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KASTO sawing machines cover a wide range of applications for steel wholesaler and system supplier MARKS

The right saw for every cutting job

The steel wholesaler and system supplier MARKS in the German state of Thuringia has a recipe for success: an extensive stock of raw materials, including precision flat-bar steel and standardised P plates. It also offers fast delivery, even of small quantities, and a wide range of processing options with state-of-the-art production equipment. The family-owned company based in Eisenberg thus occupies a niche that large suppliers fail to regard as sufficiently lucrative, and for this very reason it enjoys strong demand from all over Germany. For years, MARKS has relied on sawing systems from KASTO in order to offer its customers a wide range of materials in different dimensions. This leading technology company, based in southern Germany, has supplied MARKS with a total of ten automatic saws. Thus besides having the necessary cutting capacity, MARKS can ensure that the ideal saw is on hand for every cutting job.

MARKS, a supplier for the tool-making and mechanical engineering industries, offers customers throughout Germany an exceptionally wide range of raw materials, including precision flat-bar steel, tool steel, stainless steel, aluminium, EDM copper, grey cast iron, graphite, red bronze and brass. The one-man firm, which was established in a newly built flat in Eisenberg, Thuringia in 1992, has grown to become a family-run group of companies with 45 employees. Today it includes MARKS GmbH, HAL Komponenten GmbH and SEMA GmbH. In addition to founder and senior director Lothar Marks, his children André Marks and Heike Marks-Serfling now serve as managing partners.

MARKS is a system supplier for mechanical engineering and tool and die making. It also supplies materials for contract producers. The product range includes raw materials, standard parts, guide elements, die inserts, ready-cut blanks and prefabricated parts. “Our strength is the great amount of material that we have in stock and our large depth of production,” Marks explains. The company has enjoyed considerable success in a market that the large tool steel wholesalers often neglect: small and mid-sized companies that need a variety of materials in small quantities, and in a short time. “Most distributors keep their stocks as low as possible and have to call on suppliers when they get orders. This means that deliveries can take several days and sometimes even weeks,” says Marks. “In contrast, we have more than 3,000 tonnes of material in stock and can usually fill an order on the same day. As a rule, parts can be cut to size within 24 hours.”

More than 300 inquiries per day: a challenge for sales and production

Customers can view the more than 70,000 items in stock at any time in the company’s online shop and see what materials are available and in what quantities. Orders can be placed directly through the shop, by e-mail or by phone. The company receives more than 300 inquiries through these channels each day. Eleven employees deal exclusively with sales. “What makes us special besides our excellent raw materials service is the fact that we produce an above-average number of items ourselves,” says Marks. For this purpose the company has a state-of-the-art CAD/CAM system for processing parts data and an impressive range of machinery, including nine CNC machining centres for milling, four deep-hole drilling machines for workpieces weighing up to 10 tonnes, and machines for water jet cutting and surface grinding of objects measuring up to 1,000 x 2,000 mm. “This processing capability is unmatched in Germany,” says Marks. “When it comes to special CNC machining, we can thus offer our customers much shorter delivery times than the competition.”

For many years the company has relied on sawing solutions from the technology leader KASTO. Headquartered in Achern in southwest Germany, KASTO offers metal sawing machines for every possible need, from small manual machines for workshop use to high-performance band sawing installations for the industrial machining of large ingots and sheets. MARKS possesses a total of ten KASTO saws; machines from competitors are nowhere to be seen. “We are committed to high quality in all areas of production, and KASTO’s quality impressed us long ago,” says the owner’s son, André Marks. “The saws are solidly built, durable, precise and efficient. It’s simple – we get excellent value for money.” Some of the machines have been operating reliably for more than ten years.

Block band saw replaced after 15 years

The most recent purchase by MARKS is a KASTObloc U 5 block bandsawing machine. With a cutting height of up to 580 mm and a cutting length of up to 3,100 mm, it is ideal for small blocks and plates. Its advantages include high cutting performance and cutting accuracy, plus good accessibility. “Thanks to its large material support table we can handle workpieces of any size,” says André Marks. Light workpieces are positioned by hand, heavy ones by means of an overhead crane. The saw has a carrying capacity of six tonnes. A travelling swivel-mounted operating panel proves a clear view for maximum safety. All parameters can be set in an intuitive manner. The operator can see the workpiece at all times and monitor the cutting process without risk.

MARKS had already been using a block band saw from the same series. “But after 15 years it had done all the work we expected of it, and more,” says a smiling André Marks. The company sold the saw, which was still working, and opted for the successor model. “As a result, we were up to date again in terms of performance and precision, and the saw was able to make longer cuts than the old one,” adds his father. Right next to it is the KASTOcross A 4 x 12, a special saw for really big dimensions. Among other purposes, the company uses it for sawing steel plates in a standard size of 1,000 x 2,000 mm and for blocks and plates up to 410 x 1,270 mm. The minimum plate height is a mere 10 millimetres, allowing this high-performance saw to carry out a wide range of tasks.

Moveable table makes work easier

Two KASTOvertical semi-automatic vertical band sawing machines are available for cutting smaller plates up to 200 mm. They do longitudinal cuts, which make them ideal for cutting square or flat materials with different cross sections from rolled blocks or rolled plates. A material support table with a height of 1,150 mm permits fast and safe handling of bulky workpieces with weights of up to two tonnes. “In contrast to most other saws of this size, it has a moving saw head instead of a moving table,” explains André Marks. “The operator can thus position, align and anchor the material outside the machine’s working area, and these tasks can be done safely, easily and quickly.”

MARKS frequently receives requests for high-volume cutting. For jobs like this the company has a fully automatic KASTOvariospeed C 15 CNC-controlled circular saw. With its cutting range of up to 152 mm for round stock, 155 x 120 mm for flat stock and 135 x 135 mm for square material it is suitable for cutting solid material, sections and tubing of all qualities and can even handle difficult-to-machine materials. By means of an automatic universal magazine, operators can provide large quantities of material of different dimensions, shapes and qualities. “This makes it possible for the saw to run fully unattended even for long periods,” explains Lothar Marks. Moreover, the cutting performance of the circular saw is far better than that of band sawing machines.

Sufficient capacity and good flexibility

MARKS has a number of other KASTO machines, including large automatic band saws like the KASTOtec and KASTOtwin and smaller models like the KASTOssb A 2. This wide range of equipment has a number of advantages for the company. “For one thing, we always have sufficient capacity,” explains André Marks. “If one saw is in use, there’s always a suitable alternative.” This is especially important for ensuring the short delivery times that Marks offers his customers. Manufacturing flexibility is another important advantage. “We can saw any kind of material to any size needed, and if special cuts are necessary, we’ll always find an optimal solution,” says father Lothar Marks. “It’s essential to have this capability when we have such a wide range of products.”

And why has the company been so conspicuously loyal to one manufacturer? “It’s quite simple,” explains the managing director. “With KASTO we always know what we’ll get. In terms of quality and performance, the machines speak for themselves.” And when service is necessary, it is good to have a contact who knows all about sawing technology – especially when that partner is located only a few kilometres away. For 25 years, KASTO has had a branch site in the town of nearby Schalkau. “When I need a technician, one will get here in a very short time; I can’t expect that kind of speed from a Chinese manufacturer,” says Lothar Marks. But he hasn’t needed help of this kind very often. “We’re perfectly satisfied with our saws and can’t imagine ever needing an alternative to KASTO.”

KASTO sawing machines cover a wide range of applications for steel wholesaler and system supplier MARKS

Details

  • Achern, Germany
  • Kasto