Locker Group Ltd produce a myriad of products including automotive parts, heat shielding, and architectural materials such as woven wire mesh, expanded aluminium, and perforated materials. Ahead of a big project to clad a building in expanded aluminium, Operations Manager Mark Carroll came to Daltons Wadkin in search of an advanced panel cutting solution.
First established in Warrington, 1878, by Thomas Locker. Locker Group stays true to the founders emphasis on quality of craftsmanship and spirit of innovation. Being at the forefront of their industry, Locker Group are constantly staying a few steps ahead of their competition by continuing to diversify and develop their process and product range. In 2018 Operations Manager, Mark Carroll, began to search for a better solution for cutting expanded aluminium. Mark Carroll tells us this was fuelled by a large upcoming project to clad a building with the material, adding “we needed to be able to cut it accurately, cleanly and quickly”.
After a visit to the Daltons Wadkin showroom and a working demonstration on the Elcon DS, Mark witnessed the capabilities of the vertical panel saw. He knew it could heavily impact their production compared to their previous process.
“Previously to cut our expanded aluminium we were using a disc cutter and an abrasive disc. This was time consuming, labour intensive and the finish
and accuracy weren’t fantastic. We were struggling to cut even 3 or 4 full sheets per hour, now we can process fifteen, even twenty an hour depending on the materials”, said a delighted Mark Carroll, Operations Manager.
Elcon vertical panel saws offer world leading sawing technology. The Elcon DS model has an impressive cutting capacity of 3300 x 1550mm, and is capable of processing single or multiple sheets with a maximum cut depth of 60mm. Optional features include digital readouts, measuring stop extension, transport rollers, two speed motor or variable speed motor, v-grooving, and a mist spray lubrication system.
Daltons Wadkin Sales Executive, Kyle Brown, had ongoing discussions with Mark to ensure the Elcon vertical panel saw was perfectly optimised for Locker Group’s material processing applications. “After discussing the Elcon DS with Mark we swiftly arranged a product demonstration at our Nottingham showroom”, explains Kyle, “as we were moving the Expanded Aluminum sheet along the machine between cuts, it didn’t take long to realise that the sharp edges of the material would quickly wear-out the nylon transport blocks at the base of the machine. However, we had a solution in mind right away”.
Daltons Wadkin benefit from having extensive engineering facilities in-house which gives them the ability to tailor standard specifications exactly to customer’s needs. Normally provided to protect delicate panels, the nylon blocks were replaced with mild steel blocks.
Twelve months since installation, the Elcon vertical panel saw is providing greater accuracy and greater throughput. Mark confirmed they have currently processed over 2500 panels and “the accuracy has been fantastic”. Locker Group are now looking at being able to cut different materials and different thicknesses.
Currently there are five operators trained to use the machine, however Mark is looking to expand this to incorporate more of the team. “The machine is very user friendly. Easy to change the blades, nice and safe, no issues at all”, enthuses Mark.
Locker Group found the perfect choice for their needs, even recommending the saw to their supplier of expanded aluminium. “The supplier only sells the material in certain widths, which is produced from the raw materials because they have no method of cutting it. We’ve now been back to them and explained that we can get the accuracy to cut the materials that they produce”.
See how you can machine smarter. To find out more about the range of products and services available contact Daltons Wadkin on 0115 986 5201, email info@daltonswadkin.com or visit www.daltonswadkin.com
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