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20 February 2017

New TRUMPF Trupunch 1000 at Candela Performs Faster Than Previous Turret Punch Presses

A lighting manufacturer company recently purchased the latest TruPunch 1000 CNC punching machine from TRUMPF. The machine was bought alongside a TRUMPF TruBend 3066 CNC press brake and the TRUMPF TruTops Boost software that allows the company to generate programs at the touch of a button. The company, Candela Light, has seen a 50% rise in production speed since its two previous turret punch presses.

The independent UK company supports projects from early proposals and lighting designs, right through to commissioning and production. Now seeing a growth in the past 12 months they decided to reinvest back into the company in particularly a renewal on their turret punch presses which had become aged. “We knew that technology had moved on, so we decided to assess the main players in the market to see about buying a replacement,” explains the company’s Managing Director, Nigel Astley. “At first, we thought about replacing the turret punches with a fibre laser profiling centre, but the TRUMPF representative explained that we would be much better off with a TruPunch machine based on the type of parts we process. As a result, we invested in the TruPunch 1000.”

The TruPunch 1000 offers ideal entry into professional punch processing and has all of the capabilities expected of a TRUMPF punching machine. In addition to pure punching, the forming of threads, making of extrusions and bending of flanges are also possible, thus offering cost-efficient, complete processing in a single clamping.

“Unlike our previous turret punches, which only had a couple of auto-index stations, all tools on the TruPunch 1000 – including TRUMPF’s unique MultiTools – can be rotated through 360°,” explains Mr Astley. “Furthermore, the machine is 50% faster than our previous capability and we no longer have to remove parts from a skeleton frame and perform deburring.”

The TRUMPF machine at Candela was ordered with almost all of the extra functions available, including MultiTool, MultiShear, MultiBend, Tapping (with breakage control for tapper), Marking/Rapid Beading, Engraving, Deburring and Roller Technology. 

Since its installation in June 2016, the machine has been set to work producing the metalwork for Candela’s extensive range of contemporary and heritage lighting products, lanterns, columns and brackets. Although the TruPunch 1000 can process sheets up to 6.4 mm thick, Candela typically processes aluminium up to 4 mm and copper and brass up to 1.2 mm. The company also manufactures parts from stainless steel. 

Having identified the TruPunch 1000 as the answer to its requirements, Candela also asked TRUMPF to provide a replacement press brake and new manufacturing software.

“We wanted a single supplier so that we would only require one training programme and one service contract,” says Mr Astley. “With this in mind, we invested in a new TRUMPF TruBend 3066 CNC press brake and TruTops Boost software.”

Mr Astley says that the downstroking functionality of the TruBend 3066, as opposed to the upstroking configuration of the company’s previous press brake, means Candela can use the machine’s bigger throat to accommodate larger parts. “Furthermore, the 3D visualisation technology offered by the TruBend machine means we can use unskilled labour,” he adds.

Candela is also taking advantage of TruTops Boost, a recently-introduced software solution that merges into a single system all the steps needed to generate sheet metal manufacturing programs at the touch of a button. The enhanced automation offered by TruTops Boost means that creating NC programs for laser profiling, punching and bending has never been easier or quicker, since the calculations are carried out automatically. The software also includes full 3D CAD design functionality.

The new TRUMPF technologies at Candela Light are helping meet increasing demand for the company’s range of street, architectural, LED and heritage lighting. Recent landmark projects include exterior LED lighting for the £50 million Park Regis Hotel development in Birmingham, the Edgbaston Canal tunnel LED lighting refurbishment project and the supply of heritage lanterns to the Edgbaston Priory Club (a leading leisure club).


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