Advances in cutting technology is set to benefit St Helens-based mild steel profiling specialist PP Profiles as the UK’s first Koike Plasma machine is being installed following an investment of £350,000.

Japanese machinery manufacturer Koike is currently finishing the installation of the Versagraph 4500 with 3D Link, utilising the latest cutting technology available to offer contour and bevel cutting up to 10m x 3m x 40mm and up to 45°. The investment is set to drive PP Profiles’ business forward into 2012, creating local job opportunities and attracting prospects in new market sectors.

“The installation of the machine will offer clients a reduction in the need for additional machining and material handling,” enthuses Mark Derbyshire, managing director of PP Profiles. “With the installation of the new facility, our customers will ultimately save time and money as subcontract processes have been condensed into the initial cutting stage.”

The investment will increase the company’s manufacturing capacity, further integrating its product portfolio to attract prospects across a number of market sectors including production machinery, aerospace, precision engineering, pressure vessels 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 leadtimes 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 pre-formed at the cutting stage.

Listening attentively to its client’s requirements and focusing on the service aspect of the business, PP Profiles has strengthened its position within the industry. Through creating formal business partnerships with its customers and suppliers and implementing an ongoing investment programme for its employees and equipment, the company has reinforced its position as one of the UK’s leading integrated profiling services.

Once the decision was made to purchase the Koike Versagraph 4500, the machine was built, shipped and installed within three months. One of the biggest challenges of the installation process was the foundation work carried out. Large holes were excavated and made waterproof to accommodate the machine’s ventilation and electrical components. Contract engineers from were flown in from Italy to install the cutting bed while engineers from the Netherlands installed the rail, gantry and cutting head.

With the introduction of new technology to PP Profiles’ manufacturing processes, the tapered angles and cut degradation that affects some conventional plasma cutting machines has been eliminated. The Versagraph incorporates an advanced filtration and cooling system, actively delivering cool air and fluid to the cutting head, minimising deformity of the cutting surfaces’ upper edge. The technology Koike uses to achieve such high quality cuts is well patented, offering its customers productivity benefits that PP Profiles can now pass on to its clients.

The Versagraph has been constructed using Koike’s 90 years of experience in the cutting industry, resulting in an innovative body structure designed for optimum accuracy and reliability. A key aim is to minimise downtime caused by wearing consumables and unforeseen collisions which will enable the company to operate the machine through both day and night shifts with minimal maintenance.

“PP Profiles is able to offer more in-house processes with every investment, moving further towards a single source of supply for its clients,” Mr Derbyshire concludes. “The flexibility of the company has allowed it to adapt to changing markets, making the necessary investments in new equipment to stay ahead of the competition.”

PP Profiles
www.ppprofilesltd.co.uk