Additional Yawei fibre laser further expands D&D Smith’s capabilities and efficiency
Any company successfully operating for over 55 years has to recognise emerging market trends and adapt and evolve to meet those needs. Padstow-based D&D Smith Metal Pressers is one such company.
The company was established by Dennis Smith and his business partner Bruce McEwan as McEwan & Smith. Their business began with just a couple of machines in Dennis’s father’s back shed, but after the first year of operation, they had grown enough to rent a property.
Later that decade, they bought the premises, and Dennis built a new factory with his own hands on the site. The company took advantage of the boom in metal-stamping in Sydney during the 1980s and soon became an acknowledged expert and leader in the metal stamping industry.
Dennis was passionate about improving quality and efficiency and, during this period, implemented a fully accredited quality system to ISO9002 standards.
The current owner, Daniel Smith, son of Dennis, began working for the company in 1998 when he was 22, and the company was subsequently renamed D&D Smith Metal Pressers and Production Engineers P/L.
In 2001, the company outgrew its original premises and relocated to a larger factory in Padstow. It was at this stage that Daniel recognised the need to broaden the company’s capabilities, resulting in the company moving into manufacturing metal door framings, roller doors and specialist equipment for the mining industry.
Due to the competitive nature of the industry, Daniel has always strived to ensure D&D has a clear point of difference by offering outstanding quality combined with quick turnaround.
“When you’ve been involved in metal stamping/toolmaking, you get used to tight tolerances. We always go the extra mile to ensure the highest quality of the finished product,” Daniel said.
“We pride ourselves on our personal service and excellent lead times – something only a true Australian business can deliver. This has been the key to retaining current customers and acquiring new ones. Once we start a relationship with a new company they tend to stay with us,” Daniel said.
Another emerging trend that Daniel spotted more recently was in contract laser cutting. “Many local manufacturers and fabricators couldn’t justify a laser cutter for themselves but still wanted the quality of cut and quick turnaround that only a fibre laser cutter can provide,” said Daniel.
To capitalise on the potential of contract laser cutting and to offset a downturn in business that occurred at this time, Daniel purchased a Yawei HLF-1530 (4kW) model in 2018.
“I chose the Yawei as it offered high performance and cut quality at a competitive price. Plus, the benefit of using a local supplier like Applied Machinery, with its technical expertise and support, was the icing on the cake,” he said.
The simplicity of the programming and the cutting speed of the Yawei allowed D&D to handle short production runs, produce custom moulds and build prototype designs of the highest quality.
“We no longer needed to invest in expensive and time-consuming tooling; we could just build the form part and laser cut the blank die. Suddenly, we halved the tooling expense and sped up turnaround, making small runs much more viable whilst opening up niche opportunities for us.
“The new fibre laser enabled us to talk to customers we’d never spoken to before – it essentially transformed my business,” Daniel said.
The company’s focus on quality saw Daniel purchasing a specialist machine with the new fibre laser. This machine’s ability to remove any sharp edges ensures the end product’s highest possible quality and finish.
Fast forward to the present day, and whilst D&D still manufactures mining and metal-stamped products, significant growth has occurred within the contract laser cutting side. Today, this segment represents an impressive 50% of turnover, vindicating Daniel’s decision to move into this market.
This remarkable growth led to his decision to purchase another Yawei fibre laser – this time a high-powered HLF 15kW model with a 2m x 4m bed. There were a number of key reasons why Daniel wanted to add a new machine, particularly the 15kW model.
“I wanted to add a new fibre laser that wasn’t just faster but also cut thicker and longer – I wanted an addition, not just a duplication.
“Given that contract cutting represents such a large part of my turnover, I also wanted to protect myself against downtime due to planned or unplanned maintenance on my lasers. A second machine gives me that protection. I pride myself on our speed and efficiency and can’t afford to disappoint customers,” he said.
Much of the company’s contract work necessitates cutting numerous 8, 10 & 12mm thick plates. The work has also increased in this area and lead times were starting to stretch – another reason for purchasing the new machine. “Because the new 15kW machine is so powerful, it just smashes through these plates quickly and easily,” Daniel enthused.
In addition to the quality and value the Yawei brand offers, Daniel’s relationship with Applied has proven equally satisfying. “We’ve developed a good working relationship with Applied over the years. We get on very well with all the staff and work together to fix any teething problems. The support and backup are excellent,” he added.
“The new fibre laser will further broaden our capabilities and ensure we continue to look after our current customers with the quick turnaround we’re renowned for. It also provides us with a competitive advantage in the marketplace – we can cut much quicker but at the same hourly rate,”
In just a few short months the impact of the new fibre laser is obvious. “My numbers over the last few months have been the biggest ever, so this new machine has come just at the right time,” Daniel summed up.