Shearline Group’s laser focus on expansion to meet soaring demand

Shearline Precision Engineering and one of its subsidiaries on the same Ely factory site – Hybrid Laser Tech – have sanctioned the additional expenditure and expansion of capabilities.

That will involve not just building new facilities on-site but also doubling its offering to clients in terms of the paint shop by introducing night shifts.
It is all part of a continuing commitment to expansion by the company which has also invested more than £3.2 million on sustainability initiatives across its 50-year lifespan.

New laser investments set to be introduced by the group include spend on CO2 lasers at Hybrid Laser Tech (HLT) and a new fibre laser for parent company, Shearline.

HLT handles work for a huge roster of clients in sectors ranging from medical technology to aerospace and manager Kevin Thompson has even struck figurative oil by laser-cutting palace doors for royals in Middle East Sultanates. The doors, inlaid with gold, were around 12 foot high and as much wide.

In the medical field, HLT has also used its laser prowess for devices designed to remove plaque from arteries utilising a metal that returned to its pre-deformed shape.

While not every job is as exotic, customers are queuing for a range of laser-cutting requirements on all manner of products.

Part of the investment will allow the group to replace its large bed CO2 laser, which is used to cut large plastic and non-ceramic sheets. The machine, which sets new standards for quietness and sustainability, will also be able to cut ceramics.

The company would expect to save around £4k a month on laser gas and more when electricity savings are brokered into the move. Laser gas is predominantly Helium-based which, in itself, is a scare commodity – thereby preserving resources. The business will also benefit from faster cutting times, enhanced quality levels and larger sheet sizes.

Thompson says: “The new machine will handle some materials that we can’t currently process – copper for example – but otherwise will perform the same function but faster.”

Due to continued growth and demand for Shearline’s top-of-the-range powder coating painting services the group is looking to double its offering to customers by introducing a nightshift.

Additionally it is considering setting up other subcontract processes in-house; existing facilities handle a large volume of predominantly microscopy-related components as well as parts used within the laser technology industry.

The rational for expansion is pure demand, according to Shearline MD Jon Littlechild. He says: “The paint shop is already near capacity and likely to remain so for the next 12 months; all painting hours are booked, hence the need to expand. Clients span many sectors from scientific, biotech, defence, laser technology, thermal imaging systems and more.”