TPI May 2013

business & market news

Increasing levels of automation Lander Automotive Ltd produces a wide range of tube products for OEMs and Tier One customers. a ‘high quality, low cost’ design and manufacturing centre of excellence in the UK, focusing resources solely on tube manipulation and cellular robotic welding.

our lean manufacturing requirements,” said Roger Whitehouse, Lander Automation’s managing director. “We benefit from flexibility in terms of right- and left-hand bending on the same machine; relatively fast changeover times; and the capability to produce single parts in sequence ready for assembly on the line rather than in batches. Take underfloor heating pipes as an example: we make small, medium and large assemblies in that order, because one of each is needed for each vehicle build.” “We have progressively increased the level of automation within the factory, and there are now 40 robots involved in welding, materials handling and machine load/unload. “Adaptability to future requirements is also crucial. We are subject to vehicle life cycles, so as contracts come to an end we have to bring in replacement business, and to adapt quickly to changing production requirements as well as the inevitable on-going schedule changes. We buy BLM machines not just for current contracts but for the ones after that, so performance, flexibility and reliability are key criteria. Energy efficiency, too, is very important to us, hence the attraction of all-electric rather than hydraulically powered machines.” Suitable for bending tubes up to 28mm diameter, BLMGroup’sSmart all-electric (8 axes) CNC tube bending machines are programmed via proprietary VGP3D graphical interactive software. Possible collision risks are highlighted and the most efficient avoidance route can then be selected automatically. Of particular interest to Lander Automotive, a recent finalist in the ‘Excellence in Carbon Reduction’ category of the National Energy Awards, is that power consumption is reduced by up to 50 per cent compared to electro-hydraulic machines.

Founded in 1877 as W Lander & Sons, the bending and welding technology used to manufacture various wire goods was later applied to tube, and in the 1950s the company began supplying the UK automotive industry with bonnet props, linkages and headrests. This culminated in the change of name in 1991 and re-location a year later to purpose-built premises. In 2007 the company decided to sell its subsidiary factories in Hungary and Germany and to concentrate on creating

Tube manipulation within Lander Automotive is a mixture of single piece manufacture and integrated cells featuring bending and end-forming machines supplied by BLM Group. These include Smart all-electric CNC tube bending machines, AST Tube- Form ELE all-electric CNC tube end forming machines and AST 30 tube end forming machines.

“BLM is very strong on tooling design and has products that complement

Tube bending under CNC control ensures consistent, accurate bends

BLM Group UK Ltd – UK sales@blmgroup.uk.com www.blmgroup.uk.com Lander Automotive Ltd – UK enquiries@lander.co.uk www.lander.co.uk

Tube components allocated to the flexible manufacturing cell

Completed assemblies of transmission oil cooler pipes

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Tube Products International May 2013

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