In March 2022, we celebrated our best month on record since Laser 24 was formed back in 2008. Achieving and exceeding all targets set, we delivered 99.5% of our orders on time or before estimated delivery dates and continued to receive glowing feedback from our customers.
It’s important to celebrate successes and reflect on our journey so far. There have been highs and lows but together we have worked through it as a team.
From our first investment to present day, we take a trip down memory lane and look back at Laser 24 over the years.
2008 – 2012: High-speed laser cutting comes to Wickford, Essex
Let’s go back to where it all began!
In 2008, after 10 years of working in the Engineering and Laser Cutting industry, Iain Summerfield moved from Corby to Essex and set up Laser 24 Limited.
We moved into a 3,500sq ft factory in Wickford, Essex, and invested in our first laser, a second hand 1.8kW BySprint CO2 laser cutter.
In 2008, Laser 24 was made up of 3 staff members, which grew by an additional 5 staff by 2012 including office staff, a laser operator, packers, and despatch staff.
By the following year, business was booming and with increasing demand for our great quality parts and service, Iain invested in our second laser, a 3kW BySprint CO2 laser cutter.
2012 – 2014: Bigger and better, from capabilities to certifications
In 2012, we settled into new, much larger, 12,500sq ft premises.
Due to the ever-changing laser technology, we upgraded and invested in our first 3kW fiber laser cutter and added full automation in the form of a ByTrans Extended, allowing us to increase our order metal cutting capacity by running a high volume, unmanned shift.
Continuing to strengthen our business in a very competitive market, in 2014 Laser 24 gained CE accreditation. This created more opportunities to work with a wide range of businesses in a variety of sectors across the UK such as Engineering, Medical, Marine, and Architectural.
As a leading UK laser cutter, Laser 24 was awarded CE marking to Execution Class 4, which means our FPC certification is now to the highest achievable level.
We are incredibly proud of this accreditation as it demonstrates our ability to consistently provide an advanced level of compliance to the CE marking required in the laser cutting industry. It also reassures our customers that we have strict quality assurance procedures in place throughout the factory.
2015 – 2018: More than just a laser cutting company
The laser cutting industry is fast-paced and requires processes that are lightning speed. In 2016, our Director, Iain Summerfield made a key investment in our software, purchasing Plant Manager.
Plant Manager is Laser 24’s lifeline, running in the background, behind the laser cutting, metal bending, and automation machinery, allowing us to have full visibility of all processes and enabling us to learn and further our high speed laser cutting capabilities.
This game changing tool allowed our team to pre-plan and manage every aspect of production. We quickly realised that additional investment was required to bring our machinery up to speed with our new software.
In 2018, Laser 24 invested in our first 10kW ByStar Fibre Laser cutter, meaning that our capacity almost doubled overnight!
We could then laser cut flat sheet metal up to 25mm thick and supply profiles with super clean edge quality at affordable prices to businesses throughout the UK.
Due to our ongoing reliable service and attention to detail, our customers were requesting Laser 24 to provide more than just a laser cutting service. We listened to our client base and were able to make a very easy decision as to what our next investment would be.
In 2018, Laser 24 were the new owners of an 80-tonne Press Brake, the Xpert 80.
This machine was both ideal for projects requiring a quick turn-around time and provided an affordable solution to our customers’ metal folding needs.
With a bending length of 1.5 metres, our Press Brake machine allows us to fold a wide range of metals and thicknesses.
2019 – 2020: Meet the new Laser 24, at the forefront of the laser cutting industry
In March 2019, Laser 24 had a makeover!
We re-branded and launched a new website, making it easier for our customers to explore our range of laser cutting and press braking services, and made the move to social media, becoming accessible on LinkedIn, Facebook, and Instagram!
Laser 24 became the owners of a second 10kW ByStar laser cutter, once again strengthening our business in a competitive market. By ensuring we cut down our processing costs, we were able to pass those savings on to our customers.
Later in 2019 Laser 24 met the requirements of ISO9001:2015 and BS EN 1090-1:2009 + A1:2011 for our quality management system, factory production control system, and additional processes reviewed during the assessment.
The accreditations gained demonstrate that our laser cutting and press braking services were, and continue to be, of a world-class standard.
As a subcontractor, it’s extremely important that we invest in the best metal cutting machinery available on the market. So, Laser 24 made the decision to decommission one of the 10kW ByStar laser cutters, and reinvest in a 12kW ByStar laser cutter with the ability to laser cut up to 30mm in Mild Steel, Stainless Steel, and Aluminium.
Also in 2019, the UK Government invested £10 million of additional funding in Knowledge Transfer Partnerships to fund the new Management KTPs. In July 2020, the University of Essex launched its first Management Knowledge Transfer Partnership.
Across 140 universities, only 18 Management KTPs were awarded in the UK. Laser 24’s was the first funded in the East of England and London, recognising the potential for company growth and the reputation for applied research within the Essex Business School.
This integral partnership has helped Laser 24 meet the increasing demand for products, expand our range of services, streamline our internal processes, increased production, and assisted in up-skilling our team.
2020 – 2022: Supporting the nation with our rapid laser cutting
In March 2020, the country was met with the full force of COVID-19. Laser 24 introduced the recommended precautionary measures to ensure we helped to stop the spread of the virus and to keep our team and customers safe.
Fast-forward to July 2020 and we had been producing medical laser cutting to support the nation for over 100 days; the laser cut profiles were used for ventilators and protective screens. We even produced our own product, the ‘Corona Claw’, a small brass key that could be used to open doors and press buttons instead of touching surfaces to prevent the transmission of the virus.
We were thrilled to be able to donate these products to our local hospitals, including the Basildon University Hospital.
As part of our commitment to produce the highest quality parts for our customers, in 2020 Laser 24 invested in the Ellesco Timesaver, a versatile deburring and graining machine that runs perfectly alongside our 10kW and 12kW Bystronic ByStar laser cutters.
Throughout 2020, we worked on a fresh look for the office and factory, re-painting different areas and re-designing our packing benches.
In 2021 we transitioned into a paperless business with a responsive ERP system. This system saved us a huge amount in operational costs and improved communication and response times within our customer care departments. As always, the savings were passed on to our customers.
To date, Laser 24 has grown to offer a high-volume laser cutting, press braking and finishing service, with significant continued investments in the team, state-of-the-art equipment, and software.
We offer a range of services for a variety of materials, such as stainless steel laser cutting and aluminium laser cutting.
We’re one of the top laser companies in the UK and we cannot wait to see what’s next for Laser 24 and hope you’ll be part of the journey.
For more information on the laser cutting and folding services we provide across Essex, Kent, London, and surrounding areas, or to find out how we can help you with your next project, contact our team on 01268 733 883, email [email protected], or fill out a contact form here.
