Weald Park Ltd

Case Study

Precision Engineering at Wealdpark Ltd with an N-Lase Desktop Pro

Company:: Wealdpark Ltd
Industry:: Precision Engineering
Product:: N-Lase Desktop Pro

The Brief.

Like many precision engineering companies, Wealdpark produces parts that need to be traceable – this means applying a permanent mark onto the part. Wealdpark were using a more traditional method of marking parts – a milling machine – which brings its own challenges:

Lacking in speed: Mechanical and contact marking methods are cumbersome and slow.
Breaking parts: Whether it is the machine doing the marking or the part being marked, mechanical engraving puts a great deal of stress on all components involved and, in turn, results in repair costs and wasted materials.
Limited applications: Mechanical engraving methods are unable to mark more fragile substrates such as glass and thin metals.
Marks are often hard to read: Marks that are mechanically engraved can sometimes be illegible, especially when of a smaller size.

The above challenges were all felt by Wealdpark, and their interest in laser technology was rooted in a desire to speed up their processes, offer a higher quality finish for their customers and ensure less repair costs and wasted raw materials.

The Solution.

So, how did we help?

Following an initial consultation with our Sales team, Steve was invited for a demonstration onsite here in Whitchurch.

Steve was keen to specifically see our Desktop Pro in action, so we got one set up with a rotary attachment enabled, ready to mark some parts.

Whether it is onsite here in Whitchurch, or at the customer’s premises, our demonstrations are a great opportunity to witness firsthand the power and capability of laser technology, especially when we can demonstrate applications on the customer’s own samples.

Following a demo, the N-Lase Desktop Pro was identified as the right solution for Wealdpark. The Desktop Pro is compact but still feature-rich, with a robust enclosure to withstand the harshest manufacturing environments. It's Class 4 override means that, whilst wearing adequate laser safety equipment, the laser can be operated with the door open. It’s also rotary-ready, so round and cylindrical parts can be marked with ease. The Desktop Pro is a great all-rounder and was exactly what Wealdpark were looking for.

Having found the right solution, our production team got to work building the laser here at our HQ in Whitchurch – we are proud to have the ‘Made in Britain’ badge on all our laser systems.

Our engineers installed the machine at Wealdpark Ltd and provided a full day of training for the team, to ensure that they were able to get the most out of their machine with knowledge of basic functions and mark settings. Our in-house tech team in Whitchurch are always on hand at the end of the phone should our customers need additional assistance or any technical support.

The Impact.

In the fast-paced world of engineering and manufacturing, time is money, and the ability of the Desktop Pro to speed up marking times for the engineers at Wealdpark has proven a great benefit to their manufacturing output.

In a post-pandemic world, where the cost of raw materials is on the rise, it is vital that manufacturing processes are as streamlined and waste-free as possible. The accuracy of our laser machine along with its ability to mark with no contact ensures that wasted parts are kept to a minimum – saving time and money.

One of the real selling points for Wealdpark is the fact that we are a UK-based company, which enables us to always be on hand should Wealdpark need our aftersales support.

We are not just in the business of selling machines, but also of building lifelong partnerships with our customers. We are pleased to be working with our partners at Wealdpark and we look forward to sharing our passion for innovations in laser technologies with them for years to come.

The Design was a major selling point. The Desktop Pro looks much nicer than other machines on the market. Needham Laser Tech also beat everyone else on price, without compromising quality. We were really impressed with the demo and the fact they are a UK-based company is really important to us
Steve Smith, Director, Wealdpark Ltd

The N-Lase Range

Meet our Industrial ID lasers

N-Lase Desktop

The N-Lase Desktop is our entry-level laser marking system for industrial identification applications, perfect for marking, etching, engraving and annealing all metals, coated metals, plastics and some organic materials.

The Desktop is the ideal solution for low to mid-volume throughput and is an affordable alternative to more traditional methods of marking, such as dot peen, electrochemical etching or hand marking. Despite being entry-level and affordable we haven’t sacrificed on quality or efficiency; our N-Lase Desktop comes with either our 20 Watt or 50 Watt MOPA fiber laser with a MTBF of 100,000 marking hours and a 3-year comprehensive warranty, as standard.

N-Lase Desktop Pro

The N-Lase Desktop Pro is the most popular laser in our N-Lase range. Designed for marking, etching, engraving and annealing almost all materials in mid to high-volume applications, the Desktop Pro is a full turnkey solution which includes an integrated All-in-One PC and an automatic door function to ensure maximum efficiency and simple operation.

The N-Lase Desktop Pro can be fitted with either our 20 Watt or 50 Watt MOPA fiber laser sources with a MTBF of 100,000 marking hours. Like all products within our N-Lase range the Desktop Pro comes with a 3-year comprehensive warranty, as standard.

N-Lase Benchtop

The N-Lase Benchtop is the ‘big cousin’ to the Desktop Pro. It has the same style and design but on a much larger scale, so maximum versatility for industries wishing to mark, etch and engrave big parts. As the name suggested, the Benchtop is designed to sit on a bench/worktop within existing manufacturing cells and processes.

Due to its larger footprint and modular design, the N-Lase Benchtop can offer a broad range of optional extras such as XY marking tables for increased throughput, large marking area lenses (up to 280mm x 280mm), big rotary attachments for circumference marking on large diameter parts and power sources from 20 watt up to 100 watt for maximum speed and depth.

With our 3-year comprehensive warranty, the N-Lase Benchtop is the ideal solution for the efficient and reliable etching of heavy-duty parts in industrial environments.

N-Lase Workstation

The N-Lase Workstation offers our biggest enclosure mounted onto a portable base to offer maximum flexibility. The Workstation can be located within an existing manufacturing process or operate as a standalone marking and traceability station. With an integrated PC and auto door function, the N-Lase Workstation is a truly turnkey solution; simply wheel into the desired location and start etching.

With such a large enclosure, the N-Lase Workstation can be fitted with a wide range of options to further increase efficiencies and offer maximum throughput. Options include XY marking tables to facilitate the loading of multiple parts, large marking area lenses (up to 280mm x 280mm), big rotary attachments for circumference marking on large diameter parts and power sources from 20 Watt up to 100 Watt for maximum speed and depth.

As with all our N-Lase range, maximum reliability and robustness is assured with our 3-year comprehensive warranty.

N-Lase Integrated

Designed for integration into production, manufacturing and assembly lines, our N-Lase Integrated models offer high reliability, speed and flexibility in a convenient form factor. A wide range of laser power outputs on our standard system allow marking on a diverse variety of substrates, whereas the Integrated Max is suitable for more powerful hungry applications and much larger laser modules. N-Lase Integrated systems are maintenance free and will provide you with years upon years of trouble-free operation

N-Lase Handheld

Laser without limits with the N-Lase Handheld. This model allows you to move the system to wherever (and whatever) needs to be marked. Ease and usability is at the forefront of the design, including a counterbalanced laser head to ensure safe movement and use. Whether it's a plaque on a wall or a plate on the floor, this model is ready for the challenge.

60+ years in industry

Heritage & market-leading knowledge

The Needham Group and its subsidiaries have been a part of the ever-developing coding and marking industry since 1962; identifying industry needs whilst simultaneously importing and developing exciting, practical and innovative products to suit.

Community-driven

Customer service at our core

Every day we share our passion and excitement for British manufacturing and innovation in laser technologies with each of our partners; from supplier and supply chain right through to end-user.

Short lead times

Delivery in weeks, not months

We design, develop and manufacture our lasers at our HQ in Shropshire; allowing for lean manufacturing, better efficiencies and speedy response times in our manufacturing, ultimately getting your products to you in weeks rather than months.

Made in Britain & Safety Regulations

We are proud to wear the Made in Britain badge, where all of our lasers are manufactured at our HQ in Shropshire. Combining over 60 years of company heritage with exquisite design and Great British engineering, we take great pride in our heritage and our commitment to producing quality products that represent the very best of British craftsmanship. Our loyal customers can be assured that when they choose us, they are investing in a product made with the utmost care and attention to detail.

The UK has the world's most rigorous regulatory requirements for laser safety.
We are proud to align our UK design and manufacturing with said regulations.
We are also certified members of AILU. - https://www.ailu.org.uk/