TW Tube Laser and Processing adds Bodor tube laser cutting machine to complement its fast turnaround strengths | Metalworking News

Oct 14, 2024

Tube laser positions fabricator for future growth.

When TW Tube Laser and Processing was established just under 10 years ago, management believed that there was a gap in the market to process-in-one sections of material for large hollow sections and open structural sections such as H-Beam, I-Beam, angle and channel.

Tube Laser and Processing opened for business in December 2014 but only started to supply clients with product in August 2015, once the company’s Italian manufactured 6-axis BLM tube laser LT 14 had been installed.

The LT 14 is a system that can be used to cut round, square, and rectangular tubes, as well as non-tubular open structural sections (open profiles, H-Beam and I-Beam, angle, channels and specific special profiles) in diameters from 80mm and up to 355mm with a wall thickness of up to 20mm, and it can handle sections 13 metres in length, both on the loading hopper and the unloading hopper. Its input source is 4.5kW Rofin – more than enough power for this type of material processing.

TW Tube Laser and Processing have recently invested in a Bodor M230A 6kW tube fibre laser

The machine can process mild steel, high-strength alloys and stainless steels. There is no need for special fixtures, which simplifies both high-volume production and low-volume prototype work.

“With the purchase of the LT 14, management at the time believed they could offer more simplified fabrication services to the market, which they certainly did and have continued to do so. Today, that spirit continues to fuel capital improvements that the company hopes will better position it to meet customer demand for tubular and rectangular parts,” explained Sales Manager Stiaan Jordaan.

“We have recently taken delivery of a Bodor M230A 6kW tube fibre laser but in between the two capital investments the company has made some other major equipment investments.”

“While TW Tube Laser and Processing’s initial criteria for a tube laser was the machine’s diameter range to cater for larger part sizes and the heavy engineering market, the company has not neglected a segment of the market that is very vibrant and has huge potential.”

“The market for round and square tube cutting below 140mm is well catered for. As was the case with our LT 14 we had to think of what more we can offer the market, what advantages can the LT Fiber have over the other machines out there, what will make us different?”

The Bodor M230A 6kW fibre tube laser is more than just a processor of angle iron. With 4 chucks its effective square tube cutting scope is 19mm to 230mm diameter, rectangular tube edge 19mm to 230mm and the round tube cutting diameters are the same. The tube length capability is 9 000mm and the maximum weight of material to be loaded is 60kg/m

“The 6-axis LT 14’s diameter range and capabilities are on the upper scale, making the cost of cutting a smaller range of materials on it very expensive. However, we still wanted full CNC automation, minimal human interface and fast loading and unloading features.”

“So, we also invested in a BLM LT (tube laser) Fiber machine. With a capacity up to Ø152mm and a raw tube available in two lengths – 6 400mm load in and 4 500mm off load – the LT Fiber laser cutting system is characterised by the wider range of materials that can be processed and also become easy to cut and a considerable productivity increase is obtained up to 5mm thicknesses of stainless steel and 8mm thickness of mild steel.”

Introduction of a Ficep Orient CNC controlled beam drilling and cutting lineWhile TW Tube Laser and Processing’s initial criteria for a tube laser was the machine’s diameter range to cater for larger part sizes and the heavy engineering market, the company did not neglect a segment of the market that is very vibrant and has huge potential.

“Up until 2019 we have been processing open profiles H-Beam, I-Beam, angle, channels and special profiles on our BLM LT 14 system. The capacity that we require on this machine led to bottlenecks and it was decided to invest in a Ficep Orient CNC controlled beam drilling and cutting line that would focus on our beam processing requirements and leave the BLM LT 14 system to cut the larger round, square and rectangular tubes. Ultimately it was a capacity problem but it was also a cost and time saving exercise as it is more practical to process beams on a line that is dedicated to that process.”

New Bodor M230A 6kW tube fibre laser“Our most recent purchase has been a Bodor M230A 6kW tube fibre laser for the exact same reason as we purchased the Ficep Orient CNC controlled beam drilling and cutting line – capacity and processing cost per component.”

“We needed help to streamline our overall production so as to solidify our niche as a quick-turnaround supplier. It is not that we needed a machine that was superior to the machines on the floor, but rather we needed a machine that would process sections more efficiently and cost effectively than what was occurring on our current machines. The machines are quite capable of performing the processes that we needed to get done but the true capabilities of the machines were not being utilised to their fullest extent. In other words, we were creating our own bottlenecks primarily because of our reputation that customers had become used to and through them we were growing organically, as well as acquiring new clients as companies heard about us.”

“In this case it is mainly the cutting of angle irons. Angle iron is a very common form of structural steel.”

The Bodor M series allows users to manufacture standard and customised-shaped steel tubes for their application needs, thanks to the capability to process tubes in square, rectangular, flat sided oval, elliptical, channels and many other custom shapes in a variety of metals

“But the Bodor M230A 6kW fibre tube laser is more than just a processor of angle iron. With 4 chucks its effective square tube cutting scope is 19mm to 230mm diameter, rectangular tube edge 19mm to 230mm and the round tube cutting diameters are the same. The tube length capability is 9 000mm and the maximum weight of material to be loaded is 60kg/m.”

“Bodor’s classic tube laser model M230A is known for its exceptional cutting speed (up to 160m/min) and intelligent features, ensuring precision in tube fabrication projects while offering user-friendly and intuitive operations. The M series allows users to manufacture standard and customised-shaped steel tubes for their application needs, thanks to the capability to process tubes in square, rectangular, flat sided oval, elliptical, channels and many other custom shapes in a variety of metals. With the additional T-Trans tube loading device, the system streamlines the loading process by effortlessly accommodating.”

“You can have the automatic loading/unloading capability but it is not necessary in our case as we are not processing tens of thousands of components. With this machine we will focus on all the smaller angle irons that have thicker gauges.”

“While it might not be the first tube laser fibre processing machine in South Africa, nor is it the first Bodor machine to be installed, it is however the first of this model type.”

“The machine has been installed in the more recently constructed building. We still have room in this building for growth. Next door they are dealing with lengthy size material – up to 13 metres in length.”

Bodor’s classic tube laser model M230A is known for its exceptional cutting speed (up to 160m/min) and intelligent features, ensuring precision in tube fabrication projects while offering user-friendly and intuitive operations

“It is basically the same service that we are offering. With the installation of the new machine we are just ensuring that we keep up our reputation. At the end of the day, it is all about lead times & Customer service. If you can’t get your orders out on time and to what the customer wants, you won’t be able to keep those customers.”

“We will take on anybody as a client that requires our services that we offer. We don’t specifically deal with one particular industry, for example the mining industry. We want to deal with the fabricators that have the big contracts on the mines and they get us to do all of their work. Our client base is very broad, from people that want balustrading to those that are building fireplaces.”

“The company was conceived on the idea that there was a gap in the market in South Africa to process-in-one larger sections of material such as large diameter tube or hollow sections. These services and clients are still very much part of the mix. However, we have now broadened our services through demand.”

For further details contact TW Tube Laser and Processing on TEL: 010 600 0441