Introduction

This web site offers an introduction to our company and the range of products we manufacture. It also serves to keep our clients informed about developments in the field of flatbed machine cutting.

Early days

Blackman & White was founded back in the mid-sixties after a "meeting of minds" between electrical engineer Jack Blackman and co-founder Les White whose areas of expertise were in general engineering and the design and manufacture of specialised machine tools.

The company's work was mostly in the field of sub-contracting although there was a general refining of policy towards overall manufacture of complete standalone products. Les White's brother John came on board in 1974 bringing with him considerable design, drawing board and technical skills.

By 1979 a specialised manufacturing division has been created (Armstrong White Automation) which produced the successful AW80 automated milling and drilling machine which proved to be a pathfinder in the computer-controlled machine tool market. It enabled existing plant to be converted to computer control and automated tasks that had relied on a high degree of operator skill to be undertaken by a semi-skilled workforce.

Computer Control

It was this pioneering groundwork in computer control that provided the platform for Blackman & White's development into the market-leading areas of laser cutting and plotting that underpin the success of the company today.

Early in the 1990's B & W forged a strong working relationship with Desoutter Air Tools and by strategic attendance at some key engineering exhibitions in conjunction with this partner, they attracted commissions from many industrial giants both in the UK and abroad.

Blue Chip Customers

British Aerospace and Rolls Royce were notable clients and Blackman & White were engaged to design specialised machinery to work on turbofan blades on Rolls Royce aero engines.

Laser Cutting

BOEING - the world's largest aircraft manufacturer provided a challenging opportunity for B & W to design a laser cutting solution for packaging material in which Boeing shipped extremely delicate titanium wing parts. As well as controlling the precision cutting of complex shapes, the machine also worked out the most efficient way of "nesting" the material's sheets. These were made from tri-wall industrial card- board and a reciprocating blade was chosen to batch cut the "kitting boxes" which Blackman and White developed.

Developing a Client List

Other interesting projects were undertaken with British Aerospace including the design of a precision milling machine to cut holes in 40 ft containers so that "sniffing" machines could be used by HM Customs to check for contraband. Other major industrial clients for Blackman & White in the eighties were GEC-Marconi, Standard Telephone Company, Toshiba and Friedenberg Rubber - who enjoyed the dubious distinction of being a major supplier to the German war machine in WWII.

The world of sails

1982 marked a key waypoint in the history of B & W and the start of a long-running and successful association with the British marine industry. In particular with their sailmakers. Tony Allen of Essex sailmakers Holt-Allen Sails asked Les White if he could design a machine to precisely cut the panels for a range of dinghy sails. This work had traditionally been accomplished entirely by hand with sailmaker's scissors.

The big advantage for Holt-Allen was that they would be able to guarantee to exactly reproduce sail shape, time after time - a key factor in the desirability of their sails. As well, of course, as the huge time saving opportunity that cutting panels with a machine would provide. Holt's success with the new technology quickly caught the eye of other sailmakers around the world, and further orders for B & W installations followed in quick succession.

Britain's largest production sail loft, Hyde Sails - acted as test-bed for the spectacular success of the MasterCut machine, and in 1992 the first of a long line of these "industry standard" flatbed plotter/laser cutters was commissioned at Hyde Sails' Essex factory. Measuring 10 metres in length by 2 metres wide, it transformed Hyde's quality and production capacity, virtually overnight. Such was the capacity of the machine that Hyde quickly identified its potential to take on contracts outside sailmaking - as well as keeping the factory at full production during wunter months. Hyde Sails were quick to grasp this opportunity and successfully pitched for a major cutting contract for car airbags, clothing and tents.