Automated laser cutting and press braking is boosting capacity and giving added flexibility to serve customers at sheet metal specialist Glenmore Hane.
Slough-based Glenmore Hane Group, a specialist in fine-limit sheet-metal fabrication for a wide range of industries, is using its investment in the latest automated AMADA laser-cutting and press-brake technologies to grow its market position. Automation is the key word here, as the company says this factor has created a significant amount of extra capacity that in turn is supporting the generation of additional revenue.
With origins back to 1973, Glenmore Hane is in fact a company created from the 2014 merger of Glenmore Engineering Ltd, Glenmore Plating Ltd, Hane Instruments Ltd and AA Finishers LLP. The merged company moved into 12,000 ft2 premises on the Slough Trading Estate and today supplies sectors that include aerospace, automotive, marine, defence, electronics, food, lighting, medical, pharmaceutical, scientific instruments and retail.
Aerospace currently constitutes around 65% of business, typically comprising seating components, such as seat pans, brackets and shrouds, as well as a number of parts for aircraft kitchen and serving areas.
“We are set up to tackle anything from prototypes and 1-offs through to large batch runs.” explains the company’s General Manager Mark Hall. “We have the cutting-edge technology and latest equipment to design, fabricate and finish in-house.”
A recent investment was an Amada LCG-3015AJ fibre-laser that can cut at axis speeds of 170m/min – meaning that parts do not suffer from heat distortion.
“For us, the fibre-laser advantage is reduction in the melt effect on coated surfaces and cut edges,” says Mr Hall. “The fibre laser beam kerf is very clean and approximately 10 times smaller than with CO2 lasers. In addition, real-time measuring sensors detect the slightest undulation and make material tolerance adjustments to help ensure zero rejects. Investing in this machine was one of the best decisions we’ve ever made.”
A table load weight of 920 kg and a 3 ton automatic loader/un-loader allows Glenmore Hane to run large orders on tight deadlines, around the clock. The company only operates a single-shift system, so the ability to run ‘lights-out’ is key.
“The automation allows us to take on additional work – we’ve probably got more capacity now than we’ve ever had,” explains Mr Hall. “Ultimately, it provides us with an opportunity to grow.”
Aerospace seat fittings, computer cases, electronic plates, brackets and ducting are among the current applications for the AMADA LCG-3015AJ, many of which are required on very short lead-times.
“The LCG-3015AJ helps us to react quickly and flexibly,” states Mr Hall. “This is one of our differentiating attributes as a business, in combination with our quality and expertise.”
Complementing this machine and an Amada punch laser combination machine is an Amada HG-1003ATC (Automatic Tool Change) press brake, which can load a complex tool layout within 3 minutes.
“The ATC on the new press brake saves us so much time,” confirms Mr Hall. “Set-ups on other press brakes can take up to 40 minutes, but with the HG-1003ATC we can interrupt a series of 1000 parts, for example, and be bending a more urgent batch within a few minutes. This capability means we are far more flexible. Moreover, I would estimate we get up to 20 times more out of the machine’s operator as a result of the quicker set-ups. We have already discussed investing in another machine.”
All sheet metalwork at Glenmore Hane adheres to ISO9001:2015 quality management standards. Additional services offered by the company include graining, welding, anodising, priming, coating, assembly, packing and delivery, which means that some 48 staff are today employed across 12 departments.
In-house finishing processes are a particular specialty. The company can offer chromic and sulphuric anodising, including black and hard anodising, as well as Alocrom 1000 and 1200 chromate conversion coating and non-chromate conversion coating such as Iridite NCP and SurTec 650V. Glenmore Hane can also apply 3M Scotch-Weld™ E396O adhesive primer, PPG PR30B adhesive primer and PPG PR143 epoxy primer (aerospace undercoat for powder coat and paint). Zinc plate and clear passivate (to 5-25μm), spray painting, powder coating, screen printing, die-stamping, laser etching and engraving are among further services.