The Beginning

Esprit Automation was founded by Geoff Smith and Andrew Cooke in 1986 following successful research and development work conducted whilst studying Engineering at the University of Nottingham. Initially the business was established in Nottingham City Council

Established in Lenton, Nottingham, and initially supported by The Prince’s Youth Business Trust and the Department of Trade and Industry’s Support for Innovation scheme, Esprit Automation’s first steps broke new ground. Recognising the potential to streamline the emerging plasma-cutting process, Geoff and Andrew developed a revolutionary CAD/CAM system using a Windows/mouse interface. They named this system Procut

Early Innovation

One year later, in 1987, Esprit Automation launched Procut on the market, and began upgrading existing operational cutting machines with Procut’s trailblazing technology.

The year 1988 saw the birth of the Lightning range of plasma cutting machines, and by the early 1990s Esprit had begun exporting internationally, to countries including Singapore, Malaysia and Portugal. Demand grew, and with it so did Esprit, moving to larger premises in Long Eaton, Nottingham, in 1991.

Amidst fierce competition, Hypertherm was chosen to be Esprit’s exclusive supplier of plasma cutting systems, forming a close partnership that continues to the present day.

A year after the move in 1992, Esprit launched the Lightning H plasma cutting machine to great success. The Lightning H lived up to its name, with its options for multiple plasma and gas torches providing lightning speed and productivity previously unseen in the market. Shortly after, it was joined by the Lightning D, a light fabrication and ductwork machine.

The HD Plasma Revolution

With the introduction of the high-definition plasma cutting process in 1995, the landscape of plasma-cutting evolved dramatically. Rising to meet the challenge, Esprit unveiled the Lightning HD.

A revolutionary high-definition machine, the Lightning HD immediately took the market by storm. With its high speed, acceleration and rigidity, and its smooth, precise motion control, it became the benchmark for precision plasma-cutting tables – a position the latest generation of the machine still holds in the present day.

New Factory

1998 saw the ever-expanding Esprit acquire Plackett Mill in Sandiacre, Nottingham. A former lace mill on a two-acre site, Plackett Mill became Esprit’s head office and manufacturing facility.

The following year in 1999, Esprit launched the Arrow, designed specifically for the HVAC and sheet metal industries. Launched to immediate success, the Arrow’s enduring popularity has seen it installed in every corner of the globe.

2000 saw the launch of the Viper. Created for resilience in the most demanding environments, the heavy-duty workhouse was designed to run without pause – and without sacrifice in quality. Fittingly, the first ever Viper is still in operation to this very day!

New Family Members

Three years later in 2003, the Cobra was added to the line, making precision plasma-cutting and flexible gas-cutting accessible to workshops of all sizes and scales.

The highly successful Lightning range saw a new addition in 2011 with the launch of the Lightning S, adding the flexibility of multiple plasma and gas torches to the range’s signature speed and precision.

The strong platform of the heavy-duty Viper gave rise to another innovation in 2013, with the introduction of the Multibevel. With a precision plasma bevel head and Hypertherm True Bevel technology, the Multibevel’s accurate bevel cutting for countersink holes and edge weld preps has made it essential in its industry.

Eliminating Downtime

Esprit machines are built to minimise downtime, but on the rare occasion there is an issue, the solution must be swift. Unsatisfied with “on-demand” remote access to diagnose problems after the event, Esprit’s dedication to minimising downtime inspired the birth of a revolutionary in-house solution. This solution is IRIS – a ground-breaking system monitoring your Esprit cutting machine in real-time.

Launched at MACH 2018, IRIS’s digital dashboard provides an insight into real-time operations, providing not only significant increase in uptime through machine utilisation, consumable life, and overall machine health tracking; but also improved performance, reliability, and durability.

Do More

Today, with over 1500 Esprit machines installed in over 30 countries around the world, Esprit continues to push the boundaries of plasma cutting technology, with key partnerships with Hypertherm, Bosch, THK and other valuable partners.

From machines that lead the industry in speed, precision and durability to reliable first-class customer support, Esprit has one goal: to enable you to do more.