Major investment in plate profiling at Cradley

Corus has invested in a new high performance plasma line for its Plate Profiling Centre in Cradley – the biggest profiling operation in the UK.   The new line will enable the business, which is now operating at full capacity, to primarily target the yellow goods and materials handling sectors, improve the quality and appearance of the profiled metal it produces and increase capacity by more than twenty per cent.

By replacing a gas cutting facility, the plasma line will also maximise health and safety for Cradley’s workforce by substantially reducing materials handling risks.  Dust and gas emissions will also be reduced.

Steve Tromans, Business Manager for Cradley, comments: “This line will have a significant impact on our customers.  It will improve the quality of the service we provide for our existing customers while giving us the increased capacity we need to enter new markets and grow the business further.”

The new high performance plasma line has been supplied by UK-based machine manufacturer ‘Esprit’. It enables tolerances of +/-0.5mm to be achieved compared to gas cutting tolerances which are typically +/-1.5mm.  Heat distortion is also minimised and the heat affected zone is reduced. Use of the very latest plasma cutting technology also improves standardisation of the cutting process.                                                                                                                          

Cutting speeds are also vastly improved as a result of the investment in the new line. The new high performance plasma line can cut material approximately five times faster than its oxy propane equivalent. Processing time has also been minimised as there is no need to dress finished components or to pre heat steel prior to cutting.

Corus’ Plate Profiling Centre in Cradley is the UK’s biggest metal profiler.

Contact: Steve Tromans on 01384 894242