Saiston Sheet Metal Ltd: Building on Reliability and Vision with Eagle
From Apprenticeship to Leadership
Founded in 2009, Saiston Sheet Metal, located in East Goscote, Leicester, traces its roots to a deep commitment to quality and service. The company was established by the current director’ father, a former apprentice in sheet metal fabrication who had started his first business back in 1982. After the liquidation of that company during a financial crisis, he launched Saiston with backing from former suppliers and a clear mission.
“He wanted to be the best company to work with and the best company to work for,” says Sharon Bastable, Director. “He got fed up of working for people who didn’t put the customer first. He was absolutely passionate about the industry.”
Saiston began as a small team of family and close colleagues and steadily grew by focusing on smart investment in technology and delivering consistent, high-quality service.
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Modern Capabilities Backed by a Strong Philosophy
Today, Saiston serves a wide range of sectors including retail displays, lighting and electrical, automotive, government, and construction. The company specializes in light-gauge sheet metal work, with the ability to cut up to 25–30 mm material thanks to its latest investment in fiber laser technology.
"We like to offer the whole package,” says Director Karl Hunt. “We do our own design, laser cutting, folding, fabrication, powder coating, and assembly. We work with stainless steel, aluminium, copper, brass—ranging from one mil to 25 mil.”
Choosing Eagle: A Decision Rooted in Trust and Performance
The move to Eagle Lasers came after repeated failures with an older laser system. Frequent jams, head contamination, and an unreliable table changer led to costly downtime.
“So when the old laser’s head was contaminated, it meant the head had to go in the bin,” Karl explains. “Which was a massive cost. A lot of lost time, inconvenience—just an absolute nightmare. And then when it happened a second time, just over a year later, we lost all faith in that laser.”
The search for a replacement took two years and included extensive research, video demonstrations, customer site visits, and a factory tour in Poland. “The main reason for purchase in the new Eagle Laser was that the previous laser had become unreliable, and we no longer trusted it,” says Sharon. “So we looked for something we could trust and found the Eagle.”
“I think the moment that I decided the Eagle was the right machine for us was when I saw the simplicity of the table changer,” she adds. “And then when we went to Poland and looked inside the electrical cabinet of the machine—it was all just so simple.” The Eagle Inspire 1530 6 kW system won their confidence with its fast cutting speeds, carbon-fiber traverse, ultra-stable composite base, and minimal moving parts.
“The Eagle laser being reliable is massively important to us,” says Sharon. “It’s the only laser we have within our business and it feeds the whole business. So if it goes down, we lose time, we lose money, we let customers down.”
Smooth Installation, Immediate Impact
The machine was installed by Eagle’s engineers from Poland, who also handled removal of the old system. Operators quickly adapted to the new interface, and support has been consistent through UK service partner PW Machine Services and remote connection via Eagle’s MyESP software.
Six months in, the laser still runs on its original lens with no contamination issues—an immediate and measurable improvement.
“One of the features that we particularly liked about the Eagle laser was the composite base that gives it sturdiness and stops it from moving,” says Sharon. “Which meant that the head can move faster than any of the others really—with the carbon fiber bridge. My dad was climbing all over the machine. We were picking it apart, asking how everything worked, and we got the answers we needed.”
Looking Ahead
With plans to expand into new sectors and facilities, and to add another laser in the near future, Saiston views Eagle not just as a supplier, but as a long-term partner.
“We’d recommend Eagle: the machines work brilliantly, the people are helpful, and the whole purchase‑and‑use journey has been as smooth as possible.”