Schmid OG is based in Fulpmes in Tyrol: the family business is well positioned to offer its customers a range of metal processing services. These include cutting, pressing, punching, folding, painting and even forging. For more than 10 years, the company has also had its own cutting department. A plasma technology was the starting point, and in 2022 a compact laser cutting system completed the machine park for the time being. Due to the good order situation and increased customer requirements, particularly in the automotive industry, the family-owned company has now decided to purchase a smart 2D laser of the MasterLINE series, which is sold in German-speaking countries under the product name “MSE SmartFL”.
Forging, bending, pressing, punching and more – more than 20 years ago, Gerhard Schmid took over a blacksmith's shop founded in 1910 in the Stubai Valley, about 20 km south of Innsbruck. Production has been continuously modernized and expanded to manufacture high-quality precision parts and series for customers in the mountaineering, automotive and tool industries. Particular emphasis is placed on the individual adjustment of all production parameters to achieve a result that precisely meets the customer's requirements.
Investment in plasma and laser technology
In 2012, Schmid OG also decided to bring cutting in-house. After intensive research, the company came across MicroStep Europa (ACCURL partner in Germany) and decided to purchase a 2D plasma cutting system. In order to meet the increasing demands, particularly from the automotive industry, for higher accuracy, the metal fabricator decided to invest in a laser cutting system almost ten years later.
„You can't make an omelette without breaking eggs“
However, the demand for cutting thin sheets with ever more precise requirements, both for in-house cutting and for contract manufacturing, was constantly increasing. And so, just one year later, a further investment was needed to meet the volume of orders. Based on the good experiences with the cutting systems already purchased, it quickly became clear to Schmid OG after a brief comparison with other manufacturers: it would be another laser system from MicroStep Europa. “You can't make an omelet without breaking eggs – a problem can always arise and at MicroStep Europa we know that we can rely on getting help right away,” says Marie-Theres Schöpf, managing director of Schmid OG. ”With other manufacturers, we didn't know where the support was and if or when someone could help us if something came up.” After consulting with area sales manager Alois Bergmann, the family business decided on an MasterLINE 2D laser cutting system, which is sold in German-speaking countries under the product name “MSE SmartFL” with an 8 kW laser.
Two laser cutting systems for different requirements
The company uses the compact, existing 2D laser to cut small parts with a material thickness of up to 5 mm, while larger components with a higher material thickness are cut on the MasterLINE, especially for contract manufacturing. Just one month after commissioning, the machine was already running at around 70 percent capacity. “We receive a lot of orders from the agricultural industry, especially in spring and fall, so we expect a further increase in capacity here,” says Schöpf. Regarding the purchase of the new laser cutting system, she concludes: “Everything went really well again. Even the fact that the delivery date could be brought forward – it's just always very good communication.”
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