Cullen Building Products support growth with AIDA gap press technology

Cullen, a family-owned and operated business since 1977, has built a reputation as the preferred name for timber engineering connectors in the United Kingdom. Headquartered in Glenrothes Scotland, Cullen's 85,000 square foot, state-of-the-art facility has been designed to house all aspects of the company's activities from product development to manufacturing and delivery. Its in-house capabilities also include fast-track prototype design and development, a fully equipped and calibrated test laboratory, press tool design and high-tech manufacturing. Cullen continues to expand its product range and experience new growth. To help support that growth, the innovator recently invested in AIDA Engineering UK Ltd.'s gap frame press technology.

"We truly have the industry's best facilities and a highly trained, skilled workforce," said Doug Cullen, Managing Director for Cullen Building Products. "Each person at Cullen is committed to Total Quality Management and total customer satisfaction. Our staff believes passionately in partnership with both customers and suppliers. This cooperative effort has proven very successful in the development of new products, new technology and improved efficiency." From its Glenrothes headquarters, Cullen designs, manufactures and supplies timber connectors to the timber engineering sectors of the building industry. A leading market supplier in the United Kingdom, Cullen has sales and distribution sites located in Manchester and Thetford England.

Part accuracy and consistency are vital to the company's design and production of precise structural components - making press selection a key ingredient to Cullen's manufacturing processes. With six AIDA gap presses (one NC2 200 tonne, one NC1 200 tonne, one NC1 150 tonne and three NC1 80 tonne) purchased over the last five years, Cullen recently added an AIDA NC1 150 tonne gap press to its line-up to support the company's ongoing growth. "With our existing AIDA gap frame presses we've experienced better tool life and less downtime," said Cullen. "We contract AIDA personnel to perform regular maintenance on the AIDA presses and have experienced minimal problems with them." Press reliability is critical to Cullen's total quality management goals which demand complete control of its manufacturing processes so that the company can effectively continue to supply customers with their existing requirements while introducing new products and technology.

"Our initial decision to consider another AIDA gap press was based on the quality of the press and the local service and support AIDA UK is able to provide from its facility in Derby England," said Cullen. Dedicated to continuous process improvement, Cullen employs a leading edge technology transfer approach to its manufacturing processes. "We routinely examine successful manufacturing techniques being used in other industries and then look for ways to adapt and apply those techniques to enhance our own
methods," Cullen said. "We also look for partnerships that can deliver added value. We felt we would have that type of partnership with AIDA. In addition to their press technology, AIDA UK will be visiting our facility to help us improve our manufacturing processes and look at some potential turnkey projects."

An initial visit and evaluation of Cullen's already efficient manufacturing facility yielded recommendations on ways the company could increase die change speed by using pre-rollers, die lifters and hydraulic clamping systems instead of specific machines. In addition to AIDA's complete sales and service, technical support, on/off site repairs, preventative maintenance, press inspection and condition reports, AIDA engineers add value for customers like Cullen through their ability to provide solutions that enhance manufacturing techniques and throughput.

For Cullen, installation of its newest AIDA gap press is the next step in its plans for growth and the introduction of new multiple market leading products. Once installed, the new AIDA gap press will operate on a five-day work week with medium to high volume parts production. Running galvanized material and stainless steel, the NC1's frame accuracy and close bearing tolerances are especially important features for the production of Cullen's high quality parts.

In blanking operations that produce parts such as Cullen's timber engineering connectors, the press punch hits the material fed into the press. Once the punch connects with the material all motion stops until enough pressure is built up to break the material. Once the material breaks, the pressure is released, creating a force called reverse tonnage. In presses with high deflection and high clearance in the bearing, the pressure produced to break the material causes deep penetration within the die cavity, high vibration levels within the press and significant wear and tear on the die. Part quality is also reduced.

AIDA controls punch penetration by limiting frame deflection and building its NC presses with low overall bearing clearance. Offering the lowest deflection and bearing clearance in the industry, AIDA gap frame presses also provide reduced vibration which improves part quality and increases die life. AIDA's NC1 gap press is also equipped with the best angular deflection rating under full load, exceeding industry standards by two-thirds.

Parts production is also enhanced with AIDA's unique Hydraulic Overload Protection (HOLP) system. AIDA's HOLP helps customers like Cullen reduce operating costs by avoiding damage to die and press components and enhances quality by eliminating the production of bad parts. When an overload occurs, an oil-filled chamber collapses, triggering AIDA's oil escape system that responds in just 10 milliseconds - the fastest response time in the industry. This instantaneous reaction is only possible with the AIDA metal-to-metal seal type HOLP system. Recovery time to reset the overload takes only seconds, therefore down time can be significantly reduced and die and press components are protected beyond the level provided by conventional presses.

Cullen's ability to control its manufacturing process from product design, press tooling, production, warehousing and delivery, has established the company as a leader in the United Kingdom. "Our ability to perform each step required to produce and deliver the parts our customers need under one roof, gives them a great deal of confidence about the quality of the items they are receiving," said Cullen. With a strong presence in the United Kingdom, Cullen plans to extend its reach to continental Europe.

As a strategic partner, AIDA has the global resources to help Cullen take those next steps toward expansion of its customer base. In addition to enhancing Cullen's current production capabilities, AIDA will assist Cullen with new process development by recommending the best manufacturing methods and developing turnkey solutions that will include coil handling equipment to offload and packaging.

AIDA is a leading pioneer in the metalforming industry with over 85 years of innovation. Devoting five percent of its consolidated sales to research and development, AIDA continues to take strides that set it apart from other press builders. Recent examples include a 'Digital' press driven by a revolutionary new servo motor; a new general purpose straightside press capable of high forming accuracy; a next generation high speed hydraulic servo forming press able to handle problematic materials and development of the SONIC-V100 - a compact-size ultra-high speed automatic press. In addition to continually introducing new press technology, AIDA maintains a strong global presence with a local customer service approach that is supported by one of the largest networks of manufacturing and sales organizations in the world. AIDA offers a full range of presses from 30 to 4000 tons including gap, straight side, progressive die, high-speed, transfer and cold forming presses as well as press automation and total turnkey packages. AIDA worldwide boasts 120,000 m² of manufacturing space including facilities in the United Kingdom, United States, Malaysia and Japan. With more than 1300- employees and a press manufacturing capacity exceeding 2000 presses per year, AIDA is, in units produced, one of the largest press manufacturers in the world.