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11 September 2019

Birmingham metal fabricator installs trio of TRUMPF machines

Birmingham Prototypes Ltd (BPL), a specialist in the design and manufacture of one-off and low-volume parts, has installed three high-specification machines from TRUMPF, including a five-axis TruLaser Cell 7020 fiber. All three machines are located at its new 20,000 sq ft facility in Birmingham, where they are helping the company keep pace with an expanding order book for sectors such as automotive and aerospace.

BPL has earned a market reputation for providing a one-stop-shop service, taking parts from CAD through to final inspected products. It has invested heavily in its future, utilising technologies that include CADCAM suites, presses, CNC machining centres and the latest laser scanning inspection equipment. However, to meet ongoing customer demand, the company wanted more capacity for sheet-metal engineering and fabrication projects at its new facility.

BPL invested in a five-axis TRUMPF TruLaser Cell 7040 fiber around four years ago and returned to TRUMPF for a second 3D laser cutter, this time a TruLaser Cell 7020 fiber. As part of the same order, the TruLaser Cell 7020 was joined by two further TRUMPF machines, a TruLaser 3030 fiber flat-bed laser cutter and a TruBend 3100 press brake. Beyond providing the resource to meet growing demand, the purchase is seen as providing genuine market differentiation and UK leading turn-around time on 5-axis work.

Complemented by TRUMPF TruTops Cell software, the two 3D laser cutting machines at Birmingham Prototypes fulfil many roles, typically providing a high-quality, burr-free finish when trimming formed panels in line with CAD models. Parts produced by the company are wide ranging. BPL also manufactures a host of automotive and aerospace industry parts, as well as components for OEMs and tier one supply chain manufacturers in sectors such as rail, nuclear, medical and white goods.

“As specialists in sheet metalwork and 3D rapid prototyping, the scale of our operations varies greatly from one-off bespoke parts, through large projects containing multiple components, to scheduled low-volume production parts” explains the Operations Director. “The versatility of our five-axis lasers is of great benefit to a business like ours, where we can never be sure what will come through the door tomorrow.”


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