Engineering Capacity January 2020

FOR MANUFACTURERS ABOUT SUBCONTRACTORS

January 2020

INDUSTRY NEWS | CASTINGS | HEAVY ENGINEERING | SHOW PREVIEW

HEAVY ENGINEERING: EB welding for nuclear

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FOR BUYERS OF CONTRACT MANUFACTURING SERVICES Visit our online edition for breaking news, jobs, events, features and searchable directory. www.engineeringcapacity.com Editor: Andy Sandford editor@engineeringcapacity.com Sales Manager: Arfan Qureshi sales@engineeringcapacity.com Tel: 0207 241 4627 Graphic Design: Dave Blake blakey@djbdesign.co.uk Printer: Holbrooks Printers Limited Norway Road, Portsmouth PO3 5HX Engineering Capacity is published six times a year in January, March, May, July, September and November SUBSCRIPTIONS Engineering Capacity is available free of charge to UK buyers and suppliers of subcontract manufacturing services.

For non-qualifying readers, annual subscription rates are as follows for 6 issues posted to addresses in: UK £60.00; Europe £80; Rest of the World £100 You can request your copy and sign up to our free weekly email newsletter on our website or contact us via subscriptions@engineeringcapacity.com www.engineeringcapacity.com Tel: O1737 270 648 Published by: Engineering Capacity Ltd Abbey House, 25 Clarendon Road Redhill, Surrey, RH1 1QZ United Kingdom Registered in England company number 10567217 ISSN 0306-0179 COMING UP IN OUR MARCH 2020 ISSUE Turned Parts, Forming & Fabrication, Aerospace & Defence, Heat & Surface Treatments, Measurement, Inspection & Testing Services, MACH 2020 Preview Please send editorial for consideration to editor@engineeringcapacity.com There is no charge or cost involved with having your editorial included in the magazine or on our website

Editor’s View So, we are into a new decade. That went quickly didn’t it? Looking back at copies of Engineering Capacity from 2010, at first glance they don’t look very different from today. But when you look more closely you notice what isn’t there.

There is nothing at all about Industry 4.0, digitalisation, robotics, AI, digital twins or, perhaps most significantly, electric cars.

I’m sure that decarbonisation is going to be the driving force behind vast swathes of the manufacturing sector in the next ten years. That’s not because of Extinction Rebellion or Greta Thunberg, but because Governments are setting extremely aggressive CO2 reduction targets and the banks and hedge funds smell money.

For example, thanks to a recent Supreme Court ruling in Holland, the Dutch Government is now obliged to cut carbon emissions to 75% of 1990 levels. That implies major changes to the way we live and a host of new products and technologies replacing legacy systems. There can’t be many car makers developing new internal combustion engines.

How many UK homes are currently reliant on gas for heating or cooking? How may haulage companies or shipping companies have any plans to change to green propulsion systems?

And what about the infrastructure to distribute enough electricity to our suburban streets to charge a massive fleet of new electric cars? Or what would be the requirements of a hydrogen distribution system in terms of safety and leak tightness?

I think we could see seismic changes in UK manufacturing to serve these new markets – and I think we should see this as a once in a generation opportunity.

Maybe I’m wrong and the January 2030 issue of Engineering Capacity will look pretty much the same as this one, but I doubt it.

Andy Sandford, Editor

Member of the Engineering Industries Association

JANUARY 2020

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Contents January 2020

23 ELECTRICAL

News

Features

06 Subcontracting falls in Q4 06 The CMI dropped by 23% in the

12 Casting & Forging 06 Charging ahead on EVs European first for MRT

last part of 2019

16 Machined Components 06 Real time data at Jota

07 Two awards for moulder 06 Destra Engineering MD is

CNC investment at moulder

Ashford businesswoman of the year

08 New steel products 06 Kloeckner has introduced

10 INDUSTRY NEWS

Making waves in Coventry

bimetal plates and coloured stainless

23 Electrical 06 Connecting electric quad bikes First electric vehicle contract

09 Cutting the dBs at DMI 06 High tech compressors cut the noise at machinist

26 Southern Manufacturing & Electronics Preview 06 32 Laser & Waterjet Cutting

10 Welding hits the spot 06 Wm Hughes is welding storage units for city vans

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20 Heavy Engineering 06 EB welding for nuclear plants

16 MACHINED COMPONENTS JANUARY 2020

Engineering Capacity | INDUSTRY NEWS

Pushing EV efficiency to the max Composite components from Formaplex have helped create one of the world’s most efficient electric cars.

Cambridge University students collaborated with F1 and supercar experts to create Helia, a four-seat solar powered electric car which can travel from London to the Scottish Highlands at a speed of 50mph on the same power it takes to boil a kettle.

Cambridge University Eco Racing (CUER) has just returned from its first international race – an epic 1,864-mile drive from Darwin to Adelaide as part of the Bridgestone World Solar Challenge.

The cutting edge vehicle pushes the boundaries of automotive battery technology, efficient tyres and aerodynamics, weighs only 550kg due to a specialist ultralightweight carbon-fibre chassis and body panels tooled by Portsmouth based Formaplex.

The use of composites allowed the team to drastically reduce weight while maintaining structural integrity, allowing Helia to travel further and faster than would be possible with other materials.

JANUARY 2020

Helia's streamlined aerodynamic design and lightweight construction significantly enhance the overall energy efficiency, using power from high performance lithium-ion battery packs produced in collaboration with Silverstonebased Danecca. The battery pack has much higher energy density than most production vehicles, which gives Helia more than double the range of a Tesla Model 3, while being a quarter of the size.

Matt Sellens, Sales Director at

Formaplex, said: "We knew the team's biggest focus had to be reducing the weight of their vehicle in order to increase its overall range. Using our experience developed over almost 20 years of working with cutting edge motorsport teams and supercar manufacturers, we fed into their design process and created the mould tooling, a special mould to produce a highly durable but ultra-light carbon fibre weight chassis.

"Our engineers designed, machined and sealed the moulds, then worked with the student team to laminate layers of carbon fibre in the moulds to create the chassis and body panels. The assemblies were then autoclave cured. The resulting product is fantastic and a real showcase of our lightweighting capabilities in manufacturing and tooling."

8 formaplex.com www.engineeringcapacity.com

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INDUSTRY NEWS | Engineering Capacity

Subcontract market falls in Q4 The Contract Manufacturing Index (CMI) for the final quarter of 2019 showed a further deterioration in the UK subcontract manufacturing market. It fell 23% from what had already been a poor third quarter. Overall the market was 56% down on the final quarter of the previous year.

The index was it its lowest levels since it was first published, falling to 66 compared to the baseline figure of 100 which represents the average value of the subcontract market between 2014 and 2018.

Heavy and construction vehicles were by far the strongest performers in the final quarter – reaching levels over 17 times higher than at the start of the year. Other sectors that were up on the previous quarter included consumer products and industrial machinery.

Looking at the year as a whole, the strongest markets were heavier industries such as

Spring acquisition Lesjöfors AB has acquired Northampton-based Metrol Springs Ltd, a manufacturer of tooling gas springs, special purpose gas springs and a wide range of standardised products.

The company also offers linear actuators and a

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energy, oil, chemical, construction and construction vehicles, with scientific equipment also coming in the top four and defence in fifth place.

Commenting on the figures, Qimtek owner Karl Wigart said: “It was a disappointing end to

a disappointing year. An early rally in February and March looked promising but was just a brief uptick on what proved to be a consistent downward trend.

“The latter part of the year was a period of particular uncertainty for manufacturing and that was reflected in the Index. Whether the recent election and fixed date for Brexit will reverse that trend remains to be seen.”

8 qimtek.co.uk

range of industrial hardware.

A large proportion of its sales are via catalogue and it serves a diversified customer base in the UK, Europe, the US, and Asia, including industrial and automotive customers. 40% of its £7m annual revenue comes from exports.

Retiring Lesjöfors President, Kjell-Arne Lindbäck, said: “With its main business areas being gas

springs and gas struts, Metrol will broaden the Lesjöfors Group’s offering for both existing and new customers.

The decentralized, technical and sales-orientated business culture within Metrol mirrors the philosophy we have at Lesjöfors, which will make it easy to work closely in our joint development of this business.”

8 metrol.com

The latter part of the year was a period of particular uncertainty for manufacturing and that was reflected in the Index

‘‘

JANUARY 2020

Engineering Capacity | INDUSTRY NEWS

Council and the Kent Invicta Chamber of Commerce to help local businesses grow and provide new jobs in the town. Destra received one to one business mentoring for 12 months which saw it become the most successful company on the programme.

8 destra.co.uk

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interested in investing in an industrial 3D printing machine to enable it to offer not only product samples, but also very low volume production runs to enhance the business further.

Destra was recently involved in the ‘Scale Up Ashford’ initiative supported by Ashford Borough

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JANUARY 2020

Two awards for moulder

–A

Destra Engineering Ltd has won two Ashford Business Awards – the Cobbs Wood based plastic injection moulder won the Small Business of the Year Award and Managing Director Sarah Williams won the Businesswoman of the Year Award.

Production Director Kevin Hare said that he was “amazed when our company name was announced as winner of the Small Business Award and it’s great that the incredible team effort of everyone has been recognised.”

The success of the evening didn’t stop there though with Managing Director Sarah Williams receiving the Businesswoman Award. “I am so proud of the achievements of everyone at Destra. I was absolutely delighted when I won the Businesswoman Award. It’s particularly challenging as a woman in what is still a male dominated industry, but I hope that other women can see this Award as testimony that we can succeed and even excel in engineering and manufacturing.”

Kevin and Sarah successfully completed a Management Buyout 18 months ago and since then they have experienced a significant level of growth with sales up by over 25% in the past year. Specialising in producing electronics enclosures and components for industrial and consumer markets around the world, Destra has put some of their success down to offering its customers more than just mouldings and add value by printing on to plastics as well as product and kit assembly. It is

m – P la s

ti c

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INDUSTRY NEWS | Engineering Capacity

Steel products explode onto market Kloeckner Metals UK has recently formed a new partnership with NobelClad, a world leader in dissimilar metal bonding using explosive welding.

Composed of two dissimilar metals, bi-metallic plates are bonded by a cold precision explosion that retains the best properties of both metals.

NobelClad has pioneered the use of explosion welding in dissimilar metal bonding. This innovative technique enables bonding in milliseconds, reducing the amount of heat required and therefore preventing any damage that can occur to the metals during the cladding process.

NobelClad bi-metallic plates are renowned for the reliability and strength and are available in over 260 metal combinations.

Using NobelClad’s expertise, Kloeckner can advise the best welding solution and the combination of metals. This will ensure high mechanical strength, thermal and electrical conductivity, metallurgical bond, prevention of

Visit our website or contact us for a quote or advice

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galvanic corrosion and reduces the weight of the product.

Bi-metallic plates are used in a wide range of industries as they maintain their mechanical properties regardless of the structure and geometry. Some typical applications include ship building components, heat exchangers, pressure vessels, nuclear components, crystallisers and autoclaves.

Kloeckner Metals UK has also introduced a range of coloured stainless steels that combine durability with style and elegance.

Utilising Organic-Inorganic

Hybrid Coating technology, DSP provides Colour Stainless Steel in several modern and luxurious colours, allowing architects greater creativity and flexibility when incorporating stainless steel sheets into their designs.

Additionally, various coloured Ti-ion Coating (PVD) and Nano Ceramic Coating (NCC) options enable customers to achieve any surface texture they want. Choose between 5 different surface textures, including Haze, Rain, Sketch, Satin and Mirror finishes.

Beyond style, there are many practical benefits of using stainless steel sheets featuring Roll to Roll PVD and NCC coatings techniques.

These include colour uniformity, high durability, as well as excellent fire and corrosion resistance.

A versatile product with dimensions customised by order, Colour Stainless Steel sheets can be used for a variety of internal & external applications such as for cladding, ceilings, elevators and doors.

8 Kloecknermetalsuk.com JANUARY 2020

Engineering Capacity | INDUSTRY NEWS Patented compressor technology has helped DMI Precision Engineering achieve a dramatic reduction in shop floor noise levels.

Operating out of East Lothian for more than 40 years, DMI Precision has customers ranging from aerospace and automotive manufacturers to the oil and gas, nuclear and renewable energy sectors. Employing a dozen staff, its services include CNC turning and CNC milling from low quantity to high volume batch work.

To test the industrial savings potential of Vert’s products, DMI installed 10 Vert A100 compressors to run the equipment throughout its shop.

When the switch-over took place in October, DMI managing director David Black and his workshop staff immediately noticed the benefit of Vert’s patented compressor technology: a substantially calmer environment.

“Our business is by its nature a noisy one,” David said, “so anything we can do to cut down on the threat of long-term hearing damage to our staff is welcome.”

Registration is now open for MACH 2020 which takes place at the NEC in Birmingham on 20 to 24 April.

MACH is the longest-running manufacturing and engineering exhibition in the UK, showcasing a wide variety of manufacturing technology solutions on live working machinery. This year’s event is set to be one of the best in its long history.

JANUARY 2020

Cutting the dBs at DMI

“As well as making it easier to communicate, a quieter workplace also makes it easier to concentrate, which is an important consideration for the highly-skilled work that we undertake. Although we run a modern compressor system, the reduction in constant background noise when switching to the Vert system made the working environment a lot more pleasant.”

Running solely off the Vert A100 compressors, the factory registered a noise level of 68dBA, which was a significant drop of 6dBA from the previous air

system. As noise is measured on a logarithmic scale instead of a standard linear scale, every 3dBA reduction represents the sound energy level being halved.

The project was part of a study to quantify the benefits of using air in a manufacturing environment. It comes after Edinburgh-based Vert was selected in June 2019 to receive a funding award of £410,000 from the UK Government Department of Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS).

“Providing air at the point of use opens up opportunities to make noise improvements in a factory environment which has a significant positive impact on employees,” said Vert sales engineer John McNeil, who worked with DMI on the project.

“With 80% of UK manufacturers using compressed air, there is a significant opportunity to reduce the risks of long-term hearing damage for workers.

8 dmiengineering.co.uk

MACH registration open In 2018, the exhibition attracted more than 25,000 visitors during the five days of the show and has so far been credited with generating over £200 million worth of business for exhibitors.

James Fudge of MTA, which organises the show, said: "MACH 2020 is the UK’s National event for inspiring,

innovating and connecting manufacturing and will provide real value for our visitors. We will have all the latest manufacturing technology solutions available under one roof, giving visitors an unrivalled overview of our sector in the UK.” 8 machexhibition.com

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INDUSTRY NEWS | Engineering Capacity

Welding hits the spot for city van William Hughes has come to the aid of an automotive seat manufacturer, providing a spotwelded grid assembly to complete an under-seat storage unit for a market leading city van.

Such an intricate part had to meet stringent criteria for robustness and aesthetics, while assuring ease of integration into the under-seat structure.

The seat is manufactured by a global leader in automotive seating and associated electrical and electronic systems. This company had no problem forming the tray base and three of the sides as part of the larger welded structure, but the fourth side proved more intricate and the company saw value in subcontracting the assembly to a third party. William Hughes was able to demonstrate its capability in the area, and its

ability to provide the part at a price that made it attractive thereby winning the contract.

The part comprises three mild steel wires running horizontally from one end of the storage tray to the other, with two u-shaped bent wires welded across them to complete the grid structure and form a robust fourth side to the storage tray. The grid assembly is spot-welded in two processes: first the straight wires and the bent wires are positioned into what will be the finished grid,

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loaded into a jig on a trolley and wheeled into the spot welder.

William Hughes constructed the jig especially for the project, assuring absolute consistency in appearance and performance of the finished part. With the assembly only required in fairly low volumes, the grid is welded manually. Spot welding was chosen in preference to other welding techniques as it provides a cleaner finish and the operator can carry out a visual check on the quality of the weld, assuring the performance of the finished part.

With the grid assembly complete, end brackets are then spot-welded to the grid in the second process.

Once complete, William Hughes coats the grid assembly on a KTL black electrophoretic paint line, which deposits a shiny black coating just a few microns thick.

The finished part is supplied to the seat manufacturer at its factory in France where it is attached to the seat structure to form the fourth side of the storage tray. By manufacturing the assembly at its plant in Bulgaria, William Hughes is able to take advantage of materials supplied locally and provides a beneficial location for the supply of finished parts to European manufacturers.

The success of the project has opened the door for William Hughes to quote on a number of similar applications for the next generation of the city van from the same automotive OEM. 8 wmhughes.co.uk JANUARY 2020

Engineering Capacity | PEOPLE

Trade Leads from the EIA The following FREE OF CHARGE trade leads for the UK engineering industry are currently appearing on the Trade Board pages of the Engineering Industries Association at www.eia.co.uk UK – Seascale: Steel Supply of Stainless Steel and Carbon Steel.

Reference: 34239 Closing Date: 26/01/2020

Chris Weirman has been appointed by Wall Colmonoy as Technical Director for its’ European Headquarters. He will lead a high-performance technical team at Wall Colmonoy Limited (UK) who support customers with material selection, innovative alloy development and practical experience of key manufacturing processes.

Alan Why has been promoted to become the UK Sales Manager of Bunting, overseeing all external sales activity. Alan has successfully developed magnet-related business for Bunting over a sevenyear period. The responsibilities now cover a wider product range including magnets, magnetic separators and metal detectors.

Germany – Machine tools 1 pc. 2D/3D 5-axis laser cutting machine according to technical specification (machine).

Reference: 34252 Closing Date: 28/01/2020 Turkey – Profiles A Turkish company engaged in the manufacturing of aluminium profiles for various sectors from furniture to electronics is looking for commercial agents in Europe and beyond.

Reference: JV1370 Closing Date: 05/03/2020 Italy - Gate valves Supply of gate valves for water distribution pipelines.

Reference: 34261 Closing Date: 10/02/2020

Marcus Burton the President of the Manufacturing Technologies Association and a Non-Executive Director for Yamazaki Mazak UK Ltd has been awarded an MBE for services to export and inward investment in the New Year Honours list. From 2010 to 2017 Marcus was Mazak’s European Group MD. JANUARY 2020

Martin Barber has been appointed as Premium Product Sales Manager at XYZ Machine Tools. He will have responsibility for sales of five-axis machining centres and the RoboTend machine tending system.

Martin has extensive experience in machine tools, latterly specialising in high-end multi-axis systems.

Bulgaria – Springs A Bulgarian company specialised in the production of springs and spring elements is offering subcontracting, manufacturing and distribution agreements.

Reference: JV1367 Closing Date: 27/02/2020 For more information please email head.office@eia.co.uk quoting reference number.

Please remember to use due diligence in responding to Trade Leads. Engineering Capacity provides you with the above information in good faith, but is unable to accept any responsibility or legal liability arising from any use of these leads.

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CASTING & FORGING | Engineering Capacity Coventry-based Sarginsons Industries has won the contract to develop revolutionary charging points for electric vehicles – which could turbo boost the take up of greener cars.

The company, which traditionally supplies aluminium castings to a range of sectors including automotive and energy, is diversifying its business after becoming the sole supplier to Char.gy.

Char.gy has, over the past couple of years, developed technology which sees charging points either mounted onto lampposts or separate charging bollard units created that can draw from the electricity supply to lampposts.

The technology means that vehicle owners in urban areas where only on-street parking is available can access charging points for their all-electric or hybrid vehicles.

Char.gy is already working with a number of local authorities across the UK to fit the technology in urban streets, with Coventry being one of the first to see units installed around the city.

Sarginsons will now supply the full unit to Char.gy including the aluminium castings as well as internal assembly, including the electronics.

The firm’s new Technology Centre Manager, Gavin Shipley, will oversee the project with Char.gy as he has worked with the company on the design and development of the project in a previous role.

Further new jobs will be created to work on the manufacture and assembly of the products.

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Charging ahead on EVs Die-cast tooling, machining fixtures and test equipment have also been designed and manufactured as part of the process.

Anthony Evans, the managing director of Sarginsons Industries, said the work with Char.gy was part of the firm’s future plans to develop its offer in Design for Manufacture excellence.

That process sees clients work with Sarginsons through the design phases of a new product or component to benefit from the company’s experience, expertise and advanced use of technology.

Anthony said: “We are very pleased to be working with Char.gy and this is very much a new area of business for us, which we are extremely excited about.

“It is our ambition to grow and find new markets and this is a great example of that – it’s definitely

something we will look to build on.

Richard Stobart developed the Char.gy products after identifying a gap in the market.

He said: “I wanted to drive an electric car, but I was living in an urban street, with no garage or off-street parking so I needed to be able to charge it on the street outside my home.

“I looked at the lamppost and thought there must be away of tapping into its supply and, being from a tech background, I decided to devise one.

“It’s taken several years to bring it to this point where we now have units already installed around the country. It’s great to now be working with Sarginsons on this project and we look forward to seeing the orders grow as more and more authorities see the benefit of this technology.”

8 sarginsons.com JANUARY 2020

Engineering Capacity | CASTING & FORGING The UK cast metals industry will come together on the 7th and 8th April for CASTcon 2020.

The event, which is taking place at Cranfield University, hosted by Cranfield Manufacturing, is the only conference event in the UK that is totally dedicated to the metal casting sector, covering sand, investment and die casting.

Organised by the Trade Association for the UK casting and foundry industry, the Cast Metals Federation, CMF, alongside the University and supported by the Diecasting Society, the Institute of Cast Metals Engineers (ICME) and the Tor Lodge & Applecross Trust, CASTcon will enable the sector to come together to discuss pertinent issues affecting the industry.

The event will feature presentations from practical foundry personnel, supplier representatives and leading industrialists, as well as offering the opportunity to network with others from the industry as well as potential collaborators and partners.

In addition, there will be an informal evening networking reception, table-top exhibition showcasing the leading suppliers to the industry and the opportunity for delegates to tour the world-class research facilities at the university.

Dr Pam Murrell, CEO of the CMF said, “We are delighted to be holding CASTcon at Cranfield once again – the facilities there are excellent, with on-site hotel accommodation, a fully equipped auditorium, plenty of space for the exhibition and free parking for our delegates. We are also grateful to JANUARY 2020

Future-proofing the cast metals industry

the Tor Lodge & Applecross Trust who are once again supporting apprentices with free places to attend the event.

“At a time when the UK is undergoing significant change, with a new government in place, and a greater focus on manufacturing in the UK as we prepare to leave the EU, it is important that our Members have the opportunity to find out about the latest developments in the industry.”

The Call for Papers is currently open, and bookings are now being taken for delegates and the remaining spaces in the tabletop exhibition, so contact CMF to find out about attending or presenting at the event.

To find out more, please contact: Angela Mason, Cast Metals Federation, 0121 809 3500, e: admin@cmfed.co.uk, 8 castmetalsfederation.com

Cast Metal Industry Awards Organised by the CMF the UK Cast Metals Industry Awards showed the successes of the industry in all sectors.

The ‘Component of the Year’ award was won by Finecast Foundry Ltd for its complex five casting Transcend transmission assembly in aluminium for Jaguar Land Rover. The ‘Company Achievement’ award was won by Sarginsons Industries Ltd for its investment in new technology and training programmes. The award for ‘Innovation’ was won by RSM Castings Ltd for its unique and fully automated core cleaning, trimming, venting, assembly and painting robotic cell.

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CASTING & FORGING | Engineering Capacity Midland Pressure Diecasting (MPD) has boosted its output significantly after installing a new fully automatic aluminium diecasting machine at its Willenhall facility to add to its fleet of automated die casting machines.

The £250,000 project at one of the Black Country’s fastest growing foundries will introduce efficiencies and create an additional 20% capacity to take on more work, which will generate a number of new jobs locally.

Plant investment is an area the company is continually reviewing as part of ambitious expansion plans, with staff actively encouraged to put forward improvement projects and spending suggestions.

Ash Suman, Managing Director at MPD, is delighted with how 2019 has panned out: “We are always looking at company improvements, whether via investments into plant, processes or our people. For the most recent example, we decided to look at how we could become more lean, which, in turn, would also introduce a host of operational efficiencies and, importantly, additional capacity.

Fast growing foundry

“The implementation of this new machine is the first part of our restructuring strategy and the target is for it to be operational before the end of the year. We have additional plans for further investment, growing our business and helping showcase a positive outlook for UK manufacturing.”

The latest spend has marked a very good three months for the firm, with a new contract secured to supply a family suite of new tooling and castings - generating a 15% growth in turnover.

Aerospace Oil & Gas Nuclear Defence

PRECISION ENGINEERING www.thomas-brown-engineering.co.uk Tel: 01484 548903

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Automotive Electronics Hi Fi

Industrial & High Volume Machining

Bosses at MPD believe the work was secured due to its ability to offer a comprehensive service, from concept to delivery and encompassing professional advice on Design for Manufacture (DFM) and Design for Assembly (DFA) along the way.

In addition to the excellent technical advice provided, the client was also impressed with the supply of high-quality tooling (die casting, press tooling and CNC fixtures) and how strict scheduling demands were met.

Ash continued: “The new contract highlights how we can work more closely with our clients in the early design stages and, by offering our industry expertise, we can add real value before we even get to the manufacturing process.”

2020 will see the start of one of MPD’s biggest ever projects, with the entire factory being redesigned to optimise manufacturing performance.

8 midlandpressurediecasting.co.uk JANUARY 2020

Engineering Capacity | CASTING & FORGING Andover-based aluminium diecasting and machining specialist, MRT Castings, has taken delivery of the first Brother Speedio R650X2 machining centre to be installed in Europe.

Supplied by Whitehouse Machine Tools, the 30-taper machine is equipped with twin pallets carrying 4th-axis trunnions as well as Blum workpiece and tool probing to ensure accuracy of machined parts.

The new machine has reduced cycle times by 30% when running identical programs due to the speed and power of the manufacturer's modern CNC C00 control system. Additionally, automatic pallet change cuts loading times, presenting parts to the spindle faster and increasing productivity still further.

The 16,000 rpm-spindle machine has the largest number of tools available in the Speedio range, 40 as opposed to the former machine's 21, as well as a larger X-axis stroke, up from 550 to 650 mm and an 800 mm long table instead of 600 mm. Z-axis travel is also slightly more.

In April 2019, MRT was the first in the UK to receive a Brother cell with Feedio robotic component handling to automate a 5-axis M140X2 machining centre that was purchased at the same time.

MD Phil Rawnson said: "Brother's willingness to consult with its customers is a good sign, as it means it is listening to what the market wants.

"We made it clear to them that we prefer a large machining envelope to give us more JANUARY 2020

European first for MRT flexibility in the methods we use to fixture parts. There are several ways we exploit the additional working volume, especially extra X-axis travel.

"If we need to hit several faces of a component, we can carry out a second machining operation sequentially by fixturing parts side by side on a single fixture.

"Or we can clamp a larger number of small parts to fill the table. By putting more castings under the spindle at the same time, fewer tool changes are needed per component and productivity is increased.

"Alternatively, we can use the three or four CNC axes to machine longer castings at the highly productive rates possible using a 30-taper machine.

"Pallet-change Brothers are generally employed at the Andover facility if cycle times are short, say less than five minutes, to minimise spindle idle time during sequential Op 1 and Op 2 machining on six sides of a casting. Fixed-table machines are more economical if cycles are longer, as one operator

is able to load and unload a pair of machines to complete the two operations in tandem.�

Accuracies achieved are impressive, down to a couple of microns for bearing bores. Some electrical assemblies comprise up to 20 individual castings and tolerance build-up can become a problem if such tight limits are not held. Other work for the electronics, defence and top-end lighting sectors also stipulate tolerances that are sometimes very tight. Parts coming off the Brothers are not only dimensionally accurate but also highly repeatable, according to Mr Rawnson.

8 mrt-castings.co.uk

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MACHINED COMPONENTS | Engineering Capacity

Real-time data puts Jota in control A PSL Datatrack Status Board display system at Jota Advanced Engineering has brought a new dimension to its business by giving visual real time information on its key production functions.

Providing CNC machining capabilities into the wider motor racing, aviation, power generation, scientific and medical sectors, as well as internally to other Jota divisions, it uses multi-axis turning centres with live tooling and fiveaxis machining centres, to work to very tight tolerances, often in difficult to machine materials.

Jota initially invested in PSL Datatrack production control software in 2016.

The investment gave Jota control of its customer quotations, sales and purchase order processing, workshop scheduling, Shop Floor Data Collection (SFDC), deliveries and invoicing procedures. It provided close management of all of these aspects of the business, obviating the need for keeping paperwork or customer archives. It gives Jota highly accurate information about its business and machining capacity so that it can keep its commitment to customers in terms of product quality, traceability and delivery punctuality.

Not only that, but quotation times were slashed by up to 40%.

Director, Ryan Goodger, says: “PSL Datatrack sits behind our precision engineering business.

Everything stems from a customer quotation and when an order is then received, the 16

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information is transformed into a works order from which all the subsequent production operations are evolved before delivery and invoicing is then taken care of.”

The next stage for Jota was to be able to see the status of all work passing through the shop floor in real time. This led to investment in Status Boards which has become a key element of the PSL Datatrack system for so many customers because of their versatility.

Putting Status Boards on display throughout the factory and in the management offices at Jota has ensured that clear visual instructions are available to all departments on any aspect of production, giving even more control over manufacturing processes and achieving Key

Performance Indicators (KPIs).

For Ryan, however, that was just one of the benefits of the multiple Status Boards that were acquired. “I also love the fact that what is displayed on the screens is the result of the customisation that PSL Datatrack undertook to meet our specific requirements and ideas.”

The result of the discussion between Jota and PSL Datatrack was a “traffic light” system for the Status Boards on the shop floor that can be clearly read and easily understood by all operatives, allowing them to identify any possible bottlenecks in production and rectify these. The screens show the sequence of jobs that are going through the factory at any time and those that are planned for the following day. A green light JANUARY 2020

Engineering Capacity | MACHINED COMPONENTS indicates when a specific machine is going into production mode and an amber light shows that a machine has been set, ready to go into production. The red light highlights that it is yet to be set for production.

Meanwhile, four Status Boards in the management offices are used for production planning.

They use information stored in various PSL Datatrack modules to display critical information on machine capacities or free hours,

alert management as to which jobs may be falling behind schedule, to highlight jobs going out of the door and to show materials coming in or overdue from suppliers. “This real time information allows us to make important decisions on moving production around, to keep customers fully informed and to monitor or chase suppliers' deliveries if late,� says Ryan.

The benefits to Jota from investment in the Status Boards

have been immense, ensuring any urgent actions for either the shop floor or company management are not missed. As information is dynamically kept up to date, any instructions relating to specific customer jobs can be immediately generated. “Status Boards display the information that we want to know and have been customised

by PSL Datatrack to suit our needs,� says Ryan.

8 psldatatrack.com jotaadvancedengineering.com

Wealdpark Limited Stand number 5126

Subcontract Capacity #.# MILL TURN FACILITIES USING SLIDING AND FIXED HEAD LATHES WITH BAR CAPACITY UP TO MM DIAMETER -IYANO FIXED HEAD LATHES WITH BAR CAPACITY UP TO MM DIAMETER (URCO VERTICAL MACHING CENTRE 03, $ATATRACK MANAGEMENT SOFTWARE

BS EN ISO 9001:2008. Approved by BSI since 1991.

Company Contact Details Phil Smith, Director, Wealdpark Limited Sutton Road, St. Helens, Merseyside, WA9 3DJ Tel. 01744 22567 / 732083 Fax. 01744 451339 E: sales@wealdpark.co.uk www.wealdpark.co.uk

JANUARY 2020

www.engineeringcapacity.com

17

MACHINED COMPONENTS | Engineering Capacity Birds Precision Engineering is spreading its wings with its latest investment in large capacity machining.

The Doosan DNM 6700XL (3-axis) vertical machining centre was installed at the family-owned company’s 3,000 square foot facility in Nuneaton. It being used to machine high-precision, complex prismatic parts for one of the company’s long-established UK customers.

The parts, essentially base castings and guideways for state-of-the-art, special purpose machines, are made from cast iron and steel. The castings are 1.2 metres long by 640mm wide and typically weigh up to 500kg. They are machined in small batches, typically one-offs through to five- or six-offs, to dimensional tolerances of 0.01mm across the part and surface finishes of Ra 1.6μm.

Birds Precision supplies the parts direct to this customer and, according to owner and managing director, Chris Bird, “they have to be right first time…every time.”

This kind of quality, lead time fulfilment and cost demands were amongst the main reasons why Birds Precision invested in the Doosan DNM 6700XL. Chris Bird says: “To maintain our preferred partner relationship with existing customers and win new business contracts with new and existing customers, we made the strategic decision to upgrade our machine tool capacity and capabilities.

“We had been using Herbert DeVlieg horizontal jig mill borers to machine these types of parts.

18

www.engineeringcapacity.com

Birds set to fly

“Although these machines, despite their age, were still capable of delivering the accuracies required - it was becoming increasingly difficult to source spare and replacement parts for them.

“We realised that this situation would only become more acute over time and so we decided to search the market for an alternative.”

The machine tool decisionmaking process was designed and implemented by consensus - with a number of the company’s younger members of staff playing the lead role in contacting machine tool suppliers and drawing up a shortlist of potential machine tools that could meet the company’s immediate and future machining requirements.

Says Chris Bird: “The future of the company lies, to a large extent, in our ability to recruit (and retain) top young talent.

“Our recently-introduced Apprentice Programme which enables our apprentices to gain valuable skills, relevant work experience and nationally recognised qualifications, is helping us meet this objective.

“Another angle to our commitment to investing in young people is involving them, where possible, in the future direction of the company and trusting them with important decisions - such as future machine tool acquisitions.”

Concludes Chris Bird: “Such is the accuracy and surface finish of the parts being produced on the DNM 6700XL that they no longer need to be ground and hand scraped.

“The DNM 6700XL represents a significant investment for us but armed with this technology we are confident about our future growth and prosperity.”

8 birdsprecision.co.uk JANUARY 2020

Engineering Capacity | MACHINED COMPONENTS New CNC machining capabilities at technical trade moulder Broanmain Plastics allow it to take on complete projects including moulding, rapid prototyping and milled elements.

A Hurco VM10i vertical machining centre, combined with a new ZNC spark eroder system, give Broanmain’s tool shop a full arsenal of equipment at its fingertips to undertake complex projects, test customers’ prototypes and take on repeat technical mouldings.

Broanmain was able to justify the capital investment in the Hurco machine after winning a contract to supply a local OEM of high-end spectroscopy tools. This client recently named Broanmain

CNC investment at moulder

its Supplier of the Year as a result of the moulder’s flexible approach.

The addition of the multitasking mill furthers Broanmain’s capabilities in designing and manufacturing high quality technical parts used in the medical, automotive, aerospace and electronics space. Equipped

2020

Totally dedicated to the metal casting sectorr, offers the opportunity to listen to presentations from practical foundry personnel, end users, supplier representatives and leading industrialists, as well as network with potential collaborators and customers.

FUTURE PROOFING THE

C CAST AST MET METALS TALS A INDUSTR INDUSTRY Y eatures: 2020 ffeatures:

• Presentations Prreesenttations a fr from room leading industry suppliers supplierrs of vices to to industry y. equipment and services industry. reception e – discussion & buffet bufffet e supper. supperr.

• Evening reception • Keynote Keeynotte address. addrreess.

• Table Taable ttop oop eexhibition. xhibition xhibition. x Free e tour toour of world-class world-cclass facilities faacilities at Cranfield Crraanfield University.

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• Free • Networking opportunities.

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7TH & 8TH APRIL 2020

CRANFIELD UNIVERSITY JANUARY 2020

with a 10K RPM spindle and full Renishaw probing system, the mill accomplishes complex and repeatable 3D and 2D geometries and delivers better surface finishes on intricate parts.

Rather than outsource the CNC milling process, which in today’s fast paced manufacturing environment is commonplace, Broanmain now manages every aspect of production. Managing Director Jo Davis explains: “It means that one team is accountable for an entire project, from moulding right through to rapid prototyping and milling precise elements into a part.”

8 broanmainplastics.co.uk

DON’T MISS OUT ON THE OPPORTUNITY TO BE A P PART AR ART OF THIS MUST A ATTEND TTEND EVENT Contact: Cont tact: a CAST CAST METALS MET TA ALS FEDERA FEDERATION ATION T Email: admin@cmf admin@cmfed.co.uk fe ed.co ed.co.uk

www.engineeringcapacity.com

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HEAVY ENGINEERING | Engineering Capacity

Electron beam nuclear welding Sheffield Forgemasters is to lead a £10.5m project to explore the industrialisation of Electron Beam Welding (EBW) in civil nuclear assemblies.

This has the potential to integrate welding into the manufacturing process, offering material improvements and vast reductions in manufacturing time and cost.

Sheffield Forgemasters has been awarded £8 million of funding to lead strategic partners in the project, from the Government's Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS), the largest single grant given under its £20 million Nuclear Innovation Programme.

Jesus Talamantes-Silva, research, design and technology director at Sheffield Forgemasters, said: “This is a landmark project for the UK, building on three years of work we completed in partnership with Innovate UK (the UK's innovation agency), to refine the basic science of electron beam welding in nuclear applications.

“It is our largest research project to date, which launched in August, running until March 2021, and the implications of accelerating this technology for civil nuclear power are significant, but could also benefit other sectors including defence, offshore and petrochemical industries.”

Sheffield Forgemasters will collaborate with partners from CVE, TWI, Arc Energy, NAMRC, 20

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The University of Manchester and Cambridge University. It will also work with an invited steering committee of Rolls Royce Civil Nuclear, Rolls Royce (Submarines) Cavendish Nuclear, the MOD and the UK Atomic Energy Authority.

The company will install an electron beam welder capable of welding 3.0m diameter cylinders under localised vacuum and without traditional welding preparation, offering narrower welds than traditional methods plus the ability to weld as part of the manufacturing process, prior to quality heat treatment.

It will then manufacture a civil nuclear component to demonstrate a full-sized (4.3m high x by 3.0m diameter) small modular reactor pressure vessel.

It will also produce several grades of steel alloys suitable for civil fission and fusion nuclear applications within the project's research element.

Jesus Talamantes-Silva added:

“This is a highly advanced manufacturing process which has not yet been brought to industrialisation in this sector.

Although EBW exists elsewhere, it is used on a smaller scale than the 200mm welds that we will conduct.

“We aim to demonstrate how EBW can improve material characteristics over traditional welding, which heats up a larger volume of material, but also how this technology can integrate at manufacture to remove component weld properties at a later stage.

“Using EBW over traditional welding techniques, circumferential welding of pressure vessels can be reduced from approximately 150 days to 10 days. Through the science that we have already refined, we will be able to produce safer, stronger components for the next generation of nuclear power, with lower costs and vastly reduced production times.”

8 sheffieldforgemasters.com JANUARY 2020

Engineering Capacity | HEAVY ENGINEERING The distinctive curved oval shaped structure with blue shingles of Coventry's new water park, The Wave, relies on the metal bending expertise of Barnshaws Section Benders.

The £36.7 million park designed by architects FaulknerBrowns offers residents access to spa and fitness facilities. Evoking flowing water, its curved steel structure is supported by precision curved rectangular hollow section (RHS) and parallel flanged channels (PFC).

Barnshaws was approached by contractor Billington Structures to deliver approximately 120 curved RHS and PFC sections in various sizes within a timeframe of four weeks. Billington Structures selected Barnshaws due to its expertise in mandrel steel bending, which allows RHS to be curved to tight radii without causing kinks in the section, harming its structural performance. The PFC sections were rolled to attain the same curved aesthetic. Operating a wide selection of state-of-the-art mandrel bending machines, Barnshaws offered the expertise and machine capacity to deliver the sections on time.

The Wave is now fully open to the public with six slides. Highlights include the foreboding Torrent, the most intimidating water slide at the site, and the Rapids, which utilises powerful jets of water to send bathers uphill into a 'watercoaster'. Lights and speakers will round off what promises to be a heady experience for fans of water sports. The project was led by Coventry City Council.

Andy Tura, Structural Sales JANUARY 2020

Making waves in Coventry Incorporating organic curves into structures in built up areas can greatly improve the aesthetic of the neighbourhood, especially if it's a building for public use such as The Wave

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Engineer at Barnshaws, said: "Incorporating organic curves into structures in built up areas can greatly improve the aesthetic d

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of the neighbourhood, especially if it's a building for public use such as The Wave. Modern architectural designs must stand out and enhance the value of the area, and precision curved metal is the optimum construction element to attain this aesthetic.

Our track record in metal bending means that we can meet this market requirement."

8 barnshaws.com

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Manufacturers of High Quality Mill-Turned Parts

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HEAVY ENGINEERING | Engineering Capacity

Nuclear fabrication powerhouse ECS' in-house fabrication department has recently completed the manufacture of 49 steel duct cradles destined for the main reactor building at a UK nuclear power plant.

Each of the duct cradles required fabrication to the highest standards, with ECS engineers delivering all of the structures within six months.

Supplying steelwork to the nuclear sector is a demanding project for a fabricator. ECS is accredited to provide steelwork under BS EN 1090 for CE marking up to Execution Class 4 (EXC4).

EXC4 is applicable only to facilities of the highest consequence class, such as nuclear power stations.

This accreditation ensured ECS could offer the required quality of steel fabrication and welding procedures to carry out the project effectively.

The duct cradles ranged in size from 1800 mm to 1400 mm wide.

A channel framed structure was mated with plate-work supports to increase strength. This ensured that the cradles could easily accommodate the sizable stainless-steel ducts which would be installed on top of them at the facility. Each cradle took an average of 80 hours to complete.

The size and quantity of the duct cradles would pose a challenge to a smaller fabricator, but ECS operates an in-house fabrications department containing expert engineers utilising state-of-the-art equipment. This inherent capacity 22

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ensured the large order could be met within the six-month timeframe for the project. With the installation of ductwork at the site dependent on the completion of the cradles, it was imperative they were ready on time to keep work at the nuclear plant on schedule.

The integrated design office at ECS also ensured the specifications of the cradles could be finalised and passed onto the fabricators quickly. This easy transmission from design to build minimises the

lead time, allowing a faster response to the demands of the order. Having both departments in close proximity also helped to expedite the paperwork.

Andrew Shedden, Business Development Manager at ECS Engineering Services, commented: "For the nuclear industry, very high levels of engineering is standard.

Supplying fabrications to this sector is inherently demanding for all aspects of a business, so to be able to deliver this large order within the required timeframe shows that we can blend quality, expertise and responsiveness. This is all thanks to operating our design studios and fabrications centre in close proximity, in-house."

8 ecsengineeringservices.com JANUARY 2020

Engineering Capacity | ELECTRICAL Convert Ltd, which manufactures cable looms and harnesses, has secured an order to design cable assemblies to power 100 electric all terrain quad bikes a year.

Convert will design and manufacture the cable assemblies for Aspire Engineering, specialist in sustainable engineering solutions for the electric vehicle industry, who then convert the quad bikes which are run on petrol/ diesel into a 100 percent electric vehicle for EcoCharger Quads, specialists in all terrain quad bikes.

Convert will manufacture 28 cable assemblies for both twowheel drive and four-wheel drive quadbikes. The cable assemblies vary in complexity and wire size from 0.5mm² up to 35mm² - and support two applications, one is the main control system and the other is to support the connection of the batteries to run the bike via the control system motor.

The quadbikes have been sold to end users all around the world – from police in the Cayman Islands to coffee farmers in Costa Rica. They have also been bought by the National Trust and RSPB as they are environmentally beneficial due to zero emissions and animal friendly because of the low noise level.

Dave Lord, Convert’s Managing Director, said: “Electric powered vehicles are the future, so it was very exciting to be part of a project which transforms conventionally powered quadbikes to run on electricity. We used our experience and expertise to ensure the assemblies were easy to manufacture and were to the correct standards.”

JANUARY 2020

Connecting electric quad bikes

Ian Briggs, Aspire Engineering’s Director, said: “Convert’s attention to detail when it comes to the design and manufacture of cable looms and harnesses is second to none. They always provide the best quality within the expected time frame. It’s great to be involved in a project that champions green transport by converting diesel- and petrolpowered quadbike to electric.”

Jon Hourihan, General Manager at Eco Charger, said: “The EV market is the most dynamic in the

automotive, motorcycle and powersports sectors, with small niche brands beginning to gain ground on their larger counterparts. The R&D to get to this stage has been exhaustive and having a business model where you build your quality and reputation into the brand by using world class suppliers is fundamental to our continued success. The business is scalable, and the suppliers with us on our growth plan will share in our success.”

8 convertltd.co.uk

From design, sampling and technical support to manufacture, Simpson Springs & Pressings Ltd provide the complete service.

Tel: 0118 978 6573 Email: sales@simpsonsprings.co.uk

www.engineeringcapacity.com

23

ELECTRICAL | Engineering Capacity Metal contact and precision stampings specialist Samuel Taylor Limited (STL) has secured a significant contract to support vehicle electrification, a first for the Redditch manufacturer.

STL manufactures precision stamped components and assemblies, specialising in the bonding of bi-metals within the development of battery busbar technology. Developing this technology for electric vehicles represents an area of significant potential growth for the company.

Electric vehicles (EV) and hybrid electric vehicles (HEV) rely on robust electric motor drives, large-capacity battery packs, power inverters, and efficient distribution of power from charging source to battery and then throughout the vehicle.

Busbars, which comprise a system of electrical conductors for collecting and distributing current, provide the means to efficiently distribute power to the cells themselves and onto the vehicles’ various subsystems.

STL Sales Manager Carl Siviter comments: “We are already a manufacturer of high precision Cable looms and harness specialist Convert Ltd has gained the IATF automotive quality management standard certificate IATF 16949:2016 following an independent assessment.

The new standard - which replaces ISO/TS 16949 is the global technical specification and quality

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First electric vehicle contract

busbars and contacts used in smart metering applications, and so it was relatively straightforward to leverage this know-how to focus on automotive busbars needed for electric vehicles. Several innovative techniques have been used in the final tool design, which will allow for a significant level of flexibility and cost savings to be achieved.”

Following the promotion of its busbar technology developed for smart metering at several trade shows, STL were successful in winning work with a leading automotive technology company, specifically for the

development of busbar technology.

Carl Siviter continues: “As well as our stamping operations, STL is also known for our rolled bi-metal strip manufacture and we have several projects targeted at metal composite strips, which in future may also be used in EV busbar designs, both to aid weight reduction and simplify busbar manufacture.

We had a very successful year in promoting our know-how and experience in stamping and rolling, and we will continue this activity through 2020.”

8 samueltaylor.co.uk

Automotive quality certificate management standard for the automotive industry.

Bringing together standards from across Europe and the USA, it outlines everything a company needs to know about achieving best practice when designing, developing, manufacturing, installing or

servicing automotive products.

MD Dave Lord said: “We’re very proud to have secured this certification - it gives us the opportunity to become a Tier 1 Automotive Supplier and will open up new business opportunities.”

8 convertltd.co.uk

JANUARY 2020

Engineering Capacity | ELECTRICAL Advanced Chemical Etching (A.C.E) has invested another £100,000 into increasing its capacity to target new opportunities in electronics and precision engineering.

It is taking delivery of an additional post cleaning machine that will give it the capability to deliver more than 2000 etched sheets every day – a major rise from the 350 it could produce in 2018.

The firm’s expertise is in demand from customers looking to manufacture precision components within a two-week lead time and to exacting tolerances that can also withstand harsh environments.

It is already working with clients who are making parts for use in consumer electronics, oil filtration systems, car dashboards, mobile phones and marine applications.

“We had spent £500,000 earlier this year on upgrading our facility in Telford and have pressed the button on further investment to help us continue to win new work,” explained Ian Whateley, Managing Director of Advanced Chemical Etching.

“The pre and post cleaning machines we installed have made us so much quicker and we have also added new auto loaders on to the lines to aid our move to ‘lightsout manufacturing’ in some parts of production.

“This allows us to compete with UK and international rivals and gives us the flexibility we need to scale volumes up quickly when required.”

He continued: “Electronics and JANUARY 2020

Precision etching capacity precision engineering, which predominantly uses copper alloys, has potential for us as our prototyping expertise and ability to deliver numerous iterations can be a vital service in the early stage of a product lifecycle.”

A.C.E. specialises in the development of prototype components, pre-production and volume fulfilment to customers in aerospace, automotive, electronics, medical, telecoms and renewables.

The scope of its activities is far and wide and can include anything from safety critical components for aircraft and F1 cars to meshes and electronic connectors and even frames for designer glasses.

All parts are developed and manufactured at its main site in Telford or at the company’s dedicated sister business, ACE Forming Limited, in Kingswinford.

Latest production machinery, a dedicated laboratory and

state-of-the-art measuring capability ensures it works to the most exacting tolerances and can manufacture components in materials, such as stainless steel, nickel alloys, copper, beryllium copper, phosphor bronze, brass and, thanks to ground-breaking new processes, aluminium, molybdenum, titanium, Nitinol and Elgiloy.

Chris Ball, Executive Director at A.C.E., went on to add: “We’ve won a number of new orders over the last twelve months, with contracts being placed from customers in the UK, Europe and the Far East.

“This has helped us offset falling volumes on existing projects in automotive and, the decision to invest again, has been taken to ensure we have the capacity in place to react to more positive times when uncertainty has diminished.”

8 ace-uk.net www.engineeringcapacity.com

25

SOUTHERN MANUFACTURING & ELECTRONICS PREVIEW | Engineering Capacity Southern Manufacturing & Electronics returns to Farnborough from February 11th to 13th 2020. The event, which is the longest running annual engineering show in the UK, will completely fill the 20,000m² Farnborough International Exhibition Centre and the organisers are optimistic of surpassing last year's record number of visitors.

As usual, visitors to Southern Manufacturing 2020 can expect to be putting a lot of mileage on their footwear over the three days of the show, with exhibitors covering every aspect of engineering enterprise, from subcontract services to the latest machinery; from consumables to state-of-theart Industry 4.0 wizardry.

Companies from all around the UK will be participating, along with a significant selection of offshore exhibitors from all over Europe, Asia and the Far East.

Farnborough, sitting as it does at the centre of one of the primary areas for aerospace manufacture, is pretty much the ideal venue for both equipment vendors – particularly machinery makers – and subcontractors. Almost a quarter of the UK’s £35bn aerospace industry is situated

26

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Southern at full capacity

within a 50-mile radius, as well as an assortment of substantial international aerospace manufacturers, for example Lockheed Martin, Gulfstream and Airbus Space & Defence. Add to the mix significant levels of automotive, medical technology, marine and high-tech manufacturing activity across the south east, and the value of the event to the engineering supply chain becomes self-evident.

Furthermore, as the majority of suppliers engaged with these industries are SMEs, Southern Manufacturing’s inclusive format,

which encourages involvement from a wide selection of specialist businesses, is the special ingredient that creates the show’s uniquely buoyant, energetic atmosphere and its extraordinarily wide appeal.

Contract and subcontract manufacturers at this year’s event cover a wide range of processes and technologies, from machining and sheet metalworking, to plastic injection moulding, casting, additive manufacturing and electronics.

This year’s event benefits from the expertise of the many associations with which it is partnered this year. These include the Farnborough Aerospace Consortium, alongside national organisations including Composites UK, NetComposites, the SMMT, the Confederation of British Metalforming, the GTMA and the British Gear Association.

Also taking part this year is Locate JANUARY 2020

Engineering Capacity | SOUTHERN MANUFACTURING & ELECTRONICS PREVIEW in Kent, an organisation offering a wide array of services and assistance to firms seeking to locate in the region. Many of these organisations are lending their expertise to the show’s tremendously popular free seminar programme. Running in two lecture theatres over all three days of the show, the 33 sessions announced so far cover a wideranging agenda, from advanced materials, additive manufacturing and Industry 4.0 to real-world examples of business transformation and Lean. The seminar programme gives delegates the opportunity to gain insight at the very highest level into many of the biggest issues facing industry today. All sessions are completely free to attend and open to all visitors to the show.

Award winning author of Staying Lean, creator of the Lean Iceberg Model and partner at S.A. Partners, Gary Griffiths, will discuss how organisations have successfully delivered results for their business by embedding and sustaining Lean & Continuous Improvement. Popular presenter Ailsa Carson of Onsite Insights gives examples of best practice in manufacturing through ten, realworld case studies. Kevin Askew of GoPrint3D reviews the Additive Manufacturing Landscape and the applications of the technology, from prototype to end-use parts.

Steven Barr and Ravi Gidoomal of Edge Digital Manufacturing discuss how to develop a digital roadmap for your business and identify the right digital technologies to maximise value.

JANUARY 2020

Mark Knowlton from Locate in Kent will present Delivering Industry 4.0 – an examination of how SMEs can benefit from embracing digital manufacturing.

In 4.0 The Quality Revolution, Mike John of The Sempre Group looks at how British Industry must evolve its quality control in a global competitive market. Nick Aitken and Dr Alex Martin of the RINA take a look at counterfeit components and product

compliance challenges, while Dr Chris Robertson discusses Life after Brexit – What next in trade relations & product regulation.

Mike Foster, managing director of The CE Marking Association will explore another aspect of the post-Brexit landscape in CE Marking 2020 and Beyond – How the changes will affect all manufacturers. A complete listing of sessions can be found online at 8 industrysouth.co.uk

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27

SOUTHERN MANUFACTURING & ELECTRONICS PREVIEW | Engineering Capacity the dedicated CNC machinist team to make precise burns, shapes and forms into hardened and conductive materials that couldn’t be accomplished using a manual or CNC milling machine.

Precision manufacturing facility Broanmain Plastics (Stand C195) is launching its new precisionmoulding manufacturing facility that caters to branded, customised precision components used in the automotive, aerospace, electronics and FMCG sectors.

To repeatedly achieve a better surface finish on parts featuring intricate 2D and 3D geometries, Broanmain recently invested in state-of-the-art vertical CNC milling technology, now installed at its Dorking manufacturing facility.

At Southern Manufacturing, visitors will be able to see and handle real examples of customised industrial devices engineered and made for blue chip multinationals, including one of the world’s largest suppliers of life sciences instruments.

To help its customer differentiate, Broanmain’s contemporary milling facility manufactures intricate parts from a range of materials, including polymer to copper, aluminium and other metals. It also enables Broanmain to repair and prototype customers’ mould tools in-house.

Another new addition to Broanmain’s tool shop is a ZNC spark eroder system. This enables 28

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Casting and machining Expromet (Stand N165) offers the complementary processes of precision casting and machining businesses to deliver engineering solutions to its customers. Its businesses, Investacast and Haworth Castings, are market leaders in their respective fields and draw upon their UK manufacturing and global supply chain expertise to find turnkey solutions to the complex technical challenges faced by customers.

Expromet serves customers in the defence, aviation, marine, medical, energy, automotive and other performance-critical sectors and solutions range from UKmanufactured investment, sand and gravity die castings to low-cost castings and forgings sourced from international supply chain partners.

and automation since 2004. A range of these parts will be on display, showing some of the capabilities that the company has, this includes producing highly complex parts to tight tolerances in a range of materials, such as aluminium, plastics, stainless steels, titanium and Hastelloy.

Parts can be supplied with a variety of finishes, including anodising, chromate conversion, and bead blasting, and quantities from one-offs and prototypes, up to thousands, can be accommodated.

More investment MJ Allen Castings & Machining (Stand N90) has announced another round of investment.

Following on from last year’s addition of Dugard HD 1886B and HD 2210B heavy duty, box way, vertical machining centres, two Heller H4000 machines have just been installed.

The twin pallet Heller 4000 allows for traverse in X, Y and Z of 800mm, with one machine

Precision parts Machined Precision Components (Stand L195) has been producing precision parts for a range of industries, such as pressure sensors, electro optics, electronics JANUARY 2020

Engineering Capacity | SOUTHERN MANUFACTURING & ELECTRONICS PREVIEW carrying a 160-tool magazine and the other 80 tools. Both machines have gone straight to work machining AWD transmission castings for Ford.

Operating foundries alongside its machine shop in Ashford, Kent, M J Allen provide a ‘one-stopshop’ for aluminium, bronze and iron castings, machining, painting and assembly, all ISO Certified to 9001, 14001 and 18001.

AS 9100 accredited Bright Engineering (Stand N265) is an AS9100 accredited company based in modern premises in East Lancashire offering subcontract machining solutions that include live axis CNC turning, multi-axis CNC milling, and bar-feed sliding head machines along with assembly services. It supplies customers in the aerospace, energy, medical, defence, electronics and marine industries.

It is experienced in scheduled deliveries and medium-sized batch production in aluminium, stainless steel and Exotics. It can also provide added value services such as heat treatment and coatings. £4m in new machinery Washington Metalworks (Stand F100) specialises in metalwork fabrication with a 130,000 sq ft facility that provides the in-house capabilities to manage projects from concept through to delivery.

With 35 years’ experience the company serves a wide range of industries including Rail, Bus, Automotive, Electronics, Leisure and Earthmoving Equipment.

JANUARY 2020

Manufacture ranges from one-off prototypes to full batch production in a range of materials, including aluminium, stainless steel, mild steel and copper.

Over the last 12 months it has invested £4m into new machinery, and its plant list now includes 2 8Kw Trumpf Fibre Lasers, a Trumpf Punch/Laser Combination, a Trumpf 5000 Punch Machine, 10 Trumpf Press Brakes, 2 Haeger Nut Insertion Machines, a Robotic Press Brake Cell and Trumpf Stopa Automated Sheet Storage Tower. It is implementing a new ERP system which will give it greater control of its capacities,

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SOUTHERN MANUFACTURING & ELECTRONICS PREVIEW | Engineering Capacity enabling it to provide the best lead time and service.

The company says: “Our team are highly experienced in their field, proud to deliver an unrivalled service and make a long-term impact. We’re a strong, evolving team, melding vast industry experience with a future-focused approach. A dependable partner that’s proud to share our expertise and determined to make a difference. With the investment in new equipment and people, we are now able to offer increased capacity to suit all our customers’ needs.”

Awards success Aro PR and Marketing (Stand C200), specialists at raising the profile of engineering, scientific and composites companies, will be celebrating its recent CIPR Pride Award win for Outstanding Small PR Consultancy when it exhibits at Southern Manufacturing and Electronics 2020.

With more than 100 years combined PR, marketing and journalistic experience, Aro’s award-winning services include securing editorial coverage in specialist trade magazines; running social media; managing applications for industry leading awards; designing attentiongrabbing websites, brochures and exhibition stands; as well as SEO and event management.

All Aro’s clients have one thing in common – they’re small to medium-sized businesses doing very clever engineering but need help to effectively communicate the success of their products and services. Aro works 30

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closely with its clients to ensure business needs are carefully analysed and a clear PR and marketing strategy is agreed.

Aro’s Managing Director, Billy McKenna, said: “We love starting the year at the Southern Manufacturing and Electronics show. Being the first show of the year means there is always a fantastic atmosphere. With our recent award win, we are excited to see what 2020 has to bring!”

Full fabrication service Grenville Engineering (Stoke-on-Trent) Ltd (Stands K260 and K265) offers a full fabrication service from laser cutting through to complete fabrication assemblies. Its expertise covers a diverse range of sectors with an in-house planning department that can provide support from the prototyping stage to low volume batch production.

Following a fantastic year of growth, it has invested over £500,000 in a Bystronic Fiber laser and press brakes to offer a faster, more competitive service.

Full scale electronics Custom electronics design and manufacture specialist, Corintech (Stand D165) will once again have its team of experts on hand at the show.

The company’s services range from initial-concept design support, right up to end production, with the aim of being as flexible as possible to the customer’s needs.

Visitors to this year’s stand can expect to receive expert electronics manufacturing advice, with a particular focus on PCB assembly for full-scale production.

PCB assembly services have been at the core of Corintech’s business for over 40 years.

Expertise includes pick and place of surface mount components (down to 01005 and uBGAs), automated conventional through hole soldering, serialisation and barcoding for full traceability, conformal coating and encapsulation, and wire bonding.

These services can be carried out using a range of substrates including FR4, T-clad, steel and ceramic substrates – Corintech is a leading provider of thick film hybrid circuits that use ceramic substrates to offer increased reliability and durability in extreme conditions.

73 manufacturing processes Previously known as ChinaSavvy, Omnidex (Stand J 120) has a 17-year history of providing world-class engineering and manufacturing, offering customers a choice of 73 different manufacturing processes.

JANUARY 2020

Engineering Capacity | SOUTHERN MANUFACTURING & ELECTRONICS PREVIEW

The company not only has a burgeoning electronics department, but it also delivers the highest quality metal and plastics engineering services to companies around the world. Omnidex is also strong on research and development, with many patented products developed by the company’s R&D department from concept to production.

Omnidex says that, while prices are extremely competitive, at no point does the company lower its commitment to the toughest world-class quality standards.

Now with a brand new UK arm – Omnidex Ltd – the outsourcing specialist has a truly global presence. This includes manufacturing, design and support facilities in China – in three locations: Guangzhou, Jinan and Xintang (for intellectual property sensitive assembly) – as well as in Vietnam, Hong Kong and the USA. Pressed components Part of the Indutrade Group of companies, Birmingham Specialities (Stand B235) is a wellestablished business with two sites based in the West Midlands, specialising in precision pressed metal parts for various industries.

Over 20,000,000 components were manufactured in 2018.

JANUARY 2020

With 30+ presses and a press capacity up to 160 tonnes it is able to offer precision presswork in a wide range of materials, with ancillary, CNC machining and assembly operations also available.

Utilising in-house tool room and CAD technology it has the capability to design, manufacture and maintain customer tooling.

It is also an OEM manufacturer of cable management solutions, from tags and saddle clamps, to our range of over 200 P-Clips – available in various materials and with lining options to suit almost all applications. Its bespoke dipstick manufacturing process allows it to manufacture products for the marine industry, off-highway vehicles and pump manufacturers.

Specialist plating services Twickenham Plating Group (TPG) (Stand B70) provides specialist technical plating services typically for electronics, telecommunication, aerospace, automotive and military applications. The company’s Poole based plating production facility delivers a range of plating services for customers throughout the world, including: selective gold plating, reel to reel plating, and barrel/vat/rack plating.

Building on a long history of delivering selective plating services, TPG has recently introduced a new reel to reel selective masking technology which increases selectivity and ultimately reduces gold costs further.

Finishes available from TPG include: gold (pure and hard), silver, palladium, palladium/nickel, electroless nickel, nickel, black zinc nickel, tin, zinc cobalt (olive drab and black).

TPG will plate to your design specification or can develop a specification or process solution to cost effectively deliver the desired finish. The technical team are able to carry out materials investigations, and material specialists can advise about the different characteristics of finishes.

The company specialises in plating on various different substrates from copper, copper alloys, such as brass and phosphor bronze, and ferrous metals, including stainless and carbon steel, to aluminium alloys and tellurium copper.

Drop in and say hello!

Don’t forget to call in and see the Engineering Capacity team on Stand P 275. www.engineeringcapacity.com

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LASER & WATERJET CUTTING | Engineering Capacity

Laser specialist makes it mark Doncaster-based Onesite (Laser) Ltd has grown to become a leader in the supply of laser cut and formed parts and has now added laser marking to its capabilities.

Originally a subsidiary of Onesite Solutions Limited, a service provider to the access engineering industry, Onesite Laser began trading autonomously in April 2010 to address growing customer needs for precision laser cut components.

Onesite Laser recently moved into a new 10,000 square foot facility. Here it operates two recently purchased Trumpf laser cutting machines with the intention of installing a third one soon. These Trumpf TruLaser 3030 fiber machines, with a working range of 3000 x 1500 x 115mm and laser power of 6000 watts, are capable of working mild steel in all sheet thicknesses.

The TruLaser 3030 fiber works with a fully integrated solid-state Trumpf TruDisk laser rather than the CO2 lasers the company had previously used.

“Going from a CO2 machine to a fiber was like driving a different car, from an automatic to a manual,” says Managing Director Shaun Simpson. “You have to reeducate your operators, your material source, your programming, and if you get any bit wrong, it ends up being disastrous. We learnt the hard way, like many laser cutters, as we expected it to be the same, but 32

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it wasn’t.” But as Shaun explains, once they all learnt how to drive the fiber machines properly, there hasn’t been a single complaint from the operators.

One of the biggest benefits of the TruLaser 3030 fiber machines is its ability to operate at both higher speeds and with higher electrical efficiency, resulting in lower running costs. “Our electricity bill has halved,” admits Shaun Simpson. “We built the new facility with three CO2 laser machines in mind but with the two fiber machines we’ve not needed to purchase a third yet because

the technology is reliable, stable and it’s much quicker than what we expected it was going to be.”

In the new facility, Onesite Laser has also invested in another new machine, the Trumpf TruMark Station 5000. This marking system, which is suitable for diverse application scenarios, was not originally purchased for commercial gain. “It was bought to try and get my youngest son interested in engineering,” says Shaun Simpson. “We started by making little marketing trinkets like key rings, bottle openers and coasters. But as we used it more, we started to see the value in its use for commercial purposes especially as a lot of customers have seen what this little marker can do. We are developing it more and more for use for things like tags and deep engraving.”

8 onesite-laser.co.uk JANUARY 2020

Engineering Capacity | LASER & WATERJET CUTTING One of the most powerful flat-bed laser profiling centres to be installed in the UK for processing sheet metal has started operation at subcontractor ESP Laser Cutting. The machine is a ByStar Fiber 3015 with a 12kW fibre laser that can cut components from 3 metre x 1.5 metre sheet in a wide array of materials to a thickness of 30 mm.

Delivering one-fifth more energy to the metal sheet than Bystronic’s previous most powerful fibre laser (10 kW), the new source was expected to cut 20% faster. But what ESP's joint owners Steve McMillan and Paul Short have actually found is that productivity has gone up by a third thanks to a newly designed cutting head and improved cutting route software.

On one job, profiling of chain links from 10 mm mild steel sheet, ESP achieved a three-fold improvement in productivity compared to the 10kW machine it was previously produced on.

Sheffield based steel fabrication and laser cutting specialist, SevenHills Fabrication, has more than doubled its turnover in three years.

The company's financial results ending 2019 record SevenHills' turnover reach £3.5 million, up from £1.7 million for the financial year ending 2017 and with the company investing £1 million into plant and technology over the same period.

Following the commissioning of a £550,000 GBP laser cutter in

JANUARY 2020

Supersized laser starts cutting On that machine, which is still in use at ESP, the maximum output was 200 components per hour as there was not sufficient laser power to use nitrogen as the assist gas. Using oxygen instead meant that the cutting speed had to be reduced to get an acceptable edge quality.

By contrast, the 12 kW machine produces 600 parts per hour, as the higher power allows the use of nitrogen and hence full profiling

speed. There is the added advantage that cut edges are better, especially on the underside of the sheet, than when formerly using 'active' oxygen, as 'inert' nitrogen does not react with the sheet material. ESP cuts at 6,900 mm/min when producing the chain links, although the machine is capable of 150 m/min on thin gauges and accelerates at 2.5g to minimise non-cutting time.

8 esplaser.com

Growth doubles at fabricator 2017, SevenHills, which traces its history back to 1926, has recently installed a £60,000 state-of-the-art electric tube-bending machine and a £250,000 computer system, designed to take the business to the next level of operational efficiency.

James Harding-Terry, managing director at Steetley Corner Group, said: “The company's transition to industry 4.0 is essential for futureproofing the business and the new computer system allows full

mapping of production, accounting, purchasing and distribution.

“All of these advancements mean that our output is more efficient, quality and complexity of product is higher, and our overheads are reduced, which is clearly being reflected on our bottom line, in conjunction with contract wins and diversification into emerging markets.”

8 sevenhillsfabrication.com

www.engineeringcapacity.com

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Qualiturn are a very modern subcontract machining service. We offer CNC precision Turned and Milled components to your specifications and quantities. We work with all sizes of customers, offering the same service to all. Supplying various market sectors across the world.

18 Merchant Drive Mead Lane Industrial Estate Hertford, Hertfordshire SG13 7AY Tel. +44 (0) 1992 584499 www.qualiturn.co.uk

LATHES.CO.UK Lathes.co.uk store.lathes.co.uk - where Manuals, Catalogues Drive Belts Books Accessories & Spares are listed The world’s largest machine tool reference archive. Manuals, Catalogues, Books, Pictures Specifications, Technical Guides Wardlow, Tideswell, Buxton, Derbyshire, SK17 8RP Tel. 01298-871633 (from overseas: +44-1298-871633) from 09:00 to 23:00 UK time www.lathes.co.uk

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www.engineeringcapacity.com

MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS 8

Qualiturn Products Limited

PRECISION ENGINEERING 8

Mini Gears is a subcontract manufacturer of machined components, gears and racks.

Winner of 17 Industry Awards, it has a global customer base, 35,000 sq. ft. facility and over 100 machines.

Top Gear House, Bletchley Road Heaton Mersey Industrial Estate Stockport SK4 3ED Tel: 0161 432 0222 www.minigears.co.uk

PSL Datatrack PSL Datatrack is an affordable, modular production control system.

The software streamlines the entire production process from quotation to invoice encompassing sales orders, purchasing, planning, shop floor, quality, financial and management.

Lily Hill House, Lily Hill Road, Bracknell, Berkshire RG12 2SJ Tel: 08456 345931 www.psldatatrack.com

PRECISION ENGINEERING 8

MACHINE TOOL MANUALS 8

CNC PRECISION COMPONENTS 8

Unit 2, Deethe Farm Industrial Est, Cranfield Rd, Woburn Sands, Milton Keynes, Bucks MK17 8UR Tel: 01908 585103 www.jflbroaches.co.uk

Mini Gears (Stockport) Ltd

PRECISION ENGINEERING 8

JFL are broach and broaching specialists with amost 40 years personal experience. We offer a comprehensive broaching service covering keyways, squares, hexagons and special forms.

DAWSON PRECISION COMPONENTS Manufacturing precision machined components since 1965 Services include: CNC milling, CNC turning, turn/mill machining, sub contracted services, finishing and project management.

Greenfield Lane, Shaw, Oldham, Lancashire, OL2 8QP Tel: 01706 842311

dpc.co.uk

PRECISION ENGINEERING 8

JFL Broaches and Broaching

MACHINING (5 AXIS) 8

BROACHING 8

DIRECTORY | Engineering Capacity

5 High quality precision machined components 5 Trusted technical support service 5 Complete and bespoke service from conception to completion 5 AS9100D & ISO 9001:2015 approved Oldfield Street, Crosland Moor Huddersfield HD4 5AJ T: 01484 548903 www.thomas-brown-engineering.co.uk

Wealdpark Ltd CNC mill-turn facility using Star sliding head lathes with bar capacity up to 32mm diameter.

Miyano and Doosan fixed head lathes with bar capacity up to 65mm.

Hurco vertical machining centre.

Sutton Road, St. Helens Merseyside WA9 3DJ Tel: 01744 22567 www.wealdpark.co.uk

JANUARY 2020

TURNED PARTS 8

SUBCONTRACT CNC TURNING 8

Subcontract mill turned parts up to 65mm in diameter from bar and 300mm billet work.

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Unit 1, Latimer Road Industrial Est, Latimer Road, Wokingham, Berkshire RG41 2YD Tel: 0118 978 6573 www.simpsonsprings.co.uk

JANUARY 2020

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year half of this In the first has committed to ing Roscomatic investment, includ More than Engineering of 1000 latest Capacity | £750,000 medium-size small to INDUSTRY ation of the axis NEWS the install (SMEs) have d manufacturers 1MSY multibeen given Miyano BNE-5 . business a centre boost turn-mill ing-based months thanks over the last ten company The Worth to a new £9.7m business machinist suppor million parts subcontract The Manufa t initiative. some 1.5 eted ches dispat Programme cturing Growth g from compl lies (MGP), funded ssemb a year – rangin European and sub-a Regional Develo by the assemblies ned castings and Fund (ERDF) pment to large machiparts – and is Economic and delivered by Growth Solutio small turned ing a record has helped achiev companies ns (EGS), 98%. currently the UK to across 13 mins to just ry rate of grow, Martello from on-time delive products and develop been cut new r complex director Joe is driven overcomemins. A furthe nent which ny Managing Keet says: the compa r Seanproduc tion ity 2.5 issues steel compo taking flexibil explains that of constant Cell Leade that ional sly previou weress stainle g ions phy of operat d us them holding by a philoso of lean manufacturin three operat reduced to a “The levels o BNE has hadback.

Thisenable has ning now developmentsupported by machialready led tominutes is in the Miyan reduce jobs, with new inute cycle. ent an additio 11 400, four-m cantly ing £1 techniques, signifi tant, nal to vestm exceed positio 359 ’ often most impornstivity.” expected to single return-on-in setters to investment and an ‘open-liaison times and be Further once -up l produc ongoinne year has s createdfrom freeing g project keeps the million a from the improve overalcomple machi are which comes y new tasks and ted.machi By thenes people strategto date on the He says the£1.6m end July, m other time for each up of grant ium of perfor existing 3-axis arising. ion of lost reducing the workforce replaced beenofmade, utions 10 alumincontrib reduct have and any issuesin tion, four family withedmoney errors We’ve company requir so that a to suppor first-off inspec reloca gottion “We invest ass. te in place andstill previouslyt anothe lot of grants He says: deliver a separa r 2200 firms parts that betwee to and we want risk of setting and the latest n and leadership nownow work in progre g operations beMarch 1MSY and which manuf automation cutting and manag logy turnin and Lorrain ion can techno of the BNE-5 s to come ge of ement, R&D, lean ityacturer le e Holmes, cycle.2019. operat and see production manufacturin it is capabforward The flexibil Chiefe me the shorta er, milling Execut how turn-milling s asthey productivity g, can take ed in oneive Officer its succes toadvant helps to overco require. Howev ofaverag that EGS, produc and capacit key is with three age explain is of would cuttingthe ed: “We are has systems and ve bonus at y, quality assista cycle pped we still need offer. nce skills we A massi part way above of single It’s never on targets tant that sly overla the we per times beenateasier, development.supply chain have set for the as the procesaneou it is so imporown engineers total cycle s isworkp proving that ourselves,tools simult quickiece and the Martin Coats, there is a rt and by to grow our ends oftacan bar up toscope of real appetit both suppor from SMEs nt suppo Operations be tailored our Director at and using e exact for time, to the through consta to maximise EGS, continu needs ofter. support that targeted business same in order the busine firms come so ed: “When diame can bar and training, help The main ss.” to them grow. 51 mm Manufa “The differen 15 kW vestment what eadcturing strategic reviewus they receive a Progra return-on-in we support and kW The fixed-h mme programme ce with our is 7.5Growth from one of was set MGMs that two-ax is that it is upwith our the void e and improve how customers.” to fill determ spindl by deliver both left manufacturin e, Manufa ines what by the o r to ed barriers are spindl Advicedary g experts we delive n to the new Miyan d in the way secon Service (MAS) understand s of 5,000 cturing support is and what the challen who y ordere In additio by tage of um speed advan providi needed to maximng companies ges access to ny has alread help them reach their are facing. specia in, have the assista the compa CNC sliding head listed potenti impos revs/m nce They understand to d / super “Since Octobe al. manufacturer the langua nes. The to synch ronisehelp two Citizen grow and ge improv12-station, s centre machi L20-VIII MDs are talking highest barrier r 2016, the l for both e. Ideal for turn-mill and can guide This contro is being with 15% . nes, a Citizenfrequency them on making was ‘Contin achieve ven turrets an 18-stro d through two machi low uous Improv of clients all-dring adecisions, before the right featuring network of followed by ement’, logy) and experie LFV (LFV bringin ‘Enviro techno 2017 specialists nced manuf BER ‘Marke nment cutting on specific g in acturin SEPTEM ting and Market al’ and growth manag vibration ange M16-V will bring g issues are facing 14. ers (MGM) Knowledge’ ations to they’re or opportunities they to industr top-of-the-r (12% each). y specialists , access Citizen install looking initial stage Once the and the opportunity the total has She continu to explore.” to we then bring been completed, ed: “1000 m average grant apply for an acity.co benefic ringcap of £1400, rising iaries is just works with in an expert who maximum the manag the start. www.enginee to a to £3,500 14 ement team address these Support can . be used for 8 manufacturin issues.”

SEPTEM BER 2017 programme.c ggrowth o.uk

Growth su helps 1000pport SMEs

With more than three decades of experience and dedication in producing the highest quality products, Grenville maintains its position as the leading precision sheet metal fabrication company.

Unit 3 Newfield Industrial Estate, High Street,Tunstall, Stoke-on-Trent ST6 5PD Tel: 01782 577 929 www.grenville-engineering.co.uk

www.engineerin gcapacity.com

TURNING (CNC) 8

Precision manufacturers of a wide range of compression tension and torsion springs. Also circlips, wireforms, contacts, antennas and light pressings. Quality approved to BS EN ISO 9001:2000.

A one-stop-shop for high-quality turned parts

Alloys per Su

Grenville Engineering (Stoke-on-Trent) Ltd

Simpson Springs & Pressings Ltd

Precision Products (Brighton) Ltd

Unit 2 Brookside Avenue, Rustington, West Sussex BN16 3LF Telephone: +44 (0) 1903 776 171 www.precisonproducts.co.uk

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SPRING MAKING 8

Kirkham Engineering Co Ltd 13 - CNC Sliding Heads up to 1”; 14 CNC Twin Turret Fixed Heads up to 65mm; 5 - Twin Turret Twin Spindle; 5 - Twin Turret with Sub-Spindle and 4 - Twin Turret; 4 - CNC Single Turret Fixed Heads up to 6” Billet.

Centreless Grinding & T/rolling. All materials - Stainless Steel; Nickel Alloys and other exotics a speciality.

Prestwood Place, East Pimbo, Skelmersdale, Lancashire WN8 9QE Tel: 01695 727401 www.kirkhamengineering.co.uk

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SHEET METAL WORKING 8

REPETITION TURNED PARTS 8

Engineering Capacity | DIRECTORY

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Get your company noticed with an Engineering Capacity classified profile advert FOR MANUFACTURERS ABOUT SUBCONTRACTORS

September 2017

INDUSTRY NEWS | MACHINING | AUTOMOTIVE | SHOW PREVIEWS

Batchflow Engineering Ltd CNC turning capacity from 2mm200mm using high precision Fixed and Sliding Head CNC Lathes.

Experience in machining a range of materials, from Low to Medium volumes, to customers specifications.

Budbrooke Road, Warwick, Warwickshire CV34 5XH Tel: 01926 492889 www.batchflow.co.uk

MACHINED COMPONENTS: Prismatic parts from bar

www.engineeringcapacity.com

Call 01737 270648

www.engineeringcapacity.com

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FREE SEMINARS FREE PARKING

FARNBOROUGH | Hants | GU14 6TQ

11th | 12th | 13th FEBRUARY

9.30am - 4.30pm (3.30pm close Thurs)

Where Industry and Innovation converge Meet over 800 national and international suppliers at the Farnborough International Exhibition & Conference Centre this February at Southern Manufacturing & Electronics (inc AutoAero) 2020. See live demonstrations and new product launches of machine tools & tooling, electronics, factory & process automation, packaging & handling, labeling & marking, test & measurement, materials & adhesives, rapid prototyping, ICT, drives & controls and laboratory equipment.

Free industry seminar programme online @ www.industrysouth.co.uk The exhibition is free to attend, free to park and easy to get to. Doors open at 9.30am on Tuesday 11th February.

PRE-REGISTER TODAY for your Fast Track Entry Badge, Preview Magazine and Event Catalogue at

www.industrysouth.co.uk Supported by:

OIL & GAS DEFENCE FOOD & DRINK AUTOSPORT MARINE AEROSPACE PACKAGING LOGISTICS ELECTRONICS AUTOMATION ROBOTICS MEDICAL COMPOSITES SPACE ENGINEERING RAIL TRANSPORTATION

SOUTHERN MANUFACTURING & ELECTRONICS is an ETES event organised by European Trade & Exhibition Services Ltd

Tel 01784 880890 · email philv@etes.co.uk