British lighting manufacturing company Candela Light Ltd of Birmingham is bucking the trend of a flat market for UK manufacturing and increasing it’s production capacity in order to supply both lighting parts and complete lighting solutions for interior and exterior works. The new TRUMPF technologies at Candela Light are helping meet increasing demand for the company’s range of street, architectural, LED and heritage lighting.
Having experienced strong growth in the past 12 months (Candela now employs 28 people), the company decided to reinvest some of its profits back into the business. Thanks to its investment in the latest TruPunch 1000 CNC punching machine from TRUMPF, Birmingham-based lighting manufacturer Candela Light is enjoying a 50% increase in production speed (and hence throughput) over its two previous turret punch presses. The machine was purchased alongside a TRUMPF TruBend 3066 CNC press brake and the latest TRUMPF TruTops Boost software that allows the company to generate programs at the touch of a button.
Since its installation in 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. Candela makes to order, rather than for stock, and batch sizes can range from 20 to 300-off.
Nigel Astley Managing Director comments “Candela Light has just celebrated it’s 30th year supplying British made lighting for the public and private sectors. We have gone from strength to strength by providing a top-class service that has allowed us to make this latest investment in new machinery and increase our capacity in order to satisfy demand”.
This new sheet metal punching tool is extremely efficient and has a low use of compressed air and low power consumption contributing to the all-around conservation of resources. With the common cut, the material is used even more efficiently and scrap is reduced.
Candela Light is an ISO 9001-2000/AS 9100 accredited manufacturer, providing contemporary and heritage style British manufactured street lighting, bollards and interior lighting throughout the UK and internationally. For over 30 years Candela Light has played a key role in numerous major decorative lighting schemes in both the private and public sector. The company, which is one of the few truly independent lighting manufacturers in the UK, supports projects from early proposals and lighting designs, right through to commissioning and production.
Candela Light have a positive outlook together with international expansion plans in 2017 and beyond.