Cutting with air: how C.M.B Group turned the laser from a cost into a strategy
In many companies, technological change comes out of necessity. In others, it comes when someone decides to look a little further ahead.
For C.M.B Group Srl, a Piedmont company specialized in sheet metal fabrication, the switch to a Cutlite Penta fiber laser was not just a machine upgrade but a change of perspective: fewer invisible costs, more control, more industrial solidity over time.
A company built on work (and on people)
The story of C.M.B Group is rooted in the work of Giuseppe Lomagno, founder and soul of the company, who kept working until the very last day of his life. A rigorous, concrete approach, with no shortcuts.
In 1994 Pier Giorgio Raimondo joined the company, coming from a completely different world: banking. A radical change, faced with respect for those who came before and a strong sense of responsibility toward the company's future.
Today C.M.B works mainly in precision sheet metal fabrication, producing metal enclosures and structures for several industrial sectors, focused above all on thin gauges, where precision and consistency make the difference.
The limits of CO2 technology
For years, production relied on a CO2 laser, a solution that had guaranteed reliability in the past. Over time, however, increasingly evident problems emerged:
- high running costs
- significant gas consumption
- difficulty sustaining volumes without extending shifts
- ever tighter margins
It was no longer a question of speed, but of overall efficiency.
Discovering Cutlite Penta
The encounter with Cutlite Penta happened almost by chance, through a sales representative, Sergio Zanet, convinced that a Cutlite Penta system would bring new value to the company.
The visit to the Prato facility, however, completely changed their perception: not just fast machines, but a structured company, with young people, clear processes, and a concrete industrial vision. Seeing the laser at work live was decisive.
“When we arrived at the Prato facility we were immediately impressed by the management of what was, for us, a brand-new reality. We knew the big competitors, but we did not know Cutlite Penta existed. We were surrounded by young faces, and that felt like a good sign. Then we saw the machines in action... and we totally changed perspective.”
The heart of the turnaround: the 12 kW PLUS
The machine C.M.B chose is a Cutlite Penta PLUS at 12 kW, installed about five years ago. Not an extreme choice on power, but an extremely rational choice for their type of production.
The real advantage: cutting with air
For a company that works 80% on gauges between 0.8 and 3 mm, the ability to cut with compressed air completely changed the economics of the cutting department: less technical gas, fewer consumables, fewer indirect costs. Over time, the savings had a concrete impact on the return on investment.
Part of the machine has practically paid for itself this way.
Speed, simplicity, and real productivity
The leap from CO2 was immediate:
- clearly higher cutting speed
- consistent quality
- an interface understandable even for operators used to other technologies
Learning was not an obstacle. On the contrary: even young people who joined later proved able to run the machine in a short time.
Service and human relationships: what makes the difference over time
Every industrial machine, sooner or later, puts its users to the test. In C.M.B's case, especially in the early phase of the automatic storage system, difficulties were not lacking. The difference was Cutlite Penta's attitude: constant presence, quick interventions, real availability.
The sales contact has always been Sergio Zanet, with whom a direct and frank relationship has been built over the years.
I have never found service like Cutlite Penta's.
Looking ahead with more power
If C.M.B were to invest again today, the choice would fall on a 20 kW fiber laser. Not out of immediate need, but out of strategic vision. Having a machine that can accompany the company over time means:
- greater flexibility
- more margin on future jobs
- the ability to adapt to different requests
When the laser becomes an industrial ally
In companies like C.M.B, technology has never been an end, but a tool. A tool to respect the work built over the years, to give continuity to a family history made of rigor, responsibility, and daily presence on the shop floor.
The arrival of the Cutlite Penta fiber laser did not upend the company's way of working: it made it more solid, more controllable, more consistent with real production needs. It made it possible to cut costs, increase efficiency, and face the future with greater peace of mind, without losing control of the process.
When a machine manages to do this, it stops being just a machine. It becomes part of an industrial strategy. And, above all, it becomes a concrete ally for those who, every day, carry the responsibility of growing a company without forgetting where it started.
Frequently asked questions
Who is C.M.B Group Srl?
A Piedmont company specialized in precision sheet metal fabrication: metal enclosures and structures for several industrial sectors, focused on thin gauges. Founded by Giuseppe Lomagno; since 1994, Pier Giorgio Raimondo, who came from banking, has been in the company.
Which machine did C.M.B choose, and why?
A Cutlite Penta PLUS at 12 kW, installed about five years ago in place of a CO2 laser that weighed on running costs, gas consumption, and margins. A choice sized on actual production, not on maximum power.
What changes when cutting with compressed air?
For those working 80% on gauges between 0.8 and 3 mm, cutting with compressed air reduces technical gases, consumables, and indirect costs. At C.M.B, the savings over time had a concrete impact on the return on investment: part of the machine, they say, has practically paid for itself this way.
How did the service go?
Early difficulties, especially on the automatic storage system, were not lacking. The difference came from constant presence, quick interventions, and a direct relationship with the sales contact: “I have never found service like Cutlite Penta's.”
How much does your cutting really cost?
If you work with thin gauges, cutting with compressed air can change your department's numbers: bring your materials to the demo area in Prato and let's run the math in front of the machine.
