Investment in workshop and machinery pays off

Anyone who wants to grow must be able to respond flexibly to a wide variety of customer requests. This requires modern machinery, but also sufficient space to carry out activities efficiently. Ronny Vanoppen, manager of Eco-Metal in Alken, has clearly understood this message. His company focuses on the finishing of elevator doors, but equally on carrying out a variety of metalwork operations. To further optimize these services, Eco-Metal invested in a new professional workshop equipped with modern machinery, including a fiber laser machine ENSIS 3015 AJ with loading/unloading magazine and bending benches type HG-100.3 and HG-220.4, all from Amada.

A small workshop in Hasselt and a few machines - this is how Ronny Vanoppen started his one-man business in 2011. A year later, he moved to larger premises on the industrial estate in Alken. Today, Eco-Metal is still located there, but the machinery and staff have been significantly expanded. "We are specialists in finishing elevator doors, mainly as subcontractors for elevator manufacturers. We also perform bending, cutting and welding work for SMEs and private individuals," says the business manager. "We always think along with our customers to realize an optimal solution. Every day, projects are measured, calculated and put into production. Our experienced teams assemble casings, frames and complete facades on new elevator installations. They also renovate existing elevator cages with new flooring, ceilings, walls or baseboards."

The firm's existing machinery includes two Amada bending benches in addition to punching machines, a cutter and some smaller auxiliary tools. (Image: Patrick Berger)

Investment in new studio and modern machinery

Eco-Metal recently commissioned a new professional workshop, which allowed a more efficient distribution of the existing machinery with two bending benches, two punching machines, a shearing machine and some smaller auxiliary tools. "To expand the capabilities even further, we also decided to invest in a new cutting machine. After a thorough evaluation of all technologies and systems on the market, we chose a fiber laser machine type ENSIS 3015 AJ from Amada," Vanoppen indicates. "The Japanese machine manufacturer is actually our court supplier when it comes to machine tools. For example, they also supplied and installed our two bending machines in the past. We are very satisfied with the quality of the machines and the service of the Belgian team. Moreover, we can always contact their representative Stefaan Pollet for technical and commercial advice. Therefore, we recently decided to also purchase a new bending machine type HG-220.4 from them. This new investment is expected in the fall."

The company ven Ronny Vanoppen recently invested in a new fiber laser machine ENSIS 3015 AJ with an automatic load/unload system and a bending bench type HG-100.3. A new HG-220.4 bending bench will follow in the fall.

Fiber laser machine and bending bench from Amada

The Amada Group is one of the world's leading manufacturers of machines and tools for the sheet metal working industry. The range includes systems for cutting, punching, bending and laser applications with automated module concepts, as well as software and tools. "The ENSIS 3015 AJ is a compact high-power fiber laser with a working range of 3,070 x 1,550 mm. This laser source accurately cuts all ferrous and nonferrous sheets, in steel even up to 25 mm thick. Indeed, thanks to an ingenious technology, the laser beam is automatically adjusted to the thickness and type of material," indicates Representative Pollet. "In addition, the automatic nozzle changer reduces machine downtime by quickly changing and cleaning the nozzles. The combination with the ASF 3015 EU automatic loading/unloading system increases productivity on the shop floor." The HG-100.3 and HG-220.4 are bending machines with respective press forces of 1,000 and 2,200 kN and chamfer lengths of 3,110 and 4,300 mm. These machines combine high machine speed with an extremely precise press beam drive. In addition, the TDS technology continuously adjusts the indentation depth to the sheet thickness, resulting in consistently correct bending angles. The servo-hydraulic hybrid drive ensures smooth running and low noise and also requires less oil and maintenance than fully hydraulically driven systems.