportunities. Among other important benefits, the LT8 system enables 3D working and the processing of bigger dimensioned tube. “As the number of competitors keeps growing, and their manufacturing capabilities continue to improve, it is necessary to follow a differentiation strategy based on providing the customers with cutting-edge technology” explains Moder and adds “our clientele is starting to ask for tubes with larger dimensions and wall thickness”. These tubes are mainly used in the manufacturing of storage and racking

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systems. Another important characteristic of the Lasertube LT8 is its capability to process open profiles and sections such as channels, flats, angles etc. Thanks to this capability and the “dimensional advantage”, K. MODER GMBH can compete for work in the structural steel market, for example the steelwork for industrial buildings. “The laser tube processing market is still considered to be quite young - explains Mr. Moder - in fact, several customers still have no idea of the flexibility and innovative structural solutions obtainable with this technology”. When our customers come to us, they are principally worried about the mechanical problems deriving from tube processing. Therefore, I have to help them to understand the advantages of working with laser, as several of these problems do not even exist with this production method. Currently, we are experiencing a slowdown in manufacturing orders but our presence across different markets is helping us through these difficult times. In fact, whilst the automotive industry is particularly affected by the downturn, other sectors, like the agricultural machinery sector, continue to generate demand.

K. MODER GMBH NORDLOHER DORFSTRASSE 4° NORDLOH Germania Tel. +49 (4499) 918718

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Metalplast Srl, Italy, leads the market by providing high-quality

Small-batch production but with high levels of complexity and quality

INSPIRED FOR TUBE

Catering equipment sector

and flexible stainless steel tubing fabricating services

Metalplast started in 1987 as a small family-run job shop specialising in metal tube processing. From its small beginnings, with only three people, the company has grown and evolved to become a successful business driven by technology and innovation. Mr. Gava, together with his wife Anna Casagrande, and his son Stefano, manages a twenty-employee organization that leads the market in terms of flexibility and production quality. “Entering into the catering equipment market turned out to be a very rewarding decision” says Mrs. Casagrande. ”It enabled us to increasingly gain valuable experience and knowledge in how to process exotic metal like stainless steel. Today, we are very pleased to be the main supplier of important companies in this market, like Electrolux. The ability to meet the high-quality standards imposed by the catering equipment industry, together with the know-how accumulated over the years in the stainless steel fabrication process, have significantly helped us to enter other rele-

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vant markets, such as the furniture industry, with innovative design solutions, lighting, hospital , and the heating-refrigeration markets. Even if we mainly deal with stainless steel, we can also work, as every good “job shop” does, with other materials like mild steel and aluminum.

From quality semi-finished products to finished products In these difficult times of economic downturn and market volatility, the only way for a “job shop” to survive and thrive is by increasing, as much as possible, the number of end-user markets served to compensate for potential losses in one or more of them. Accordingly, Metalplast is pursuing a diversification strategy, however, this strategy is quite atypical for a pure “job shop”. In fact, by taking advantage of its core competencies, the company has recently started a new production line for the catering industry, under its own brand name.

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Constantly updating the technology of its machines is not only one of Metalplast´s priorities, but also the direct consequence of Mr. Gava´s business vision. The entrepreneur, indeed, strongly believes in the importance of being always ready to rapidly and effectively respond to the changing market expectations in terms of both production capacity and quality of the semi-finished products. “The BLM Group has always been, in these past years, our technological partner. We are very satisfied with the technological level of its machinery and with the company´s ability to understand our production needs and translate them into concrete and efficient solutions” explains Mr. Gava. “The number of BLM machines installed in our workshop clearly demonstrates the long-term relationship with the Group of Cantu´. In particular, we have the following machines available: six BLM tube bending machines, from the conventional Dynam0 to the innovative ETURN all electric bending machine, two AST end-forming machines, one ST660 deburring machine, two ADIGE LT712 and LT652 laser tube cutting machines, and two ADIGE sawing machines. In addition to this equipment, we have just installed a multi-head bender for wire, a machine that only recently, as a result of the takeover of Montorfano, has become part of the BLM Group´s family of products. Thanks to this recent investment, we

INSPIRED FOR TUBE

A long list of machines

METALPLAST SRL Via Cal Longa, 15/d 31028 Vazzola (TV) - ITALY Tel. 0438 740832 Fax 0438 740477 [email protected]

can add wire processing to our range of production services thus becoming more competitive in our market sector. Experience, reliability, design skills, and knowhow, are all important characteristics for companies like ours. Nevertheless, without the proper machinery and technology to turn ideas into successful products, it is hard to survive today´s market” adds Mrs. Casagrande. “Therefore, in order to make the right investments decisions, it is necessary to anticipate the future technology needs, and, accordingly, plan the company´s technological growth path”.

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Ristorazione

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Laser and variable radius both deliberate decisions Yes! It is because of its carefully planned investment approach that Metalplast, since 2000/2001, is experiencing a remarkable and steady growth trend. Two investment decisions, in particular, have been decisive for the company´s development: the acquisition of modern tube bending machines with variable radius and the introduction of laser tube processing technology. With regard to the first decision, by using modern bending machines with variable radius, Metalplast has extended the scope of services offered, thus widening the distinction “gap” with its direct com-

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petitors. “It was really a worthwhile decision – says satisfied Mrs. Casagrande – because it enabled us to further develop our manufacturing competencies. We were finally able to perform fabrication processes that before this investment were quite impracticable. As soon as we employed the new bending technology, we were capable of satisfying all the requirements of the existing and new customers, even the more particular and challenging ones”. Also the second investment decision, that is, the acquisition of the two ADIGE laser tube cutting systems, was well thought-out and deliberate. “The Laser technology was adopted to satisfy our internal production needs” explains Mr. Gava. “We were mainly working products with high aesthetic value, thus requiring precision, quality and short execution time. The introduction of laser technology significantly contributed to our ability to fulfill these requirements and to overcome the limitations of the traditional operations, which we considered to be the “weakest link” in our production chain. We wanted to ensure our customers’ satisfaction, so we focused on improving our products and our cutting process”. “The laser also helped us to think differently – adds Mrs.

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Number 11 - october 2009

Casagrande – giving the ability to create tube joints, unthinkable before, and the intrinsic potential of modern Lasertube machines, we had to reconsider entirely our products, in fact, we extended their functionality and increased their robustness. In addition, the production cycle was very much improved, with considerable benefits in terms of time and productivity. We frequently have to deal with challenging and

innovative ideas, drawings, and design proposals, which, unfortunately, do not take into account implementation constraints. Because of their inadequate knowledge of these specific technologies, sometimes designers wrongly assume that, everything is possible, and that tubes can be bended in any shape; they do not take into consideration the material and tools restrictions. This explains why we have to be very polite and persuasive in recommending the design adjustments necessary to optimize the final product. However, the most difficult part is to make the designers understand the reasons behind these modifications without hurting their feelings”. Metalplast processes tubes with diameters ranging from 12 to 60 mm with its bending machines and to 120 mm with its laser machines. As far as the batch-size is concerned, the company works complex parts but in small batches, ranging from 20 to 100 pieces. Giving that these parts are frequently requested, the company maintains some minimum level of inventory, and therefore, is able to rapidly respond to even the most urgent of requests. This need for rapid response time also explains why Metalplast has invested in two laser tube cutting systems.

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Ristorazione

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In Mercury Speciality Products lasertube changed the way of making business

Job shop

Looking over the horizon

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ity product like handrails and grab-bars for health care facilities into a high quality parts supplier for the booming bus building business that Winnipeg is now the North American centre for. Uncompromising customers in that sector and others has made MSP capable of taking on the most innovative projects for the most demanding customers regardless of whether they are equipment makers in the U.S. Midwest, or the most cutting edge design houses of Europe or the Far East.

Mike Lee's mission is to spread the gospel of "innovation with tube" into the mid-continent market of North America. Lee has never really stopped transforming his Winnipeg tube fabrication company, Mercury specialty Products (MSP). The 24person shop has become a specialty powerhouse in the region supplying the agricultural equipment, transportation, lawn care and general manufacturers. Now Lee is determined to position his operation to be on the vanguard of the coming wave in industrial tube design. "I want to show people how to build a better building with tube, a better piece of furniture with tube, show people how to make all sorts of creative products from tube," said Lee. Having become one of the early adapters of BLM's revolutionary laser tube cutting equipment the issue for Lee is now more about leveraging the design possibilities for his clients than it is a concern about the capital expense. "My BLM tube lasers have changed the way I want to do business," Lee said. Showing a visitor his BLM multiaxis tube laser system Lee seems far more excited about the potential for what he can do for his clients than he is about what it might mean to his own company. Lee transitioned MSP from a supplier of commod22

His experience also taught him that he couldn't rely on the things that made the company successful yesterday for its future. Using the nimbleness only available to operations that are MSP's size, in the last five years he has re-oriented the company to focus on supplying the thriving agricultural equipment industry. It's that kind of industry awareness has allowed MSP to achieve a 30 per cent compound annual growth rate since he's owned the company. Although commodity price downturns has seriously hurt the North American mining and the forestry sectors in 2008-09, agricultural commodities have held their own and MPS has ridden the wave. "What started me on this venture (to move his company into the forefront of the market in innovative tube processing) is that we have been the bene-

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Job shop

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At first he wasn't certain what that would be but a trip to Europe this spring helped convince him that there was a world of opportunity out there in new product design that used formed and processed tube to a much greater degree than the North American market had known. Since the company has now invested many millions of dollars in state-of-the-art equipment . Lee believes his company's future will at least partially depend on product innovation. "One of the most important aspects of Mike's com-

pany is that he has the vision," said Jim Rutt, president and chief operating officer of BLM Group USA. "I think he is on the right track. Many of the other folks in the technology are somewhat content to just use the technology to fabricate product using existing designs. Mike is thinking over the horizon."

MERCURY SPECIALTY PRODUCTS INC. 15 Winfield Way Winnipeg, Manitoba R2R 1V8 CANADA Tel (204) 925-7712 Fax: (204) 925-7714 [email protected]

Economy and aesthetics Lee is going out of his way to plant the idea of using tube in the design of some significant public buildings that are in the works in his region. He meets with architects and designers when he can to make sure they are aware of the possibilities. "I want to get the level of awareness up about how we are innovating in tube," said Lee. "Then perhaps others will share the same vision I have." Using the efficiency improvements his latest BLM automatic loading laser tube cutters provide in tighter tolerance and accuracy, reduction in downstream assembly costs, reduction in scrap and the tremendous gains in labour productivity, Lee is convinced the economics and esthetics of the latest design work in tube can be a winning combination. "In the long run the truly most important contribution this technology can make is in the efficiency it opens up providing additional degrees of design freedom to product designers," Rutt said. "That is the aspect Mike is trying to develop and promote. He is at the forefront of that in Canada."

Number 11 - october 2009

ficiary of a unique market sector for the last five years," he said. "The ag market has been very good to us. The growth has been spectacular, the opportunities have been tremendous. But I knew we had to start working aggressively to figure out what life holds for us after ag."

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TUBE BENDING ENDFORMING CUTTING, DEBURRING AND WASHING CUTTING AND END MACHINING LASERTUBE COMBINED LASER CUTTING OF TUBE AND SHEET METAL HANDLING 3D MEASURING MANUFACTURING CELLS NON TOUCH MEASURING SYSTEMS SOFTWARE FOR PROCESS CONTROL

Via Selvaregina, 30 22063 Cantù (CO) Italy tel. +39 031 7070200 fax +39 031 715911 e-mail: [email protected]

Via per Barco, 11 38056 Levico Terme (TN) Italy tel. +39 0461 729000 fax +39 0461 701410 e-mail: [email protected]

Viale Venezia, 84B 38056 Levico Terme (TN) Italy tel. +39 0461 729300 fax +39 0461 720214 e-mail: [email protected]

Also available in pdf format on:

www.blmgroup.com