Casting

Sarginsons is looking forward to growth in 2021 following a year of investment.

The Coventry-based lightweight castings and component specialist has invested in technology and people despite the challenges of Covid-19 and has even been winning new contracts during the pandemic.

Managing Director Anthony Evans said the company’s diversification and increased consultancy activity through the Sarginsons Technology Centre could be the catalyst for growth in 2021.

He said: “It’s fair to say 2020 is not what any of us were expecting but we’ve continued to invest and grow, despite all of the challenges that we have faced.

“New business opportunities increased during the second half of the year, both in terms of series demand, prototype builds and our ability to offer Design for Manufacture (DfM) capabilities. This is an area that we believe will become even more popular in the future.

“We took the opportunity to strengthen our MagmaSoft modelling capabilities, with online coaching and the investment of £100k in a MagmaStress stress seat and further MagmaSoft technology.

“MagmaStress has provided a new competitiveness advantage and is enabling us to communicate live data to OEMs for stresses and mechanical properties as opposed to traditional fixed data inputs.

“We took the decisions to utilise

Looking ahead to growth

the downturn to commence the National Manufacturing Competitiveness Levels (NMCL) which is a business-wide development programme to deliver optimum business operating systems. The programme is already achieving positive outcomes.

“Enquiry levels for complex chassis systems have been extremely high and this, in turn, has initiated an advanced research programme via Design of Experiments in conjunction with Brunel University, to enable us to develop high ductility alloys to meet the OEMs’ demand levels with our sandcast prototype processes.

“New product introduction programmes have commenced with global OEMs including US, Chinese and Scandinavian companies. All of these programmes have started with DfM orders and are leading into prototype build demand.

“Capital investments have also continued in metallurgical, metrology and automation programmes. We are very pleased that, in the eye of an international storm, we have continued to invest in technology, in people and in our future.

“Next year will see Sarginsons embark on a further Catapult R&D programme with Brunel University and Sheffield University, which will be focused on aerospace programmes and high integrity aluminium castings.

“It means that we can look forward to 2021 with optimism as we work with partners to deliver new lightweight solutions for manufacturing as we look to continue growing.” 8 sarginsons.com

Avoiding supply chain failure

Grainger and Worrall’s end-toend casting and machining capability has helped sustain automotive supply chains during the Covid pandemic.

The company has experienced a new demand for its flexible and rapid machining expertise during the COVID pandemic, from automotive manufacturers and suppliers seeking to protect their supply chain operations. The globalised automotive supply chain that sustains automotive production has been under increased strain due to the international lockdowns and variance on worldwide legislation that has hampered the ability of suppliers to continue operation, or to ship completed orders on time.

“We have worked with a number of major vehicle manufacturers to help fill in potential gaps in their supply chains, helping to sustain production as they have sought to restart or ramp-up production post-lockdowns,” explains Phil Ward, Grainger & Worrall’s sales director. “Unplanned stoppages to vehicle production can be hugely costly, both financially and in terms of reputational damage. With that in mind, a number of tier one suppliers have turned to us due to our ability to offer quick setup and turnaround of line-ready components, offering high levels of repeatable quality. It has been a huge, cost-effective bonus for existing and new customers.”

Grainger & Worrall’s rapid endto-end approach has helped several manufacturers to avoid costly supply chain fractures, including providing fully machined prismatic parts ramp supply for a UK OEM and gap -filling supply to a US EV manufacturer of large machined structural castings to avoid program delay.

“COVID has forced people to analyse the way they work in a number of markets, including the automotive industry,” continues Ward. “During this unique time, Grainger & Worrall’s ability to turn concept or design into fully validated, production-ready reality has proved to be a timely solution that has added robustness to several supply chains.”

The company’s extensive casting design and simulation, materials development, and dimensional and integrity validation are vital attributes crucial for the safeguarding of vehicle production during the protracted COVID unrest. At the heart of Grainger & Worrall’s headquarters, in Bridgnorth, UK is a modern machining facility and some of the country’s largest and most up-to-date CT scanners. This enables the rapid turnaround of components and highest levels of quality assurance. 8 gwcast.com

Alucast’s commitment to investing in new technology and its people was praised during a recent visit by the Mayor of the West Midlands.

Andy Street received a socially distanced tour of the aluminium casting specialist’s facility in Wednesbury to understand how the company is bouncing back from Covid-19 by targeting new opportunities in lightweighting - a major growth market with castings at its heart.

He talked to staff at the business to understand how it is supporting major OEMs in the automotive sector, as well as supplying parts to the hydraulics and chemical sectors.

There was also time to find out more about the £2.2m investment in a new CNC machining shop that features six 5-axis CNC machines, providing bed sizes ranging from 400mm to 630mm.

This latest equipment will give Alucast the speed and precision necessary to meet just-in-time delivery requirements of existing and future orders.

Andy Street commented: “It was great to be in the Black Country, where manufacturing is in our blood. Despite the pandemic and all the challenges it has thrown at industry, companies like Alucast are innovating and adapting, investing in their strengths to achieve new sales opportunities and make the most of the green revolution.”

Tony Sartorius, Chairman of Alucast, concluded: “It was great to show Andy what we have been doing and the manufacturing

Mayor salutes lightweighting

strengths that still exist in the Black Country. We are a region with fantastic technical skills, a passion to do new things and a desire to play our own significant role in the next transport evolution.

“Our sand, gravity and low/high pressure castings are ideally suited for the automotive sector’s move towards lighter parts and we have already won over £3m of new work in this arena over recent years.” 8 alucast.co.uk

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www.thomas-brown-engineering.co.uk

Tel: 01484 548903

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