Manufacturer ramps ups production and creates more jobs

A Barnsley-based engineering company has increased production by 25% this year following a hike in post-pandemic orders.

LNS Turbo UK, based at Waterside Park, Wombwell, makes chip disposal systems for industrial cutting machines and sells them across the UK and Europe.

Last year, 1,600 chip conveyor units rolled off its production line; in 2021 it expects to deliver an output of nearly 2,000.

The company’s five-year plan to achieve a target of producing 2,500 units per annum by 2025 looks within reach sooner. The growth has prompted the creation of ten new jobs.

The company’s increased capacity and productivity has been supported by a programme of lean manufacturing development, organised thorough Enterprising Barnsley.

LNS Turbo UK operations manager, Mark Scanlan, said: “We’ve seen an extraordinary hike in demand for our products in 2021 as held-back investment during the Covid pandemic has come back on stream and been further boosted by Government stimulus policies across Europe.

“Businesses have been encouraged to invest in plant and equipment to boost growth and rebuild economies.

“It has gone crazy, with order levels already above pre-pandemic levels and going beyond our growth projections.

“In January, we set ourselves a £5m turnover target, we revised that to £6m by spring and now expect to achieve nearer £8m in sales by December.”

The business currently employs 61 staff and aims to recruit an additional ten people within the next three months, including two new engineering apprentices through the AMRC training centre.

Swiss-owned LNS Turbo opened in Wombwell in 1999 and this is the company’s only manufacturing site for chip conveyor systems in Europe.

There are plans to invest £1m in the facility in 2022 and target new markets.

LNS Turbo’s chip management systems enable industrial cutting machines to run smoothly and efficiently by quickly removing the “swarf” – tiny waste filings of metal or other materials produced by all machining processes.

If not removed, this swarf would quickly build-up and clog the machines with waste, affecting precision performance and leading to excessive downtime for cleaning and maintenance.

Enterprising Barnsley supported the company review its working practices in line with lean manufacturing principles to help it save time and money and reduce waste.

Scanlan added: “We are constantly looking to improve the way we do things and Enterprising Barnsley helped us to step back and ensure we are as efficient as possible in the way we work.

“They’ve also been a great support during the COVID-19 pandemic, keeping us on top of guidance and support available for business.”

Councillor Tim Cheetham, Barnsley’s cabinet spokesman for regeneration and culture, said: “LNS Turbo has been a fixture in the Barnsley manufacturing landscape for more than 20 years and it’s great to see the company doing so well now as we all emerge from the disruption of the pandemic.

“We look forward to seeing their growth continue as they recruit for a clutch of excellent new local jobs in the engineering sector.”