Why BM Steel invested in plasma

BM Steel Group are a formidable player in the UK steel stockholding market, with over 130 years of experience and an extensive range of products. Operating from 15 sites across the UK, they bolster their extensive range of steel beams, columns, rounds, hollow section and bright bars with an ever-expanding catalogue of access and safety products, such as stair treads and GRP, as well as glass balustrades, composite cladding, decking and fencing composite materials and much more.

However, one thing that Regional Manager Gavin Morrison and his team felt that they could improve upon was an enhanced in-house processing capability.

Starting their journey, BM Steel recently invested in a state-of-the-art “Lightning HD” plasma cutter from Esprit Automation.

This precision plasma cutter offers ‘laser-like’ precision, with all the benefits of lower cost and greater versatility of materials that plasma offers.

Why did we decide to invest in a plasma cutter?

During a recent visit to BM Steel’s Aberdeen site, The Metal Magazine’s Peter Comerford spoke with Regional Manager Gavin Morrison and Depot Manager Paul O’Rourke to discuss the company’s decision to invest in a plasma cutting machine.

Gavin told us “BM Steel is a long-established organisation and a fully accredited JOSCAR supplier. We have a long history of stocking and supplying top quality steel products, but often our customers would need to send the products somewhere else to be cut, where more intricate cutting work was required for their project.

“Being able to conduct more of that processing work in-house means that we can greatly increase our service offering to our customers, reducing lead times for them while enhancing the skill set of our team and adding another revenue stream.”

Esprit Automation Lightning HD plasma cutter with True Hole technology

Why did we choose the Esprit Automation machine?

“In our research phase, we evaluated several cutting machines from a variety of manufacturers. We were blown away by the quality and accuracy of the Esprit Automation Lightning HD machine.

“The machine has True Hole technology, which ensures that cuts made at 90° to the surface will remain at 90° throughout the depth of the material. This means that if the cutter is used to cut circular holes in a piece of material, the diameter of the circle at the top surface of the material will be exactly the same as the diameter of the exit circle at the bottom, as well as consistently throughout in-between. Other solutions that we looked at, using water cutting systems, just couldn’t guarantee the same level of accuracy.

“The Esprit Automation plasma cutters also produce guaranteed smooth surfaces on cut materials, meaning that we’re required to perform very little finishing of products once they’re cut.

“Finally, we found that the Procut CAD/CAM software was excellent, really easy to use and integrated seamlessly with the Lightning HD because it’s purpose-designed by the same company.”

Esprit Automation Lightning HD plasma cutter being used to cut through mild steel plate at BM Steel

Looking to the future

BM Steel are rapidly increasing their in-house processing capabilities across their business, and will be further expanding the range of services that they can offer over the coming months.

With this new plasma cutting capability, they have bypassed intermediate stages and arrived decisively at the front of the pack.

We’ll be back on site with BM soon to unveil their next big investment. Watch this space. 👀

You can find out more about the extensive range of products and services that BM Steel offer by visiting their website: www.bmsteel.co.uk

You can find out more about the Lightning HD plasma cutter discussed in this article, visit the Esprit Automation website: espritautomation.com/lightning-hd

If you have further queries about the plasma cutting services now available at BM Steel, you can connect with Gavin Morrison on LinkedIn or contact BM Steel using the contact details on their website.

About the author

Latest articles

Featured article
  • Should you consider B2B ecommerce payments?

    Should you consider B2B ecommerce payments?

    In the past, many believed that B2B products were too complicated to be sold online and buyers would not trust making high-value purchases through the internet. Physical sales relationships were seen as the only way to establish the trust required for B2B transactions. However, the digital age has significantly influenced the B2B research and buying…

    Read article →

  • Van Leeuwen: The Energy Project

    Van Leeuwen: The Energy Project

    In December 2021 Jill Clements told me about the Energy Project that had been signed off by Van Leeuwen UK. Jill was animated when talking about the news, and excitedly explained the potential that this opened up to her and the team. “I am very excited about it. I am really happy that finally we…

    Read article →

  • Drywall Steel Sections Secures £9.5 Million WMCA Investment

    Drywall Steel Sections Secures £9.5 Million WMCA Investment

    £13 million was all it took for a family run manufacturing business to make a monumental transformation in the historic heart of the steel industry! Drywall Steel Sections Ltd are on the move after securing loan funding of £9.5 million from the West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA). Their Cradley Heath site was no longer fit…

    Read article →

  • The NASS Golf day & Summer Gathering 2023

    The NASS Golf day & Summer Gathering 2023

    On the 29th of June, Matt Tipper, Stewart Andrews and I had a swing of the clubs at Priory Breadsall in Derby. A week later, on the 6th of July, I attended the Summer Gathering in central Birmingham. Two entirely different events, seven days apart, both hosted by The National Association of Steel Service Centres…

    Read article →

  • The Stainless Steel Industry Meets at the BSSA Annual Conference & Dinner

    The Stainless Steel Industry Meets at the BSSA Annual Conference & Dinner

    The British Stainless Steel Association (BSSA) met at The Grand Hotel in Birmingham in May 2023 for their annual conference and dinner. Having attended the last four BSSA annual conferences and this year’s Food and Beverage Industry event (link to article), it was great to catch up with familiar faces from the industry and new…

    Read article →

  • Q2 Review: Analysing The Recruitment Landscape

    Q2 Review: Analysing The Recruitment Landscape

    Large corporate companies are facing challenges attracting new talent and retaining skilled staff especially when their salary structures, work flexibility and staff benefits are outdated compared to smaller, more agile SMEs. Smaller companies can have the advantage of being able to offer more flexibility and quicker decision-making, meaning they’re a more appealing option for certain…

    Read article →

  • How to use LinkedIn for YOUR Metal Business.

    How to use LinkedIn for YOUR Metal Business.

    The below presentation was given at the National Association of Steel Service Centres (NASS) 2023 Summer Gathering. In 12 days I’ll have been using LinkedIn for 12 years! On the day I joined I thought: “Wow! This business Facebook thingy is incredible! Everyone I want to do business with is right here, this will be…

    Read article →

  • Leading the Charge: Steel Dynamics in the Nuclear Industry

    Leading the Charge: Steel Dynamics in the Nuclear Industry

    Chancellor Rishi Sunak recently unveiled the Great British Nuclear initiative, marking a significant milestone in the UK’s pursuit of a sustainable energy future. With nuclear power playing a crucialrole in achieving net-zero emissions and reducing greenhouse gases, this announcement signals a remarkable leap forward in the nation’s commitment to clean and reliable energy sources. The…

    Read article →

  • Steel Dynamics Group Ltd. Acquires Ferrari Stainless & Alloys.

    Steel Dynamics Group Ltd. Acquires Ferrari Stainless & Alloys.

    Steel Dynamics Group Ltd. Acquires Ferrari Stainless & Alloys Ltd. Launching P&P Non Ferrous: A Gateway to Enhanced Customer Services and Expansion Down South In a strategic move to bolster its position in the industry, Steel Dynamics Group Ltd. proudly announces the successful acquisition of Ferrari Stainless & Alloys Ltd. in Wimborne. This transformative development…

    Read article →

  • Sustainability is key to modern manufacturing

    Sustainability is key to modern manufacturing

    During my time supplying specialist metals into the manufacturing sector, I have noticed several things regarding the supply chain local to me in South Yorkshire. 1 Large Manufacturing companies often have difficult onboarding processes.  This makes it difficult for smaller SMES or new market entrants to be able to supply them. 2 Manufacturing companies are…

    Read article →

  • Lasers: The Tesla of Tooling

    Lasers: The Tesla of Tooling

    Welcome back, I’m LaserEd, and I work with lasers. I’ll be laser-educating for The Metal Magazine and I hope it results in more metal parts being lasered! First of all, I haven’t had an accident after writing my last article about Laser Safety. I have been busy researching. Although it is time consuming, I love…

    Read article →

  • Implementing QMS Certifications for Small Businesses and Start-Up Companies

    Implementing QMS Certifications for Small Businesses and Start-Up Companies

    Welcome to the fourth and final instalment of this short series on Quality Management System certification for small businesses and start-up companies. In this 4 part series I have been explaining exactly what third-party certification involves, and how you can level up your business through this process. The standard we are focussing on is ISO9001:2015, as…

    Read article →

  • Net zero carbon does not mean zero!

    Net zero carbon does not mean zero!

    Task 2 of the SUSTAIN project focuses on recycling the non-recyclable waste from the steelmaking process.

    Read article →

Get notified when we publish new articles!

Want to feature in the next edition?