CEO Phil Norman explains why LiSEC was the obvious choice.
“Glass 360 was conceived to cater for small to medium sized glaziers, requiring a fast and reliable turnaround service,” says Phil. “I was aiming to reinvest into our industry and gain tangible assets in a company with genuine growth potential, founded on quality machinery and superior customer service.”
Along with purchasing the best machinery, Glass 360 employs confident, experienced staff with a proven record in running a glass supply factory.
The business model for Glass 360 called for the installation of machinery and equipment with the capability to deliver maximum automation, accuracy and efficiencies throughout the manufacturing process. “For this major long-term investment, we required a machine offering value for money at the reliable end of the scale – we definitely didn’t want knock-offs,“ Phil confirms.
Extensive research was conducted before making the decision to purchase the LiSEC cutting line. “I investigated the topic by attending the glasstec trade fair in Düsseldorf 2016. The best advice my partner and I received was to go with LiSEC, which supplies high-performance machinery for a diverse range of jobs.“ notes Phil.
Before making the decision, the owners of Glass 360 met with the LiSEC team. “We met with Lee Thurbon and Sandro Ianni from LiSEC to seek professional advice on what would best meet our needs in terms of both integration and improving our manufacturing facility. The combination cutting line capable of processing both laminated and plate glass was nominated. We chose LiSEC because it had features that other machinery simply didn’t offer.”
The installed LiSEC cutting line is a combined cutting line for laminated/float glass, complete with a moveable double-sided loading system with four stations. They chose it due to its ability to meet their immediate and future production requirements, its compact size, as well as its capacity to handle jumbo sheets up to 3m x 6m.
“This machinery also has the ability to interface into our existing software, proving to be another valuable benefit, as was the technical support LiSEC offers. Having a locally based technicians on hand for regular maintenance is an important consideration, as is their sizeable stock of spare parts, all readily available.“
The associated benefits of the LiSEC cutting line include its ability to address work health safety concerns. “When completing a Risk Assessment before purchase, I determined that the LiSEC automatic loader would substantially reduce crane movement of glass. The specialized lifting arms I had specified on the breakout table further reduced manual handling concerns“ Phil explains.
The purchase has already brought significant benefits to Glass 360. “The LiSEC cutting line greatly reduces our reliance on external suppliers,“ Phil concludes. “The machine’s impressively fast turnaround has enabled us to take control of our own destiny by offering customers greater service and higher flexibility.“