Elemy Invests in Elcon Vertical Panel Saw for GRP Cutting

When Elemy Group needed to replace an existing saw and add further cutting capacity, the team wanted a machine that could reliably handle the demands of processing GRP day in, day out.

After researching the market, Elemy chose an Elcon 155 DSXL vertical panel saw, supplied by Daltons, to support the cutting of its extensive range of GRP structural composite products.

Specialist GRP manufacturing

Elemy Group specialises in GRP (glass reinforced polymer) supplying products into sectors including rail, construction, civil engineering, energy and offshore.

GRP offers a number of advantages over more traditional materials, including corrosion resistance, low weight and non-conductivity. These properties make it particularly well suited to demanding environments where materials such as steel, stainless steel, concrete or timber may traditionally have been used.

More than 80% of the material processed by Elemy is GRP structural composite, with moulded grating and flat sheet making up a large proportion of the work going through production.

The company's products have also been used on some well-known projects, including Wembley, Canary Wharf, the Millennium Stadium and the Olympic Park.

Finding the right saw for GRP

This investment was both a replacement and an opportunity to increase capacity.

With GRP forming such a significant part of production, Elemy needed a vertical panel saw capable of handling a broad range of product sizes and thicknesses, while also delivering the reliability required from a machine in regular use.

The team researched the market and narrowed the choice down to two manufacturers. Elemy had previous experience of Elcon machinery, but the final decision came down to finding the specification that best suited the materials being processed and the size of the products passing through the factory.

Richard Bryan, Managing Director of Elemy Group, explains:

“We did our due diligence on both for the type of reasons why we would use it, and also the size, the height, the length, the width, the dimensions.”

The Elcon provided the flexibility Elemy needed, covering everything from its thinner materials through to larger and thicker GRP products.

Why the Elcon 155 DSXL?

The Elcon 155 DSXL vertical panel saw combines the heavy-duty cutting performance required for GRP with a number of features that were particularly important for Elemy.

These included pneumatic plunge, automatic head rotation and the Elcon LIMPIO dust capture system. Cutting performance and accuracy were important, but effective dust extraction was also a major consideration when working with GRP.

Richard says:

“The dust extraction is important, obviously. We want to minimise any environmental implications and also look after the workforce.”

Having supplied sawing solutions into other businesses processing GRP, Daltons was also able to draw on previous experience when putting together the machine specification.

Andy Walsh, Sales Director at Daltons, explains:

“Having plenty of experience in supplying sawing solutions to clients processing GRP, we were delighted to have an already proven specification which Richard could take confidence in ordering.”

A reliable workhorse

Since installation, the Elcon has been kept busy cutting predominantly moulded GRP grating and flat sheet, alongside other flat products and occasional smaller profiles.

More importantly, it has proved reliable.

That experience has also given Elemy confidence in the machine should the business require further cutting capacity in the future.

“If we were to invest in another one at some point in the future, we would certainly be satisfied in getting the same thing again.”

Ongoing support

Daltons worked with Elemy to narrow down the machine specification and make sure the final Elcon was suited to the company's GRP cutting requirements.

That relationship has continued beyond the installation, with service support available when required.

Richard adds:

“We've been pretty kept up to date when we've needed to. The service level has been there. We would go back to Daltons if we were looking for more equipment.”

For Elemy, the Elcon 155 DSXL has delivered what the team set out to achieve: a powerful, reliable vertical panel saw capable of handling its varied GRP product range, with effective dust control and the capacity to keep up with production.

For more information on the range of Elcon vertical panel saws, contact Daltons on 0115 986 5201, email info@daltonsmachines.com or visit www.daltonsmachines.com.