Structal Metalworks | Wouters Cutting & Welding

CASE

Structal Metalworks

"WCW is the perfect partner"

About Structal Metalworks

Structal Metalworks is part of the larger Talsma group, a well-known name in shipbuilding. This specific branch of the group specializes in sheet and profile materials. Cutting, bending, forming, welding, finishing: Structal does it all. A large portion of their work is done for the parent company, with the remaining work for regional shipbuilders.

The numbers behind Structal and Talsma are particularly impressive:

They build ships up to 80 meters in length, for which they also have a ship lift.
They have a 180-meter outfitting quay.
They operate in eight buildings across four locations.

Building a ship requires processing tons of sheet material. Until the beginning of this year, Structal outsourced this cutting work, focusing instead on profile machining. But now they handle all the cutting in-house, leaving them with just one supplier for all their cutting needs.

To cut all that steel, a good plasma cutting machine with excellent service is indispensable. Henk Uneken, technical manager at Structal, explains:

“We didn’t have to search long. Thanks to our strong industry connections, we were already familiar with the MicroStep MG from the Belgian company Wouters Cutting & Welding. It’s truly a machine that fits the robust and heavy-duty world of shipbuilding. But that’s not all. Equally important is the level of service a company can provide. From our own experience and that of other companies, we knew this service was top-notch.”

And so it was decided. Structal chose the MicroStep MG, a precise, CNC-controlled plasma cutting machine ideal for heavy and prolonged industrial use. Exactly what Structal was looking for.

“For us, it was important to be able to process large steel plates in an automated and simple manner, which is certainly possible with the MicroStep. Our model has a working area of two 12 x 3-meter sections, allowing us to perform straight and bevel plasma cutting and to print with an inkjet printer. We can cut not only steel but also aluminum.”

The two working areas are separated, allowing Structal to prepare a plate on one side while the machine cuts on the other side simultaneously. Once the cutting is finished, the machine automatically switches to the other side.

The rotator is also an indispensable component. It allows Structal to cut straight and bevel edges effortlessly. The rotator has continuous rotation, so the head doesn’t need to be reset to the zero position every time.

Operation is also seamless. Thanks to a 24” screen, there is always a clear overview of the tasks. Information on cutting parameters, CNC codes, and the plasma source is readily available to the operator.

But is Structal satisfied with the machine and the partnership?

“We have been working with this machine since July and have had hardly any complaints or malfunctions. It simply does what it’s supposed to do. It’s a user-friendly machine that cuts precisely and with high final quality. From experience, we also know that if we have questions or problems, we can quickly and easily get in touch with Wouters Cutting & Welding. For us, they’re the perfect partner: informal, practical, and especially direct. That’s what you want when you have questions.”

“A great example of service is the support we received for adjusting the line thickness on the sheet metal prints. The lines printed by the standard print head were thicker than we were used to, and with the help of Wouters, this thickness was adjusted to our preference. The choice of machine and supplier has fully met our expectations, providing a stable factor in the dynamic world of shipbuilding.”