The right laser machine set up and training has enabled South Auckland based company Anything Acrylic to get their new MatcamNZ LTT ILS 3NM laser up and running quickly, says manager Haydn Wedding. He says that because the laser is so easy to use the company hasn’t even needed to employ or train specialist staff.

   The way Greg from MatcamNZ has set the laser up for us has made it very easy to use. This means that there are 4-5 people on staff who can easily operate it and we are not reliant on one person to get things done which is fantastic. But it’s not just about the service it’s also the knowledge Greg has. He’s helped with any issues we’ve had even though they have usually been operator faults,   smiles Haydn.

  Greg has been phenomenal – he comes straight around and helps us out. He’s shown us how to use the machine and also little hints and tips. It’s saved us a lot of time compared with having to work everything out for ourselves.  

Anything Acrylic, as the name suggests, fabricates a wide variety of products from sheet acrylic. Most of the company’s work is one-off jobs to suit specific customer requirements. The company’s capabilities are extensive and include brochure holders, boat windows and bulk bins.  The company also works with approximately 70 sign writing and graphic companies supplying shaped substrates, stencils and three dimensional texts. The new LTT ILS 3NM laser is used for cutting out small components and engraving work. It complements the company’s CNC router which is used for longer run work.

     

Haydn says that because the CNC router is more expensive to run the new LTT ILS 3NM laser is perfect for small one off jobs. This also means they don’t have to interrupt their long run CNC router tasks to complete these smaller projects.

  The new LTT ILS 3NM laser has allowed us – without needing to employ any additional labour – to increase our output substantially. It is also a very low maintenance machine which means minimal downtime,   he says.

The new LTT ILS 3NM laser has also increased the compay’s capabilities allowing them to perform tasks they used to outsource such as fine engraving work. Haydn says the company has already been picking up extra work and believes the laser will extend the existing client base.

  We were using the CNC router to do some of the engraving work but the finer work we had to outsource. The LTT ILS 3NM laser has also allowed us to take on a greater range of work that previously we would have just passed on to someone else. The laser has improved our quality control and lead times. It’s a real time saver. 

Detail and accuracy so fine that you would need a magnifying glass to see it has enabled Nelson based couple Mike and Lynette Hislop to start up a miniature kitset modelling business. A qualified builder, Hislop has moved from building full size houses to miniature versions with his company Miniature Building Creations. Hislop says an LTT laser purchased from MatcamNZ has enabled him to turn his design skills to building kitset miniature railways and doll houses which he is selling through the internet worldwide at www.minibuildingcreations.com

I had been building kitsets by hand for myself my whole life but the laser has enabled me to create kitsets for a larger market. It can cut incredibly small things very accurately and quickly at a reasonable price. I can work down to fractions of a millimetre, he says.

He says his decision to purchase off MatcamNZ after searching on the internet was purely price driven:
Greg had a good quality laser of a reasonable size that was affordable. He also gave me the opportunity to test run the machine on my kitsets so I could see how it would work for me.

The LTT laser purchased by Hislop, which is the size of a large photocopier and sits in his home office, is able to cut a wide variety of materials including timber, plastic, leather, cork, cardboard and paper. Hislop says the range of the machine has opened up other possibilities for his business such as manufacturing quilting buttons with speciality plasticised fabrics and scrapbooking products cut from paper.
The Hislops hope their business will eventually grow to become a successful retirement project taking them comfortably through their golden years.

It’s stimulating and fun using the machine and seeing what products we can achieve with it. We have certainly got very positive feedback about our products so far from customers.

Marc Gerrits from Auckland based company Canvas Concepts says his new Series 3000 MatCam CNC Router   blows his mind with the different materials he can put through it.  Situated in Avondale, over the years Canvas Concepts has morphed from a fabric signage company into sign cutting.  The routing part of the process used to be outsourced.  But the purchase of the new router has enabled the company to offer a complete service to clients and take control of the process from start to finish.

The Series 3000 MatCam CNC Router was recommended to Gerrits by an acquaintance that had come across MatCam on the internet.  Gerrits says he looked at several other routers for comparision before settling on the MatCam model. It was US made and to be honest Greg from MatCam did us a really good deal,  he says. Canvas Concepts is using the router to produce signage in aluminium, ACM, acrylic, MDF and plastic composites.  It is also experimenting with brass, copper and high-density foam.  Gerrit says the possibilities are vast. Basically we'll give any material a bit of a go.  We've had comments from people that have had other machines that this router is physically easier to use.  We just program the software and away it goes. Gerrits says the router has not only offered more efficiency in-house but has made the routing part of the process more cost-effective for clients. When we are outsourcing it often made it a bit more expensive for clients.  But now doing it in-house means we can have more control of our pricing.  The router has given us more scope and we can now also do last minute jobs as well.  Basically clients can now hand us a job and we can complete it all in-house.  We now have ultimate control.  We're still learning and will be constantly learning what this machine is capable of.

Pro Sheetmetals in East Tamaki Auckland recent purchase of a Dardi Waterjet cutter has shown that in today's economic climate moving quickly to new technology can give that edge that means the difference in a competitive industry.

Pro Sheetmetals has specialised for the last 10 years in stainless steel fabrications for the dairy, food and pharmaceutical industries.  Everything from tanks, hoppers conveyors to one off machinery components. Allan and Stuart Tucker of Pro Sheetmetals with their Dardi Water Cutter

 A small machine shop complemented the operation and gave some flexibility, but taking the next step forward to providing a quicker turnaround for the customer was not easy, what technology do you employ for the one off or small number stainless fabricator?

The area in manufacturing with the most problem is lead time, its getting shorter and shorter, every job is wanted now and the supplier with the best lead time will get the job.  Pro Sheetmetals customers historically have supplied the drawings, any laser cut and machined parts plus a delivery date.  Timing of the parts being supplied was out of their control and delays with laser cutting frequently pushed out the delivery date.  So this was seen as an area that could tighten up the process, but how can a small business afford a laser that would be capable of making a difference?  Auckland is well serviced with laser cutting and the cost is good so why become a "me too".

It was a discussion Stuart Tucker, MD of Pro Sheetmetals had with an Australian associate also in the stainless steel fabrication business in Sydney.  He pointed out that water cutting was big there and getting more and more popular.  The benefits were soon seen as the range of materials it can cut wasn't limited, unlike a laser, and the cost of a machine was within the grasp of a small company.

After many months of research Pro Sheetmetals worked out a deal with MatCamNZ in Auckland, the agent for Dardi Waterjet cutters.  The price was affordable and it was delivered January this year.

Straight away there was a big change, now drawings plus dxf's were supplied.  Components could be cut in the order needed by the fabrication department, also items never even considered could be supplied like rubber gaskets for the flanges, aluminium profiles, plastic covers.  The one stop shop was proving a success with their customers. Quality of the finished product was enhanced as there was now no heat stress zones on large sheets which always caused buckling on welding and the edge finish was acceptable without any further work.  Pro Sheetmetals now sees an abrasive waterjet cutter to be an essential piece of equipment even for a small shop and we have all seen Orange County Choppers haven't we? Parts cut on the waterjet are ready for fabrication immediately.

A chocolate melter made for Production Techniques Ltd in East Tamaki, all prefabricated parts where watercut and then fabricated to food quality specification.

After operating in the engraving business for five years owner of Tauranga-based Barclay Engravers, Ian Gane says he has never experienced service like he has received from MatCamNZ when he recently purchased an LTT ILS-III laser.

Greg offered us great assistance prior to us even purchasing from him. He was accessible and easy to talk to.  We chose to purchase from Greg because of this service, back up, customer relationship and good price.  Even before the laser arrived Greg had made two trips to our business.  When the laser was installed he spent the whole day with us.  We've purchased machines from other companies and certainly haven't experienced the support Greg has provided, says Gane.

Barclay Engravers are involved in industrial marking through to traditional engraving and have customers located all over New Zealand.  Gane says the laser has enabled him to explore other markets including engraving detailed photographs onto stainless steel for funeral or memorial plates.  Gane says other benefits include that the laser is compatible with CorelDRAW and is very easy to use giving a result with definition and finish that is impeccable.

Gane has also been using MatCamNZ's Thermark product:-

We had been using a competitor product but found that sometimes the laser bounced off the reflective surface of the stainless steel.  Since using Thermark LMM14, this no longer happens meaning the quality has improved on jobs and our customers are happier. 

He says the Thermark product is also easier to apply.  The product is simply airbrushed onto the stainless steel before being etched with the laser to give a long-lasting solid black mark.

The application in this way rather than having to use a normal brush, results in less wastage of product and less possibility for contamination or spillage during clean up.  The resulting mark on the stainless steel is crisper and blacker giving a better finish that we believe lasts much longer than other products we have tried.

Seeing a leather wallet and belt got ex-builder Steve Cleverly wondering how on earth the finely engraved pattern on the products was achieved. A shoulder operation had meant he could no longer work in the job he loved and he had already started looking around for other possible career options. So when he searched the internet and realised the products had been achieved with a laser engraver it got him thinking about a new business venture.
Cleverly purchased an LTT ILS-III laser from MatcamNZ and started up Lightspeed cutting and engraving solutions from his home in Snells Beach near Auckland. Cleverly sees laser engraving as having synergies with building.

Like building you can produce something, step back and think ‘wow’ he says.

Cleverly likes the combination of creativity and practicality the laser cutter and engraver brings. He says that he is constantly impressed by the huge range of different products and effects the laser can produce. This means the types of markets he can aim his business at are vast. He says he cuts and engraves a variety of different materials including leather, acrylic, laminates, timber, glass and aluminium. He chose the LTT ILS-III due to its precision, versatility and the excellent results it consistently produces.

I researched a lot on the internet before I bought this machine and talked to a number of different suppliers. I liked Greg because he was very knowledgable and gave me a lot of good advice. That kind of attitude is really important for back up after the sale.

He says good markets exist for engraving to personalise products and as branding.

Every day I think of new ideas of the type of products I could produce with this machine. I see huge potential for growth for this business. It’s very exciting.

When engineer Tony Wong wanted to set up his own home-based business he knew getting the right technology on board at the right price would be the key.  His search led him to an LTT ILS 3NM laser from MatCamNZ.

“The price was really good compared with other products, the capabilities were good and the backup service has been brilliant.”

Because the machine fits comfortably in his garage Wong can easily build up his business from home while continuing his job as a full-time engineer. He says because the laser can do such a broad range of tasks from marking steel, aluminium and carbine products to cutting plastic, rubber, wood and leather it has enabled him to seek a wide variety of work.  So far Wong has cut jigsaw puzzles, etched company logos and serial numbers onto metal parts, etched lettering on promotional products such as pens and made metal labels for machinery. Wong says he also likes the adaptability of the LTT laser:

For example I can put in product larger than the table size because the doors on the machine fold down. This has even enabled me to work on a six foot long product.”

Just ten months after Wong started his business he is already busy using the LTT laser five nights a week servicing customers.

“I’m busy marking products without even advertising.  It’s all word of mouth and my customers are rapt.  It has been almost like starting a business as a hobby. Not only do I enjoy doing it but I am making money as well.

Metal marking applications via LTT Laser

There were two primary drivers that led export driven company Sealegs to purchase a Multicam 5000 CNC router from MatCamNZ. The company wanted to reduce costs and manufacture in-house instead of out-sourcing to a third party. It also wanted flexibility and control over the manufacturing process of the hulls so Sealegs would no longer be reliant on having a production run large enough for an out-sourced company to have time to fit their needs into its schedule. “We felt confident with Greg from MatCamNZ’s expertise to help us so that if we had any issues we would have local support,” says Sealegs engineering manager Darren Leybourne. Sealegs consists of motorised, retractable and steerable wheels which are fitted onto specially designed Sealegs boats. This means a Sealegs boat can be driven from a storage location and into the water with the occupants staying in the boat the entire time. Afterwards when approaching land again, the Sealegs wheels are simply lowered into the ‘down’ position while still moving in the water and the boat is driven onto land.
Whereas fabrication of the hull used to be subcontracted and the boats assembled on site at the Sealegs facility, now everything can take place in-house. Sealegs is supplied aluminium in sheet metal form and components are cut out with the CNC router ready to be fabricated into a Sealegs boat hull. “The CNC router has meant considerable savings and flexibility. We’ve also been able to raise the level of quality of output.” Currently Sealegs is manufacturing around 120 boats per year exporting to the UK, USA, France, Italy, the Middle East and Malaysia. Leybourne says bringing manufacturing in-house has also had some unexpected benefits. We’re considered a serious marine craft manufacturer by potential customers. Previously, we were primarily assembling components onto the pre-fabricated hull. Owning the hull fabrication process gives Sealegs another layer of substance to its business. This in turns builds additional confidence for our potential customers. Customers come to our facility and see us cutting, shaping, folding, welding and manufacturing our own product. They can see that we understand the process from start to finish. This gives us a great deal of credibility.

Laser engraving and cutting company Laserworks provides quality manufactured branded products to a wide customer base, which encompasses some of New Zealand’s major corporates. To achieve this it is imperative that all the company’s plant and machinery, which includes a Hans Laser Yag and A CO2 laser manufactured by LTT in Taiwan, be maintained in top working order. When Laserworks was seeking a professional to service its equipment on a regular basis it approached MatCamNZ.

I have found Greg to be knowledgeable with regard to the workings of our lasers and willing to assist with good practical advice," says Gareth Cain, director, Laserworks. "I have no hesitation in recommending Greg to any prospective customers he may have.

Applications from Laserworks

Barry Scott’s Gore- based business Scott Sheet Metal has gown exponentiallyover the past eighteen months and now employs over thirty staff. Purchasing a Dardi Corporation Cruiser 58 waterjet cutter from MatCamNZ was part of the next step in growing the business, says Scott.

Scott Sheet Metal’s CNC plasma cutter had been working overtime as the company completes a wide variety of structural steel work and manufactures equipment for the local dairy and freezing work industries. Scott says he wanted an additional piece of equipment to add to the company’s arsenal in order to expand the offering to clients.
Scott says he searched the world on the internet looking for the right cutting system to meet his needs and ended up logging onto the MatCamNZ site and selecting a waterjet cutter.
“The costing was reasonable, cheaper compared to anything else I looked at and the specs looked the same,” explains Scott.

He ordered the Cruiser 58, which has a 3.1 metre x 1600mm table size, and specified dual heads and a larger pump so if he was cutting smaller parts he would have the ability to cut two at a time.

While a plasma cutter is quicker it can result in a reasonable clean up time. The waterjet cutter has no clean up so we can use the product straight up and having no heat affected edge makes life easier on certain jobs. The waterjet is also more accurate and can cut through anything including acrylic, glass and wood, which has allowed us to take on jobs we simply couldn’t have done before. It’s obviously gotta work pretty hard because it was worth a few dollars but we’re getting there.