“No Mistakes” a DUTCH JOB SHOP MAKES IT HAPPEN 2 # TABLE of CONTENTS WELCOME # 3 DISCOVER the People Behind Technology

LVD’s Global Perspective DISCOVERY issue n°15

Software: Welcome to the new CADMAN®

Victor Manufacturing’s secret for success in the UK

Dubai-based Ideal Design expands to Bangalore

“No mistakes” A DUTCH JOB SHOP MAKES IT HAPPEN 2 # TABLE OF CONTENTS WELCOME # 3 DISCOVER the people behind technology

LVD NEWS 4 Editorial Note: Let us know what you think of Dear Readers, this issue of Discovery. Share your thoughts at [email protected] or connect with us on LEADERS 6 social media. For information about products Thanks for taking a look at the latest COVER STORY: you see in this issue or to ﬁ nd your local LVD Discovery. Starting with this issue, VERSCHOOR METAAL TECHNIEK 6 contact, head to www.lvdgroup.com. we’ve introduced a new layout and IDEAL DESIGN 16 features we hope you’ll enjoy, like “Insights” (from page 14 and 22) 24 Q&A WITH VICTOR MANUFACTURING where we dissect industry-relevant topics or “Snapshots” (see pages 12, 28 & 30) where we see the big picture, literally and ﬁ guratively, of what PRODUCT FOCUS 10 some of our customers do. As in past SOFTWARE 10 issues, you’ll see customers we are proud to work with and some of our FA-L AUTOMATION 20 6 new product developments, aimed to ALC IN USE 27 14 give you a competitive edge. “It starts with solid machinery, but it’s the software We work in an industry that is ever- that puts Verschoor Metaal Techniek ahead.” changing. At LVD, we believe our SNAPSHOTS company culture, strongly based 12 “Learn how Industry 4.0 FIENHAGE 12 on family values, is one of the most will affect the sheet important things for us (see what FONDIS 28 metal industry.” we’ve been up to on page 4). Truly SHEET METAL IN ART 30 global, LVD operates in over 45 countries, (see some on page 18), so wherever you may be in this world, INSIGHTS 14 LVD is close by. INDUSTRY 4.0 14 “Travel around the Enjoy reading! THE RIGHT LASER FOR THE JOB 22 world with us as we catch a glimpse

of some recent Carl Dewulf LVD WORLDWIDE 18 18 installations.” President & Managing Director 4 # LVD NEWS LVD NEWS # 5 What is a “Hidden Champion”? Does Personal Ask German professor and business leader, Protective Hermann Simon, he coined the term. In his Equipment book, Hidden Champions of the Twenty- First Century, he defi nes Hidden Champions normally have as “medium-sized companies relatively unknown to the public who have, under the an expiry date? Increasing radar, become world market leaders in their respective industries.” Since then, Professor Yes No Productivity Simon has conducted a study to fi nd Belgian companies deserving of the title. After sur- COMMUNITY If you answered ‘yes’, you’re right! Our In 2012, LVD rolled out an extensive initiative, veying thousands of companies and exten- Human Resources team was looking for World Class Manufacturing (WCM), a sive interviews, we’re proud to say LVD has MATTERS an effective way to educate employees on process-driven approach primarily focused been recognized as a Hidden Champion at safety and introduced a safety campaign. on continual improvement in quality, cost, the annual VOKA (Flanders’ chamber of com- Opening up your doors to up to 6,000 Each month, a safety topic is presented with lead time, fl exibility and customer service. merce) congress event. members of the community is no easy task, a quiz, including questions like the above Firstly, a pilot project that optimized our small just ask Gert Thienpont, head of the “Open title, at the end of the year. A reception is press brake assembly hall was developed, House” committee. “Over 200 employees held for participants and a lucky few win implemented and measured. Results were devoted countless volunteer hours to make prizes for answering the quiz correctly. “It’s incredibly successful, production time was this event such a success. Without them, a fun way to discuss a serious topic” says reduced by 25%. Since then, WCM has it wasn’t possible” And a success it was. Sarah Lerouge, the campaign’s organiser, been rolled out to our Belgian facility’s laser Throughout the one day event, visitors “but aside from being fun, it’s working. In department, welding shop and large press tall and small were guided through LVD’s 2013 we had 84% employee participation brake assembly hall, as well as our facilities assembly hall and demonstration center and work place accidents were down by in the US and Slovakia. and were shown LVD’s latest innovations 50%, and minor at that.” Safety has always in action, as well as customer and supplier been of the utmost importance to LVD and demos. “It’s incredible to see the reaction educating about safety is invaluable. “The of people seeing our products for the fi rst campaign is so much better than simply time. You can tell them all about what our e-mailing employees fact sheets. Employee See you in products do, but it is only when they see engagement has been the key to the the sparks from the laser fl y, the power campaign’s success and more importantly, Bangalore! of the press brakes or when they hear the keeping LVD a safe place to work!” quick-punching sounds of the punch press, Earlier this year, we were pleased to as you see their “aha moment”, which announce the offi cial opening of LVD makes this such a worthwhile event” After Strippit India Pvt Ltd.’s demonstration and the tours, visitors were welcome to refresh- technology centre. Situated in Bangalore ments, snacks and some live music to enjoy (also known as the Silicon Valley of India), the rest of their day. it is the ideal location for LVD to strengthen presence in a quickly growing market. See page 17 to see why Bangalore is on our map. 6 # LEADERS CASE STUDY # 7

VERSCHOOR METAAL TECHNIEK NO MISTAKES

“The ﬁ rst part is the good part, always.”

Kees Verschoor, owner at Verschoor Metaal Techniek, or VMT, knows what it takes to sepa- rate himself from the competition. Operating in Culemborg, a city in the center of the Netherlands, VMT is a job shop of endless capabilities, even

adept to delivering complete welded parts, includ- Kees Verschoor ing assembly and finishing. VMT serves customers throughout Holland, whose products eventually The building blocks volatile market of offi ce furniture, so risk was huge, this is what ultimately for anything from welding to lan- end up worldwide, but they aren’t pinned down The bulk of Kees’ experience starts Kees, the only employee at that time, led to VMT’s growth. guages. to particular industries. The 19-year-old company much before VMT was in the picture. began working from sun-up to sun- is all about flexibility, able to serve any customer. Kees had begun working for an offi ce down. “I was calling potential cus- Kees and his team of now 23 full-time Changing the game furniture manufacturer, fi rst gaining tomers all day, selling good quality employees have become a close-knit Continuous improvement is always “That’s a big part of our strategy,” explains Kees, experience on the shop fl oor and then parts far cheaper than I made them group, as they share the same inter- on Kees’ mind, presumably why he “and the only way that it’s possible is through tech- throughout the company’s different for but this helped me build VMT’s ests for the company. “We’re totally was so quick to answer how he ini- nology. Of course, you need to have solid machin- departments. “I really got a handle customer base. The sheet metal fl at, there is no hierarchy here. tially came to know LVD. Kees had for how a manufacturing company world can be very small, we grew This keeps it simple.” remarks Kees. just taken over some equipment, of ery, but having the right software in place is what works,” reminisces Kees, “and when VMT into a company that manufac- “Everyone here has opportunities. which a 80 ton, 2.5 meter LVD Easy- gives you the edge over competitors.” an opportunity came up to open my turers talked about. Having a solid Our fi rst employee, who is still here, Form press brake was a part of. Kees own shop, I was confi dent. I bought reputation is key.” As time went on, moved around the whole company cites this as a memorable moment some ground and acquired some VMT had established themselves in and now he is where he is comfort- for VMT, as this was when they fi rst sheet metal machinery from an old the industry and beginning in the able. If anyone gets the impression recognized the value of offl ine soft- ® “CADMAN -B completely company.” This is when things really year 2002 VMT started acquiring they’re stuck, they’ll leave.” Kees ware. “Using CADMAN®-B offl ine began. VMT couldn’t afford to be sheet metalworking divisions from further supports employees by software completely changed the changed the process.” dependent on few customers in the other companies, and though the encouraging requests for training, process for the better. Normally, our 8 # LEADERS LEADERS # 9

Paperless, from A to Z Kees is adamant that technology may be the toughest thing to keep up with but it is the most important. He is always thinking about what is next for the company. VMT recently introduced the tablet system that will remove all paper during the manufacturing process. Kees explains, “From the customer drawing to the invoice, not one piece of paper will be used. All details required for a part will be accessed in our app that links the part to a QR code.” What is next for this visionary company? “I can’t go into too much detail, but we have to make 2 parts to achieve down to mutual respect.” Kees was planning and operations that despite it’s good” he says, smiling, and with the right part, it’s 100% too expen- pleased to see the impact that the not adding machinery, VMT’s output a company like VMT, we can trust sive. That isn’t an option for us” software has made regarding the has gone up. “Ultimately,” says Kees, that it is. “It all came down to fl exibility of VMT’s operations. For “the software gives me clarity.” It’s a tough road, but it’s worth it example, if priorities change and a mutual respect.” Kees is a fi rm believer in his custom customer orders a part that they need Quick Response Manufacturing immediately, the system can accom- (QRM) software and has heavily modate the change and adjust the invested time and money to ensure operations schedule without causing “Continuous improvement is fi rst step was to cut the plates, then steep decline in errors completely to it is in tip-top shape. Kees recognized any disturbance. The software inte- bend, but frequently we found our- the software, however the software the value that software could bring gration has been so successful with always on my mind.” selves unable to bend the part. Now, doesn’t only provide value for him, and was realistic about the effort with the software, we consider the it gives the customer vital informa- that it would take to fully exploit the bend sequence before we cut the part tion too. With CADMAN-JOB, Kees capabilities of the software. It was to see fi rst, if it is possible and then can set and meet expectations for decided that VMT wanted to inte- Profi le the precise sequence with the proper the customer to determine when the grate CADMAN-B and CADMAN- tooling and tool set-ups.”, explains part will be delivered. “What LVD JOB into their custom software. Company: Verschoor Metaal Innovative project: VMT developed and manufactured an entire ‘smarter’ Kees. “This solved a lot of problems software gives us is a better con- Kees attributes part of the success Techniek garbage receptacle system starting to be adopted by many cities. Garbage is for us, not only did it remove any trolled process”, allowing VMT to be of the integration to VMT’s relation- crushed after being tossed in the bin, enabling one bin to hold up to 5 times wait time the operator had incurred more transparent. VMT can com- ship with LVD. “When a customer Website: www.vmtbv.nl more garbage. due to these errors but most impor- fortably put a price in front of the approaches me with a part, I like to Since: 1995 Equipped with: Three LVD Easy-Form press brakes tantly, the fi rst part we made became customer, before operations, and not work together to fi nd the best solu- the good part, always.” have to worry about margins chang- tion for them, no matter what it Works with: stainless steel up to Software: CADMAN®-B automatically unfolds the part and determines ing. VMT knows the market trend of takes. It was the same when working 15 mm, steel up to 20mm and alumi- the optimum bend sequence, gauging positions and tool selection for Now Kees has CADMAN®-B and smaller batches well and Kees puts with LVD, they really listened to my num up to 12 mm but VMT doesn’t minimum tool stations and part turns. CADMAN®-JOB organizes and CADMAN®-JOB fully integrated into the consequence into layman’s terms needs and we worked together to get shy away from other materials like schedules the fabrication shop workload, classifying and grouping jobs copper or high strain steel when the in the most effi cient manner to increase throughput, minimize set-up his operations. Kees attributes the “If a customer orders one part, and to the ultimate outcome. It all came opportunity arises time and streamline workfl ow. 10 # PRODUCT FOCUS PRODUCT FOCUS # 11

TOUCH-B TOUCH-L SOFTWARE ® Fully integrated with CADMAN , Touch-B gives your press brake Fully integrated with CADMAN, ® operator dynamic control with an easy-to-use interface. Touch-L gives your laser operator “Welcome to CADMAN -Suite version 8!” dynamic control with an easy-to-use What’s new? interface. - With the feature visualization of part documents, there is no need for paper. Every detail of the part that is needed for quality What’s new? verifi cation can be accessed with the controller. - Adaptive Laser Cutting (ALC) is - No more surprises for your press brake operators- see the entire now included in Touch-L! Available bend sequence simulation- including springback angle and colli- on Impuls and Sirius Plus, ALC The latest version of CADMAN® is loaded with flexible new sion check to ensure hassle-free bending. technology enables real-time features in our offline software CADMAN®-B, CADMAN®- - Machine status is clearly indicated with new machine status monitoring and feedback of your lighting on the cover of your press brake- working mode (green), laser cutting and can increase your JOB as well as the software you’ll find in the controllers, idle mode (blue), contact has been made with backgauge fi ngers productivity by 10%. See more on Touch-B and Touch-L. Here’s a few highlights… (yellow) and error mode (red). page 27. - The 19” Touch-L touch screen allows any level of user to interact with the machine. The intuitive interface keeps set-ups fast and uncompli- cated. - Take a DXF-fi le from the network or a USB-stick and apply cutting tech- CADMAN-B CADMAN-JOB nology, nest and cut the part with Combined with our high-precision press-brake technology, our Organize and schedule your fabrication shop work- minimal input. Easily add remnant offl ine bending software ensures quality- from the very fi rst piece. load, group jobs effi ciently to increase throughput, cutting lines, change type and posi- minimize set-up time and streamline workfl ow. tion of lead-ins and add a micro-joint What’s new? if needed. - Open Sheet Metal (OSM). OSM plug-in for SolidWorks enables What’s new? seamless and automatic 2D and 3D transfers into CADMAN - The new mode Resource Management organ- without feature loss. Notches are cut as originally designed but izes items such as sheets, materials and tools the unfolding may change depending on the chosen tools. so that you have a full overview of your pro- - Dynamic Virtual Simulation of a full bend sequence, including duction recourses. springback angle for collision checks. Give production the ulti- - Add extra production documents in PDF, mate visibility on the exact process that will take place. JPEG, BMP or SAT formats with the parts. - During set-up calculation, the improved tool-setup intelligence Other valuable production information ID’s ensures you avoid any unnecessary complications. Checks for can be identifi ed and imported with tags for collisions, minimizes tool station length and Z-axis limits are parts. taken into account. - At the end of the day, check your production order and job list reports, to review and report on the status of production. 12 # SNAPSHOT SNAPSHOT # 13

Fienhage GmbH’s core products are husbandry systems for laying hens, chicks, breeding hens and broiler hens. With a solid strategy, Fienhage also has the capacity to manufacturer as a subcontractor, mainly as protection from volatile markets.

Based in the village of Lutten in The aviary-style systems soon North-East Germany, Fienhage sup- became very popular, with their plies customers around the world success helped by changes in with aviary-style systems for raising European legislation. Battery cages and keeping poultry. Aviary systems were banned by the EU in 2012, provide birds a large living space, deemed too restrictive and harmful FIENHAGE with room to move freely and ﬂ y. to the welfare of hens, however Germany enforced the ban in 2007. The story of how Fienhage has “All the traditional battery cages had evolved is the story of a rural to be changed to new husbandry SPREADS ITS economy adapting to changing times. systems at very short notice. In The company was founded in 1900, response to this market demand we when Managing Director Hans- extended our production so that we Juergen Fienhage’s forefathers were could meet our customers’ needs,” WINGS woodworkers making pallets for the says Mr Fienhage. local peat industry. He says his grand- father branched out into making But the company had to stay ﬂ ex- wooden wagon wheels and later ible and innovative to continue to started to make the typical wooden thrive. As markets in Europe fell feed silos used in North Germany. back, Fienhage built a new customer “When I joined the company in the base in Russia, the Middle East and 1980s I started the production of Asia and broadened its portfolio to laying nests for hens while my father become a single-source supplier. continued to concentrate on feed Today the company continues to silos. Then, at the turn of the century, grow, build its markets and innovate I started to manufacture modern – and it’s come a long way from its aviary systems for poultry.” woodworking origins.

As the poultry market moved more Fienhage is equipped with Strippit V, and more towards free-fl ying aviary Alpha and Global punching machines, systems, it became clear that metal fi ve PPEB and two PPEC press brakes. fabrications were the way forward – so Fienhage’s started its relationship www.fi enhage.com with LVD. 14 # INSIGHT INSIGHT # 15

WIM SERRUYS, DIRECTOR OF ENGINEERING INDUSTRY 4.0

Disruptive innovation, simply Sectors like the auto industry have have helped us manufacture prod- The key is understanding how to put, fundamentally trans- already emerged as early-adopters to ucts quicker, cheaper and all in all, fi lter this information to extract the concept of Industry 4.0, but how better. what is valuable. The same applies forms the way we do the things will this revolution effect the sheet Industry 4.0 changes the game by to Industry 4.0- with all machines we do. These innovations are metalworking industry and what is adding intelligence to the mix and being social, there will be a lot of creating shifts in every sector. LVD’s plan for integration? not just aiming for smarter machines data, but extracting the meaning of or software, but a smart factory; a the data is the most important, and Thanks to the internet, chil- The innovation, developed by the factory where machines, products, perhaps the most daunting part. dren in developing countries German Academy of Science and tools and software communicate now have a better chance Technology, and its namesake follow with each other. This is where Having human-centred products the fi rst, second and third industrial we’ll see the most adoption in the has always been a must for LVD than ever to receive an educa- revolution; the development of the sheet metal industry; machines will and we make no exception in tion. The mobile phone, e-mail mechanical loom in 1784, the realiza- become social, sharing information our Industry 4.0 technology. We and social media overturned tion of mass production at the begin- with Manufacturing Execution present the data using different ning of the 20th century and the Systems (MES). Decision-makers get viewpoints, offering complete trans- the communication market. automation of production through real-time insights from the shop fl oor parency of the entire value chain. In manufacturing, the next technology of the 70’s, respectively. and instant control of production We do not impose a production looming innovation is deemed How will Industry 4.0 radically processes. control strategy as a cost based or change manufacturing across the time based approach will yield con- so disruptive that it is con- globe? It certainly has a lot to live up For LVD, Industry 4.0 is the logical fl icting results. We offer the tools sidered the fourth industrial to, each preceding industrial revo- further step in our integration phi- to measure the Key Performance revolution or, Industry 4.0. lution introduced technologies that losophy. All of our products are Indicators (KPIs) that matter: already social, enabled through our Overall Equipment Effectiveness software suite, CADMAN®. Our (OEE), lead time, Work in Process Touch-X series controls are seam- (WIP), delivery performance, giving lessly integrated with all CADMAN you the true insight of your overall modules, covering the entire value performance. chain of sheet metal; starting with

Internet of Everything a 3D CAD ﬁ le, guiding the produc- The changes Industry 4.0 bring will tion team to a ﬁ nished part with the be substantive enough to alter the People to people shortest lead time and best quality. sheet metal industry. We’ll have People (P2P) more information about our pro- People to Home Mobile machine Industry 4.0 is a technology that duction and performance than ever (P2M) Process For LVD, Industry 4.0 is the allows access to any information before. Having the right tools to Things Data you might need, but information is decipher this data and what its true logical further step in our not the same as knowledge. In our implications are will give you the Business Machine to machine (M2M) daily lives we’re bombarded with ability to take advantage of the new integration philosophy. more information than ever before. developments Industry 4.0 brings.

source: Cisco IBSG, 2013 16 # LEADERS LEADERS # 17

SPOTLIGHT ON IDEAL BANGALORE

“Both Ideal Design and DESIGN LVD now call Bangalore a piece of home.”

Ideal Design, a Dubai based point- The journey to productivity Making strides in India of-sale display unit manufac- When Ideal Design made Fast forward to December 2013, the switch to metal, they when Ideal Design opened its turer, started out producing units could offer customers a new facility in Bangalore to 3rd using wood and acrylic. They still more durable, higher quality respond to a growing consumer largest city product, not to mention the base in India and South Asia. manu facture display units but in India with a population of obvious benefi ts that come Spread across 50,000 square now they’re in the metal business. with fl at-pack shipping. There feet and employing nearly 80, Thomas D’Souza, Jacob Kattukaran, 10.2 million Today, with customers like Nestlé, Director was just one piece missing: Ideal Design does all processes founder and chairman 3M, Procter & Gamble, Unilever the productivity. Their initial in-house, from concept to investments were entry level punching machines from an completion. When it came time to choose their machinery, and Sony and a new facility in Italian company, but that just left Ideal Design to search for Jacob Kattukaran, founder and chairman says the choice Bangalore, India, Ideal Design is a machine with a lot more performance. Enter: the LVD was clear, “The relationship we had with LVD meant that Bangalore soaring to new heights. Siena. “With the Siena,” explains Director Thomas D’Souza, we were confi dent that they would offer the same level of “our production stepped up. The business was growing and support we received in Dubai.” A part of their equipment our output, quality and accuracy went way up.” The Siena, fl eet was an Orion Plus with load/unload automation, four Bangalore is known as the which today, has been replaced by the Strippit-M, has PPEC press brakes and two Strippit-PX punch presses. Mr. a 20 ton hydraulic system with a 47-station thick turret Kattukaran refers to the latter as his workhorses, “For one of Silicon Valley of India confi guration. Along with the Siena, Ideal Design installed our clients we delivered 7000 display units in a record nine which is no surprise since it is home to close to an Orion 2.5 kW laser. Adding laser technology gave Ideal days! Anyone else would have taken at least one month, if Design the freedom to produce more complex shapes and not more.” The Strippit PX offers Ideal Design more versa- work on thicker material, allowing the company to offer a tility than any other punch press, with punching, tapping, 250 wider range of electrical panels. bending and forming capabilities. software & IT companies “Our focus was able to “Since adding the LVD machinery, our focus was able to Mr. D’Souza and Mr. Kattukaran cite that their sales strategy shift to uninterrupted production,” continues Mr. D’Souza, is to get customers to the shop fl oor so that they can see what shift to uninterrupted “which is crucial since lead times on point-of-sale displays Ideal Design’s machinery is capable of. This idea of not only 21 engineering can be as short as 30 days, including sourcing the material, promising the customer quality, but showing the customer universities production.” manufacturing and delivery to the store.” quality has made the difference in their success. - more than any other city worldwide www.idealsign.com 18 # LVD WORLDWIDE LVD WORLDWIDE # 19

Belgium Germany With their recent Lansing is Europe’s fi rst Strippit PX customer! addition of a Sirius The PX is LVD’s latest punch press, combin- GLOBAL REACH Plus 3015 4 kW laser ing punching, forming, bending and tapping. cutting machine and Specializing in complex construction projects, offl ine software CADMAN®-JOB, Lansing’s investment in the PX aligns well with their motto We’re working hard to equip leading manufacturers across Metaalhandel Christiaens NV is “Stable, effi cient, and safe”… not to mention innovative! the world with our sheet metalworking machinery. Here’s a readier than ever to meet customers’ laser cutting needs. Founded in 1975, China glimpse at some recent instal lations, worldwide. Christiaens remains a strong fami- 1 in 4 elevators in China are made with ly-owned company supporting the parts manufactured by Hangzhou Xizi construction industry in Belgium. Trust Technology Co., Ltd. Constantly growing, Xizi Trust recently built a new factory for the manufacturing of higher grade elevator components and chose one Easy-Form 170/30, two PPEB-8 170/40, a PPEB-5 320/40 USA press brake and two MVS shears to Over 40 years ago, Philips Precision equip the new facility. Medicraft started as a small work- station in the founder’s basement. Malaysia Today, the advanced orthopedic Located in Kuala Lumpur, Supreme implant manufacturer runs two Steel Makers Sdn Bhd. is Malaysia’s state-of-the-art facilities with 200 biggest stainless steel stockist and employees. Taking their laser pro- dealer in Malaysia. Adding to their duction to the next level, PPM impressive list of four Impuls and has recently purchased a three Axel laser cutting machines and 2 kW Electra fi ber laser other LVD press brake and shearing for incredibly fast laser machines, they’ve recently installed cutting. an Easy-Form 1000/81 press brake.

Brazil Hungary Brazil is among the largest players in the world of agri- Global manufacturer of agri- business, with an annual grain production of over 145 cultural machinery, McHale Australia million tons, of which 90 million go through Morocco Hungária Kft specializes in Brisbane’s DVR Metal Industries Pty Ltd. certainly stays one of Kepler Weber’s products. The Sofamel is doing some heavy-duty balers and wrappers for the produc- ahead of the curve. DVR was LVD’s fi rst Dyna-Press customer! company specializes in and manufac- bending for the industrial electricity tion of round and square baled silage, and DVR’s strategic mandate to stay equipped with the latest tech- tures complete grain storage solutions. sector, with main clients in the Maghreb round bales of hay and straw that farmers, nology keeps them competitive and able to keep staff levels Kepler Weber operates the fi rst ToolCell region of Africa. Their recent invest- worldwide, can depend on. The installation low. In addition to the super-compact press brake, DVR is also 135/30 in South America. ment of a Tandem 640 ton press brake of their second Easy-Form 135/30 is a tes- equipped with a ToolCell, our automated tool-changing press enables bends of up to 12 meters specifi - tament to the higher productivity, accuracy brake among other LVD sheet metal solutions. cally for lamppost manufacturing. and reliability the press brake brings.

see the ToolCell in action 20 # PRODUCT FOCUS PRODUCT FOCUS # 21

THE LATEST Flexible automation in numbers Sheet dimension: 1000 x 1000 up to 3050 x 1525

Sheet thickness: 0,5 mm up to 12 mm IN AUTOMATION Capacity input pallet: 3000 kg, 240 mm (including wood pallet) Capacity output pallet: 3000 kg, 240 mm

“The idea for the new flexible automation came from a customer” explains Cycle times: - Unloading ﬁ nished parts/loading new sheet within 40 sec. Thierry De Vleeschouwer, Laser Product Manager, Engineering, “They - Minimum laser-cutting time for uninterrupted cycle 60 sec.

were interested in the purchase of our fiber laser, the Electra, but wanted Optional: second loading table, scratch free unloading, warehouse integration automation that can keep pace with its high speeds.”

That got our engineering team think- unload tables. “In doingg this,, loadingg Additionally,y, if yyou have a ware- ing. Customers that are laser cutting and unloadingunloading happens simultanesimultane-- househouse already existinexisting,g, no problem, thin material at high cutting speeds ously, ggivingiving the FA-LFA-L enoughenough speed thethe warehouse can be inteintegratedgrated in will of course have a fraction of the toto handle the Electra oror SiriusSirius PlPlus.us.” thethe automation pprocessrocess of the FFA-LA-L ttoo processing time a customer cutting continues Mr.Mr. De VVleeschouwer.leeschouwer. lloadoad raw materialsmaterials.. thick material will have, therefore require automation that can keep up. Additionally, customers need to have the ﬂ exibility to manually load thicker materials, when the need arises. This brings us to our latest offering in automation: the Flexible Automation for Lasers (FA-L) can unload a ﬁ nished sheet and load the next sheet on the table- all within forty seconds. Shuttle tables remain easily accessible to load thicker material manually. FA-L is now available on our Sirius Plus and Electra laser cutting machines.

How do we get this running so quickly? To streamline the load/unload process, we’ve separated the load/ 22 # INSIGHTS INSIGHT # 23

Since fiber technology or wood based products. When you laser doesn’t need a lot of components speed that gets you more parts in less order stainless with a protective plastic, that CO lasers need and requires sig- time, is the cutting speed. has made its way into the 2

remember to order it with a “special nifi cantly less maintenance than a CO2 sheet metalworking indus- protection fi lm suitable for fi ber lasers” machine. Some of the maintenance on Machine dynamics mean everything try, we’ve seen custom- if you want to cut material and protec- the basic machine mechanics will, of for fi ber technology ers grappling with how tion in one pass. course, remain. This is a big thing for fi ber. Fiber technology itself is relatively new and we’re to choose what’s right for Fiber really can generate energy savings No gas, no gain just at the forefront at seeing what it them. Should the industry Buying a “greener” machine is a win- To cut faster with a fi ber laser in thin can really accomplish. For LVD, we

win, not only do you make a difference materials, you need to use nitrogen. knew fi tting a CO2 laser cutting machine abandon CO2 lasers? Or are in the environment, but you will see the Point. When cutting thin steel with with a fi ber laser wasn’t the right way fiber lasers simply a fad? difference on your power bill. Across oxygen, speeds are comparable with a to approach fi ber, it wouldn’t achieve

Not surprisingly, it’s some- the industries, fi ber lasers experience CO2 laser. the cutting speeds that fi ber promises. where in between. 30% energy effi ciency- an impressive That’s why we built the Electra from the

number, compared to CO2’s 10%. Not every speed means the same thing ground up, to truly exploit all advan- Fiber technology is fast, we all know tages fi ber has to offer. (Not quite) maintenance free this, but are we all measuring the same As you can see, choosing a laser cutting KURT VAN COLLIE, PRODUCT MANAGER LASERS The fi ber laser has signifi cant advan- “kind” of speed? For example, having a machine isn’t easy, but as always, tages over CO2 lasers in the mainte- fast travel speed is great on paper but knowledge is power. Curious about nance department, but be wary of the unless you’re cutting contours far apart what’s right for your notion that there will be no mainte- from each other, this masks the speed company? THE RIGHT LASER nance. Due to fi ber technology, a fi ber that actually creates an impact. The Let’s talk- [email protected] FOR THE JOB THE BATTLE

When customers reach out to us to gas consumption, maintenance and aluminum the quality of the cutting the parts are mild steel Fiber laser - 2 kW CO laser - 4 kW cut with nitrogen help them decide which laser cutting consumables cost. We’re also trying to edge is inferior to the one of CO2 lasers. 2 machine is best for them, we always help customers understand why and We’ve done tests on all sorts of materi- THICKNESS 1 mm - PART 1 come back to what we consider the only how things like part quality, material als and thicknesses and we keep coming 78 43 valid indicator, cost per part. Defi ning type, thickness, electricity effi ciency back to the same results, so we don’t € 0.50 € 0.89 the cost of manufacturing your parts and cutting speed come into play. Here’s push a fi ber solution when we know

and comparing with your productivity some insight to set the record straight. CO2 does a better job. For now, CO2 THICKNESS 2 mm - PART 2 will give you insight to your ROI. remains the most fl exible laser cutting 100 62 Purchasing a machine is, of course, a Fiber is not the best choice for thick technology. € 0.43 € 0.63 substantial investment and we want material to ensure your direct gains are as high We’ve seen fi ber technology recently Range of materials THICKNESS 3 mm - PART 3 as possible. We help guide you to the being pushed as a solution for thick The shorter wavelength of fi ber lasers 91 83 machine that will give you real results materials. There’s no question, fi ber is better absorbed by high refl ective € 0.54 € 0.46 and affect the bottom line, whether it’s is able to cut thick material. What’s and conductive materials like copper or

fi ber or CO2. To determine cost per part, missing here is that fi ber’s cost per part brass, making fi ber the better choice. On THICKNESS 4 mm - PART 4

we consider factors such as the overall is higher than CO2 in thick material. the other hand, ﬁ ber laser cannot cut 30 36 cost of the machine, production hours, Furthermore, for thick stainless and most non-metals like polymers (plastics) € 1.70 € 1.20

Number of parts per hour (Fiber) Cost per part (Fiber) Number of parts per hour (CO2) Cost per part (CO2) 24 # LEADERS LEADERS # 25

Victor Manufacturing is one of the UK’s top catering And run you did. Victor thrived VICTOR MANUFACTURING equipment manufacturers, designing and producing despite the economic slump, experi- encing 37% increased turnover from a range of stainless steel units for schools, hotels, 2009-2010 to 2012-2013. Now that restaurants, stadiums, and hospitals. This year Victor the catering industry is back on track, GETTING THE turns 70, and they have a lot to celebrate. Victor was how do you plan to continue growth? PW: By entering new markets. Retail, recognized by the London Stock Exchange as one of for example, is a market we’ve just the country’s fastest growing small-to-medium sized started to penetrate. Under a year ago RECIPE RIGHT businesses, out of three million candidates. This year, we became the sole-source vendor to bakery giant Greggs for their coun- they’re planning for 15% growth. What is Victor’s tertops, tills and refrigeration units. recipe for success? To help us figure that out, we sat (Editor’s note: Greggs is the leading down with Phil Williams, Operations Director and Bob bakery retailer in the UK, with over 1600 retail outlets and serving almost 1 Morris, Production Manager. million customers every day.) This kind of custom work wouldn’t be possible without our latest LVD Easy-Form press brakes.

How did Victor become the cut- What were some obstacles Victor has How did your Easy-Form press brakes ting-edge catering equipment manu- made it through? drive development? facturer that it is today? Phil Williams (PW): We still cite the PW: It all comes down to the accu- Bob Morris (BM): Originally a family recession of 2008 as a difﬁ cult period for racy that the Easy-Form press brakes owned company, Victor started out Victor. During a recession, it’s logical that brings. It has changed what we man- manufacturing paint cans and tea- hospitality is an industry that suffers. ufacture and how we manufacture. towel dryers. As the hospitality indus- We had to respond quickly, we kept all We are able to avoid more expensive try in the 60’s started to develop, of our skilled employees and made some processes like welding and secondary Victor responded by producing stan- big investments in training and capital processes like polishing, because our dard hot cupboards and banqueting equipment. While some other players in bends on the Easy-Form are always carts. Many of the products you see the market just trimmed down, we were consistent. Not only that, but the press today still have the same concept, adding. When the recession ended, we brakes have enabled us to bring pro- improved over the years. were ready to hit the ground running. cesses back in-house. This means we can offer a great product at a lower cost to the customer and maintain PHIL WILLIAMS margins. It gives us a competitive advantage. “Entering new markets So, it’s safe to say investing in lead- wouldn’t be possible without ing-edge machinery is supporting Victor’s overall growth. What factors our latest LVD Easy-Form came into play when you were sourcing your press brakes? press brakes.” BM: We were in the market to replace 26 # LEADERS PRODUCT FOCUS # 27 LASER TECHNOLOGY

our existing press brakes and integra- ALC IN USE tion with software had to be a part of that. There were a handful of potential suppliers, but quickly, it came down to two. In the end, we saw the Easy-Form “We recommend ALC starting from 8 mm as ‘the whole package’. LVD offers a machine that has everything we were upwards to 25 mm thick mild steel material.” looking for, it would have been a compromise to go with someone else. On a visit to the LVD demonstration centre, How has the skills gap in the indus- spirit of strong investments in people Cutting thick mild steel materials? ALC or Adaptive Laser Cutting is bringing laser cut accuracy and consistency to we met some technical and program- try impacted Victor? and technology and always seeking another level. ALC technology uses continuous feedback to monitor and regulate laser power, speed and assist gas pres- ming engineers and realized LVD has PW: Given the aging demograph- to improve, we see steady, well-man- sure- all in real time. These in-process capabilities provide up to a 10% increase in productivity but don’t just take our all the key ingredients under one roof. ics of the workforce, we have to be aged growth in Victor’s future. word for it, we asked two customers using ALC for some feedback. We wanted to make sure that if we had proactive in our succession plan- an issue or we wanted to develop some- ning. We actively support appren- thing, we could talk directly to our sup- ticeships; we see each apprentice as of reasons. First of all, we always want to 25mm plate on the machine and the plier, not to a third party. the future of our business. It’s been to have the very latest generation of ALC allows you to change more quickly a successful initiative, we currently Proﬁ le machines and the newest technological from thin sheet to thick plate – it helps

Has the integration between machine have seven apprentices here and a Thorsten Paul, developments on the market. By using to ﬁ ne-tune the setup. It also helps to and software been successful? few former apprentices have risen in Company: Victor Director, ALC we would be able to achieve even overcome problems associated with var- Wiropa, Germany BM: From my point of view, the ofﬂ ine the company to take on technical and Manufacturing Ltd. www.wiropa.de better cutting results than we were iability in material composition. We can software from LVD is much more management roles. Not only do we already getting. also cut components and features that Website: www.victoronline.co.uk advanced than others on the market, train, but we encourage development “At our facility in Germany, we’ve With the automatic compensation you otherwise would not be able to cut

it gives us much more capability and and progression in the company. Since: 1944 installed a 12m by 3m Impuls laser system we can cut faster and still achieve at all – you simply wouldn’t be able to suited what we were after. It’s allowed system with ALC. Wiropa specializes in a higher level of accuracy. Plus, an inex- program them. us to eliminate 2D drawings and that Victor’s fi rst 70 years have been, Works with: stainless steel products for areas such as shipbuilding, perienced operator can achieve excellent ALC gives us an advantage over our makes operations so much smoother, without a doubt, successful. What’s wind turbines, bridges, and ski lifts. results and it speeds up changeovers. competitors, because we can offer some- Innovation: Victor has received taking a nine step process down to a two. your secret? We wanted to have ALC for a number We cut anything from 1mm material up thing that they can’t.” huge recognition for building In this industry, there’s been a skills gap BM: In today’s highly competitive sustainable products, including an for some time and CADMAN®-B offl ine market, you have to distinguish energy savings gantry, making a software bridges that gap. yourself. By staying true to the Victor huge impact for multi-site operators, three shifts. When we were consider- happy about. We can put a plate on saving up to € 28,900 for fi fty sites. ing our next laser purchase, we wanted without having to worry about its con- new technology, to increase our capac- dition when it comes off the machine. Equipped with: two LVD Easy- Form press brakes Geoff Cotton, ity and to do something a bit different. In the industry, you can hear horror Director, We went for an Impuls 12 m by 3 m for stories about lasers that won’t cut, this BOB MORRIS Profi le Cutting ® Software: CADMAN -B Services, our site in Oakland and a 6.5 m by 3 m certainly is not the case here. ALC meas- New Zealand “It would have been a automatically unfolds the part for Christchurch, both with ALC. There ures the quality of the cut and opti- and determines the optimum “PCS started out in the 1980’s from our are things on this laser that we couldn’t mizes speed, so for us this is great. This bend sequence, gauging compromise to go with positions and tool selection founder’s garage. After growing stead- have cut before. Now we’re cutting in is ground-breaking technology that for minimum tool stations ily over the years, we’re now operating high-defi nition, which we’re more than nobody else has. Only LVD offers it.” someone else.” and part turns. ALC is now available as a standard feature on 4 kW Sirius and Sirius Plus and all Impuls laser cutting systems. 28 # SNAPSHOT SNAPSHOT # 29

FONDIS SA Whether its style is classic or contemporary, gathering by the fi replace remains one of winter’s fi nest pleasures. For 35 years, Fondis has been producing fi re- ART ON FIRE places in metal, glass and stone ranges based completely on innovation, and that is not simply hearsay. Since 2003, Fondis has fi led over twenty patents, including “Designer and manufacturer of classic their latest “Zero CO” technology, reduc-

ing CO2 and dust emissions by 90%. Innovation is a key word to Fondis, but chimneys, contemporary fi replaces and not only for their products. “The shop fl oor looks nothing like it did even a wood stoves in Alsace, France.” couple of years ago,” says Fred Haas, Technical Director of Fondis. “We completely redefi ned our entire production line, now every process maximizes productivity.” This organizational shift not only addressed processes but also Fondis’ investment in new machinery, one of the most important being LVD’s automated tool-changing press brake, the ToolCell. Fondis’ operating team needs a new tooling set-up roughly every 30 minutes. Manual tool set-up time can add up quickly, and since the installation of their ToolCell, Mr. Haas explains, “We’re saving fi ve to seven minutes on every tool change,” resulting in up to an hour of time savings throughout an eight hour shift. “We were one of the fi rst companies in the world to have a ToolCell, its automated tool-changing capability has eliminated so much unproductive time we didn’t realize we were losing.” Along with the ToolCell Fondis is equipped with a Easy-Form press brake “Innovation is a key word and a Orion 2.5 kW laser cutting machine. to Fondis, but not only for

their products.” www.fondis.com 30 # SNAPSHOT SNAPSHOT # 31

SHEET METAL IN ART

Wim Delvoye, often deemed the rebel of modern art, is a Belgian neo- conceptual artist known for his inventive projects. One of which being the creation of life-size construction equipment with Corten steel, laser cut to create an intricate neo-gothic style; juxtaposing medieval craftsmanship with machine-age technology. The work of Delvoye is characterized by an immense interest in artisanal (but not directly art-related) production process. Wim’s artwork has been displayed worldwide, from the Louvre to the New Museum of Contempory Art, in New York. TAKE THE LEAD IN HIGH-QUALITY LASER CUTTING WITH SIRIUS + ALC

LVD leads the way to quality assured, high reliability and consistent laser cutting with the latest generation Sirius CO2 series laser cutting machine with in built ALC technology. Adaptive Laser Cutting is a new laser cutting technology LASER that automatically adapts cutting parameters to increase productivity by up to 10 %, increase cutting reliability and PUNCH reduce scrap. BEND Learn more about maximizing your laser cutting performance and quality with the new Sirius series laser cutting systems TOTAL SOLUTIONS with integrated ALC technology.

More info? www.lvdgroup.com/sirius/en LVDGROUP.COM