A new Trumpf TruPunch 3000 automated punching system has allowed Kintec to eliminate outsourcing costs on parts for the caravan, leisure, retail and medical sectors.
Although only established in 2009, the company was formed out of the former Hull-based fabrication business John A Kinnersley Co Ltd, which had 40 years of history. The assets of Kinnersley were acquired by current Kintech chairman, Carl Canty.
“Although the machines were perfectly operational, it was clear that the last 10 years of business at Kinnersley had seen minimal investment,” explains Mr Canty. “As a result, since the establishment of Kintech, we have steadily been updating, which has resulted in more orders and revenue growth.”
Today, Kintech has 60 employees and has enjoyed year-on-year growth since its formation a decade ago. Core business at the company is the punching, bending and powder coating of sheet and tube. The latest machine to come under scrutiny in terms of potential replacement was Kintech’s punch press.
“Our punch press was old and could no longer keep pace with growing sales,” says Mr Canty. “In fact, we had started to subcontract our punching work, which was having an obvious impact on bottom line profitability. With this in mind, we decided to replace the machine.”
Kintech produces many parts from large panels, particularly for its customers in the caravan and leisure industries. A number of these sheets have short punching times of 2-3 minutes. Such jobs can be labour intensive, so automation provides a very attractive alternative. Subsequently, Kintech requested that the TruPunch 3000 be accompanied by a full size TRUMPF SheetMaster load/unload system.
Installed in July 2018, the automated TruPunch 3000 has been busy producing large panels for caravans and sunbed equipment, largely from 1.0 to 1.5mm thick sheet. Typical materials processed on the machine include galvanised steel, zintec and aluminium. Kintech accommodates batch runs of up to 1500, but more usually around 200-off. Many of the longer-running repeat jobs are processed unmanned overnight and at weekends, with more intricate jobs completed during the day.
“There are many aspects of the machine that we like,” states Mr Canty. “Aside from the obvious business benefits of running lights-out, we enjoy the high speed of the machine and the fact that we can set-up the tooling while it is running. We are also saving on nesting, labour and materials, not to mention subcontract costs.
Kintech supplies products to some of the largest caravan parks and manufacturers in the UK. The company’s portfolio includes caravan steps, beds and tables, storage units, siting equipment, flues, roof plates, and the manufacture of assisted-living aids for the care industry.
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