A British summer with another British result!
It was quite fitting that a very British summer gave way to a very British order when Keyframe of Bolton decided to order a much needed new sawing & machining center from Stuga, a British manufacturer. The Stuga ZX4 is capable of volumes of between 800 and 1,000 depending on the styles and operations selected and this will double the output capability for Keyframe without having to work so many hours.
Having purchased a well-known German brand through a dealer first time round Keyframe decided that a more patriotic choice might be on the cards this time.
When first purchasing a sawing & machining center Keyframe thought that expensive and German was the obvious route and whilst their choice was not at all bad they found the cost very hard to justify when needing to purchase a second machine, so they looked closely at Stuga. Joint Managing Director Jimmy Whittles asked the question ‘why not look at Stuga?’ considering the fact that they have so many successful installations in this country?’ How can they be a bad choice when the vast majority of fabricators have already chosen them? Can so many people be so wrong? He came to the conclusion they couldn’t and after a thorough vetting process an order was placed.
Keyframe are so busy that the entire factory has been ripped apart and revamped in order to accommodate the new Stuga ZX4 and other equipment needed to expand production. This is a major step change for Keyframe with new contracts won and orders piling up therefore Stuga are a key choice with their impressive reputation for service and back-up. Keyframe soon learnt that even German technology goes wrong sometimes and when this happens back-up is vital, therefore the machinery supplier needs to be able to give very fast support. Stuga are able to use the internet to not only look at diagnostic software but also see most parts of the machine with four onboard cameras that also have sound. Next comes telephone support which is invaluable because Stuga have a technician always available to talk to customers. If all else fails Stuga can send one of six experienced technicians to arrive on site very quickly. With all parts resourced in the UK and most key components in stock at the Norfolk service center component failure is also quickly and easily taken care of.
Stuga machinery has been produced in Gt Yarmouth, Norfolk, since 1984 and many staff have been with the company for a lot of years which is important as continuity is a key factor when purchasing machinery. The same goes for the field technical back-up where the same team has been together for the last six years. Customers feel more comfortable when the same technician returns to look after their equipment regularly and a good relationship can be built up. It also means that these technicians, working only on Stuga machines, build up an in-depth technical knowledge leading to faster and more reliable fault finding.
Stuga build a range of sawing and machining centers for fabricators of all size from the AutoFlow for the small fabricator to the ZX3 for the general fabricator and the ZX4 for those requiring high output. Additionally the company builds high output sawing Centers, CNC routers and stand-alone prepping centers. With the current market place being somewhat hard for fabricators those wanting pre-used machines can also rely on Stuga as the manufacturer to offer high quality rebuilds of all Stuga models at excellent prices and whilst Stuga machines are sometimes offered on the second hand market nothing can beat the peace of mind of a factory rebuild that comes with a full 12 months parts and labour warranty.
Stuga machines are so sought after that even dealers like Haffner GB are often to be seen advertising them which is a nice compliment. This can be currently witnessed on the Winmart web site and in national advertising with well-known magazines. Although it is good that even dealers find Stuga machines attractive there can be no substitute for purchasing direct from the manufacturer together with the total care back-up and peace of mind that comes with it. Stuga rebuilt machines also feature the latest software and electronics which are not available to non-Stuga dealers claiming to have refurbished Stuga machines.
The ZX4 has now been successfully installed at Keyframe and is allowing production to be expanded including the uptake of a second profile system. The customer has also now experienced the first class service Stuga brings to all machining center installations.