9 minute read
Machinery
Haffner Murat has installed three pieces of new fabrication machinery for specialist trade fabricator Mercury Glazing Supplies to support their ambitious growth strategy. Martin Halford, Director and co-founder of Gloucester-based Mercury Glazing, said: “We have a strong growth strategy in place, and our investment in the new machinery from Haffner Murat will help us to deliver exceptional quality for our growing range of PVC-U and aluminium products as our order volumes increase.”
Mercury Glazing has invested in a FOM Industrie Modus CNC machining centre, Haffner TT425 double-mitre computerised saw and a FOM Industrie Panda 300 Echo pneumatic bead saw. Martin commented: “We have purchased several machines from Haffner Murat in the past and we did not hesitate to turn to them to help support us in our latest manufacturing expansion. We have recently taken occupancy of our second manufacturing unit in Gloucester as demand for our high-quality PVC-U and aluminium products has increased dramatically over the past twelve months. The reliability of Haffner Murat’s machines and the support given by Paul Yeo, Haffner Murat’s Technical Sales Manager was superb. The machines will add further value to our fabrication process.” The FOM Industrie Modus CNC machining centre offers impressive credentials and delivers automation at every level. It is equipped with three controlled axes and workable with 0°/90°/180° positioning providing superior accuracy and speed of manufacture, something that was particularly important for Mercury Glazing who pride themselves on their efficient product turnaround. The Haffner TT425 double-mitre computerised saw provides superb length, angle and cutting accuracy thanks to its robust construction and linear bearing system. And the FOM Industrie Panda 300 Echo pneumatic bead saw offers a 300mm up-feed balance with manual positioning of the vertical axis delivering superb accuracy for precision manufacture. Dave Thomas, Managing Director at Haffner Murat, commented: “Mercury Glazing’s continued growth strategy is impressive and it was vital that the right machines were in place to support their plans. We were delighted to work with the Mercury team once more and was pleased that our latest team member, Paul Yeo, has hit the ground running and helped secure this sale with Mercury.” Mercury Glazing Supplies manufactures an extensive range of PVC-U and aluminium windows and doors direct to the trade and commercial markets. The company prides itself on the quality of its product range and the combination of the high-quality machinery from Haffner Murat and the efficient service ethics of Mercury Glazing is a compelling proposition. Tel: 01785 222421 - www.haffnermurat.com
BURBAGE CUSTOM WINDOWS PURCHASE MORE HAFFNER MURAT MACHINERY TO SUPPORT GROWTH INVESTMENT
Burbage Custom Windows has invested in additional Haffner Murat machinery to support its recent business expansion. Dan Richards from Burbage Custom Windows, said: “Having purchased several machines from Haffner Murat in the past, we know they deliver the quality, service and performance we look for. Having recently expanded our manufacturing operation we had no hesitation in returning to them again.”
Burbage has invested in three new automated machines from Haffner Murat: an SBA-4 machining centre, SC114 cutting centre and the market-leading SMR-5 welder. All machines are being installed in the company’s new 11,000 sqft fabrication unit in Leicestershire and will help the company increase its production by a further 30%. The SBA-4 machining centre is packed with features and developments designed to support fabricators’ businesses. Available in eight versions with routing and sawing stations that can be mixed and matched to meet individual requirements, it can also be tailored to meet fabricators’ precise needs. Similarly, the SC114 cutting centre packs a punch in machine technology and offers both automation and fast cutting accuracy of PVC-u profiles with automatic loading and adjustable saw feed speed for superb accuracy. And the SMR-5 welder has been marketed as the fastest and most accurate welder on the market today. The impressive automated machine is able to fabricate one complete window every four minutes with superb quality and accuracy. Dan commented: “We’ve built our business on quality and service and we don’t want to compromise that. We knew from previous experience we could trust Haffner Murat to deliver the fabrication solutions that were right for us. The quality of their machines coupled with the expert advice from Matt Thomas and the Haffner Murat team has been exceptional. These machines will allow us to increase our output to 1000 frames per week without additional manpower.” Burbage Custom Windows is a family run business which has been established for over 20 years. Based in Hinckley, Leicestershire they manufacture a wide range of PVC-U window and door products to exceptional standards and offer a quick turnaround. One of the clearest indications of a reliable and trustworthy business is how previous customers are willing to return when they need to make a new investment. Haffner Murat’s returning customer rate is exceptionally high and Dan’s comments show why. Tel: 01785 222421 www.haffnermurat.com
IT’S ALL ABOUT THE OTIF WHY SUPPLIERS NEED TO DO MORE TO HELP CUSTOMERS COPE WITH DEMAND
I write a regular blog on the Mila website at https://www.mila.co.uk/blog/. Over the years, it’s become one of the most visited pages on the site, largely I think because I always try to give honest insight and straightforward updates on the business and the market.
Of the 20 or so posts I’ve written this year though, no less than 17 have been on the single topic of Coronavirus – going as far back as February when it first started to become an issue for some of our suppliers in the Far East. I’ve charted the spread of the disease, the lockdown, the reopening, and now of course the pressure on suppliers to keep up with demand. My aim on the blog has always been to communicate openly and directly with customers, colleagues and suppliers and I would definitely encourage others in the industry to do the same – it might help to create a better sense of mutual understanding. Over recent weeks, the dominant theme of my posts has been the extraordinary efforts of suppliers like Mila to make sure that fabricators have the products they need to keep trade, retail and commercial customers happy. I don’t think any of us could realistically have expected the industry to bounce back from the lockdown quite so strongly as it has and, while that is brilliant, it has tested capacity at many points right across the supply chain. There are widespread reports now of stock outages on profile, glass and hardware, made worse I think by the fact that some companies simply pushed back too many orders and then kept staff on furlough for too long and aren’t now communicating properly with customers. By contrast, at Mila, we’re very much going above and beyond to make sure our customers can make the most of the opportunities which are currently out there and the general improvement in the market. Everyone here - from front line sales to supply chain is more
Richard Gyde, Managing Director, Mila
focused than ever on keeping our line OTIF (which indicates how many items we have in stock) as high as possible. I get our daily performance metrics delivered into my inbox at 6.30 am every morning and they’re the first thing I look at when I pick up my phone. At the time of writing, our line OTIF is sitting at 92.2% and it’s prominently displayed on our website for all to see. 92.2 is way down on where we would be in normal times when anything below 98% would trigger an investigation. But, judging by the number of enquiries we’re getting from fabricators who are being let down by their current supplier, it’s still much higher than many of our competitors. Mila has the huge advantage, of course, that we still have the resources available to be able to invest. We are currently spending tens of thousands of pounds on air freight to get more product onto our shelves as quickly as possible and we have weekly meetings to make sure we target that option as effectively as possible for those customers with the most urgent demand. We also maintained contract terms with all of our suppliers throughout, so they’ve pulled out all the stops to ensure that we’ve also got lots of stock on the way to us by sea which will be with us within weeks to ensure that normal service can be resumed. As you’d expect, we’re doing all we can to help everyone who contacts us, but we still assess every single order against stock levels and forecasted demand so that loyal Mila customers are never disadvantaged for the sake of a new enquiry. It’s clear that suppliers are already being judged by their customers on how they performed before, during and after the lockdown. I am determined that Mila will come out on the right side of that judgement.
More info: www.mila.co.uk By Richard Gyde, Managing Director, Mila
DOOR & HARDWARE FEDERATION’S BUILDING HARDWARE GROUP FORMS NEW MARKETING ‘SUBCOMMITTEE’
DHF has recognised that there are a number of key issues currently facing the building hardware sector. Examples of these are, of course, the transmission of the COVID-19 virus and what measures should be taken to limit its spread, in addition to the greater levels of safety now having to be met as a result of this, for example, anti-COVID hardware and fullyautomated doors to enable access with no human contact. In addition, CPR (Construction Products Regulation) and Brexit, CE versus UKCA marking and whether companies will be required to hold both UK and European marks, and the mutual recognition agreement and the issues that might bring.
As a result of these challenges, Door & Hardware Federation (DHF) has announced the creation of a new marketing ‘sub-committee’ for its Building Hardware Group members. The new sub-committee will specifically address the issues and developments pertinent to the building hardware industry and comprises members with a marketing background from across the group. The 11-person-strong sub-committee met for the first time on August 5th and is headed up by Suzanne TaylorTurnbull, Head of Marketing and Marketing Development at Allegion, with the Vice-Chair named as Helena Liddiard from ASSA ABLOY. It is anticipated that meetings will be held regularly. “The sub-committee has been formed as a result of the many concerns currently facing the building hardware sector,” explains DHF’s Head of Commercial Operations, Patricia Sowsbery-Stevens. “There are topics a-plenty for the sub-committee to turn their attention to in these changing and testing times. Most importantly, it will ensure that these issues, and the steps that are being taken to address them, are communicated effectively and successfully to the relevant audience.” The creation of the new sub-committee is a further demonstration of DHF’s proactivity and commitment in meeting the needs of its (now more than) 450 members. With nearly all of the UK manufacturing companies forming the Building Hardware Group, they are in an ideal position to inform the market.
