POLES APART!

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POLES APART!
10 November 2006 - Metalforming Machinery Makers' Association

When Piltown Engineering was established in 1972, its three employees provided a general sub-contract facility. During the 1980’s the company was asked to produce some lamp-posts for a customer and it was quickly established that there was a market for tubular steel lighting columns. These were produced, along with any sub-contract work, on a range of basic manual equipment and home-made jigs. This business grew to such an extent that by the 1990’s Piltown took the decision to concentrate on lamp post type work and eliminated the sub-contract side of its business.

Now working with an automated welding system, the company were producing a range of lighting columns, security and CCTV poles as well as lighting feeder pillars. Director Tom Cummins comments: “There was a definite gap in the market, with the majority of poles being imported into Ireland.

With the country wanting home produced products our business grew significantly and by 2000/2001 we took the decision to invest in a purpose built plant for the sole manufacturer of octagonal lamp posts” As part of an overall €3.5M investment the company has recently invested in tandem pair of Bystronic 'PR10' CNC hydraulic 320 tonnes pressbrakes complete with automatic active hydraulic beam deflection and compensation system. This tandem system was essential in order to provide Piltown with an overall bend length of 10.5 metres. Tom continues: “We looked at five systems and it was the care and dedication of the Bystronic team and the after-sales service they were prepared to provide that impressed us most. Also important in the decision process was the fact that the machine is European. This tandem system is part of a line dedicated to the production of folded octagonal section and its efficiency allows us to produce one every three minutes!”

Today the company is Ireland’s leading manufacturer of public lighting columns, floodlighting masts, micro pillars and mini pillars. Whilst sports lighting accounts for a large percentage of business, the lighting solutions covered by Piltown also cover a wide range of areas including housing estates, factories as well as office and apartment blocks. “We do a good mix between soccer, GAA, rugby, tennis courts, greyhound tracks, to name but a few, we can provide whatever the customer wants. We carry the full range of columns and T-bars suitable for fields, courts, tracks or all-weather pitches. A lot of smaller clubs are now buying their fields, applying for lottery money and putting up lighting, an area in which the expert team at Piltown Engineering is becoming increasing active.”

The success of the tandem line has encouraged Piltown to consider exporting its products to other parts of the world. Press Contact: Danielle Couplan Danielle Couplan Public Relations 3 Cliffe Villas New Brighton Cottingley BD16 1UT Tel: 01274 599399 Email:danielle@daniellecouplan.wanadoo.co.uk Company Contact: David Larcombe Bystronic UK Limited Maple Park Lowfields Avenue Leeds LS12 6HH Tel: 0113 297 6666 Fax: 0113 222 3198 www:bystronic.com

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About: Metalforming Machinery Makers' Association
The main objective of the Metalforming Machinery Makers' Association is to act as the central organisation promoting the interests of companies involved in the manufacture and sale of metalforming machinery and ancillary products in the UK.
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As owner of the largest metalforming equipment exhibition in the UK - METALWORKING - the Association provides major membership benefits, including:

involvement in the planning and content of METALWORKING
members' discount on floor space
priority stand selection
access to Inward Press and Trade Missions
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The Association takes stands at major overseas Metalforming shows.

free marketing and sales opportunities
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