Since adding a Prima Power LC6 with laser sorting robot to its plant line-up, Samin Sheet Metal has upped production by about 30 per cent and ensured greater control of it accuracy in production. This is unmanned fabrication in action.
Samin invested in this equipment to gain not just faster output for its accuracy-critical markets, it is doing this while the doors are shut at nights and production staff is at home in bed.
Wade Samin, managing director, says it is a significant direction forward for the company which, until now, had been operating purely on day shifts and with a sizeable amount of manual labour involved in the process.
"We're using the LC6 to now run an unmanned operation through the night which is greatly increasing our output," Samin said.
"Before the LC6, we we're just running a normal day shift with production staff loading the machine for laser cutting and unloading.
"There was a lot of manual labour involved but that has been all but eliminated as the robot can do all that now."
Samin, which manufactures precision sheet metal components for the mining, aeronautical and electronics industries to name but a few, constantly updates its equipment and believes this is the key to its efficient operations.
This approach not only makes the company competitive on cost and turnaround time, but also allows it to create metal components to a quality others cannot.
It sourced its LC6 from Prima Power representative in Australia and New Zealand, Maxitec.
By day, the Prima Power LC6 is manned while it completes more complex or once-off jobs that may require human intervention.
By night, the machine comes into its own, cutting multiple parts or completing a custom job.
"We might be doing five or 10 different types of cuts through that one night," Samin said.
"It varies. We could be cutting two parts for one customer or 100 parts for another customer.
"The machine might run for an hour, or it might run all night. It depends on the workflow we have to handle."
The Prima Power LC6 can handle a 1.5 by 3-metre sheet, will pass 10mm-thick steel and has trap doors so parts can be dropped through to a work shoot.
The robot can automatically load the sheet, cut it, and stack & sort the parts, going that extra step towards eliminating manual labour.
Samin said it's also economical to run and has enabled the company to increase productivity without increasing staff.
"It's allowed us to take on extra work and get more product out the door," he said.
"For anyone who wants to go the route of automation and unmanned production, it's the way to go."
With sophisticated cutting systems, LC6 automated coordinate tables from Maxitec utilise the latest generation of CO2 lasers.
Their design is based on Prima Power's extensive experience with modular technology and ensures a high level of accuracy, short lead times and reduced costs.
Due to the LC6 laser cutting machine's fast, accurate sheet positioning, and integrated Rofin Sinar 2500 Watt CO2 SLAB, the manufacturing process is faster and more economical.
Proudly Australian-owed, Samin has been in business since 1974.
