Investment boosting business for Arford

Arford Steel Profiles strengthened its portfolio by spending £300,000 on a hi-tech plasma cutting machine in October

The equipment is now up and running after a complex installation process at the company's Stallings Lane site and owner Diane Kimberley said there has already been strong interest from customers.

She said: "The plasma machine gives us a massive boost because it means we can complete orders quicker and more precisely than ever before.

"It has only been running for a week and we've already won business that we wouldn't have if we had continued with only our flame cutting equipment.

"Speed, precision and quality are the big watchwords in this industry these days and bringing in plasma technology means we are in a better position to meet all of our customers' requirements."

The Plasma Viper machine has been brought in from Esprit Automation, in Nottingham, whose experts spent three weeks installing the equipment.

Ms Kimberley added: "We bought it last month and it was switched on for the first time in the middle of October.

"It's an impressive piece of kit and it wasn't just a case of plugging it in and away we go.

"Esprit sent specialised technicians over to carry out the installation process and it was quite a big operation.

"They first had to make sure the machine was perfectly level by putting it on special rails and pipes for the gasses it uses had to be properly connected.

"It was quite a long process, but we're up and running now and we're looking forward to benefits the new equipment can bring to the business."

Together with higher cutting speeds than its traditional flame-based cousin, CNC plasma cutting also gives superb edge and bolt-ready hole quality, with cutting thicknesses from 2mm to 50mm.

Inert gas is blown from a nozzle to form an electrical arc hot enough to melt the metal and fast enough to blow molten residue away from the cut.

Fibre-optic digital CNC means the machine will immediately provide greater precision in the most demanding of applications and its flexibility gives Arford the option of moving into new markets in the future.

The machine has already prompted a further addition to the company's 13-strong workforce and existing employees, used to working on flame cutting machines and CAD/CAM equipment, have now been trained to use plasma too.

It leaves Ms Kimberley, who has been in the steel industry all of her working life, excited about the future prospects of a business she took over in 2006.

She said: "We've been experiencing consistent demand for a while now and my decision to make such a big investment now was in response to that.

"It's great to see the new machine up and working and hopefully it will be even better to see the effect it has on the company.

"People seem to want precise products yesterday and now we can meet those demands.

"Flame cutting machines, for example, would perhaps take an hour to craft steel to the dimensions of a table-top whereas plasma cutting would take seven minutes.

"We're keeping our flame cutting machines on site because plasma can't deal with thicker material.

"But with many years of experience in the trade, we can now provide the all-round service to add to our reputation for precision and professionalism."