SAISC profile
Spencer visits new SAISC member
TW Tube and Laser Processing
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By Spencer Erling , Education Director , SAISC
The company ’ s origin lies in TW Profiling Services who have been in the business of laser and profile cutting , plasma and guillotine and rolling and bending since 1994 . The shareholders , Tharin Stuart , Joost Smuts and Robbie Carelse ( who oversees production ) recognized a need for profiling open hot rolled and closed profiles and decided to set up a new operation to service this need . They all have steel related backgrounds .
Contact details : TWTLP : Tharin 083 325 3590 / 087 985 0643
First Cut ( Pty ) Ltd ( SA agents for the machines ): Steve van Wyk 082 456 3759 / 011 614 1112
RIGHT : Complicated layouts and jigs .
Bottom left : Tube and other sections that have been processed on the 6 axis BLM LT 14 tube laser .
Bottom right : The BLM LT 14 system . First cut says that the LT 14 is the first of its size and capability to be installed in South Africa .
OPPOSITE PAGE TOP : An example of section cut on the BLM LT 14 system .
Images source : Metalworking News , v14.6 Jan 2016
It is a great feeling to be able to visit one of our newest fabricator members who started up in business in December 2014 ( with first product being supplied in August 2015 ) and have found a lovely niche market for themselves . I am referring to TW Tube Laser and Processing .
The company ’ s origin lies in TW Profiling Services who have been in the business of laser and profile cutting , plasma and guillotine and rolling and bending since 1994 . The shareholders , Tharin Stuart , Joost Smuts and Robbie Carelse ( who oversees production ) recognized a need for profiling open hot rolled and closed profiles and decided to set up a new operation to service this need . They all have steel related backgrounds .
In terms of machines the back bone of the company ’ s machines are 2 laser profilers , capacity and details of which are described below . These are supported by a band saw and a host of hand held grinders , 5 ton capacity EOT cranes and forklifts .
When I first heard about TWTLP as they like to call themselves , I wondered what sort of market they would compete in and what it was that would make purchasers move away from standard cut and drill lines and notching machines towards these one stop laser machines ?
For those of you who have read my previous articles over the years about state of the art equipment for steel fabricators will surely
remember my emphasis on eliminating handling .
Previous articles placed great emphasis on mechanical handling between the processes controlled by software and point of action videos , often with either two or three machines controlled by just one person , which eliminated handling the steel by hand . Of course this would require a substantial investment in handling conveyors and cross transfers and the like . And yes a set-up with 3 stations and handling equipment are extremely productive in the right environment with sufficient space in the workshops . All of which require a substantial investment in infrastructure and equipment .
So how does a tube laser compete with such a set up as just described ? Simply put , the 6 axis head is a one stop cutting , shaping and drilling machine . No , it is not as fast as the above described set up , but it is a 1 station machine . If you take the elimination of handling time , the need for buffer stocks
4 Steel Construction Vol . 40 No . 2 2016