FOCUS ON TUBE workbenches. The company is run today by managing director, Andy Colley, following in his grandfather’ s footsteps and still very much committed to the founding principles of strength and reliable performance. In early 2023, Redhill Manufacturing moved to new 52,000 sq-ft premises.
L-R: Storage rack, a trolley and large commercial steps built by Redhill Manufacturing.
Making the choice
Redhill’ s introduction to Nukon fibre laser machines came when the company was discussing the purchase of two all-electric tube bending machines from Unison Ltd, a specialist in all-electric tube manipulation.
“ I had read good things about Unison’ s British-built, all-electric‘ Breeze’ tube bending machines,” said Andy Colley.“ I therefore got in touch with Unison to find out more about its range with a Andy Colley. view to ordering two 30mm( tube diameter) single-stack models; one to replace a machine that we had lost in a fire at our previous premises and the second for additional capacity.”
It was during a meeting to discuss the specification of Redhill Manufacturing’ s two tube benders that the conversation turned to fibre laser machines.
“ I had a requirement for laser cutting but wasn’ t aware that Unison had a sister company, the UK and Ireland distributor for Nukon’ s fibre lasers,” added Andy Colley.“ At the time, I didn’ t really know a great deal about the Nukon brand so Nukon Lasers UK’ s sales director, Steve Haddrell, took me to visit a company in Sheffield that had been using a Nukon flat sheet metal laser for around a year. [ This enabled me to ] see the machine in action and talk to the operators about their experiences of using it.”
Hearing how the Nukon flat sheet metal laser had streamlined the process of cutting complex components at the Sheffield business, Andy Colley then travelled to Nukon’ s European HQ to see one of its tube and pipe fibre laser machines in action.
“ The build quality was very good and the accuracy excellent and, like the Nukon flat sheet metal laser, the tube laser machine was competitively priced( particularly considering features that included nLIGHT fibre lasers with adaptive beam optimisation, and Lantek Expert nesting software),” Colley explained.
“ Like Redhill’ s Nukon ECO 315 4kW flat sheet metal fibre laser, its new NKT-125 2kW tube and pipe laser machine was selected for its speed, easy programming, precision and versatility. These are essential requirements for businesses dealing with small production runs( in this case, cutting pipe with round, oval, square and rectangular profiles),” Nukon Lasers UK told ISMR.
Reduced cutting times
Since installation, the Nukon tube and pipe laser has streamlined the production of many of Redhill Manufacturing’ s products.
Its BSI-Kitemarked access steps are one such example. Previously, lengths of tubing would be cut to size using a bandsaw, then drilled, slotted and mitred, before having their ends flattened for welding. The entire process typically took around ten minutes per component. In comparison, the Nukon tube and pipe laser takes around 30 seconds to complete the same task, a process that also includes scalloping the tube ends to avoid any need for end flattening before welding. The cutting of hanging holes, ready for the painting stage of several components, has also been simplified.
The NKT-125 control.
“ All in all, with no secondary operations to carry out, the Nukon tube and pipe machine has allowed us to free up two staff members for other duties,” confirmed Andy Colley.
Redhill’ s Nukon NKT-125 2kW tube and pipe laser has also helped to simplify the design and manufacture of many of Redhill’ s existing and new products. Over recent months, the Redhill team has redesigned several of its ranges to further benefit from the efficiencies that the machine brings to the manufacturing process. New products that have been made possible by the considerable flexibility of the laser include a highly customisable range of‘ Build your own’ and‘ Ready to go’ picking trolleys and an innovative range of powered sack trucks, in association with MGB Easy Handling. n
The Nukon NKT-125 pipe and profile cutter
■ Designed for pipe, square profile, rectangular profile, channel and L-section cutting.
■ Maximum cross-section cut capability: 125mm ² for profiles and Ø180mm for pipes.
■ Optional automated loading system for bale profiles and pipe bundles.
■ 1kW to 4kW power options.
■ Optional automated unloading system.
■ 8000mm maximum profile or pipe length.
About Nukon Lasers UK
The sister company of UK-based tubebending machinery specialist, Unison Ltd, Nukon Lasers UK is the exclusive UK and Ireland distributor for Nukon’ s European-built 2D, 3D and tube fibre laser cutting machines, press brakes and loading & unloading solutions. The Nukon Lasers UK team offers machinetool service, training, maintenance and technical support, in addition to service contracts and service level agreements that can be tailored to specific requirements.
www. redhillmanufacturing. co. uk
www. nukonlasers. co. uk
ISMR July / August 2025 | ismr. net | 43