Steel Stockholder Speeds Deliveries
with News Circular Sawing Machine
In November 2017, the UK’s largest independent steel stockholder,
Barrett Steel Group, installed a KASTOvariospeed C15 automatic
circular sawing machine alongside two bandsaws at its engineering
division in Maghaberry, Northern Ireland. It has increased sawing
productivity, reduced delivery lead-times significantly, improved
accuracy and lowered cost per cut.
Acquired in 2013, the 5-acre site with 30,000
“The other big advantage of the German-built
sq ft warehouse stocks an extensive range
machine, supplied through Kasto’s UK subsidiary
of engineering steels including bright bar in
in Milton Keynes, is that a significant amount of
various grades and dimensions. The site, which
material is saved.
is also home to Barrett Ireland Processing
and Barrett Steel Tubes, sells a variety of long
“The higher accuracy of the circular saw allows us to
products, hot and cold hollow section as well as
reduce our cutting tolerance to between + 0.1 and
plate to diverse industries such as construction, 1.0 mm, minus 0 mm, whereas our bandsaws have
energy, agriculture, manufacturing, general
historically been programmed at +1.0 to 2.0 mm,
and civil engineering, rail and yellow goods.
minus 0 mm.
Gary Sloan, Operations Manager for the Barrett Steel “Electronic blade deviation monitoring allows us to
Ireland site commented, “Circular sawing is many
set the closer tolerance while providing assurance
times faster than using our bandsaws. Since the C15
that there will be no scrap, which would eat into
arrived, we have been able to reduce our turnaround
profits.”
time for smaller billets from between four and five
days down to one or two. It is helping us to keep our
loyal customers happy and win new business as well.
14 TUBE NEWS May 2018