Success Is Technology Lead

Adstone grow and expand using Kaltenbach structural lines

KBS saw/drill system - viewed from 'drill' cross feed side (length measurement gripper on left)		Gietart shorblast system at Adstone; input side
KBS saw/drill - saw side with operator consol		Kaltenbach 'TopLine' punch and shear line at Adstone - readily sorts plate & angle fittings

The success and survival of modern structural fabricators in an increasingly competitive market, is determined largely by their production efficiency. The right investment is therefore a key factor and there’s no better example of the pay-off from investment in technology, than that of Adstone Construction Ltd of Droitwich.

Second integrated saw-drill line

Founded in 1979 and moving to their present purpose built 3 acre site in 1988, Adstone specialise in the design, fabrication and erection of steel structures. Ongoing investment in CAD/CAM and structural fabrication machinery, has seen continual expansion, with their most recent 2000sq.M workshop, added in the spring of 2003, bringing their operating floor space to 6500sq.M. The new workshop houses their second Kaltenbach structural saw/drill line, the very latest CNC, close-coupled KBS920 double-mitre bandsaw, with a 920mm wide x 500mm high (at 90º) capacity and KD1003, 3-axis, drilling system. A dedicated structural line for processing medium to heavy-duty columns and beams, it has18M long input and output motorised crossfeeds and uses Kaltenbach’s unique gripper, automated cut length setting system. CNC controlled, the gripper in conjunction with the motorised feed rollers, feeds material into the saw jaws and then onward into the drill, setting a measurement datum point when passing through a magic-eye laser beam within the saw jaws. With the machining cycle complete, motorised rollers quickly exit the material out onto the output crossfeeds.


Quick and highly efficient the systems sawn accuracy is + or – 0.50 mm, enabling straight-from-the-cut fabrication. The KD1003 heavy-duty drill, has one vertical and two horizontally opposed spindles, enabling centre-marking, countersinking, tapping or the drilling of holes of up to 40mm. The centrally positioned control consol has a very user-friendly touch-screen selection system.

Shotblaster for fab assemblies - first in UK

The new workshop also houses a new Kaltenbach installed Gietart shotblasting system, a CM1500-815. The first of its kind in the UK, this substantial 8 turbine shotblaster is specially designed to process complex fabricated structures up to 1600mm wide x 1500mm high and uses blown (rather than brush) technology to ensure the removal of all extraneous material. Cycle times are just a matter of minutes, even for large structures. Output material has a clean finish, ready for transferring on into Adstones in-house coating plant.

“Our Kaltenbach machines, combined of course with our workforce have helped ensure our continued success” says Roy Stevens, Adstone’s Managing Director. “I’m pleased to say we’re extremely busy and believe our ongoing investment in the right technology will help ensure we continue to remain highly competitive.”

CNC Punch & Shear sorts plate & angle fittings

The latest Kaltenbach ‘Topline’ punch and shear technology is also on site, satisfying Adstone’s plate fittings requirement. Worked extremely hard, it processes flat material up to 500mm wide x 25mm thick. Their Topline also has an angle processing facility, which includes flange punch and angle shear, plus vertical drilling up to 40mm. The input magazine and automated feed rollers accept 12M long material, with 6M lengths being readily processed on the output side. Full control over all functions is from the central control consol with touch-screen selection.

The Adstone experience of the right investment, at the right time, clearly demonstrates how modern, competitive structural fabrication companies rely increasingly on technology in order to compete.

At this information going to press, Adstone had ordered another duplicate Gietart shotblasting system, the first installation having impressed their production team.