In the past two years, MJH Fabrications has invested in two automated 9kW fibre laser cutting systems and two press brakes.
The equipment was supplied by Amada UK and comprises two ENSIS-3015AJ 9kW fibre laser cutters with MPF load/unload automation systems and two HFE3i series press brakes.
This significant capital investment is helping the company to better serve its UK-wide customer base in sectors that include shop-fitting, agriculture, yellow goods and factory automation.
Mike Hemming formed MJH Fabrications in 1990 with little more than a MIG welding set but by the time it was incorporated as a limited company in 2002 it was supplying finished fabrication and components to customers’ requirements.
Driven by its success, MJH Fabrications has grown to become a progressive subcontract fabrication specialist with £2½ million annual turnover, 20,000 ft2 premises and 18 employees. And, as the company’s recent investment programme indicates, Mr Hemming has no plans on stopping there.
“Our investments with Amada reflect my determination to continue increasing capacity and moving forward,” he states. “The most recent ENSIS arrived in spring 2020, just when the COVID-19 pandemic forced the UK into its first national lockdown. It was a worrying time but we opted to press ahead. As things turned out, it was the best decision as our workload just seemed to get busier and busier from there on.”
The company’s entry into laser cutting arrived a number of years ago when it acquired a second-hand machine. A number of other preowned laser cutters followed before MJH Fabrications purchased its first new model: an Amada F1 4kW CO2 laser with automation tower.
“With the industry transitioning from CO2 to fibre laser technology, it made sense to think about new investment,” explains Mr Hemming.
“To be competitive we knew that adopting fibre technology was the only option and, sure enough, we immediately noticed a difference in speed capability with the new ENSIS – it’s unbelievably fast.”
In December 2019, the company decided to boost its bending capacity and help keep pace with the new laser cutter. As a result, MJH added HFE3i-1003 and HFE3i- 5020 press brakes to its existing HD-1003 and HFE-1704 machines. The company also leverages the benefits of AMADA software for both its press brakes and laser cutters.
“We quickly reached our threshold with the first ENSIS and found ourselves running flat-out day and night,” explains Mr Hemming. “We were constantly under pressure, so it was time to take action and acquire a second ENSIS machine - an identical 3015AJ 9kW model.”
“We work closely with customers to make sure their components and our manufacturing operations are optimised in line with demand.
“Essentially, we want to offer the most cost-effective way of achieving customer requirements. Having the capabilities of the Amada ENSIS laser cutters and HFE3i press brakes makes this process all that bit easier.”