GF Laser recently exhibited at the Made in the Midlands Show and overall the sales & marketing team felt it was worthwhile attending. Attending any exhibition is always a risk for a company as so many factors such as timing, weather and stand position can affect success. In addition, success is quite hard to measure as sometimes companies enquire months or even years after attending the show.

The exhibition, which was held at the Ricoh Arena in Coventry, was set to attract around 2000 visitors all with an interest in manufacturing of some description. Although the show felt a little cramped there was a good flow of visitors with many of them willing to discuss the merits of laser cutting over other cutting methods.

GF Laser had commissioned Aberdeen Art to design a metal laser cut piece to demonstrate how they could laser cut, fold and engrave metal to a high standard. The piece generated a lot of interest with some customers even considering a piece for their reception.

GF Laser met with existing customers which gave them a chance to spend some time discussing current and upcoming projects. Especially pleasing was the amount of new potential customers that GF Laser talked to at the show.

Simon Tregillus, Managing Director, of GF Laser commented that “The show demonstrated the recent resurgence in manufacturing which has been evidenced in the growth of GF Laser and other manufacturing companies in the region over the past few years. As ever there will be many more challenges and opportunities for the industry over the coming years as negotiating Brexit with a hung parliament, at least in the short term, brings another unexpected dimension to the business environment.”

GF Laser and Aberdeen Art have worked together on a number of laser cut pieces throughout GFL’s 10 years of business. Because of the outstanding designs Aberdeen Art have produced for the company in the past, we thought it would be appropriate to ask Aberdeen Art to design a special piece that we displayed at the Made In The Midlands Exhibition.

PROCESS:

Programming: The team at GF Laser begin the project by assessing and evaluating the CAD that is sent to them by Aberdeen Art. This is usually converted from a DXF format which it’s supplied in, to a format that can be read by the laser cutting software TOPS.

Once converted into TOPS the file will then be prepared for laser cutting. This involves selecting items that will be cut or engraved and the order in which the laser must cut the piece. Where GF laser are cutting numerous parts on one sheet then the laser programmer would also ascertain what would be the best route for the laser to move from piece to piece in order to cut as efficiently as possible. In addition, TOPS will also work out how to best arrange or nest multiple parts to make the best use of material.

Finally, the programmer will select a number of options before exporting the file onto the network in a format that can be read by the physical laser machine.  These Include

. Type of material, in this case mild steel

. Thickness of material, in this case 3mm

. Laser assist gas. This will usually be oxygen or nitrogen but we can also use compressed air or argon.

. Whether to use automatic or manual sheet changing techniques

Laser Cutting:  The Programmer will have decided which one of the five lasers used by GF laser will be used for the job. They will also print out a setup sheet with information from all the above, pictorials of the part to cut and key dimensions for checking purposes. The operator will select the programme from the network and import onto the hard drive of the laser. The operator will take some test cuts stopping the laser ensuring that the cut is burr free. The laser operator will continue to check the job as slight differences in the material can make a difference to cut quality. The operator will undertake a number of dimensional checks to make sure the parts meet the necessary specifications. For more complex parts the laser will involve one of our quality engineers who can also check the parts using Vernier checks or more in depth checks using a CMM or Faro ScanArm system.

Folding: The Folding operation is carried out on one of our Amada press brakes, GF Laser have the capability to fold parts up to 3000mm in length. The press brake operator will utilise the setup sheet to see the details of the folding job. The operator will also examine the relevant drawings paying special attention to tolerances and key features. We also have an extensive range of standard tooling that can be used to fold metal; any tooling for non-standard folding can be manufactured by our in house toolmakers or bought off the shelf from our pressbrake suppliers Amada.

Today sees the government unveil a ten point plan as part of a new industrial strategy to drive growth in UK manufacturing.

Whilst any focus on rebalancing the economy is welcome, companies need action not soundbites so it will be interesting to see if Theresa May is fully committed to pushing through initiatives that benefit all companies, not just those in the service sector.

The Brexit vote was obviously a defining moment for UK PLC and manufacturing has more to gain in a brave new world where more UK manufactured goods are bought by UK consumers.

At GF Laser, even before Brexit, we have seen a trend of reshoring manufactured goods where overseas suppliers did not fully understand the quality requirements. In addition, rising transport and logistics costs mean that sourcing from overseas is no longer the cheap option.

One of the most positive points to come out of today’s announcement is the return to a location appropriate approach to government funding and support. Who better to support local businesses than local government who understand the particular needs of a region?

The recent success of Jaguar Land Rover and Nissan’s commitment to the UK all points to a rosy future for the UK’s automotive sector. This can only be bolstered by a manufacturing friendly Government where new OEM’s will see the UK as a great place to make cars with the supply base and skill set in place.

At GF Laser we’re cautiously optimistic about today’s announcement and anything that allows us to be more competitive is welcomed. Let’s hope that today’s announcement is fleshed out with some all-important detail and action over the next few months and years.

Simon Tregillus | Director

T: 01384 245095
M: 07792 143076

You can contact me through LinkedIn https://uk.linkedin.com/in/simon-tregillus-5ab05b10

At GF Laser we are always looking to improve productivity using technology to increase efficiency.

We currently use a number of systems in the following areas:

Sales Order Processing

All enquiries are logged and quotations constructed within our Clarity system. When an order is placed the quotation status is then changed and a Works Order is produced. This Works Order then stays with the job until it is delivered, this process ensures that anything detailed at the quotation phase is carried through to Production minimising the risk of mistakes.

Cloud Based Systems

We use secure cloud based systems when information is required off site as well as locally. Each piece of machinery has its own planning schedule and we offer customers the ability to view when their jobs are scheduled.

In addition, the collections / deliveries for our transport are booked using a cloud based system. Each driver gets an email delivered to their phone telling them the details of each delivery and they can also interrogate the system to view their weekly deliveries.

Plans for 2017

As well as improving our email system and general infrastructure we are evaluating a number of CRM systems as part of an ongoing focus to communicate with customers and potential customers keeping them abreast of our latest developments.

Simon Tregillus | Director

T: 01384 245095
M: 07792 143076

You can contact me through LinkedIn https://uk.linkedin.com/in/simon-tregillus-5ab05b10

As part of our ongoing expansion plans we have taken on additional space to support our growth plans over the next five years.

Additional space has been secured a few hundred yards away from our Narrowboat Way headquarters in Dudley which makes it an ideal location to support our ever growing laser cutting capabilities.

The 11,000 square foot building which includes excellent access for loading / offloading vehicles will initially be used for storing laser cutting material and fixtures for our five axis laser cutting service.

However, we are currently in discussions with a number of suppliers about adding additional capacity in the new site in quarter 2 2017. This is likely to include additional laser cutting facilities as well as ancillary operations.

As our company gets busier we are seeing an increasing need to offer customers storage facilities for their material and pressings. This additional space increases our ability to handle high volume laser cutting of flat and formed material.

We also currently operate three vehicles with dedicated drivers who are able to transfer material as and when required to ensure customers get the parts quickly and on time.

Simon Tregillus | Director

T: 01384 245095
M: 07792 143076

You can contact me through LinkedIn https://uk.linkedin.com/in/simon-tregillus-5ab05b10

GF Laser’s Christmas opening hours are as follows:

23/12/2016:    Close at 1pm

24/12/2016:    Closed

25/12/2016:    Closed

26/12/2016:    Closed

27/12/2016:    Closed

28/12/2016:    Workshop only

29/12/2016:    Workshop only

30/12/2016:    Workshop only

31/12/2016:    Closed

01/01/2017:    Closed

02/01/2017:    Closed

Wishing you all a Merry Christmas & Happy New Year.

Some very interesting news from Jaguar Land Rover http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-38102507. If their plans come to fruition this will be great news for the UK laser cutting industry and of course the wider economy.

It’s also interesting to note their power requirements, at GF Laser electricity is a large part of our overhead as laser cutting machines love to use electricity. However, the new breed of fibre lasers like our Trumpf 3040 use substantially less power than the equivalent CO2 machine.

In order to monitor our power usage each one of our laser cutting machines is individually monitored so we can see how much electricity is being consumed at any one time. This information is fed back to a central piece of reporting software which calculates in pound notes how much electricity each machine uses each hour.

By keeping a constant watch on our power consumption we can make sure we cost all our work as competitively as possible and it helps us to understand how best to plan our shift work to make sure we take advantage of lower tariff electricity.

As we are also looking at our next capital investment for 2017 the usage of electricity is also helping us decide on which laser to purchase next. The fibre lasers use a lot less electricity but the capital costs and some of the running costs are more expensive than CO2 lasers.

A final word on Jaguar Land Rover, in our opinion it is imperative that the UK government continue to support our car industry and have a credible industrial strategy to drive economic growth over the next few years. It’s foolhardy to think we can continue to rely on the service sector to drive the UK economy especially in the Brexit era. Now is the opportunity to back Jaguar Land Rover and the myriad of UK suppliers that partner them.

Simon Tregillus | Director

T: 01384 245095
M: 07792 143076

You can contact me through LinkedIn https://uk.linkedin.com/in/simon-tregillus-5ab05b10

One piece of news which has been effectively buried with last weeks shock news that the next US President will be one with zero political experience is details of The Royal Bank of Scotland’s compensation package to “squeezed firms” http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-37903541.

It’s interesting that many commentators are making direct links to Brexit and Trump and the financial crisis of 2008.  Many voters still feel that the political establishment have not done enough to help them since the global financial crash. Hence protest votes turn into majority votes. Whether the world changes we will have to wait and see.

Back to RBS, a whistleblower made allegations that, in the aftermath of 2008, the bank deliberately forced viable businesses into administration so it could pick up assets at a knockdown price. The so called Project Dash for Cash gave staff higher bonuses based on fees collected for restructuring debt.

One can only imagine how these business owners feel now knowing that companies they built went bust might actually have been viable. No amount of compensation can reward them for the emotional damage of losing everything. It’s not hard to see why individuals vote against the establishment when the establishment failed to protect big business from exploiting them.

What does all this have to do with laser cutting? Not much at the moment I guess but as we celebrate our tenth year of trading I wonder how the world will have changes in 10 years time?

What will the UK look like outside of Europe? What will Trump’s legacy be to the world? What will GF Laser and the laser cutting industry look like? Certainly I think there will be many opportunities for manufacturing and I just wonder if this could be the start of a shift towards a more balanced economy in the UK where manufacturing becomes the powerhouse of the economy as it once was…..

Simon Tregillus | Director

T: 01384 245095
M: 07792 143076

You can contact me through LinkedIn https://uk.linkedin.com/in/simon-tregillus-5ab05b10