PROFILING OUTPUT RAMPED UP FOR EXPANDED METAL W
hen The Expanded Metal Company recognised its costs for external subcontract
laser cutting services were escalating in line with output, the Hartlepool manufacturer investigated the market for a fiber laser machine to help manage costs and enhance process control. The solution was a Lincoln Electric Linc-Cut 1530A 6 kW fibre laser machine from Kerf Developments, and the benefits are nothing short of remarkable. The Expanded Metal Company Group
has a rich history that dates back to when its founder, John French Goulding, patented ‘expanded metal’ back in 1884. The company has evolved over the generations, with products ranging from mild steel and aluminium mesh to pre-galvanised steel and specialist products like its ExMesh. The diversity of applications covers everything from balustrading, cladding, ramps, walkways, and insect guarding in the construction industry to air and liquid filtration, security fencing, crop drying and animal flooring, acoustic applications, and even speaker and car grilles for the automotive industry. The products play a critical role in everyday
manufacturing for some of the industry’s most prestigious brands and projects. For the last four years, the fabrication
department has been buying laser-cut parts to complete fabricated assemblies that, as a finished product, are disability access ramps. Initially, the customer requirement was for four or five different ramp variations, but this has expanded to over 25 variations. With ramps ranging from 900 by 300 mm to 1.5 by 1.5 m and a host of dimensional variations in between, the production volume now stands at 200 to 250 ramps a week. This increased volume created several issues for the North East manufacturer. First, subcontract laser cutting costs had escalated to become a major monthly cost, and secondly, Expanded Metal had to schedule its production and lead times around its supply chain. Recalling the situation, Ryan Pinder,
the Operations Manager and Head of Continuous Improvement at the ExMesh subsidiary of the Expanded Metal Company, says: “Our laser cutting costs were climbing, and production schedules worked on min-max order levels with our supplier – it had to change. We looked at 8 to 10 laser manufacturers and really did our due
32 / WELDING WORLD MAGAZINE - ISSUE 01 - JANUARY 2025
diligence. Part of this included visiting MACH 2024, where we talked to a contact at Lincoln Electric. We have lots of Lincoln Electric weld sets, and it is a hugely trusted and well-respected brand that has never let us down. We told our Lincoln representative that we were in the market for a 3 kW laser, and he immediately introduced us to Dan Taylor from Kerf Developments as the technology partners were sharing a stand at MACH.” Despite looking at many vendors, a demonstration at the Kerf showroom in Rochdale sealed the deal. Ryan Pinder continues: “This was our first laser purchase, so we needed support and reassurance as we leapt into the unknown. The Kerf team put us at ease and emphasised their level of support, and they couldn’t have been more supportive during demonstrations. We switched our requirement from a 3 kW to a 6 kW fibre laser to futureproof our business, and Kerf introduced us to the Lincoln Electric Linc-Cut 1530 A.” The Linc-Cut 1530 A has a 3 by 1.5 m
bed and incorporates an automated double shuttle table with a 1-tonne capacity for loading and unloading sheets when the machine is cutting.
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