Sheffield-based subcontractor fabricatorclaims to have the largest water jet cutting and profiling machine in the UK, which has a 9m x 4m capacity.

Fabricator has UK's largest water jet profiler Sheffield-based subcontractor fabricatorclaims to have the largest water jet cutting and profiling machine in the UK, which has a 9m x 4m capacity. Leading subcontractor, Sheffield-based Charles Day Steel, now established for more than 30 years supplying a large range of steel profiles to UK industry, can now boast having the largest waterjet cutting machine operational in the UK, following the recent installation of a new Water Jet Sweden 9m x 4m-bed profiler, to complement its already existing battery of large flame and laser cutting machines. * Customer base transformed - installed only six months, the Water Jet Sweden profiler, designate 3015EB-NC, has already extended the business to an astonishingly-wider customer base, to include applications never dreamed of before.

Whereas in the past the bulk of business was that of profiling large sheets of metal, the company now finds itself at home profiling plastic figures for table decoration at corporate events, or can be called upon to produce individually-designed fashion belt buckles that look like lace - or indeed profiling anything from dense materials like granite or glass, to low density materials such as plastics and soft, flexible materials such as rubber and foam.

Moreover, the Company now profiles thick stainless and aluminum to customer specification.

Clearly, Charles Day is one of those firms that have stayed the course by keeping faith with its traditional customers while simultaneously moving with the times by extending the application of its expertise to fresh markets.

Indeed, with the addition of the Water Jet Sweden machine, it is probably the first company in the UK to offer a choice of flame cutting, CNC laser cutting or CNC waterjet cutting from within a single site.

* Massive capacity - the machine chosen, in spite of its massive 9m x 4m bed, is a near-standard type Water Jet Sweden product, except that its Z-axis capability allows slabs as thick as 300mm to be profiled, as against the 20mm maximum of the laser profilers installed at the company.

The table loading capacity is a very substantial 1.2 t/m2.

Another feature is the inclusion of triple abrasive heads to boost productivity by offering simultaneous cutting of identical smaller items wherever the opportunity arises.

Charles Day's managing director, Phil Wooffinden, whose first major project this has been since he was promoted to the top spot in 2003, said: 'I not only saw waterjet as a good fit between the flame and laser methods, but I also recognized that it could go beyond the scope of lasers, especially where thick aluminium sheet is involved.' Additionally, it appears, he could see waterjet as a means of bringing much needed added value to products, as the company increases its lead as a specialist in the profiling business.

* Economic advantages - Wooffinden was previously the company's financial director and company secretary and so was in a strong position to assess the all-important financial aspects of such an investment.

No surprise then that he reckoned to have considered about ten different machine suppliers before opting for Water Jet Sweden with whom he 'felt comfortable'.

Reassured by the domestic support capability offered from this supplier's own UK office, run by managing director Chris Baker, at Boston Spa (Lincs), Wooffinden says that the UK steel market suffered severely, some six years ago, as so much fabrication work went to Eastern Europe or even further afield.

It became imperative that Charles Day broaden its customer base.

Bringing the WJS machine into commission has helped do this in no small measure and it is available for production for up to 20h/day.

* Competitiveness improved - other economic advantages in adding waterjet to cover the full spectrum of profiling processes are that the company's fixed costs are now shared more widely, making it possible to apply more attractive hourly rates to each machine, thereby improving competitiveness.

* Quality advantages - among the many highly-rated advantages cited by Charles Day for the waterjet process over other profiling methods, are the elimination of distortion or heat-effected zones and, thanks to the application of minimal cutting forces, tension free processing.

These features, along with the excellent finish exhibited by cut faces, greatly reduce the need for any secondary finishing operations to be carried out.

* Advanced CNC system ensures precision - operating under the control of its jointly-developed Fanuc 160i MB CNC system, the WJS machine offers customers such exceptionally high degrees of precision as to enable Charles Day to quote a general tolerance of +/-0.25mm and, even more impressive, the tolerances achievable for positioning (+/-0.05mm per 1000mm) and repeatability (+/-0.025mm).

The fine jet orifice used permits a minimum slit-width (kerf) as small as 0.5mm to be achieved when required and any or all of the three nozzles can be used with water-only for soft materials or with the garnet supply programmed for abrasive cutting of hard materials.

The WJS profiler is equipped with a single, but substantial, 50HP KMT SL-V pump to provide the necessary supply of water at 4,000 bar.

* Versatility - the versatility of applications to which the waterjet process is applied at Charles Day is impressive.

Where else in the UK might one see thick (110mm) armour plate for military use being profiled on the same machine that, minutes before, could have been cutting complex shapes from thin plastic or even rubber sheet?

One shift might start with a substantial batch of 1.2m2 S275 (mild steel) sheets in process and then be followed by rubber or bakelite to be profiled.

Then, on to fine geometrically profiled 'combs' of 2mm thick stainless steel before finally dealing with a 7m x 2m ABRO steel sheet.

* Ease of operation - this 'all in a day's work' capability is made possible, in part, because the WJS profiler is so easy to program, either through calling up previously loaded programs directly from memory or, where simple shapes are called for, programming on the machine.

Another great plus factor is the way that sheets need only to be laid on the bed, without the need for fixtures, clamps or other tooling.

A reference point is quickly established on-screen, with or without the need to position against set stops.

Charles Day has ample craneage within its Sheffield facility to make light work of even the most sizeable metal sheets.

* Operator training in Sweden - three of the Charles Day's operators received training at the Swedish HQ of WJS, while others were taught either on-site or at a German waterjet user.

Wooffinden is proud of the high level of training afforded to staff within his company and says that all 42 employees have obtained NVQs in subjects relevant to their work.

* Brighter future in prospect - clearly, from a customer's point of view, the availability of a sub-contractor able to offer the best process for any particular job, without prejudice towards any one of the three major methods, has to be a good thing.

Add to this the positive way in which the original objective of attracting a wider clientele is succeeding, the company can look forward to a brighter future than many that were reliant on Britain's heavy fabrication industry a decade ago.