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Leading subcontract profiling company, P.P. Profiles Ltd is due to complete the installation of the Versagraph 4500 facility with 3D-Link. Utilizing the latest Plasma cutting technology available to offer complex shapes and bevel cutting up to 10M x 3M x 40mm up to 45°. The investment is set to drive P.P. Profiles business forward into 2012, creating local job opportunities and attracting prospects in new market sectors.
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The installation of the machine will offer clients a reduction in the need for additional machining and material handling. Managing Director Mark Derbyshire says "With the installation of the new facility, our clients ultimately save time and money as sub-contract processes have been condensed into the initial cutting stage."
The investment will increase P.P. Profiles manufacturing capacity, further integrating its product portfolio to attract prospects in the following sectors: Production Machinery, Aerospace, Precision Engineering, Pressure Vessel and Storage Tank fabrication.
Since the company started trading in 1976, radius edge and weld preps were traditionally applied after the initial cutting process using a nibbler or manual type prepping machine. Internal bevel cuts and contours required further machining, increasing lead times considerably due to the subcontract processes involved. Fuelled by the customer driven nature of the business, it was found that more orders could be secured if contour cutting could be preformed at the cutting stage. In addition, new target markets were found to benefit substantially from bevel and weld prepping services.
Listening attentively to its client's requirements and by focusing on the service aspect of the business, P.P. Profiles has strengthened its position within the industry. By creating what are consider professional partnerships with its clients and suppliers, the company has reinforced its stance as the UK's leading Integrated Profiling Service. Arriving at this position ultimately required investing in the latest machinery available, and that's exactly what P.P. Profiles has done.
The decision was made to purchase the Japanese manufactured Koike Versagraph 4500 with 3D-Link; within just 3 months the machine was built, shipped and installed. One of the biggest challenges of the installation was the foundation work carried out. Large holes were excavated and made waterproof to accommodate the machines ventilation and electrical components. Contract engineers were flown in from Italy to install the cutting bed while engineers from the Netherland installed the rail, gantry and cutting head. The precise engineering that was involved when installing the machine has so far backed up Koike's claims of being the industry leader, offering superior quality, accuracy, reliability and speed.
Complex contour cuts that traditionally required additional CNC machining can now be profiled easily, utilizing the Fanuc Alpha series high resolution and high response AC brushless servo / motors. The system produces improved geometries and tolerances that are required to offer clients precision cut steel suited to their engineering requirements.
Taper compensation incorporated into the Versagraph's 400A plus Oxygen power supply and Fanuc 300i CNC system, have eliminated the taper angles and cut degradation inherent to conventional plasma cutting machines. The Versagraph incorporates an advanced filtration and cooling system, actively delivering cool air and fluid to the cutting head minimizing deformity of the cutting surfaces upper edge. The technology Koike uses to achieve such high quality cuts is well patented, offering its customers truly unique product benefits that P.P. Profiles can now pass on to its clients and their supply chain.
The Versagraph has been constructed using Koike's 90 years of experience in the cutting industry, resulting in a unique body structure designed for maximum accuracy and reliability. A key aim of was to minimize downtime caused by wearing consumables and unforeseen collisions. This will enable P.P. Profiles to operate the machine through both day and night production shifts with little maintenance, increasing productivity while offering clients a reliable cutting service.
P.P. Profiles are able to offer more in-house processes with every investment, moving further towards a single source of supply for its clients. The flexibility of the company has allowed it to adapt with the changing markets, making the necessary investments in new equipment to stay ahead of the competition.
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Contact Information
Matthew Lackie
P.P. Profiles Ltd
Bay 6, Bold Industrial Park
St Helens
WA9 4TU
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