Don-Bur is investing £4 million in new plant, software and training to mass-produce a range of standard product types, including curtainsider and box van trailers, together with a pallet-network design double deck.
This strategic move from the ‘custom’ trailer and bodywork heavyweight supports a targeted turnover increase of £10 million per annum. It also recognises a growing demand for short-contract, standard-design equipment at highly competitive rates.
Although Don-Bur already designs and manufactures the complete range of commercial vehicle bodywork, the company is perhaps best known for its fuel-saving aerodynamic solutions and Double Deck trailer range — now dominant across major fleets.
The heavy investment in cutting-edge equipment focuses on standardisation, speed, efficiency and volume — and the results are impressive.
STOPA Storage & Management Hub
At the core of the new development is a £1 million autonomous raw-material and parts management hub. This large pallet-racking system stores up to 15,795 m² (around four acres) of sheet steel.
Measuring 25 m long, 7 m wide and 5 m tall, the STOPA stock-handling modules are fully integrated with a new ERP suite. The software automatically dissolves 3D engineering models into full “bill of material” components.
It recognises whether each part needs to be cut and pressed or, if not, exports it as an internal order for miscellaneous items. The system also anticipates production-schedule requirements, issuing raw-material orders whenever stocks run low.
Ingeniously, it manages ‘scrap’ material too — storing and re-using remnants wherever possible to maximise yield. The only manual steps are feeding raw sheet material in and collecting prepared job-specific assembly kits.
Trumpf Fibre Laser
The processing workhorse of the new facility is a top-of-the-range Trumpf Fibre Laser cutter. ‘Fibre’ laser technology combines multiple laser beams into one lossless optical fibre, cutting standard 3 mm steel sheet at a staggering 1.38 metres per second.
Speed isn’t the only benefit. The new laser uses both Oxygen and Nitrogen gases — Oxygen for an exothermic power boost, and Nitrogen to shield the surface from oxidation. A compressed air jet clears hot debris to maintain clean, precise cuts through previously difficult materials such as thin aluminium.
It can cut through up to 40 mm of stainless steel, as well as mild steel, copper, brass and titanium. “BrightLine” technology enables 3 mm-diameter holes to be cut through 25 mm stainless steel without clogging or melting.
This flexibility is supported by an automated focal-length cutting head, allowing quick material and thickness changes.
The enclosed laser ‘house’ operates autonomously. The STOPA system feeds and collects via synchronous loading platforms, ensuring continuous operation with no downtime for loading or unloading.
Even the cutting head is monitored for performance. When efficiency drops below 60%, the system automatically swaps in a new head from its spares drawer.
Thanks to the latest nesting software and head-placement algorithms, a typical 3 × 1.5 m nest cut time has dropped from 21 ½ minutes to just 2 ½ minutes. The result: nine-times higher throughput and 70% lower gas use than the previous laser cutter.
Trumpf Press Brakes
Linked directly to the STOPA hub are two new Trumpf press brakes that cover the vast majority of sub-assembly requirements.
36 T 1 m Unit
This all-electric press brake handles the rapid, repetitive processing of small parts. The ergonomic servo-driven system delivers 60% more pressings while consuming 30% less power.
To speed up changeovers, the user interface displays each pressed part as an animated 3D model — making setup fast and intuitive.
230 T 4 m Unit
The larger press brake is designed for big components yet only needs one operator, thanks to twin front lift-assist robots.
Its hydraulic-on-demand beam can precisely bend 20 mm thick stainless steel sheets up to 2 m long, or 10 mm sheets up to 4 m. A laser-monitored feedback system automatically compensates for material ‘bounce-back’, guaranteeing accurate dimensions every time.
The advanced interface also features 3D Augmented Reality, overlaying a ‘correct’ 3D placement over a live video feed. This ensures the operator manipulates the material accurately — increasing production speed by 50% and virtually eliminating waste.
Yaskawa Auto Welding Cell
The final major addition is a twin-robotic welding cell that handles welded components up to 3.5 m × 1.7 m and 1 tonne in weight. These high-performance arc machines can weld mild steel, stainless steel or aluminium — cutting average man-hours by a factor of six.
| Component | Typical weld time | New Yaskawa weld time |
|---|---|---|
| Deck Bridging Plate | 120 minutes | 8 minutes |
| Lifting Deck Floor Assembly | 40 minutes | 11 minutes |
| Lifting Deck Side Walls | 20 minutes | 3.5 minutes |
The huge productivity gain allows Don-Bur to produce many more assemblies per hour, freeing existing resources for other, less standard components.
To minimise change-over time, the cell features a twin flip-over workstation, enabling a continuous process. It also records weld characteristics for each assembly, predicting processing time and simplifying production planning.
What does this mean to Don-Bur?
True to its core values, Don-Bur will continue designing and manufacturing its specialist product portfolio — renowned for innovation and quality.
The new investment plan now allows rapid production of “configured-to-order” standard product lines on short lead times — highly attractive to general hauliers, rental companies and pallet-network operators alike. It’s a fresh opportunity in a relatively untapped market for Don-Bur.
