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BCSA Leaders visit Voortman Steel Machinery:
Exploring innovation & growth in the structural steel sector firsthand
The British Constructional Steelwork Association (BCSA) recently visited the headquarter of Voortman Steel Machinery in the Netherlands. As the primary organization for the structural steel sector in the UK and Ireland, BCSA's visit emphasizes the importance of Voortman within its member network.
Read moreBCSA's Commitment to the Structural Steel Sector
As the leading advocate for structural steelwork in the UK and Ireland, the British Constructional Steelwork Association (BCSA) is dedicated to representing the interests of its members and the industry as a whole. Its key goals include advocating for the use of structural steelwork, providing technical guidance, and sustaining the market share of constructional steelwork in the UK and Ireland.
A comprehensive tour through the Voortman facilities
David Moore, CEO of BCSA, and Garry Simmons, President of BCSA, were given a detailed tour through the Voortman campus. Every corner of the campus was explored and conquered. After a warm welcome at the showroom, part of the Voortman Experience Center, their exploration began. "In the cutting hall, we saw the components for the Voortman machine frames being produced, and in the assembly hall, we saw these machines come to life, tested to ensure perfection before they are transported to esteemed customers, including those in the UK", states David Moore.
From there, the BCSA leaders delved into the technological realm of Voortman's software and engineering department. This hub, home to over 150 devoted engineers, is where the VACAM software takes form. The focus here is on creating an interface that fosters interaction, automation, and machine feedback, all with the ultimate goal of optimizing machine uptime and efficiency while lightening the load for machine operators.
The grand tour concluded with a stop at the Voortman's customer service team, known for its commitment to delivering swift local service to customers globally, ensuring maximum uptime.
Cutting high-quality parts for our machines with our own machines at Voortman Parts Manufacturing. We value efficiency and foster self-sufficiency.
Machines are thoroughly assembled and tested. Under the watchful eye of all stakeholders, we ensure that it conforms to set tolerances and standards.
In-house production of electrical machine cabinets.
Seeing Voortman's Automated mastery in action at Reijrink Staalconstructies
To truly experience
Voortman's cutting-edge capabilities, the BCSA leaders also visited two
renowned steel fabricators in the Netherlands. These fabricators boast an
impressive automated Voortman production line, maximizing output and
efficiency. One of these visited customers is Reijrink Staalconstructies, which is a great example of a factory producing 35.000 tons per year and an exceptional amount of automation! Material is flowing through the production line in a smart way and is automatically transported to one of the four different outfeed locations. Want to know more about this project at Reijrink? View this video or tune into our webinar that we hosted at their production facility.
Impressed by Voortman's success in the UK
The BCSA expressed admiration for the breadth of activities Voortman carries out in-house and the company's impressive growth in the UK. Over the years, Voortman has installed numerous cutting-edge systems for various clients in the UK and Ireland, who are now reaping the benefits. These clients, from steel fabricators and plate processors to steel distributors and machine manufacturers, all value Voortman's unwavering dedication to automation, quality, and service.
CUSTOMER
CASES
Embracing automated coping and blasting at Cahill Structures
Cahill Structures, a UK-based steel fabrication company, has experienced significant growth and increased efficiency due to their partnership with Voortman. Starting as a small business handling farm work and building projects, Cahill Structures now handles large scale projects. They invested in a Voortman V807 robotic coper in split set-up with a Voortman shotblaster. This automated system has reduced man-hours by an average of 25-30% per ton, allowing the team to handle larger projects more efficiently. Ian Cahill, the Managing Director, expressed his satisfaction with Voortman's service and products, stating that he looks forward to purchasing more machinery.
A split system for maximum efficiency
Finley Structures, a prominent company based in the United Kingdom, recently made significant advancements by investing in cutting-edge Voortman technology and machinery. Julie Raistrick, the Managing Director, emphasized that their primary goal is to enhance efficiency and profitability within the company. The foundation of their relationship with Voortman dates back to 2018 when they acquired the V320 passthrough plate processing machine. This initial investment provided them with firsthand experience of the exceptional level of service offered by Voortman. By comparing it to their previous setup involving three different machine manufacturers, they swiftly recognized that Voortman emerged as the optimal and exclusive choice for all future investments.
Voortman V310: A Driving Force Behind Dyfed Steels Evolution
Dyfed Steels Ltd., a UK steel processor, remains at the forefront of the industry by consistently investing in cutting-edge machinery to offer a comprehensive suite of processing services. To keep up with customers demanding more complete parts and projects and meet expectations, Dyfed invested in top-of-the-line technology: a Voortman V310 double-gantry plate processing system. With the V310, they have expanded their project capabilities, allowing them to take customer orders in their entirety. And the results speak for themselves. In a recent project for Tata Steel, involving over 100 plates with over 400 drilled and countersunk holes, Dyfed utilized the V310's advanced capabilities. The job was completed with flying colors, exceeding expectations and saving Tata approximately 250 hours of manual drilling. When it comes to steel processing, Dyfed Steels delivers results.
A large system with tremendous throughput
J&D
Pierce Contracts Ltd. is a large structural steel fabricator based in
Glengarnock, United Kingdom. Pierce focuses on large scale projects such as
mega warehouses, football stadia and multi-storey carparks. They invested in
the largest European fully automated Voortman system. Due to the size of this
immense project and the tremendous amount of automation, the system was on forehand determined and designed based on
real-time simulations. According to Derek Pierce, CEO of J&D Pierce, the
completed installation exceeded expectations.
Leveraging Voortman's dual gantry system for unprecedented eficiency and quality
AJN Steelstock is a standout amongst the largest steel stockholders based in the UK and known for its service excellence and reliability. They are committed to delivering complete steel parts to their customers on short lead time. That's why AJN invested in a state-of-the-art dual gantry system with two Voortman V310 plate processing machines. This dynamic duo allows the company to cut, drill, mark and countersink in one single run and station, drastically simplifying the production process. Plus, with a 28m cutting bed and handling capacity up to 9000kgs, AJN Steelstock can run different processes at the same time on parts up to 10m x 2.5m, saving time, effort, and cost. Moreover, the Voortman Red Tooling System keeps the show running via consumable stock level insights. The best part is that the automatic ordering process guarantees maximum uptime and the best product quality.