A market leading manufacturer of cold roll formed products, EWS, is set to launch a number of new products after investing heavily in upgrading its manufacturing capabilities.
EWS (Manufacturing Ltd) – part of Arc Specialist Engineering Group, is reportedly targeting significant sales growth across a variety of new markets as a result of the investment.
Working closely with high-speed press specialist, Bruderer UK, EWS has installed its first 250-tonne Zani ‘Power Master’ press, and is already achieving high stroke rates as it aims to provide annual volumes of several million units.
With a tool bed of 2000mm x 1400mm and fitted with the latest in servo feed technology, the machine has been fully integrated into a rolling mill line supplied by local firm, Formit.
Technical director at EWS, Russ Cooper explained: “A large proportion of our sales is directed to supplying steel reinforcement for the fenestration sector and, while this will remain a core part of the business, our intention is to expand our cold rolled expertise into new markets.
“To achieve this, we needed to invest in a different type of machine that was faster than what we had and could accommodate the intricate nature of the products we are targeting. I’d previously worked with Zani presses and knew how reliable and flexible they were and the type of stroke performance per minute they deliver.”
Cooper continued: “We approached Bruderer UK, the exclusive sole distributor in this country, with our plan and started to look at how we could specify the machine to get exactly what we wanted. It took about six months from initial enquiry to the machine being delivered, installed and commissioned.”
Wolverhampton-based EWS, which employs 70 people at its 40,000 sqft factory, has appointed Bruderer UK to deliver ongoing service and maintenance to ensure minimum downtime and the optimum performance of the machine.
It is also currently exploring the possibility of installing a second press as part of ambitious investment plans to further modernise the production capabilities at its site in the Black Country.
Managing director at Bruderer UK, Adrian Haller commented: “The project was demanding in terms of meeting the stringent timescale, but was fantastic in showcasing how – working alongside partners such as Formit – we can build bespoke turnkey solutions for a complete production line.”
Bruderer UK, which employs 13 people at its headquarters in Luton, has enjoyed a record 12 months, with turnover set to pass £5m for the first time in its almost 50-year history in this country.
The growth of Zani presses had played a part in this expansion, but there has also been a significant increase in the number of manufacturers purchasing high speed Bruderer presses and ancillary equipment to boost competitiveness and solve production issues for UK manufacturing.
