Having launched the new 4.5kW Mitsubishi ML3015LVP-45CF-R laser processing machine to the UK market at an open house event held at World Machinery’s new Shropshire showrooms, the company’s sales team was delighted to have sold the first machine by the second day of the event. Solutions reports.

World Machinery has over 36 years experience in providing quality new and used sheetmetal machinery to the marketplace. It specialises in laser cutting machines, CNC punch and turret presses, plasma and waterjet cutting machines along with pressbrakes and guillotines.

Following the open house event, three more sales are now in the process of being completed as a result of the demonstration put on by the Mitsubishi machine and World Machinery’s engineers. The immediate demand for the ML3015LVP-45CF-R sheet cutting system is being attributed to the quality of finish, quick set-up times and low cost of ownership due to reduced gas consumption and significantly lower energy and servicing costs.

World Machinery’s managing director, Wayne Hipkiss states: “We are delighted that the reaction to this machine has been so positive. Through the open house event we were able to demonstrate some impressive performance characteristics such as perfect 2mm diameter holes cut in 12mm steel plate and thick aluminium cut so precisely that many visitors thought we were showing examples of waterjet cut products.

“The speed of the machine is equally impressive with a head speed of up to 10m/second. The low running costs combined with Mitsubishi’s reliability is making the machine a great proposition for manufacturers as well as sheet metalwork subcontractors.”

Best of both worlds

Andy Naylor, UK sales manager for World Machinery adds: “We have specialised in supplying a wide range of punch presses, laser cutting machines and other CNCs for many years, so we offer the Mitsubishi machines with a very balanced attitude towards satisfying our customers’ needs. In many instances this is proving to be the best machine for their application – the low running costs plus a favourable finance package is proving hard to compete with.”

He continues: “Where routine replacement wear parts can total tens of thousands of pounds on other laser machines, the Mitsubishi is in the scale of hundreds of pounds, even after many hours of operation. A simple user interface and high quality components also means operators will be up to speed quickly.

“The machine uses a cross flow laser design and a mirror-based beam transit system, coupled with a steady beam stabilisation process that ensures there is no loss of cutting power even at the furthest reach of the 4m by 2m bed. It offers the best of both worlds,” he enthuses – “the proven technology of the Mitsubishi beam transit system that also makes the machine nearly £100,000 cheaper than some of the recently launched fibre optic transit machines, with the higher precision of the cross flow laser.”

Seamless integration

Also being demonstrated at the machine launch event was an innovative CAD/CAM package from Lantek, a partner company for World Machinery. Designed specifically to allow easy integration of laser machines into existing production facilities it enables virtually any existing CAD platform to work seamlessly with the machine, as well as set-up and execute jobs either created by, or imported into, the Lantek software platform.

Rob Powell Lantek’s UK managing director concurs: “It was an impressive event with senior people from Mitsubishi in Europe and Japan attending and a stream of serious potential customers. We were able to help demonstrate how the Lantek Expert Cut product offers features specially designed to automate the programming of sheetmetal cutting machines.

“It is the result of more than 20 years experience in close collaboration with both manufacturers and users of these types of machines. It perfectly combines machine technology with customers’ programming and management requirements and we have a very strong track record of providing software support and integration for machines sold and commissioned by World Machinery, enabling customers to get up and running straight away with their new machine.”

Dive in for a demo

The ML3015LVP-45CF-R incorporates some of the latest breakthroughs in gas discharge laser machine design. Contemporary, innovative control technology has been combined with a rigid machine frame and high speed drive system, enhancing the processing ability of thin materials at high speeds.

The machine's Beam Stabiliser and Clean Optics Path technologies improve processing performance and provide stability over the entire work area. And, from a safety and workplace perspective, a full machine cover prevents entanglement with machinery or beam reflection, while a dust collection system ensures cleanliness during processing.

Rated at 4.5kW, the new machine is powerful but exhibits low running costs, due to its innovative cross flow laser head and gas sealed resonator, which requires a third less CO₂. Its ‘just-on-time’ discharge system also dramatically reduces power consumption while the beam is off.

“Bringing this machine to the UK market has already paid dividends for us, Mitsubishi and our customers,” Mr Hipkiss concludes. “The popularity of the demonstration event and the number of requests we have received for another date will mean that we will hold another open house later in the year.

“There really is no substitute for seeing a machine in action if you are considering a purchase, so we believe having a fully commissioned demo machine at our showrooms is the right way to go. We have even been asked to provide contract cutting work on our demo machine – something we are happy to do to help out a customer, but ultimately the strong interest in purchasing these machines proves how competitive they are going to make our customers, whether they are original equipment manufacturers or subcontract sheetmetal cutting companies. To sell four machines in the first week of them being on sale is unprecedented.”

World Machinery
www.worldmc.co.uk