Gripple is a world-leading manufacturer of wire joining, tensioning and suspension systems for use in construction, agriculture, solar energy and the utilities sector.
At the company’s Norfolk Bridge manufacturing site in Sheffield, UK, production centres around the manufacture of its Fast Trak® bracket systems for mechanical and electrical service suspension, as well as solutions for the rail industry’s OLE (overhead line equipment) and utility solar applications.
For this type of work, Gripple traditionally uses CNC-controlled punch machines, with tooling specific to individual production requirements.
However, with increasing global sales for its Fast Trak® bracket systems, an Ideas & Innovation team continually looking to provide novel solutions for its customers, and a drive to further reduce its carbon footprint through greater vertical integration, Gripple decided to bring the versatility of 2D (flat sheet metal) laser cutting in house, by investing in a new fibre laser machine.
“After considering a number of fibre laser machine manufacturers, we selected a 2D model from Nukon Lasers UK,” says Claire Tunnard, Production Manager at Gripple’s 21,000 sq. ft. Norfolk Bridge site.
“With the capability and quality of the Nukon machine never in doubt, it was the commitment shown by Nukon Lasers UK’s Sales Director, Steve Haddrell, into fully understanding our laser-cutting requirements that confirmed we had made the right choice.”
The machine chosen by Gripple, a Nukon ECO 315 4kW model, offers highly accessible power and performance.
Specially developed for organisations wishing to add value to in-house manufactured products, and for subcontractors either starting out in 2D laser cutting or with demanding flat sheet metal cutting requirements, Nukon ECO machines offer high-spec features including advanced Lantek Expert CAD/CAM nesting software and American-made nLIGHT fibre lasers, with CutLine Adaptive Beam Shaping.
Thanks to its uncompromising build quality, performance and precise cut, Gripple’s new Nukon fibre laser machine has quickly gained a key role in the cost-effective manufacture of the company’s OSHPD OPA-2123-10 seismic bracing and blast protection systems – brackets developed for some of the most demanding environments in the world.
The machine is also being used to produce components for Gripple’s lightweight, easily transported solar cable hangers – suspended routing systems that are significantly faster to install than traditional underground solar cabling.
The ease of programming, speed, accuracy and flexibility of the machine are also providing the company’s Ideas & Innovation team with exciting opportunities for new product development.
Added to that, the Nukon fibre laser is also being used to produce components for the manufacture of machine tools that will be based at other Gripple sites.
Significant savings from cutting with air
“Nukon Lasers UK has shared a wealth of advice and technical knowledge with us, including specific production processes and the most cost-effective gas to use depending on the material being cut,” adds Claire Tunnard.
“For example, our solar cable hangers are cut exclusively using compressed air – an essentially free medium. By largely cutting with compressed air, rather than with costly nitrogen gas, we are also benefiting from significant savings which, in turn, assist us in being competitive.”
Nukon Lasers at a glance:
