Pentagon Plastics Group (Horsham, England), which includes Phoenix Engineering and Pentagon Plastics, has invested £130,000 (over $173,000) in an AL-T 500 laser welding system from TLM Laser (Bromsgrove, England).
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Installed on November 17, 2017, the Phoenix Engineering team will have three fully trained operators to complete highly skilled laser welding projects on a daily basis. This will ensure that internal and subcontract support work can meet demand.
The investment follows laser welding being recognized as a major subcontracting expense across the Group over several years. Through investments in the right machinery, the Group will be able to provide reduced lead times for tooling work, an improved workflow, and a new business service to offer new and existing clients.
"At Phoenix, the majority of tooling demand is for caps and closures, ranging from 4 to 64 impressions and expediting servicing and repair are key to keeping the tool downtime to a minimum," says John Horspool, tooling manager at Phoenix Engineering. "Many of the elements require laser welding to reinstate shutoffs, etc.—therefore, the weld needs to be very exact and repeatable, driving the business need for a high-spec machine, with a rotary axis, self-feed wire, and programmable movement in all axes."
For more information, please visit www.pentagonplastics.co.uk.