Enhancing productivity in the heavy-duty steel industry
Miilux - Finnish quality trusted worldwide
Miilux Oy is part of the Miilukangas Group, founded in 1967 in Raahe, Finland. They manufacture heavy-duty steel products and provide steel processing services as well as repair and maintenance services for mining equipment.
With more than five decades of expertise, Miilux prides itself on being a customer-oriented company that quickly, flexibly, and reliably serves its clients. Their high-quality steel products are used worldwide in several industries, including construction, mining, protection, recycling, and transportation.
"Nowadays, we are quite a versatile steel service center. We have structural steels, ballistic steels, and wear-resistant steels," comments Product Manager Harri Lukkarila.
Miilux acquired its first laser-cutting machine in 2018, a 6kW CO2 laser. But after a few years, this technology proved not to be efficient enough for their production needs, and they considered replacing it with a faster and more powerful fiber laser cutter.
"We have a lot of machines in this industry area, and because of that, we need to invest in technology every year,"
adds Pekka Miilukangas, CEO at Miilux.
Fiber laser for demanding applications
After thorough research, the Finnish company purchased a 15kW Eagle eVision, debunking the myth that fiber lasers are not apt for cutting high thicknesses. In fact, because they fabricate products for such demanding applications, Miilux primarily processes thick steel plates. They found in Eagle's machines, not just a more efficient tool but a faster and more precise one, with overall lower operating and maintenance costs.
About their choice, Lukkarila states:
"The machines at Millux need to be rigid, sturdy, reliable, and suitable for heavy industry. In terms of fiber laser, we needed enough power to cut thicker steel plates and a big enough machine to handle larger material."
As an answer to the last point, they went big and chose an eVision 2560 (2.5m x 6m), which is the size of their stock plate, to process it without previous cutting.
Efficiency is competitiveness
Their transition from CO2 to Eagle's fiber laser has definitely made Millux more competitive, not only because they can now process material much faster but also due to the reduced cutting costs resulting from fiber laser's overall efficiency.
Fiber laser cutters use less energy to generate light, don't need pressure regulation, and are less vulnerable to external conditions. In addition, Eagle's unique machine design features a simpler and more efficient construction with fewer but highly reliable components. As a result, they require less servicing and replacements and allow the machine to operate at full power without sacrificing accuracy.
Don't take our word for it, but instead, Harri Lukkarila's closing statement:
"I would recommend Eagle laser cutting machines to other companies. You gain the advantages of fast movement and fast cutting with good quality."