Investment in a new high-speed precision press has paid off for European Springs & Pressings Ltd, with 10% growth in 2016 and the creation of 35 new jobs.
European Springs & Pressings provides springs, wire forms, pressings and assemblies to a global client base, has secured a string of new orders after installing its first Bruderer high-speed precision BSTA 500-110 press.
The investment provides a larger press bed area (1.1m) for multi-progression tooling of complex processes, and the high precision construction of the machine offers reduced die wear, especially on high tensile spring quality materials.
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According to the firm, the latest B control system of the press has also reduced set-up times, shortening time to market on new products and improving efficiency on small volume production batches.
This capability has already seen the Beckenham-based firm win new business in automotive; aerospace; electronics, and power distribution sectors.
Managing director of European Springs, which is part of the Lesjöfors group, Stuart McSheehy explained: “We have experienced significant growth through the acquisition of a number of new product programmes, requiring us to invest in a more flexible machine that offered speed, accuracy and repeatable quality.
“I gave a ‘wishlist’ to Bruderer UK, who sat down with us, examined what we needed from the new press and recommended the BSTA 500-110, promising it could be operational from January 2016.”
McSheehy continued: “The machine worked straight out of the box, which is rare in our industry. Performance has been very impressive and not only are we delivering on orders already won, but actually going out and competing for work that we couldn’t previously have taken on.
“Sales are up to £16m across our three sites in London, Cornwall and Leeds, and our workforce now stands at 170, five of whom are apprentices going through a training programme that has been tailored to suit our current and future needs.”
The BSTA 500-110 is reportedly one of the world’s most advanced high-speed precision presses, and comes with semi-automatic stroke length adjustment, advanced control technology and dynamic ram correction; the latter guaranteeing bottom dead centre accuracy.
It also boasts a unique drive and lever system allowing full dynamic balancing throughout the entire press speed range.
European Springs was able to work with Bruderer UK to make slight modifications to the machine, including the addition of an acoustic sound booth and integration of ‘Unidor’ tool and press monitoring technology.
The latter – along with a full servicing and maintenance package – is guaranteed to extend the life of the press and increase machine productivity in the process.
Managing director of Bruderer UK Adrian Haller commented: “Our BSTA 500-110 has been developed to tackle complex production processes, which makes it ideal for prototyping or the introduction of new products.
“This is clearly evident with European Springs & Pressings and I’m delighted to see it has had an immediate positive impact on new business secured in a relatively short period of time.”
He went on to add: “2016 has also been a good year for our order book, with more than 15 machines sold and the UK launch of the
at the MACH Show generating a great deal of interest.”
McSheehy concluded: “We have been very impressed with the Bruderer approach and its level of support, so much so that we have just commissioned the company to complete a full refurbishment and update of an existing Finzer multi-slide machine that we use to form strip and wire components.
“If this works out well, we will refurbish and update all six production machines to the same specification.”
