INSPIRED for TUBE - BLM GROUP

INSPIRED for
TUBE
www.blmgroup.com
No. 11 - 2009
ENG

Contents
INSPIRED FOR TUBE
2
pdf version and other news can be found in:
www.blmgroup.com
INSPIRED FOR TUBE
Inspired for tube By
Communication
BLM GROUP
Antonio Farese
Emanuela Colombo
Giovanni Zacco
Cristina Guzzetti
e-mail: pr@blm.it
tel. +39 031 7070 200
4
6
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22
Contents
INSPIRED FOR TUBE
Produced by
BLM GROUP
Via Selvaregina 30
22063 Cantù (CO) Italy
www.blmgroup.it
Number
INSPIRED FOR TUBE
Nr. 11 - 10/2009
OFFICE FURNITURE
Aesthetic and laser cutting
JOB SHOP
The Revolutionary Lasertube
JOB SHOP
Twenty-four bending sequences
FENCING
Attention to detail
TECHNOLOGY
The “fiber” further expands BLM´s
product offering
LASER JOB SHOP
Laser as common thread
CATERING EQUIPMENT SECTOR
Small-batch production but with high
levels of complexity and quality
JOB SHOP
Looking over the horizon
Design and Graphics by
Studio Grafico Page
Vincenzo De Rosa
Fabrizio Santini
Printed by
Intergrafica Verona S.r.l.
Verona
Photo
Fabrizio Santini
Vincenzo De Rosa
Reproduction, even only in
part, of the articles and illustrations
published in this
newsletter is strictly prohibited
unless otherwise
authorised.

OPINION
THE CENTRAL ROLE OF THE CUSTOMER
All the strategies designed to face the current global crisis have
one thing in common: the need of making customers the center
of the business. It is necessary to focus on improving the
way we interact with customers. Treating each of our customers
as unique set of needs and requirements by providing custom
products, services, and solutions, it is not enough anymore.
Required is a customer partnership that brings the customer
and the supplier together in a more effective relationship. Accordingly,
more effort has to be put in the development of technologies
and tools aimed at strengthening customer relations.
It is necessary to activate, as soon as possible, technologies
that substitute physical proximity with virtual proximity. These
technologies should enable adequate levels of interactivity
and communication during problem-solving tasks and, in general, customer-service performance and
delivery.
To improve its customer-service, the BLM Group set for 2010 an important objective, that is, to harmonize
all services that could be provided remotely through Internet. In fact, it is by providing constant and
valuable services to the customers, that it is possible to build a stable and long lasting relationship. Knowing
and understanding the customers’ needs and expectations is the key to successful sales.
Emanuela Colombo, Anna Mascheroni, Pietro Colombo, Paolo Colombo
In order to achieve this objective, the following tools will be activated:
WRT (advanced teleservice)
The audio/video sales support to reach the “all the customers”
e-learning (self learning)
e-training (distance training with teacher support).
In conclusion, a few words about the economic crisis outlook, to express confidence that the recovery
will take place in a short time. Given the worldwide impact of the economic and financial crisis, global solutions
are definitely expected to be implemented. However, after the crisis, to ensure work stability, it
will be necessary to balance supply and demand. Three primary global objectives have to be set to achieve
this equilibrium between demand and supply:
a school with the vision and philosophy of spreading the real ethical values for the growth
of the young people, able to teach them how to live by following the principle “no” to anarchy -
“no” to laxity - “yes” to the reciprocal respect of the rights and duties - “yes” to respect and ensure
respect of the rules.
common trading rules across all world markets.
all manufactured goods should have a fixed lifespan. At the end of the lifespan the goods should be
scrapped and replaced with innovative technology and new materials, respecting both the environment
and natural resources.
To conclude, I wish you all a future in equilibrium!
Pietro Colombo
President & CEO
INSPIRED FOR TUBE
3

INSPIRED FOR TUBE Office furniture
4
Laser technology enables the Czech manufacturer of office furniture,
Hon-Nabytek s.r.o., to also offer job shop services
Aesthetic and laser cutting
We are in the suburbs of Opava, in the Czech Republic,
a few kilometers away from the border with
Poland. The road we took to get to Opava was
surrounded by a beautiful natural landscape. In
the falling snow, we drove several kilometers
through forests and little valleys, without seeing
anyone except for a deer that suddenly, decided
to cross the road in front of our car and forced us
to come to an abrupt stop.
It is not surprising, giving the surrounding environment
that Hon-Nabytek started its operations
and grew in the wood furniture industry. As the
plant manager and partner Mr. Jan Kahle explains,
the company was founded back in 1924 and, over
the years, has specialized in the production of office
furniture that, currently, is manufactured and
sold under the brand name HOBIS.
The HON j.s. is a group of companies which includes:
Hon-Nabytek s.r.o., Nabytek EXNER s.r.o.,
located in Praga an office furniture specialist specialized,
HON-KOV s.r.o, a metalworking production
plant that manufactures all the metal parts
for HOBIS and EXNER. With an overall turnover
of 350 M€ and its 170 employees, the group is
the largest furniture manufacturer in the Czech
Republic. Every week, the Opava plant alone,
manufactures 100 t of furniture.
From wood to metal
In the office furniture manufacturing process, the
early metal components were introduced to respond
to the need for greater resistance and durability
of some technical elements. These metal
parts were initially purchased from outside suppliers
but with the usual associated difficulties.
Due to unsatisfactory precision and quality differences
in identical batches, provided by different
suppliers, complex internal re-work activities
were necessary. One of the main problems
was that, while wood parts were manufactured
with CNC machines and therefore were extremely

precise, metal parts were produced manually. As
a result, these components did not fit together like
they were supposed to, especially where large
and interconnected assemblies were involved.
In addition, originally, the metal elements were
only used to make the product structure stronger,
thus they were not visible. However, over the
years, they have gradually become very important
for the aesthetic of the final product, and accordingly,
their quality and precision have become
a critical production need. Therefore, to
satisfy this demand, the company has adopted
laser technology.
The adoption of laser
technology
The adoption in 2006 of one LT120 laser tube cutting
machine and one ADILAS for sheet metal cutting
immediately resulted in important competitive
advantages, such as greater precision,
reduced production costs, and innovative furniture
design. Thanks to the laser high-productivity
rate, Hon-Nabytek was able to allocate part
of its production capacity to the job-shop activity,
which, today, represents about half of the company´s
total production. The manufactured parts
are used in different market sectors, from the agri-
cultural machinery production, a well-established
sector in this area, to the general mechanical components
production.
Laser technology has also contributed to the development
of new ideas that soon will become reality;
in fact, the company is planning to launch
an innovative furniture collection which should
guarantee an important competitive advantage
over its competitors. The solutions adopted in the
workshop, are not only extremely clever in terms
of efficiency of the joints, but also extremely effective
in terms of speed of the final assembly
process.
Tube and sheet metal
finished products
The HON j.s. group is not particularly concerned
about the current difficult economic situation.
The group is used to double-digit growth rates
(18% in the past years). Also in 2008, the company
has grown, even if at a lower growth rate
of 10%. While the furniture industry has been
affected by the economic crisis, the job shop
sector continues to grow. In this sector, a critical
success factor consists in the ability to provide
quality finished products by combining
tube and sheet metal.
HON NABITEK
Olomucka 92
Opava
Czech Republic
Tel. +420 (553) 781121
Fax. +420 (553) 781126
www.hon-kovo.cz
Number 11 - october 2009 INSPIRED FOR TUBE Office furniture
5

INSPIRED FOR TUBE Job shop
6
BLM ‘super-size’ CNC tube laser provides stockholder
with the ultimate in tube processing performance
The Revolutionary Lasertube
Stockholding in the past equated to little more
than ‘breaking bulk’; buying in volume from mills
and selling on smaller quantities to lots of different
customers.
However, as customers began to request material
‘cut-to-length’, stockholders responded
by offering a processing service using relatively
low-tech equipment such as bandsaws and
circular saws.
Says Ralph Robinson, Managing Director of
Barrett Steel Ltd’s Tubes Division: “We then realised
that customers actually wanted more than
just a cut-to-length capability. What they really
want is a finished component, and we knew we
could both justify and fund the purchase of the
high-tech equipment needed to deliver exactly
that...while taking cost out of the customer’s
manufacturing process.”
The first step was to set up LaserTUBE Cutting,
initially as a subsidiary of ISO 9001:2000-accredited
tube and hollow section stockholder
Tubes (UK) Ltd, to process stainless steel hollow
sections for the coach-building industry. Now a
separate company within the £240 million-plus
turnover Barrett Steel Group, one of the largest
independent steel stockholders in the UK, Laser-
TUBE Cutting in partnership with Tubes UK provides
what Ralph Robinson describes as “the total
solution in processing tubes and hollow steel
sections”.
As part of a continuing investment programme
LaserTUBE Cutting has installed a massive 48
metre long by 20 metres wide, £1.25 million, tube
laser alongside its four existing laser machines.
Nine lorries were needed in November 2007 to
transport the component parts of the aptly-named
BLM ADIGE LT JUMBO CNC tube laser to the
Tividale, West Midlands site where it is now processing
round tube from 80 to 508 mm diameter,
square hollow section up to 400 mm by 400 mm
and hollow sections up to 500 mm by 300 mm in
cutting thicknesses up to 16 mm. The maximum
length of bar that can be loaded automatically
is 18 metres.
The first LT JUMBO installed in the UK, the new
machine, which has two Siemens 840D CNCs
controlling up to 28 axes, is housed in an extended
100,000 sq. ft. building situated adjacent to more
than 5000 tonnes of hot and cold formed tube
and hollow section stock held by Tubes UK. This

INSPIRED FOR TUBE Job shop
8
additional 3500 W laser source power processing
capacity means that LaserTUBE Cutting can
now machine the whole of the Tubes UK range
for a wide range of customers in the construction
industry, railways and shipyards. Tubes UK also
supplies round, square and rectangular hollow
sections to manufacturers of heavy-duty trucks,
earthmoving equipment, agricultural machinery
and machine tools.
“The reaction among customers to the installation
of the LT JUMBO has been one of excitement
because they can see that this latest investment
will give them a competitive edge,” says Ralph
Robinson. “It’s a win-win situation because we are
helping customers to grow their businesses and
to retain work in the UK, while at the same time
we are expanding our role.”
Back in 2000, having taken the decision to install
the first BLM ADIGE tube laser, it was, he adds,
“a case of saying to customers that it is better to
produce a finished product in a single process
than to move a piece of tube through several discrete
operations on several different machines.
We needed to change peoples’ perceptions by
showing that significant savings can be made
simply by switching to a new way of working. No
longer is there any need for special tooling or jigs
and fixturing, and should there be a design
change it is a simple reprogramming exercise because
the laser cutting and profiling process remains
the same. In fact, all the inherent costs associated
with the traditional multi-machine
approach disappear.”
Dave Cleaver, General Manager, LaserTUBE
Cutting, acknowledges that when it comes to
promoting added-value laser cutting, there is
still a strong element of ‘we’ve always done it
this way, so why should we change?’. His response?
“Once you can convince a designer
of the benefits that laser cutting gives, the ideas
really start to flow because designers are always
seeking to move to the next level,” he says.
“You then find that the production manager sees
the advantages that could result, for example,
from minimising the flow of material through the
workplace. Not having to move a component
from machine to machine means that the accuracy
and repeatability of the laser cutting
process are unrivalled, and this eliminates the
requirement for inspection of every component
in a batch. It also provides additional benefits

in subsequent welding and fabrication operations
because parts fit together in exactly the
same way every time.”
Since installing a BLM ADIGE LT 651 CNC tube
laser in 2000, LaserTUBE Cutting has added an
LT 652 and a later-generation LT 712D capable
of processing raw tube lengths of up to 8.5 metres.
These three machines were joined in February
2007 by a BLM ADIGE LT COMBO capable
of laser cutting tube as well as flat sheet
material. Taking less than three minutes to change
automatically between flat sheet and tube, the LT
COMBO can profile tube up to 225 mm OD and
6.5 metres long and steel sheet up to 3 m by 8 m.
Highlighting the versatility and flexibility of this
‘two systems in one’ machine, LaserTUBE Cutting
recently used the LT COMBO to produce
scalloped joints on structural components for
Burton on Trent-based Conder Structures, a major
designer and manufacturer of architectural
steelwork structures. Laser cutting resulted in a
70 per cent time saving over previous methods
while, as Jason Hensman, Managing Director,
Conder Structures, points out, enabling
complex connections to be made that have re-
sulted in a more aesthetically pleasing structure,
with clean lines and free flowing spans, and the
added benefit of greater structural integrity.
Summarising the strengths of the Tubes
UK/LaserTUBE Cutting partnership, Ralph Robinson
says: “We ensure consistent quality because
we purchase material from quality suppliers and,
in turn, provide our customers with full traceability
and the reassurance that material and any subsequent
processing will be consistent batch after
batch. In addition to an extensive machining
and processing capability that includes tube manipulation
(bending and swaging) and deburring,
we offer finishing services such as galvanising,
powder coating and painting.”
To which Dave Cleaver adds: “We now have several
years’ experience of laser cutting, so rather
than just quote against a drawing we look at ways
of enhancing a design and making manufacture
easier and less costly. All of a sudden, the buyer
doesn’t have the final say, because discussions
focus on more than price and delivery, and it’s no
exaggeration to say that laser cutting is revolutionising
the way in which tubular components
are produced.”
TUBES UK
Unit 8, Autobase Industrial Park
Tipton Road
Tividale
Warley
West Midlands
B69 3HU
Tel: 0121 6015050
Fax: 0121 6015051
sales@tubes-uk-steel.co.uk
Number 11 - october 2009
9

INSPIRED FOR TUBE Job shop
10
By taking advantage of its relevant experience and wide range of equipment, Mecart srl,
Reggio Emilia, Italy, is able to fully satisfy any production requirement of its customers.
Twenty-four bending
sequences
Mecart srl specializes in metal tubular fabricating
and bending and in particular for the gas oven
and gas rail market.. The company was founded
in 1977 as production unit of a major Italian kitchen
range manufacturer. Over the years, Mecart has
gradually diversified its production and target markets,
additionally now acting as a dedicated “job
shop”, and supplying the automotive and climate
control sectors.
100 pieces with flexibility
“The structure of our organization has been modified
over the years to better respond to the changing
market needs” says Davide Cervi who together
with his father, Alberto, founder of the company,
and his brother Andrea, manages and leads the
family business.
“We are proud of having, among our customers,
some of the most important manufacturers of
cookers, ovens and gas hobs , but we also can
mention important names in the automotive industry.
Due to the growing tendency in the Kitchen Industry
to outsource production to low-cost labour
countries, we had to find new end markets. Therefore,
although we are still a significant manufacturer
of tubular fittings for the kitchen industry, in
Italy and countries like Russia and the Middle
East, in the last years, we set as our primary objective
the growth of our market share in the automotive
sector and in all market sectors requiring
fluid-conducting tubular elements, such as
the refrigeration, air-conditioning, and hydraulic
businesses.
Although we prefer batches with over 100
pieces, we can also satisfy the growing market
request for much smaller batches, thanks to the
flexibility provided by our comprehensive range
of technologically advanced systems and machines.
We are able to serve customers requiring
short runs and large industrial quantities
of tubular components with small-medium diameter,
in aluminium and steel”.
Over 40 Machines
The most impressive aspect of Mecart is its wide
range of equipment, consisting of over 40 machines.
Even if the kings of the workshop are the
tube bending machine, there is a complete range
of end-forming machines to perform the simplest
to the most complex of end forms.
Hydraulic or electric, stand alone or integrated in
one of the five robotised manufacturing cells located
in the workshop, the tube bending machines
represents the manufacturing central pillar
at Mecart, today, their know-how and
specialization of this fabricating process is taken
for granted.
“We are equipped to be a competent and reliable
partner, able to carry out all the auxiliary manufacturing
processes associated with the main
bending process” says Andrea Cervi. “Customers
expect tube job shops to provide finished products,
thus the supplier has to be prepared to satisfy
any request. In order to deal with this challenge,
typically every year, we buy a new machine
to either replace an old one or to respond to new
and specific production needs”.
“The role of the sub-contract manufacturer is evolving
into a much more complex relationship. Today,
we have to be a reliable partner for our customers,
able to provide them with finished
sub-components within a definite timeframe, in

the quantity required and to the expected quality”
states Davide Cervi. “To react rapidly to any
unexpected event and always respect the contract
conditions, it is necessary to have the best
technologies available and a comprehensive
range of equipment. Moreover, it is very important
to take a proactive role during the design
stage. The sub-contract manufacturer should
have the ability and experience to provide the
customer with competent advice and support
to shorten and simplify the production cycle and,
at the same time, maintain the necessary component
functionality.
Having the humility to listen
Not only the extensive range of equipment but
also the quality of it, is very impressive at Mecart;
and this could not be otherwise, considering the
close relationship with the BLM Group, a relationship
which is more like a partnership than the
typical supplier-customer sales relationship. PLAN-
ET, SWING, AST….the list of BLM machinery installed
in the workshop is endless.
“The decision to establish a stable technological
partnership with BLM proved itself to be a winning
formula - says Mr. Alberto Cervi - because, in addition
to the intrinsic machinery reliability and value,
we can rely on BLM for quality customer service
and technical support. In fact, the technicians
are always ready and willing to listen to our production
needs and problems, and we work together
to find the best solutions. Even if BLM stand for ex-
cellence, the people working in the company
still have the modesty to listen to its customers,
and this modesty has been, over the
years, one of the main success factors. We have
always appreciated the machines reliability and
flexibility, together with the precision and repeatability
of the bending process- adds Davide Cervi -
but it is the BLM Service that delights us every time
in terms of speed of response and availability. Even
though we have enough machines and production
capacity to cover production in the event of a
breakdown, the time necessary to solve the problem
is always extremely short”.
Complex shapes
As mentioned above, during its diversification
process, Mecart has progressively entered the
automotive market; the company manufactures
some particularly complex stainless steel serpentines
bends starting with a 5 metre straight
tube length of 10mm diameter x 1mm wall tube.
“The shape of the component, with 24 different
bending sequences including variable radius, represented
a major challenge” says satisfied Mr. Davide.
“Given the tube size, there were big interference
problems between tube and machine, but we
overcame them “easily”, thanks to the development
of a special “thin” bending tool which enabled the
movement of the bent tube on the machine”.
Their significant experience has helped Mecart
to position itself as a reliable production partner
in very complex and demanding markets such
as the automotive.
MECART SRL
Via A. Simonini, 7
42044 Gualtieri
Tel. +39 0522828786
Fax. +39 0522828619
Number 11 - october 2009 INSPIRED FOR TUBE Job shop
11

Fencing
12
VM INOX SPA, Italy, combines meticulous attention to detail with the
outstanding quality of the most modern laser technology
Attention to detail
What is impressive about the new facility of VM
INOX, located in Gerenzano, in the province of
Varese, is, first of all, the perfect order and cleanliness
of the production area. Even the machines
installed some time ago, which have since been
running at full capacity, look new and in excellent
conditions. Moreover, by observing the quality of
the products in process, it is quite clear that this
focus on order and cleanliness is not only consistent
with the company´s image but also, and
in particular, the result of its meticulous and continuous
attention to detail.
From the iron age to stainless
steel age
VM Inox is a well-known brand name in the stainless
steel fencing market. Ever since its foundation
by the current owner Mr. Renato Vanzulli in
1976, the company has been committed to providing
the customers with elegant solutions and
outstanding quality; and this commitment explains
in large part its success on the market.
“VM Inox was born as an ironworker specialising
in steel fencing products - tell us Vanzulli – but
in 1982, when I started running the company, we
began a process of automation and we began
working with stainless steel instead of steel. The
change was gradually implemented. In the be-
ginning, we had two production facilities, one for
steel fencing and one for stainless steel fencing.
Then, in 2003, we took a step into the future
and decided to fully invest in a new production
unit entirely dedicated to stainless steel fencing
manufacturing and to laser cutting services; this
last activity, today, represents about 50% of the
company´s turnover.
Five year ago, VM Inox met the BLM Group for
the first time and bought one ADIGE TS 72 sawing
machine, a machine extremely fast and effective
that has resisted the power of laser, and it
is still used for the production of standard highvolume
applications.
“Significant scrap reduction and high cutting
speed are two of the main advantages of laser
technology” affirms Vanzulli.
From the combined system
to Lasertube
The introduction of laser technology, in 2006, resulted
in important manufacturing process innovations.
Before this investment, punching machines
were employed to process high-volume orders, but
to obtain satisfactory results, these machines required
precise and “definned” tubes. Thanks to
laser technology, it was possible to overcome the
accuracy problems and, at the same time, to ob-

tain other significant and decisive benefits. The first
laser machine was an ADILAS 2, an integrated system
for sheet metal and tube. The plan was to
process tubes with flexibility and accuracy, and then
to complete the production process with sheet metal
cutting. The experiment succeeded in increasing
production flexibility, and specifically, in extending
the processing range and in developing new products
through rapid and effective prototyping.
After two years, the ADILAS 2 system has been
replaced with its advanced successor, the LT
COMBO. In addition to its higher productivity, and
longer cut length and unloading capability, the
new combined system is particularly valuable for
its capability to work along the entire tube length,
thus eliminating end scrap (this is especially important
when processing expensive materials like
stainless steel).
The proverb “the appetite comes with eating” is
most certainly true for VM INOX. In fact, the company´s
next investment was an LT 722, a high
productivity laser system totally dedicated to tube
cutting. With this last investment, the workshop is
fully equipped to provide the customers with the
necessary flexibility and production capacity.
“Speed and flexibility are key features and benefits
of laser technology” affirms Mr. Vanzulli “and
our investment decisions were certainly driven by
these characteristics”.
Perfectly aligned
and matching holes
An additional remark has to be made about Ar-
Tube, the new programming software developed
specifically for processing tubes. In an evolving
world, where increasingly specialized software is
capable of providing custom solutions for diverse
requirements, the programming software needs
the ability to flexibly interface with other programming
softwares. ArTube has the capability
to directly import very easily from different graphic
formats.
Mr. Vanzulli shows us, as an example, of an upmarket
fencing model where the holes in the two
rectangular cross rail tubes are laser cut prior to
bending on a ring roller. Very cleverly the deformation
caused to the holes by the ring rolling
process is compensated for in the shape and
positioning of the holes cut by the laser i.e it is
not a true round hole prior to bending but it is after
the deformation of the bending process.The
round vertical tubes are then inserted with a perfect
fit to create an extremely elegant fencing
structure. The positioning and geometry of the
holes are calculated with dedicated software to
make sure that the holes are perfectly aligned
after the bending operation. Then, ArTube imports
the drawing and develops the working program
for the tube laser. “
VM INOX
Via Giovanni Falcone, 35
21040 Gerenzano (VA)
Tel. 02/96489284
FAX 02/96487196
vminox@vminox.com
Number 11 - october 2009 INSPIRED FOR TUBE Fencing
13

INSPIRED FOR TUBE Technology
14
Innovative laser-cutting solutions from BLM Group
on Show at EMO 2009 in Milan
The “fiber” further expands
BLM´s product offering
Thanks to its complete and diversified range of
laser tube cutting machines, the BLM Group is
able to offer customised solutions for all production
needs. This remarkable range has been developed
over the years by constantly investing in
dedicated research with the primary goals of taking
advantage of the technological innovations
and, at the same time, responding to the emerging
demands created on the market by these innovations.
In the last years, one innovation has particularly
revolutionised the laser world: the use of laser
sources with fibre resonators for metal processing.
Even though fibre lasers, namely, lasers constructed
within an optical fibre, have been very
popular within the scientific sector, it is only recently
that new laser sources, with enough beam
power and quality for metal processing and cutting,
have been developed. Laser light beams
generated by solid-state laser sources, also with
high-power intensity, were already transported
within an optical fibre, although they were generated
externally, and were already used in metal
welding and cutting.

It is not necessary to go into the technical details
of this new technology to appreciate its potential.
However, it is important to know that in the metal
cutting world, the distinctive benefits offered by
fibre laser (such as the possibility to cut highly reflective
metals like brass and copper and the
reduction in power consumption) make it an efficient
complementary solution to the traditional
and consolidated CO2 laser cutting technology
which, at the moment, remains irreplaceable for
many industrial applications.
The BLM Group is taking an active role in this technological
revolution. In fact, the company has finalized,
with substantial results, an important research
program evaluating the implementation
of these innovative laser sources on BLM machines.
The success of this research will be presented
in Milan at the EMO Exhibition, from the 5th to the
10th of October, where an “LT722” and an “LT
Combo” will be exhibited equipped respectively
with a 2 kw and a 3 kw fibre laser.
Number 11 - october 2009 INSPIRED FOR TUBE Tecnologia
15

INSPIRED FOR TUBE Laser job shop
16
K. Moder Gmbh, in Germany, has made laser tube technology
the cornerstone for its activity of pure job shop
Laser as common thread
Nordloh is a small village in northern Germany, near
the border with the Netherlands, characterized by
a rural landscape that evokes bucolic images quite
in contrast with the presence of several major industries,
like the one we are going to visit, the company
K. MODER GMBH, whose owner, Klaus Moder,
has welcomed us with kindness and enthusiasm.
Pioneer in laser technology
I met Klaus Moder several years ago, when the first
laser tube cutting system sold in Germany was installed,
and yet, at that time, he had already gained
relevant work experience in the field of laser. From
the time when he started to work for Rofin Sinar, in
1983, and then for other companies, to the point
when he decided to start its own business, in 1992,
the common thread of his professional life has always
been the laser technology and its industrial
applications.
Interviewing Mr. Moder is a little bit like retracing
the history of laser tube from its
origins, with the point of view of someone
who has always believed in this
technology and still smiles sat-
isfied when somebody calls him a real pioneer in
the laser field.
When he decided to enter the tube market with a
laser job shop business, Moder was working as
commercial technician for the first company in Germany
with a Lasertube, an ADIGE TT650. It´s no
wonder, then, that his company started out with the
acquisition of this piece of equipment, which, initially,
was used to produce components for the automotive
and indoor furniture industries. “With the
ADIGE system I took a big step forward and since
that moment, I have always been able to stay a step
ahead of my competitors in laser tube processing”
affirms Moder.
Open profiles and
large-size tubes
By visiting the production facility, it is immediately
clear that K. MODER GMBH is an authentic tube
job shop. In the beginning, most requests originated
from the automotive and furniture sectors, but
the use of laser for cutting metal tubes gained quickly
ground and also other sectors started taking advantage
of this innovative production technology.

Consequently, today, it is not easy to categorize with
precision the company´s customers, as they belong
to many different industries.
Thanks to the promising results achieved since the
beginning of its operations, in 1991, the company
purchased the second laser tube, a TT652, and
moved to a bigger facility. “We needed this second
system to start processing square and rectangular
tubes” explains Mr. Moder. “This new capability
opened new frontiers in the field of tube cutting significantly
increasing the market demand”.
The most recent investment, the Lasertube LT8, allows
the company to win new business opportunities.
Among other important benefits, the LT8 system
enables 3D working and the processing of
bigger dimensioned tube.
“As the number of competitors keeps growing, and
their manufacturing capabilities continue to improve,
it is necessary to follow a differentiation strategy
based on providing the customers with cutting-edge
technology” explains Moder and adds “our clientele
is starting to ask for tubes with larger dimensions
and wall thickness”. These tubes are mainly
used in the manufacturing of storage and racking
systems. Another important characteristic of the
Lasertube LT8 is its capability to process open profiles
and sections such as channels, flats, angles
etc. Thanks to this capability and the “dimensional
advantage”, K. MODER GMBH can compete for
work in the structural steel market, for example the
steelwork for industrial buildings.
“The laser tube processing market is still considered
to be quite young - explains Mr. Moder - in
fact, several customers still have no idea of the flexibility
and innovative structural solutions obtainable
with this technology”. When our customers come
to us, they are principally worried about the mechanical
problems deriving from tube processing.
Therefore, I have to help them to understand the
advantages of working with laser, as several of
these problems do not even exist with this production
method. Currently, we are experiencing
a slowdown in manufacturing orders but our presence
across different markets is helping us through
these difficult times. In fact, whilst the automotive
industry is particularly affected by the downturn,
other sectors, like the agricultural machinery sector,
continue to generate demand.
K. MODER GMBH
NORDLOHER DORFSTRASSE 4°
NORDLOH
Germania
Tel. +49 (4499) 918718
Number 11 - october 2009
17

INSPIRED FOR TUBE Catering equipment sector
18
Metalplast Srl, Italy, leads the market by providing high-quality
and flexible stainless steel tubing fabricating services
Small-batch production but with high
levels of complexity and quality
Metalplast started in 1987 as a small family-run
job shop specialising in metal tube processing.
From its small beginnings, with only three people,
the company has grown and evolved to become
a successful business driven by technology and
innovation. Mr. Gava, together with his wife Anna
Casagrande, and his son Stefano, manages a
twenty-employee organization that leads the market
in terms of flexibility and production quality.
“Entering into the catering equipment market
turned out to be a very rewarding decision” says
Mrs. Casagrande. ”It enabled us to increasingly
gain valuable experience and knowledge in how
to process exotic metal like stainless steel. Today,
we are very pleased to be the main supplier of
important companies in this market, like Electrolux.
The ability to meet the high-quality standards imposed
by the catering equipment industry, together
with the know-how accumulated over the
years in the stainless steel fabrication process,
have significantly helped us to enter other rele-
vant markets, such as the furniture industry, with
innovative design solutions, lighting, hospital , and
the heating-refrigeration markets. Even if we mainly
deal with stainless steel, we can also work, as
every good “job shop” does, with other materials
like mild steel and aluminum.
From quality semi-finished
products to finished products
In these difficult times of economic downturn
and market volatility, the only way for a “job
shop” to survive and thrive is by increasing,
as much as possible, the number of end-user
markets served to compensate for potential losses
in one or more of them. Accordingly, Metalplast
is pursuing a diversification strategy,
however, this strategy is quite atypical for a pure
“job shop”. In fact, by taking advantage of its
core competencies, the company has recently
started a new production line for the catering
industry, under its own brand name.

A long list
of machines
Constantly updating the technology
of its machines is not only
one of Metalplast´s priorities, but
also the direct consequence of Mr.
Gava´s business vision. The entrepreneur,
indeed, strongly believes
in the importance of being always ready
to rapidly and effectively respond to the changing
market expectations in terms of both production
capacity and quality of the semi-finished
products.
“The BLM Group has always been, in these past
years, our technological partner. We are very
satisfied with the technological level of its machinery
and with the company´s ability to understand
our production needs and translate
them into concrete and efficient solutions” explains
Mr. Gava. “The number of BLM machines
installed in our workshop clearly demonstrates
the long-term relationship with the Group of Cantu´.
In particular, we have the following machines
available: six BLM tube bending machines, from
the conventional Dynam0 to the innovative E-
TURN all electric bending machine, two AST
end-forming machines, one ST660 deburring
machine, two ADIGE LT712 and LT652 laser
tube cutting machines, and two ADIGE sawing
machines.
In addition to this equipment, we have just installed
a multi-head bender for wire, a machine that only
recently, as a result of the takeover of Montorfano,
has become part of the BLM Group´s family of
products. Thanks to this recent investment, we
can add wire processing to our range of production
services thus becoming more competitive
in our market sector.
Experience, reliability, design skills, and knowhow,
are all important characteristics for companies
like ours. Nevertheless, without the proper
machinery and technology to turn ideas into
successful products, it is hard to survive today´s
market” adds Mrs. Casagrande. “Therefore, in
order to make the right investments decisions,
it is necessary to anticipate the future technology
needs, and, accordingly, plan the company´s
technological growth path”.
METALPLAST SRL
Via Cal Longa, 15/d
31028 Vazzola (TV) - ITALY
Tel. 0438 740832
Fax 0438 740477
info@metalplast.it
INSPIRED FOR TUBE
Number 11 - october 2009
19

INSPIRED FOR TUBE Ristorazione
20
Laser and variable radius both
deliberate decisions
Yes! It is because of its carefully planned investment
approach that Metalplast, since 2000/2001,
is experiencing a remarkable and steady growth
trend. Two investment decisions, in particular,
have been decisive for the company´s development:
the acquisition of modern tube bending
machines with variable radius and the introduction
of laser tube processing technology.
With regard to the first decision, by using modern
bending machines with variable radius, Metalplast
has extended the scope of services offered, thus
widening the distinction “gap” with its direct com-
petitors. “It was really a worthwhile decision – says
satisfied Mrs. Casagrande – because it enabled
us to further develop our manufacturing competencies.
We were finally able to perform fabrication
processes that before this investment were
quite impracticable. As soon as we employed the
new bending technology, we were capable of satisfying
all the requirements of the existing and new
customers, even the more particular and challenging
ones”.
Also the second investment decision, that is, the
acquisition of the two ADIGE laser tube cutting
systems, was well thought-out and deliberate.
“The Laser technology was adopted to satisfy our
internal production needs” explains Mr. Gava.
“We were mainly working products with high aesthetic
value, thus requiring precision, quality and
short execution time. The introduction of laser
technology significantly contributed to our ability
to fulfill these requirements and to overcome the
limitations of the traditional operations, which we
considered to be the “weakest link” in our production
chain. We wanted to ensure our customers’
satisfaction, so we focused on improving
our products and our cutting process”. “The laser
also helped us to think differently – adds Mrs.

Casagrande – giving the ability to create tube
joints, unthinkable before, and the intrinsic potential
of modern Lasertube machines, we had to
reconsider entirely our products, in fact, we extended
their functionality and increased their robustness.
In addition, the production cycle was
very much improved, with considerable benefits
in terms of time and productivity.
We frequently have to deal with challenging and
innovative ideas, drawings, and design proposals,
which, unfortunately, do not take into account
implementation constraints. Because of their inadequate
knowledge of these specific technologies,
sometimes designers wrongly assume that,
everything is possible, and that tubes can be
bended in any shape; they do not take into consideration
the material and tools restrictions. This
explains why we have to be very polite and persuasive
in recommending the design adjustments
necessary to optimize the final product. However,
the most difficult part is to make the designers
understand the reasons behind these modifications
without hurting their feelings”.
Metalplast processes tubes with diameters ranging
from 12 to 60 mm with its bending machines
and to 120 mm with its laser machines. As far
as the batch-size is concerned, the company
works complex parts but in small batches, ranging
from 20 to 100 pieces. Giving that these parts
are frequently requested, the company maintains
some minimum level of inventory, and therefore,
is able to rapidly respond to even the most urgent
of requests. This need for rapid response time
also explains why Metalplast has invested in two
laser tube cutting systems.
Number 11 - october 2009 INSPIRED FOR TUBE Ristorazione
21

INSPIRED FOR TUBE Job shop
22
In Mercury Speciality Products lasertube changed
the way of making business
Looking over the horizon
Mike Lee's mission is to spread the gospel of "innovation
with tube" into the mid-continent market
of North America. Lee has never really stopped
transforming his Winnipeg tube fabrication company,
Mercury specialty Products (MSP). The 24person
shop has become a specialty powerhouse
in the region supplying the agricultural equipment,
transportation, lawn care and general manufacturers.
Now Lee is determined to position his operation
to be on the vanguard of the coming wave
in industrial tube design.
"I want to show people how to build a better building
with tube, a better piece of furniture with tube,
show people how to make all sorts of creative
products from tube," said Lee.
Having become one of the early adapters of
BLM's revolutionary laser tube cutting equipment
the issue for Lee is now more about leveraging
the design possibilities for his clients than it is a
concern about the capital expense. "My BLM tube
lasers have changed the way I want to do business,"
Lee said. Showing a visitor his BLM multiaxis
tube laser system Lee seems far more excited
about the potential for what he can do for
his clients than he is about what it might mean
to his own company.
Lee transitioned MSP from a supplier of commod-
ity product like handrails and grab-bars for health
care facilities into a high quality parts supplier for
the booming bus building business that Winnipeg
is now the North American centre for. Uncompromising
customers in that sector and others has
made MSP capable of taking on the most innovative
projects for the most demanding customers
regardless of whether they are equipment makers
in the U.S. Midwest, or the most cutting edge design
houses of Europe or the Far East.
His experience also taught him that he couldn't
rely on the things that made the company successful
yesterday for its future. Using the nimbleness
only available to operations that are MSP's
size, in the last five years he has re-oriented the
company to focus on supplying the thriving agricultural
equipment industry. It's that kind of industry
awareness has allowed MSP to achieve a
30 per cent compound annual growth rate since
he's owned the company.
Although commodity price downturns has seriously
hurt the North American mining and the
forestry sectors in 2008-09, agricultural commodities
have held their own and MPS has ridden
the wave.
"What started me on this venture (to move his company
into the forefront of the market in innovative
tube processing) is that we have been the bene-

ficiary of a unique market sector for the last five
years," he said. "The ag market has been very
good to us. The growth has been spectacular, the
opportunities have been tremendous. But I knew
we had to start working aggressively to figure out
what life holds for us after ag."
At first he wasn't certain what that would be but
a trip to Europe this spring helped convince him
that there was a world of opportunity out there in
new product design that used formed and
processed tube to a much greater degree than
the North American market had known.
Since the company has now invested many millions
of dollars in state-of-the-art equipment . Lee
believes his company's future will at least partially
depend on product innovation.
"One of the most important aspects of Mike's com-
pany is that he has the vision," said Jim Rutt, president
and chief operating officer of BLM Group
USA. "I think he is on the right track. Many of the
other folks in the technology are somewhat content
to just use the technology to fabricate product
using existing designs. Mike is thinking over
the horizon."
Economy and aesthetics
Lee is going out of his way to plant the idea of using
tube in the design of some significant public
buildings that are in the works in his region. He
meets with architects and designers when he can
to make sure they are aware of the possibilities.
"I want to get the level of awareness up about how
we are innovating in tube," said Lee. "Then perhaps
others will share the same vision I have."
Using the efficiency improvements his latest BLM
automatic loading laser tube cutters provide in
tighter tolerance and accuracy, reduction in downstream
assembly costs, reduction in scrap and
the tremendous gains in labour productivity, Lee
is convinced the economics and esthetics of the
latest design work in tube can be a winning combination.
"In the long run the truly most important contribution
this technology can make is in the efficiency
it opens up providing additional degrees
of design freedom to product designers," Rutt
said. "That is the aspect Mike is trying to develop
and promote. He is at the forefront of that
in Canada."
MERCURY SPECIALTY
PRODUCTS INC.
15 Winfield Way
Winnipeg, Manitoba
R2R 1V8 CANADA
Tel (204) 925-7712
Fax: (204) 925-7714
mike@mspcda.com
Number 11 - october 2009 INSPIRED FOR TUBE Job shop
23

INSPIRED FOR TUBE
TUBE BENDING
ENDFORMING
CUTTING, DEBURRING AND WASHING
CUTTING AND END MACHINING
LASERTUBE
COMBINED LASER CUTTING OF TUBE AND SHEET METAL
HANDLING
3D MEASURING
MANUFACTURING CELLS
NON TOUCH MEASURING SYSTEMS
SOFTWARE FOR PROCESS CONTROL
Via Selvaregina, 30
22063 Cantù (CO) Italy
tel. +39 031 7070200
fax +39 031 715911
e-mail: vendite@blm.it
Via per Barco, 11
38056 Levico Terme (TN) Italy
tel. +39 0461 729000
fax +39 0461 701410
e-mail: vendite@adige.it
Viale Venezia, 84B
38056 Levico Terme (TN) Italy
tel. +39 0461 729300
fax +39 0461 720214
e-mail: adigesys@adigesys.it
Also available in pdf format on:
www.blmgroup.com