By Paul Fraser
A father and son combination wants to take Newton Aycliffe-based RJS Laser into an exciting new chapter after investing more than £1m in equipment.
Rob Smedley, managing director, and Jamie Smedley, general manager, are proud the family business has become the first laser cutting and metal folding/bending specialists in the area to use the latest Trumpf L95 machine.
The acquisition of the impressive piece of technology means that RJS Laser can deliver first class cutting at a more efficient rate and has increased the thickness it can now cut. It also has a sheet capacity of 4000 x 2000mm.
RJS Laser still has the previous Trumpf CO2 laser on its Whinfield Drive site, at Aycliffe Business Park, to use whenever they need to – meaning the business can take on more work than ever before.
Rob said: “The new machine is a lot faster and can cut exotic materials. It can do the countersinking and weld preparations with a software that we have bought with it – and we will be the first in the country who can offer that.
“Our old laser has worked well for us since we opened this site three-and-a-half years ago, but we felt the need to upgrade.
“This new technology can cut up to 40mm stainless steel, up to 32mm mild steel, up to 30mm aluminium and then up to 12.7mm brass and 15mm copper. The other one can’t do brass and copper and can only cut up to 20mm.”
That is the impact the investment is going to have on the business.
The Trumpf L95, which was operating throughout the interview, recently reduced a job that would have taken 174 hours ordinarily to a 36-hour completion time.
RJS also bolted the automatic robotic loader on to its purchase to eradicate the manual work of lifting the steel onto a bed, while the laser cutter has a new 58in screen so that its progress can be monitored regularly on the shop floor.
The addition of the new cutter follows earlier recent investment in an up-to-date press brake, which can fold metal up to 20mm.
That ensures that as well as cutting, RJS can bend and fold metal to meet its clients’ needs.
RJS Laser, which holds the ISO9001 for quality management systems, has gone into a different direction in recent years since Jamie got on board.
Rob has installed, repaired and trained people to use the Trumpf equipment across the world for two decades since originally launching as a laser servicing business.
Even though that offering is still there, RJS Laser has developed into the laser cutting and folding subcontractor it is today with plans to keep on growing.
Jamie said: “We are investing in people, the local people, and we want to keep growing and employ more. That is the aim and hopefully as we cut more and more metal, we will add further to the workforce.
“There are eight of us now. Three operators, a secretary, lead estimator and Paul Norman is our head of operations.
“We are just shy of 6,000 square foot here and the idea is to win enough work to put extra shifts on because this kit we have here now should work 24/7.
“There were many times when we would get enquiries for 100 sheets of 6mm aluminium and it was so slow to cut, but now we can definitely cope and it’s more about us keeping up with the speed of the new machine.”
For more information check out rjslaserltd.co.uk.
