APL Launches In-House Laser Cutting, Metal Fabrication & CNC Machining Services

After two years of planning and investment, APL has brought critical manufacturing processes in-house with the launch of full laser cutting, metal fabrication, and CNC machining facilities.

Both services are now operational at our West Midlands site, marking the most significant expansion of APL’s manufacturing capability in the company’s 25-year history.

Manufacturing control & coordination

Bringing laser cutting, metal fabrication, and CNC machining in-house strengthens APL’s approach to designing, manufacturing, and refurbishing formwork systems.

These facilities sit alongside APL’s wider manufacturing and refurbishment operations, allowing fabricated and machined components to be produced accurately and consistently, ready for downstream use or assembly.

It gives APL greater flexibility when responding to bespoke requirements, refurbishment programmes and live project demands, while maintaining consistent standards across repeat production.

This investment supports scale, efficiency and long-term capability — aligned with the complexity and pace of the projects APL delivers.

In-house laser cutting & metal fabrication

APL now operates a comprehensive metal fabrication facility supporting a wide range of cutting and forming processes, enabling the manufacture of both bespoke components and repeatable parts.

Our in-house capabilities include:

Laser cutting

• Steel up to 40mm.
• Stainless steel up to 40mm.
• Aluminium up to 25mm.

Plasma cutting Plasma cutting for thicker plates and heavy-section components.

Turret punching

• Steel up to 3mm.
• Aluminium up to 6mm.
• Wide range of punching and forming tools held in-house.

Press brake folding

• Up to 20mm steel, depending on fold length.
• Folding lengths up to 4,000mm.
• 330 tonne press brake capacity.

Guillotine cutting

• Cutting lengths up to 3,000mm.
• Steel up to 4mm.
• Aluminium up to 8mm.

These processes support one-off requirements, small-batch production, and ongoing manufacturing programmes.

In-house CNC cutting & machining

APL operates a dedicated in-house CNC cutting facility, allowing us to cut, machine, and profile sheet materials entirely under our own control. This capability supports both the manufacture and refurbishment of formwork components and enables fast turnaround for customer requirements.

By managing the CNC process internally, we maintain full control over accuracy, lead times, and quality, ensuring consistent results across every component we produce.

Our CNC facility provides precision cutting and machining for a range of materials and applications, including:

• CNC cutting and profiling of birch core, phenolic-faced plywood.
• CNC machining of plastic and aluminium sheet materials.
• Support for wall, column, and slab formwork applications.
• Bespoke cutting patterns and small-batch production.

You can read more about our CNC Cutting services here.

What this means practically

Quality and compliance

We manufacture to industry standards including BS EN ISO 3834 part 3, EN 1090, and ISO 9001, with full traceability and control from raw material through to finished component. By managing fabrication and machining in-house, we maintain direct oversight of quality at every stage of production.

Coordination & flexibility

Improved coordination between cutting, forming, and manufacturing processes. Flexibility for bespoke components and small-batch production alongside repeat manufacturing runs.

Applications

Our laser cutting, metal fabrication, and CNC machining services are used across a wide range of applications, including:

Metal fabrication applications

• Steel components for formwork and falsework systems.
• Brackets, plates, and connection details.
• Bespoke fabricated metal components.
• Support for customer-supplied drawings and specifications.

CNC cutting applications

• Refacing and repair of wall and column formwork panels.
• Slab formwork, decking and shuttering.
• Machined plastic and aluminium components for formwork systems.
• Support for customer-supplied drawings and cutting requirements.

Refurbishment programmes

• Replacement components across both metal fabrication and CNC applications.

Integrated manufacturing capability

Laser cutting, metal fabrication, and CNC cutting form part of APL’s wider in-house manufacturing capability. These services can be delivered as standalone manufacturing or integrated into formwork packages, providing reliable quality, consistency, and programme certainty from design through to delivery.

Get in Touch

Both services are operational now. If you require laser cutting, plasma cutting, turret punching, metal fabrication, or CNC machining services, please get in touch to discuss your requirements, materials, and lead times.

Tel: 01543 377 007
enquiries@aplformwork.com

Our team can support both one-off enquiries and ongoing production requirements.