Engineering Capacity January 2024 digital edition by andy sandford

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January 2024

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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 Commercial Director: Arfan Qureshi sales@engineeringcapacity.com Tel: 0208 013 5752 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: 01737 270 648 Published by: Engineering Capacity Ltd Abbey House, 25 Clarendon Road Redhill, Surrey, RH1 1QZ United Kingdom Registered in England company no. 10567217 ISSN 0306-0179 COMING UP IN OUR MARCH 2024 ISSUE Turned Parts, Forming & Fabrication, Aerospace & Defence, Heat & Surface Treatments, Heavy Engineering, Automotive, Casting & Forging, Engineering Supply Chain Show 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 I hope you all had a ‘Merry Christmas’, now we can move on to the ‘and a prosperous new year’ part of that familiar phrase. Sometimes that second bit can sound a bit hollow, but this year there is at least some cause for optimism. Key markers are showing that the last quarter of 2023 saw an upturn in business that seems to have continued in 2024. The latest figures for the UK subcontract manufacturing market are particularly encouraging. In the fourth quarter of 2023 the rebound from the midyear doldrums saw the level of activity almost doubling (see story on page 5). Companies now seem to be reaching for their purchase orders after having held back on new projects during last year’s market uncertainty. Of course there is no guarantee that this will continue, there are plenty of caveats that could be applied and the geopolitical situation could easily turn out nasty. There was, though, more encouragement for an optimistic outlook in the latest Make UK/PWC survey. Headlines here were that the majority of manufacturers see the UK as a competitive place to locate and almost a third see themselves moving ahead of European rivals Germany and France. Despite feeling confident about their own prospects though, many echo concerns about the possibility of worsening UK and global economic conditions. But let’s leave those gloomy thoughts for another occasion and enjoy winter’s crisp sunny days, shortening nights and the prospect of spring just around the corner. Andy Sandford, Editor

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Contents January 2024

24 ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING

News

Features

06 Made Smarter goes national 06 Digital manufacturing

11 Laser & Waterjet Cutting 06 Smart tube cutting Twin heads double output

programme expands

15 Casting 06 Best of British Casting

07 Blue Diamond re-acquired 06 Original owners back in charge

08 Sheet metal expansion 06 KMF Group invests £450,000

6 NEWS

08 Top shows come together 06 EasyFairs buys Southern

22 Electronics

Manufacturing show

23 Sustainability

09 Technology for growth 06 MACH hubs encourage new

24 Additive Manufacturing 06 Reasons to contract

technology uptake

10 Smart aerospace assembly 06 AMRC Cymru improves speed and efficiency 4

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16 Machined Components 06 Building subcontract business Sustainable machining commitment

out 3D print

26 Southern Manufacturing Preview

23 SUSTAINABILITY

31 BTMA Directory JANUARY 2024

Engineering Capacity | INDUSTRY NEWS The latest Contract Manufacturing Index (CMI) shows that the UK market for subcontract manufacturing ended the year on a strong positive note after a difficult twelve months. Performance during the year was driven down by buyers putting new projects on hold and focusing on reducing stock in response to uncertain demand. It reached an all-time low in August. The rebound in the fourth quarter was impressive, with the market up 106% compared to the previous three months as purchasing organisations unlocked budgets and started to place new work with suppliers. Overall the market ended the year 7.5% higher than at the end of 2022. The market got off to a strong start in January but quickly tailed off to hit new lows in July and August. The recovery started in September and carried on picking up momentum for the rest of the year. On a process-by-process basis, fabrication was the strongest area of the market – up 160% on the previous quarter and 12% on the previous year. Growth in machining was less strong but still significant – up 51% on the previous quarter but just 2.4% up on the previous year. Other processes including moulding and electronic were up by just 0.5% year-on-year. The largest single sector throughout the year was Industrial Machinery, with Food & Beverage second and Electronics third. JANUARY 2024

2024 ends on a high

Qimtek is now also tracking average lead time, which stayed consistent throughout the year at 22 days. Commenting on the figures, Qimtek owner Karl Wigart said: “The main reason that 2024 was a slow year was that a lot of new projects were being kept on hold and buyers were concentrating on using up their existing stock. “It seems as if the optimistic

view we had at the end of the third quarter was justified and Q4 did see a good rebound of activity among both buyers and suppliers. Buyers suddenly started to release new projects and suppliers picked up on the quoting activity from the third quarter. This trend seems to be set to continue and the start of the new year has been surprisingly busy.” 8 www.qimtek.co.uk

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INDUSTRY NEWS | Engineering Capacity

Made Smarter goes national Made Smarter, a programme helping SME manufacturers access technology and digital skills, is to be rolled out nationally. The Government has committed to expanding the Made Smarter Adoption Programme to all nine English regions in 2025-26 before working with Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland from 2026-27. The announcement means hundreds of thousands more SME manufacturers will get access to technology advice, leadership, and skills training, as well as grant funding for digital internships and technology projects. The commitment, alongside plans for £4.5 billion in funding for British manufacturing, will also boost productivity, growth, and decarbonisation for SME manufacturers across the country. Launched in the North West in 2019, Made Smarter has engaged with 2,500 manufacturers and funded 334 technology projects, which are forecast to create ,550 jobs, upskill 2,772 existing roles, and increase North West GVA by £242m. The successful blueprint has since inspired Made Smarter adoption programmes in the North East, Yorkshire and the Humber, the West Midlands, East Midlands, and West of England. Brian Holliday, Co-Chair of the Made Smarter Commission and MD of Siemens Digital Industries, 6

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said: "This announcement by the Treasury clearly demonstrates that UK manufacturing matters. It represents a tremendous investment boost for our makers that will enable the confidence to invest in innovation, productivity, and sustainability. "Key sectors benefit but so does the long tail of small and medium firms which is really important to directly address our recent challenges of weak overall productivity and investment. "I believe the business benefits of digitalisation are now clear, while being an enabler for industrial decarbonisation too the package of measures announced in bolstering Made Smarter, targeted regulatory reform and sector support, along with our worldclass Catapults and Universities now makes the UK one of the best countries on the planet to sustainably design, make and export goods."

Donna Edwards, Director of Made Smarter’s North West adoption programme, said: “I am delighted that the Government has recognised the extraordinary impact that Made Smarter’s adoption programme is having on digitalisation of SME businesses. “Over the last four years we have worked tirelessly to help North West makers to start their digital journey by providing them with specialist advice to help them select the right approach, level of investment and tools for their business. The programme has proven the value technology and digital skills can bring to the manufacturing sector. “While we await further details on the funding package, the commitment to a national roll-out is a huge vote of confidence in the contribution SMEs make to UK manufacturing. It will undoubtedly turbo charge the digital transformation of the sector.” 8 madesmarter.uk JANUARY 2024

Engineering Capacity | INDUSTRY NEWS Blue Diamond Technologies Ltd has returned to UK ownership after being sold four years ago to Swedish seal and bearing manufacturer Trelleborg Group. Incorporated in 1977 as a stockist and distributor of engineering and industrial components, Blue Diamond was originally owned and managed by members of the Worley family. It is two of the original directors who are responsible for its reacquisition now. Richard Worley, former Managing Director and his brother, James, former Operations Director, aim to build on the company’s previous reputation for reliability and service, setting it back on a path for growth to match its previous success in supplying a wide range of industries within the UK and beyond. Under the new ownership, Richard will be Chairman and James will be Managing Director. The company will continue to operate from its existing offices and warehouse in Chandlers Ford, near Southampton in Hampshire. This event forestalls the likely closure of the company and secures jobs for over a dozen local employees, some of whom have been with the company for more than 20 years. Prior to its takeover by Trelleborg in 2019, Blue Diamond had spent 40 years developing a secure and well-established supply chain for custom parts covering manufacture to final delivery, working with the best suppliers in Europe and the Far East to provide all the benefits of JANUARY 2024

Blue Diamond re-acquired

global procurement with the convenience of a single UK source. Stockholding too became a key benefit offered by Blue Diamond with the company taking full responsibility for security of supply and stock control management. Managing Director James Worley explained, “Blue Diamond is not considered a core operation for Trelleborg, whose main interest was the sealing

8 Blue Diamond Chairman, Richard Worley (right) and Managing Director, James Worley return to Blue Diamond

technology developed alongside Blue Diamond’s engineering expertise. Richard and I were in at the beginning with Blue Diamond, nurturing its capability and developing its specialist skills so when the opportunity came along to be involved once more, we jumped at the chance!” 8 blue-diamond.co.uk

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INDUSTRY NEWS | Engineering Capacity Precision sheet metal manufacturer KMF Group has invested £450,000 in new finishing and metal forming equipment including a bead blast room and Salvagnini panel folder. The £75,000 bead blast system will almost double KMF’s finishing capability – expanding its working area from 7.5 m2 to 14 m2 . The design of the blast system is expected to offer improved infrastructure enabling KMF to increase the variety of products it manufactures. Other benefits include the ability to increase the extraction capacity, clean down faster and add semiautomation to recycling capabilities, as well as improving the working environment for the process operators. The Southern Manufacturing & Electronics Show has been acquired by EasyFairs, organiser of the Advanced Engineering Show. Matt Benyon, Group CEO of EasyFairs, said: “Southern Manufacturing & Electronics is a perfect strategic fit for our growing portfolio; and as part of an established stable of industryleading events, the event’s future development and its loyal exhibitor and visitor base that has been built up over the last 30 years will be in very safe hands.” Southern Manufacturing & Electronics has built up over the years as a family business, led by founders Phil Valentine and Jo

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Sheet metal expansion

8 KMF invests in new technology

KMF has also invested £350,000 in Salvagnini’s automated P1 Panel bending machine with the aim of streamlining business operations in the future. The Salvagnini product will give the metal folding process an improved programming efficiency to support the prototyping of large batch production. The automated

machine will add a rapid capacity for the volume product range at KMF Group. The newly installed P1 product will also act as an energy saver with KMF expecting to see energy consumption decrease compared to previous machinery. Commercial Director at KMF, Keith Nicholl said: “The engineering world is one of the fastest developing industries in the world. It’s important that we move with the times by investing and creating new ways of working to stay ahead of the competition. “Our customers will quickly see a benefit from this investment with the equipment improving efficiencies and processes.” 8 kmf.co.uk

Top shows come together Valentine and with a family team working with them. They will continue to be closely involved in the event as consultants. Phil Valentine said: “The combination of our continued involvement and intimate knowledge, linked with the international marketing knowhow and reach of EasyFairs who bring a strong track record of delivering a multitude of industrial related events across Europe, offers many synergies and makes for a perfect strategic fit.” Mr Valentine said that the coming together of Southern Manufacturing and Advanced

Engineering created a powerhouse in the UK covering the entire engineering and manufacturing supply chains. “This combined portfolio of exhibitions provides the industrial engineering community with the opportunity to meet and do business at the start of the year and then again in the autumn, offering touch points throughout the year.” Engineering Capacity is a media partner of both Southern Manufacturing and Advanced Engineering.

8 industrysouth.co.uk

JANUARY 2024

Engineering Capacity | INDUSTRY NEWS Reversing UK manufacturing’s poor record for adopting new technology will be tackled head on at MACH 2024. The Manufacturing Technologies Association (MTA) has made it its mission to spearhead growth by using its flagship event to launch its new Knowledge Hubs initiative. The programme showcases the latest technology to exhibitors, helping manufacturers learn more about the potential offered by such technology, as well as when to adopt it and how to implement it to best effect. The initiative has been handed a major shot-in-the-arm with the announcement by Chancellor Jeremy Hunt of £4.5 billion of funding to support advanced manufacturing. The funding will directly benefit several of the exhibition’s key themes, especially Energy Efficiency, where £960 million has been earmarked for clean energy manufacturing through a Green Industries Growth Accelerator. The MTA, which organises the MACH event on behalf of the engineering-based manufacturing industry, has been campaigning for greater adoption of new technology for some time. It will expand upon this at MACH 2024, which opens its doors at the NEC in Birmingham on 15th April, by explaining that implementing latest techniques in manufacturing processes is the fastest way to boost the UK’s output. The focus for this will be a series of new Knowledge Hubs. JANUARY 2024

Technology for growth

These will focus on educating manufacturers in when and how to adopt new technologies. The hubs, which will have dedicated stands within the various exhibition zones, will each focus on a particular type of technology: Automation and Robotics; Data and Artificial Intelligence; Energy Efficiency; Additive Manufacturing and Tooling. Each hub is being managed

by one of the specialist centres from the High Value Manufacturing Catapult, including the Manufacturing Technology Centre (MTC) and the Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre (AMRC). James Selka DL, CEO of the MTA, said: “The MTA is part of a united front of UK manufacturing organisations, along with the Manufacturing Technology Centre (MTC) and MACH 2024 headline sponsor Lloyds Bank, to increase the uptake of technologies such as automation and robotics. “Only by embracing what the hubs are trying to achieve will the UK restore its position as a sovereign manufacturer, re-establishing itself as a major player on the global stage.” 8 machexhibition.com engineeringsupplychain.co.uk

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INDUSTRY NEWS | Engineering Capacity AMRC Cymru has developed a new concept assembly process for Collins Aerospace at its actuation systems site in Wolverhampton. AMRC Cymru, part of the University of Sheffield Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre (AMRC), was tasked with developing a Smart Assembly and Inspection Demonstrator (SAID) for Collins Aerospace’s state-ofthe-art factory in Wolverhampton. Having been given a deadline of just ten weeks, AMRC Cymru, based in Broughton, North Wales, successfully achieved its objective, utilising and uniting computeraided design (CAD) with existing technological systems such as the LightGuide Smart Workbench – including projector, monitor and camera - and DIOTA augmented reality software. The result was a hi-tech Smart Workstation which can operate in any language, enabling workers of all experience and abilities to assemble a gearbox via a much simpler, paperless method. Collins Aerospace implemented a demonstration station at its Midlands site,

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Smart aerospace assembly

housed in its technology development area, and hosted a number of sessions with people throughout the organisation. The Smart Workstation solution is designed to analyse processes to improve efficiency and provide insight into alternative, more efficient paths forward. The programme-controlled build process helps maintain compliance with the approved manufacturing and assembly method. From a training and flexibility perspective, a person can operate the Smart Workstation with limited experience and be taught the build process step-by-step, which ensures process outputs

are consistent. Being very intuitive, the potential of the technology can also help improve operations efficiency and quality while improving health and safety of operators. With direction from the LightGuide, and such an easy-tofollow process which logs time and every step and movement of the manufacturing process, the general consensus among users who tested the demonstrator was that it would have a ‘significant and beneficial’ impact. Gareth Towlson, senior manufacturing research engineer at AMRC Cymru, who led the team, said: “To see the Smart Workstation already in development at Wolverhampton is fantastic, it’s testament to how hard we have worked in partnership to find a solution, within budget and deadline. “We had a vision but ultimately it is their product, their factory and their workforce so we had to ensure it was bespoke to their needs, and through collaboration we have done so successfully.” 8 amrc.co.uk/cymru JANUARY 2024

Engineering Capacity | LASER & WATERJET CUTTING In a landmark year celebrating four decades in business, Grenville Engineering has taken a leap forward in cutting-edge fabrication with a £250k investment in the latest RVD SmartFibre CNC tube laser cutting machine from Bison Machinery. The company says that its new machine, a TF 8020.3000 model, is positioned to transform the company's operational dynamics and market outreach. The SmartFibre CNC tube laser cutting machine offers an impressive range of capabilities, cutting a diverse range of tubular profiles and sections in various lengths, diameters, materials, and wall thicknesses. The machine gives Grenville Engineering unparalleled flexibility in manufacturing by offering precise laser cutting of materials that include mild steel, stainless steel, aluminium, brass and copper. The company says the decision to bring this advanced technology in-house is strategic, as it allows for more control and flexibility and significantly reduces lead times. Grenville Engineering's sales director Stuart Rawlinson expressed his enthusiasm, stating, "The new fibre tube laser from Bison isn't just a piece of equipment; it's an absolute game-changer for the business." Driven by Lantek Flex3d processing and nesting software, the SmartFibre machine can produce intricate components in various profiles, including round, JANUARY 2024

Smart tube cutting

square, oval, and flat-sided oval. Additionally, Grenville Engineering has enhanced its capabilities by upgrading to the optional Lantek module, which broadens functionality and allows for the processing of flat bars and open-sided components such as angles and channels. The machine is equipped with high-quality components, including a RayTools auto-focus cutting head, Yasakawa drives, and nLIGHT laser sources ranging from 1.5kW to 6kW in power ratings. Stuart Rawlinson highlighted the operational advantages: "Operationally, it means greater precision, more versatility, shorter lead times, greater costefficiencies, and more ecofriendly processes - an exciting development for our valued customer base and partners." The investment will enhance the services provided to the current customer base and open doors to new markets and applications. Grenville Engineering anticipates enhanced efficiency, expanded

capabilities, maximized productivity, faster lead times, and lower costs as key outcomes of this strategic investment. As the newly acquired machine ramps up to full operational capacity, Grenville Engineering foresees the creation of fresh employment opportunities. This could manifest as internal career development for current team members or in welcoming new talent to join the growing Grenville team. Beyond technological advancements, the company is committed to cultivating a thriving work environment and fostering career growth within its expanding operations. Committed to progress and staying competitive, Grenville Engineering says its investment in innovative technology reflects its dedication to embracing future advancements and meeting the evolving needs of the industry. The company says it remains positioned as a leader in precision engineering, ready to make significant strides in the market with its latest acquisition. 8 grenville-engineering.co.uk www.engineeringcapacity.com

LASER & WATERJET CUTTING | Engineering Capacity

Rapid cutting turnaround CutLaserCut is a design manufacturer that specialises in fast turnaround production services in a number of sectors, including creative fields such as art, fashion, jewellery and architecture, as well as engineering, retail and sign making. Originally set up as a laser cutting business in 2010, the company invested in a CNC routing machine in 2017 to expand its service offering. CutLaserCut Ltd operates out of two facilities with a single Trotec Speedy 400 laser at its Camberwell site and a larger production studio with six CO2 lasers at its South Coast facility. The largest laser machine offers a working area of 3 by 2m whilst the Biesse ROVER PLAST J FT 1530 CNC routing machine that arrived in 2017 offers a work envelope of 3m by 1.6m, Combining laser technology with the router, CutLaserCut can process everything from cast acrylic sheets to plywood, 'organic' materials, plastics, wood and wooden boards, card, paper, leather, foam and much more. It was the arrival of the router that opened opportunities to machine new materials with a technology that was new to the London and South Coast manufacturer. Russ Mellor from CutLaserCut said: “We were originally a laser cutting business, but we purchased the Biesse CNC router to expand the range of materials 12

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that we could work with. Biesse is not a specialist in cutting tools, so we visited the Sign UK exhibition where we met Sally Hunt from ITC. We were immediately impressed with her depth of knowledge and helpful attitude. Since 2017, Sally and the ITC

8 CutLaserCut tests on MDF with ITC’s point round tool proved a huge success

team have been a fabulous resource that we've been happy to rely on. A trusted partner in all aspects of CNC tooling.” As a company that specialises in delivering a fast response to demanding sectors, CutLaserCut can rapidly turn around anything from simple B2C parts, one-offs and specialist projects to more involved B2B product development and production runs. To satisfy client demands with rapid lead times, CutLaserCut relies on highquality cutting tools from ITC for machining a vast array of materials. In a fast-paced environment, CutLaserCut needs maximum machine uptime and optimal productivity levels. To enable this, ITC supports CutLaserCut with a diverse range of standard and bespoke tooling solutions that provide quality, performance, reliability and JANUARY 2024

Engineering Capacity | LASER & WATERJET CUTTING longevity. The performance and tool life are optimised by expert advice from ITC that identifies the correct tool, geometry and coating for any given material. Russ added: “Whenever a new project arrives or if there is a machining technique that is required, we can call or email ITC and ask for the best advice about tooling. This includes the feed rates, number of passes and other technical details.”

manufacturer, we rarely make the same thing twice, unless it's a production run. Therefore, it’s of critical importance that our tooling works right the first time and keeps working with high levels of productivity and reliability until the job is done.

We are always working on tight turnaround projects, so we can't be dealing with tooling not performing and time being lost in re-specifying or replacement tooling that could delay an entire project.” 8 CutLaserCut.com

Because we are a subcontract manufacturer, we rarely make the same thing twice, unless it's a production run. Therefore, it’s of critical importance that our tooling works right the first time and keeps working with high levels of productivity and reliability until the job is done

‘‘

“Most recently, ITC provided us with a 12mm radius point round cutter for a new technique that an established client wanted to try. Sally was able to propose the tool based on a photo of the effect the client was trying to achieve. She got it spot on and the tool did exactly what was needed. The total time from the client request to quote to the delivery of the final parts was just 7 days including the selection, manufacture and delivery of the ITC point round cutter. Standard tooling is available on a next day basis, even if ordered late in the day. “Because we are a subcontract JANUARY 2024

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LASER & WATERJET CUTTING | Engineering Capacity A new twin-head machine has doubled capacity at Q-Laser’s waterjet cutting department, removed a bottleneck and reduced lead times. Before the investment in a Semyx Optima 420 twin abrasive waterjet cutting machine from Kerf Developments the department was approaching full capacity. As a subcontract manufacturer, Q-Laser offers laser, waterjet, press brake and fabrication services throughout the UK. Founded in 2012, the company set up its waterjet cutting division in 2019 to complement its laser, press brake and fabrication services, starting with a 5-axis waterjet machine. Except for the pandemic, the waterjet division has grown rapidly, and the existing waterjet machine was struggling to meet the capacity demands of the business, so Q-Laser turned to

Twin heads double output

Rochdale-based Kerf Developments for the solution. With two cutting heads, the Optima 420 4m by 2m bed machine instantly doubled the cutting capacity in comparison to the existing machine. In a sector where clients expect a quotation in hours and components cut and delivered in less than a week, the addition of the machine has alleviated the bottleneck, created additional capacity and immediately reduced lead times. Q-Laser Director Colin Hewitt said: “We set up the waterjet

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department for two reasons. Firstly, a laser is typically limited to cutting material up to 25mm thick. Secondly, unlike laser, waterjet cutting does not generate excessive heat that can impact the structural integrity of the material – this is of critical importance in aerospace, MoD and many automotive applications.” As a company that manufactures anything from oneoff to production runs for clients, machine uptime and productivity are as critical as cutting speed. Unlike the cantilever design of the existing technology at QLaser, the Optima incorporates twin-sided drives that deliver excellent acceleration and machine kinematics as well as high precision. Colin Hewitt added: “Some of our customers are machine shops that want pre-machined profiles. We can cut these to tight machining tolerances which means that many of our customers no longer need to rough machine their components. “Our lead times can typically range from 24 hours to 7 days depending upon our workload. Before the arrival of the Optima, the lead times would extend beyond 10 days, so the machine has made a huge impact on our throughput. Additionally, we can fulfil our order book with fast turnaround for customers without putting demands on our staff to work around the clock.” 8 q-laser.co.uk JANUARY 2024

Engineering Capacity | CASTING William Cook Holdings has capped a year of growth, acquisition, and investment by being named as the ‘Best of British Casting’ at the recent UK Cast Metals Industry Awards. The Sheffield-headquartered company is one of the UK’s leading suppliers of safety-critical steel components and secured the ‘Company of the Year’ award by impressing judges with landmark rail contract wins, support for the war effort in Ukraine and a £5m investment programme that has reinforced its position in the nuclear power supply chain. The group also stepped in to protect vital foundry skills when it saved 75 jobs by acquiring HI Quality Steel Castings of Chesterfield out of administration. The awards are organised by the Cast Metals Federation (CMF) and other top accolades went to Tamworth-based Foseco for innovation, and to Sylatech for the ‘Component of the Year’. The latter was for the work the Kirkbymoorside-based company did in producing a prosthetic aluminium thumb for use by children who have lost a hand due to injury, congenital conditions or for other medical reasons. Designed by prosthetic hand designer Ted Varley, the product required a high level of detail and an as-cast surface finish with no machining. With wall thicknesses down to 2mm for some cast elements and 1mm diameter cast-in holes, Sylatech used 3D wax printing to optimise the design flexibility. JANUARY 2024

Best of British casting

8 William Cook Winners

Samples were provided to the client within three weeks of the order being placed, with significant cost savings also achieved. “The innovation and resilience of the foundry industry never ceases to amaze me, and this year’s award winners typify exactly what makes the UK great,” explained Dr Pam Murrell, Chief Executive of the Cast Metals Federation. “We had businesses investing, we had companies diversifying and we had firms using new technologies to help designers bring products to market that will positively change lives for hundreds of children.” The UK Cast Metals Industry Awards, which attracted nearly 200 guests, focused on the great castings being manufactured in metal by UK foundries, and their huge

achievements in innovation, growth, and component performance. Co-presented by Dr Pam Murrell and comedian Geoff Norcott, the evening clearly showcased the successes of the sector and its evolving impact on UK manufacturing. This was typified by the Innovation winner Foseco, which was recognised for the way it has developed a novel automated metal treatment and cleaning process for steel melts. Pam concluded: “The commitment to problem solving and providing solutions to customers remains within our industry, making all the components upon which a modern economy depends. “Our sector can be part of the solution to growth for the UK. And remember – metal recycles forever.” 8 castmetalsfederation.com www.engineeringcapacity.com

MACHINED COMPONENTS | Engineering Capacity

Building subcontract business Medical equipment manufacturer Hollingsworth Design Ltd (HDL) brought its milling and turning in-house and started its own subcontract machining division. The first CNC lathe and mill were installed in 2017, followed by another turning centre and then a German-built Index G200 twin-spindle, triple-turret, turnmill centre supplied in 2020 by sole agent Kingsbury. Since then, the number of lathes and mills on-site has doubled to eight, including a smaller capacity Index C100 and HDL’s first automated prismatic machining cell, a robot-fed, fiveaxis, HSK-A63 spindle C12 from Hermle, Germany, also represented exclusively in the UK by Kingsbury. The same period has seen the arrival of a CNC mitring saw, an Aberlink coordinate measuring machine, a Keyence optical inspection system and the company’s first quality control inspector, Simon Tweedie. Other new members of staff are Richard Binks, who is dedicated to subcontract sales, and Nick Mort, lead engineer in charge of the CNC section. Mr Mort commented, “The subcontract side of our business has increased fivefold to 25% of turnover in the last two years and we are aiming to increase it to 50% by 2026.” The 65 mm bar capacity Index G200, which is fitted with a three16

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metre bar magazine, is playing a key role in fulfilling the growing number of contracts. The upper, double tool carrier has a 360-degree B-axis and a ± 65 mm Y-axis. On one side there is a 14-station, live tool turret rated at 16 kW/16 Nm (25% DC) and 7,200 rpm maximum speed. On the other side there is an HSK-A40 22 kW/52 Nm (25% DC) milling spindle with automatic cutter exchange, enabling considerable machining versatility in combination with the two lower turrets that also serve the 6,000 rpm/32 kW main and counter spindles. Arranged in mirror image, each lower turret has an independent, ± 45 mm Y-axis and an identical rating to the turret at the top. To optimise productivity, it is possible to utilise all three turrets simultaneously at either the main or counter spindle, without interference. Alternatively, simultaneous machining the front end of a component at the main

spindle and the reverse end at the counter spindle, in contrast to sequential machining on HDL’s earlier lathes, has cut cycle times dramatically. To produce a typical turned, threaded and engraved brass manifold component, for example, the typical cycle time has been reduced from 4 to 1.5 minutes and similar efficiency is gained when producing subcontract parts for other OEMs. Given the lathe’s high power and versatility, it is not surprising that there was a tendency to prioritise the use of this Index turn-mill centre when considering which machine to employ for producing a new or existing part, even if it mostly entailed prismatic machining using the driven tools. So another lathe from the same source, an Index C100 having 42 mm bar capacity and a more conventional three-turret configuration, was bought to produce most of the turn-milled components for internal use, freeing the larger JANUARY 2024

Engineering Capacity | MACHINED COMPONENTS lathe to fulfil subcontract work, which is often more complex and generally larger. In early 2023 when HDL wanted to acquire its first automated machining centre, it selected Kingsbury again for the purchase of the Hermle cell. This complemented a stand-alone 5axis machine that was being used almost exclusively for producing aluminium parts for a bicycle manufacturer in the north of England. The contract was

growing in variety and volume, especially with the introduction of an electric bike, so automation was the obvious choice for producing the parts more cost effectively. As the bicycle components are relatively light, it was decided that a Hermle RS05 robot for handling individual billets into the machining area and returning finished parts was preferable to automated pallet exchange. The latter would have incurred more

cost to buy the pallets and workholding equipment and entailed extra work for fixturing parts and removing them. Now production of the bicycle parts is shared between the 30taper machine and the Hermle. Prototypes are produced on the former, while larger batches are put onto the latter; 50-off, say, if piece part cycle time is 15 to 20 minutes, or 200-off minimum in the case of shorter cycles. 8 h-d-l.co.uk

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 2024

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SPONSORED FEATURE | Engineering Capacity

Excellence in machined components for demanding applications Stand E230 at Southern Manufacturing It’s never easy to find a reliable manufacturing company, but if you are dealing with a supplier that is trusted by the likes of Ocado, Ford and BAE Systems you know you are in good hands. With a 50-year anniversary in its sights, South Wales based DJJ Precision Engineering works closely with all these companies and many more blue-chip manufacturers across industries that demand the highest levels of quality, reliability, and service. These include key sectors such as food and drink processing and packaging, aerospace, automotive, medical, defence, security, and energy. In more recent years DJJ has experienced considerable growth working with customers and distributors looking to reduce the financial exposure and risk of shipping delays that come from using overseas suppliers. Projects from Dreamliner wing components and medical diagnostics, through to bottling plants and complex grocery picking grid bots are just a few industries who have benefited from keeping production at home. The company offers a complete 24/7 manufacturing service for turned and machined components, producing 18

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components in everything from steels, complex metals, and exotics to a wide range of engineering plastics and machined castings. This is complemented by all the added value processes that allow it to offer a truly one-stop-shop. These services include finishing, laser marking, grinding, surface treatments, assembly, inspection certification and delivery. Everything is manufactured in conformance with industry

requirements and certified to the highest global standards. DJJ has embraced the opportunities that have come from advances in robotics and CNC machining and made significant investments in cutting edge manufacturing technology to meet industry’s evolving needs. During the pandemic DJJ invested in automating manufacturing processes for customers such as Ocado. It introduced unique robotic JANUARY 2024

Engineering Capacity | SPONSORED FEATURE machining cells to meet production requirements in both Europe and the USA, alongside full five-axis machining and high-end turning centres from the world’s leading machinery manufacturers. By utilising state-of-the-art technology, it has been able to enhance its capabilities, optimise production processes and deliver excellent results whilst also offering unprecedented flexibility. The investments have allowed the company to extend capacity with automated round-the-clock operations, whilst achieving high production efficiencies that ensure fast turnarounds, consistent quality, minimised energy consumption, reduced carbon footprint and, more importantly, a genuine competitive advantage on costs for both DJJ and its customers. The high level of service provided by DJJ is underlined by awards from Ford Motors Global, quality accreditations and the membership of leading industry bodies including Make UK Defence, ADS, the SMMT and the MTA. All manufacturing operations are covered by the highly regarded TUVRheinland ISO 9001:2015 QMS quality assurance accreditation. In March 2023 year DJJ was supplier certified by the prestigious JOSCAR register. This is a list of accredited suppliers to leading industry organisations and membership is by invitation only. Once invited companies must pass a series of stringent audits before they are accepted. As a member of JOSCAR, DJJ is JANUARY 2024

now an accredited supplier to organisations such as BAE Systems, the MoD, Rolls-Royce, Boeing and Raytheon. DJJ was also a recent winner of the BAE Systems International Chairman’s Award for providing design and final production support on a project that has now been submitted for worldwide patent. In the automotive sector DJJ is a Ford Motors Global Tier 1 Supplier for deliveries direct to vehicle, and in the food sector has been successfully supplying Ocado with components for grocery picking grid robots. Other projects include medical diagnostic equipment, widgets for Cola cans, agricultural robotics, airport and motorway radar and mining equipment. Managing Director Dennis Jones said: “There is also an exciting future ahead, with the development of a new energy efficient manufacturing facility, so far 3 years in design. The extension is set to increase production surface areas and provide additional clean room extensions, whilst also providing unique training facilities for

engineering skills development. “With the substantial labour challenges faced by manufacturing businesses every day, DJJ has decided it’s time to grow its own! The expansion will provide real hands-on skills experiences and encourage interest in manufacturing and the inevitable robotisation of CNC machining.” He concluded: “We can help you with all your machined component requirements and are always looking forward to building new partnerships, helping customers solve their problems and ensuring that they can compete in today’s tough markets. Our investments in high accuracy machinery allows us to remain competitive during constantly evolving industry challenges and make a difference to our customers. Please get in touch to discuss how we can work together.” Come and see us on Stand E230 at Southern Manufacturing Contact: Shirley Jones Director +44 (0)1495 760561 www.djjengineering.com www.engineeringcapacity.com

MACHINED COMPONENTS | Engineering Capacity

Sustainable machining commitment Precision subcontract specialist Machined Component Systems (MCS) has set out its commitment to achieving sustainable machining, with two new, multi-tasking turning centres helping it to achieve its green objectives. Supplied by Mills CNC, the two DN Solutions machines are a 10” chuck Puma 2600SY II sub-spindle, Y-axis lathe, and an 8” chuck TT 1800SY twin-spindle/twin-turret turning centre, both supplied with high-productivity Hydrafeed MSV80 bar feeders. MCS is currently undertaking a significant re-branding exercise and will soon launch a new ‘sustainable machining’ initiative into the market designed to achieve organic growth from existing customers and attract new business from EV, energy, renewables, water industry management customers etc. The move, brought about in no small part by Managing Director Warren Gray’s passion for our rivers and seas, and witnessing first hand, the environmental damage to the earth’s natural resources from sewage, pollution and single-use plastics, will see MCS launch a new environmentally-aware website devoted to sustainable machining – providing a platform for the company to promote its ‘green’ credentials. The company has already invested £250k in solar panels, which now generate 30% of its 20

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electricity requirements and are proving instrumental in reducing the company’s carbon footprint. Investment in energy-efficient machine tools and equipment also helps MCS to position itself as a sustainability ‘champion.’

As a Tier 1 and Tier 2 supplier to many blue-chip companies, we are conscious that customers’ ESG frameworks will be used to screen future supplier chain partners

‘‘

Warren Gray said: “Climate change, energy consumption and conservation, and sustainability are already key business drivers, and will become more important in the future. “Many companies (domestic and international) are developing ESG (Environmental, Social and Governance) standards detailing how, for example, they will achieve their own net-zero targets and reduce societal impacts. “As a Tier 1 and Tier 2 supplier to many blue-chip companies, we are conscious that customers’ ESG frameworks will be used to screen future supplier chain partners. “As a consequence we have

adopted a proactive and transparent approach to sustainability from both an ethical and an energy conservation perspective, and our new website will provide details of our practices, policies and metrics used to benchmark our performance.” As far as new technology procurement is concerned, MCS’s recent investment in DN Solutions’ multi-tasking machines tools which feature all-grease lubrication systems, eco-friendly LED lighting, high-efficiency coolant motor pumps and inverter-controlled chip conveyor motors, in addition, to the integration of high-performance mist extraction systems provide evidence of the company’s continuing commitment to sustainable machining. Warren added: “Sustainability is a journey, not a destination. There are always improvements that can be made to manufacturing methods and processes, and in addition to investing in energy efficient machine tools, we have already made significant investments in automation (i.e. creating autonomous robot cells which may not consume less energy, but do more with the energy consumed), and the application of dry machining, minimum quantity lubrication (MQL) and ecofriendly cutting fluids where practicable and viable.” 8 machinedcomponent.com JANUARY 2024

Engineering Capacity | MACHINED COMPONENTS Nuclear Energy Components, (NEC, formerly Newburgh Engineering) based in Bradwell in Derbyshire, has invested £280k in 2 new Haas machines – a vertical machining centre and a lathe – along with a new robot that will provide automatic loading and unloading of components. The £280k investment will allow more automated manufacturing processes to be employed along with ‘lights out’ manufacturing enabling increased production. The first of the new machines was installed at the company’s factory in Bradwell in the Hope Valley in August. The Haas VF-2SSYT Super-Speed Vertical Machining Centre has a rotary 4th axis, automatic vice and robot loading/unloading, a first for NEC, milling components up to 750mm x 500mm x 500mm. The second machine installed in October is a Haas ST-15LY lathe, with Y axis, driven tooling and auto bar feeder which will turn components up to 270mm diameter x 800mm long. David Greenan, Sales Director, NEC, said “This automation will also free up our multi-skilled operators to focus on refining running projects and introducing new ones along with exploring other new technologies and techniques. “The new equipment brings other benefits to the business being more energy efficient and enabling a reduction in both operating costs and environmental impact.” JANUARY 2024

Nuclear machining automation

NEC currently has long term contracts in place for production for the existing UK Advanced Gas Cooled Reactors and is working with a number of partners on potential new build power plants including SMR’s (Small Modular Reactors), AMR’s (Advanced Modular Reactors) and Fusion plants.

The company has over 60 years’ experience working in the nuclear sector and applies the nuclear safety culture across all sectors including oil and gas, defence, rail and non-nuclear power generation such as renewables. 8 nec-ltd.co.uk

Aerospace Oil & Gas Nuclear Defence

Automotive Electronics Hi Fi

Industrial & High Volume Machining

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

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ELECTRONICS | Engineering Capacity

Upgrading electronics manufacture Offshore Electronics has invested more than £400,000 into its manufacturing headquarters in St Peter Port, Guernsey. Both production machinery and in-house communications have been upgraded to support the record levels of growth experienced by the business over the past year. Offshore’s turnover hit £10 million for 2022/2023, with both new and existing customers signing multi-year agreements. As is now standard for the Guernseybased contract electronics manufacturer (CEM), the proceeds of this success are being redirected back into the business to support its long-term growth and move into new markets. The investment will expand Offshore’s PCB production capabilities, increase productivity and connect employees working across its 20,000 sq. ft facility. Among the most important additions is a new axial component inserter from Southern Machinery, which will allow the business to position more than 20,000 axial parts per hour. This is a key upgrade as many customers have designs that rely heavily on this type of component. Offshore’s willingness to invest in this area guarantees a future for legacy products that would be costprohibitive to redesign for use with newer components. New Inspex HD digital inspection cameras have been 22

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added to Offshore’s QA and surface mount departments. These cameras are important for quality control but also assist employees as components become smaller and more difficult to examine. Some parts now measure as little as 0.5mm x 0.2mm, making it impossible for the human eye to inspect adequately without magnification. Offshore has also invested in the new Novastar Gold Wave soldering system, which will allow staff to rework or repair boards more efficiently. In addition to the Novastar is a new Heller surface mount oven and DEK screen printer, both replacing older models. Offshore has also installed CAT6 cabling, a new server, phone system and high-speed network connectivity for secure contact with clients across the world. This latest outlay extends a pattern of investment, with the company having already purchased several other machines over the last 12 months. This includes a Yamaha

Z:LEX YSM20R modular pick and place machine. The business has also made a significant commitment to sustainable PCB production, having recently signed off a major solar PV installation, due to be installed on the factory’s roof in 2024. This will provide roughly 11% of the company’s annual energy. Paul van der Tang, Purchasing Director said: “Sustained investment in both people and technology is critical for maintaining a high standard of PCB production. This is a strategy we have adopted since starting in 1990 and it has continued to pay dividends, keeping us competitive in a crowded market. The latest round of capital is about cementing our position as a leading provider of electronics manufacturing services – both in Europe and beyond. It’s a signal of intent as we develop relationships with both longstanding customers and those new to our business.” 8 offshore-electronics.co.uk JANUARY 2024

Engineering Capacity | SUSTAINABILITY Wedge Group Galvanizing has saved around 15% on gas, reduced emissions and achieved a payback time of 4 to 10 months after installing innovative firing technology for molten metal baths. The supplier, Hasco-Thermic Ltd has also been shortlisted in the Innovation Champion category of the Engineering Matters Awards for its development. Hasco Smart Firing technology is a retrofittable system, designed using the latest data and analytical techniques to reduce energy usage and extend the lifespan of the kettles and heat exchanger by transitioning collective burner control to independent regulation. Their company’s Managing Director, Angela Curtis, said: “When we first came up with the original idea of Smart Firing, we hadn’t fully appreciated the real benefits it would bring – from improving productivity and performance through to significant cost savings and ease of use. We’re proud to report that they’re much higher than we anticipated, and we’re delighted that these significant results have been recognised by the team at Engineering Matters. “Our Smart Firing technology has been under development for the past eight years. Replacing and updating traditional burner control practises that have been in place for decades, this new philosophy allows the furnace to respond precisely to real-time heat demand and conditions, JANUARY 2024

Galvanizing energy saving

It’s fantastic that this pioneering technology has been recognised in the annual Engineering Matters Awards

‘‘

leading the way in efficiency and sustainability. Two major objectives of all forward-thinking businesses right now.” Wedge Group Galvanizing, the UK’s largest galvanizing company, has been the first to implement this pioneering technology by gradually introducing it across its 14 nationwide plants. David Nobes, Technical

Services Director at Wedge Group Galvanizing said: “After introducing Hasco-Thermic’s Smart Firing, we’ve reported an average 15% saving on gas, and this is providing a payback of between four to 10 months. Not to mention the reduction in carbon emissions, which is a significant step in our progress towards our ultimate objective to become a net zero business. “It’s fantastic that this pioneering technology has been recognised in the annual Engineering Matters Awards. It’s made impressive improvements to our business, and we hope that many other companies across the globe (in both the galvanizing and the wider metals sector) will also adopt this revolutionary process. We wish Hasco-Thermic the very best of luck for the final.” Winners will be announced at the Engineering Matters Awards presentation, which is set to be held on 28 March 2024. 8 hascothermic.com wedge-galv.co.uk

Quality Precision Machined Components & Turned Parts

Tel: +44 (0)1582 667537 • www.sub-cncprecision.co.uk

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ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING | Engineering Capacity Why are companies increasingly turning to contract manufacturing in 3D printing? Dr. Henrike Wonneberger, Chief Operating Officer and Co-Founder of Replique explains. Today's manufacturing landscape is highly affected by supply chain disruptions and geopolitical complexities. Traditional production methods face challenges such as capacity shortages - especially for lower volumes - material shortages, and global transportation issues, further exacerbated by intricate border and customs procedures. In response, 3D printing/ additive manufacturing (AM) emerges as a transformative solution, bridging gaps between prototyping and large-scale production, ensuring a steady supply of spare parts, enabling decentralized on-demand production and counteracting supply chain disruptions. To fully leverage 3D printing's potential, businesses are increasingly turning to contract manufacturing. Additive on a budget Contract manufacturing in AM requires minimal upfront investment. This low initial cost reduces financial barriers, making AM accessible to businesses of all sizes and allowing them to explore the benefits of AM, such as design flexibility, cost-efficient small series production, and ondemand manufacturing. This allows for efficient resource allocation, directing capital towards core activities while 24

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Reasons to contract out 3D print

leveraging the capabilities of 3D printing services. A vast range of possibilities There are several different AM service providers around the globe, which are specialised in certain materials and technologies, and the range of AM materials is growing steadily. Contract manufacturing allows companies to fulfill their specific project needs without having to store, manage and maintain all machines and materials in-house. To access a high range of options you can create your own network of 3D printing service providers or use a platform that provides access to a vast range of materials and technologies via a single interface. Platforms enable businesses to select materials tailored to their specific applications, such as highstrength metals for aerospace or biocompatible polymers for

8 Contract manufacturing in AM requires minimal upfront investment, making the technology accessible to businesses of all sizes, says Wonneberger

medical devices. Platforms can also integrate tools for easy material selection, such as Replique’s material database, which enables companies to translate traditional requirements into AM materials via easy filtering options. Global reach, local production Making use of contract manufacturing for additive parts enables decentralized production, which allows businesses to produce parts globally, but locally. 3D printing platforms allow efficient outsourcing to providers with the most relevant expertise. Decentralized production not only enables quicker delivery times but also reduces JANUARY 2024

Engineering Capacity | ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING transportation-related costs and CO2 emissions. Leveraging external expertise Contract manufacturing connects businesses with specialised professionals, providing access to external knowledge that often extends beyond in-house capabilities – so projects benefit from the latest industry insights and best practices, leading to innovative solutions. Platforms can serve as curators of expertise, gathering knowledge and insights from their network of professionals. Flexibility and cost reduction Traditional in-house manufacturing often involves large, infrequent production runs due to the associated setup and operational costs, even if only small volumes are needed. This often leads to unused inventory and waste. In contrast, contract manufacturing enables businesses to place orders with more flexibility, allowing for smaller, more frequent batches. The ability to order in smaller quantities reduces inventory costs, minimizes waste, and enhances overall supply chain efficiency. High scalability thanks to platforms Flexibility ensures businesses can adapt manufacturing strategies to project scale and complexity. While a single 3D printing service provider might not enable companies to really scale yet, production platforms do. The platform allows scalability JANUARY 2024

without coordination effort and, depending on its positioning, also gives access to particularly selected suppliers with extensive expertise as analysed by management consultancy Roland Berger in their recent article on on-demand manufacturing platforms. Whether it's smallbatch production for niche markets or large-scale manufacturing of thousands of parts to meet growing demands, contract manufacturing platforms enable companies to adjust production volumes flexibly. This scalability proves beneficial for businesses with fluctuating production requirements or those venturing into new markets, as companies can respond with agility to changing demands of the market. Adding more value Additive manufacturing platforms that are specialised in serial production, rather than one-time orders, go beyond the execution of manufacturing processes; they provide various (software) services seamlessly from start to finish of an AM project, including part screening, qualification, digital warehousing, and quality control. Quality assurance services, including testing and inspections, mitigate risks associated with defects and enhance the reliability of the manufacturing process. Integrating the platform seamlessly into supply chains streamlines the entire process and reduces operational burdens, e.g., related to warehousing and

supplier management. Lastly, digitally storing production information for each part in your platform account enables easy reordering in consistent quality. How to choose? In choosing outsourcing services, businesses can opt for service bureaus for diverse expertise, ideal for projects ranging from prototypes to small production runs. 3D printing hubs offer simplicity, global reach and a high material/technology range for occasional or one-time needs. Production platforms with additional services such as digital warehousing, the integration of ordering systems and quality assurance elevate efficiency and flexibility, making them suitable for businesses with fluctuating but reoccurring demand as well as serial production in accordance with industrial standards. Each outsourcing option addresses specific business needs, offering a tailored approach to harnessing the benefits of 3D printing in contract manufacturing. 8 Replique.io Dr. Henrike Wonneberger is COO and Co-Founder of Replique, which offers an industrial 3D printing platform that enables OEMs to provide parts on-demand anytime and anywhere to their customers through a global, decentralized and secured 3D printing network. She can be reached at henrike.wonneberger@replique.io www.engineeringcapacity.com

SOUTHERN MANUFACTURING | Engineering Capacity Southern Manufacturing & Electronics 2024 returns next month, from 6th to 8th February, and this year it will host the highest ever number of exhibitors from overseas, lifting the show firmly onto the international stage. It is the most comprehensive annual engineering exhibition in the UK and a major showcase for new technology. The show moved to its present location in 2008 and was the first event to be held in the new Farnborough International Exhibition & Conference Centre when it was built in 2018. Over its long history, the exhibition has grown continuously from a small, regional gathering of engineering firms into a major expo, attracting visitors and exhibitors from all over the world. There is an almost even split between companies operating in the mechanical engineering and electronics sectors. Although the technologies and industries being promoted are diverse, there is no demarcation between the different disciplines. Visitors are able to move freely around the showground and perhaps discover unfamiliar technologies and services that were not on their original shopping list. Technology Trails grouping exhibitors with expertise in particular areas help to guide people around the event. It is a must-attend venue for anyone involved in the design, production, procurement or management in manufacturing. The exhibition unites under one 26

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Engineering excellence at Farnborough

roof a comprehensive array of engineering firms of all sizes operating at the forefront of technology. The organisers operate a policy of open access, discouraging larger companies from dominating the space to the detriment of SMEs and smaller vendors. It gives the show a unique atmosphere unlike that of most others, encouraging a wideranging exchange of ideas, fostering long-term business relationships and allowing visitors to address multiple sourcing requirements quickly and efficiently. A large percentage of participants are regular returnees and many have supported the show since its inauguration in 1997. It is the place to see all the latest in machine tools, tooling,

workholding and other production hardware, automation and robotics, 3D printing, test, measurement, inspection and metrology, and supply of materials. There will be mechanical, electrical, electronic, electromechanical, hydraulic and pneumatic components and assemblies, surface mount technology, PCB manufacture, box build, cables, connectors, mechatronics assembly, plastic injection and rubber mouldings, sensors, drives, encoders, fasteners, pressings, wireforms, springs, gaskets, and more. Automation on both the mechanical engineering and electronics sides will feature strongly, driven by a skills shortage in Britain and across Europe. Manufacturing industry JANUARY 2024

Engineering Capacity | SOUTHERN MANUFACTURING is also facing a battle to recover from the impacts of Brexit, supply chain disruptions and high energy costs. These themes are emerging strongly among the exhibitors at this year’s show in the form of Industry 4.0 interconnectivity, robot, cobot and other autonomous handling, opportunities for reshoring of production, green energy and power-saving machinery. Other products and services on offer will encompass business and manufacturing software, production and planning aids, oil and coolant supply, workshop

JANUARY 2024

equipment, dust and fume extraction, humidity control, workplace storage systems, bespoke case and foam manufacture, plastic packaging, hand tools, adhesives, industrial flooring, waste removal and recycling, training, freight services and financial consultancy. Subcontract manufacturing A host of conventional subcontract metalcutting, metalforming, laser cutting and fabrication service companies will be found around the showground. HSM Aero concentrates on CNC

turning, milling and fabrication for the defence and aerospace industries, and DJJ Precision provides comparable services plus broaching, honing and grinding of steels, brass, bronze, aluminium and engineering plastics. Rowan Precision, Mintdale Engineering and Northern Cam offer a similar service and so does Elder Engineering, which also converts and distributes high performance tapes, with or without adhesive, plus sponge and rubber products in partnership with Saint Gobain Performance Plastics and Green

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SOUTHERN MANUFACTURING | Engineering Capacity Belting. Perfect Bore is known for gun drilling, deep hole boring, turning, honing and grinding, including of high nickel content alloys used in the renewable energy sector. Metal Polishing Engineers provides a variety of services encompassing electropolishing,

pickling, passivation, mechanical polishing and bead blasting. The most noticeable effect is the bright and decorative appearance of the processed component, but the metallurgical benefits are even more beneficial, as the material is hygienically pure and highly corrosion resistant.

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MMP Electrovibe UK specialises in polishing and surface finishing of stainless steel. Twickenham Plating Group delivers technical plating services typically for electronics, telecommunication, aerospace, automotive and military applications, including selective gold plating, reel to reel plating and barrel/vat/rack plating. Other finishes include silver, palladium, nickel, palladium/nickel, tin and zinc/cobalt. Over the years, the show has been a magnet for firms offering toolmaking and plastic injection moulding services and this year is no exception. WSM Industries will stress its prowess in technical polymers for replacement metal components using materials such as plastics V0-rated for flame retardancy and low toxicity. It serves demanding industries such as aerospace, medical, marine, transport and water. MGS Technical Plastics also has a wealth of experience in the sector, moulding and assembling PEEK, engineering and sustainable polymers, as well as most commodity materials, for customers in the automotive industry, aerospace, electronics, consumer, oil and gas, defence and vehicle accessories. An extensive variety of plastic parts will be exhibited by Rutland Plastics to illustrate different aspects of injection moulding, including gas-assisted moulding and the electrofusion method of joining plastic pipes, together with numerous examples of different thermoplastics and JANUARY 2024

Engineering Capacity | SOUTHERN MANUFACTURING their applications across different sectors. Parts range from 1 g to 45 kg and up to 1.5 metres in size. With VW Group, Microsoft, GSK, Aston Martin and Bentley approvals, Plastic Products International is another leading injection moulding specialist. So also is S&S Plastics, which operates 25 machines ranging from 7 to 550 tonnes. In the realm of subcontract sheet metalworking, there will be strength in depth at the show. Pegasus Profiles will promote its recently installed 22 kW fibre laser cutting facility, along with flame and water jet cutting. Easton Sheet Metal will present a similar service plus CNC punching and forming. Fife Fabrications is another industry partner for sheet metalwork as well as for electromechanical assemblies and precision machined components. Wood plc, another established Scottish subcontract manufacturer of sheet metal components, will focus visitors' attention on its track record of supplying welded fabrications and assemblies to the automotive, oil and gas, nuclear and packaging sectors. BIZ Engineering will promote its fine-limit sheet metal working capabilities. The company's expertise spans metalforming, tube and pipe bending and forming, MIG and TIG welding and fabrication, CNC laser cutting, punching and assembly. Materials processed are predominantly mild and stainless steels and aluminium. Adar Industries is involved in the JANUARY 2024

production of metal stamped parts from stainless and carbon steels, copper, aluminium, brass and bronze. LL Potters will promote the sheet metal fabrication services it provides from 33,000 sq ft premises in the Thames Valley. PRV Engineering combines sheet and plate machining services with pressworking, CNC machining, toolmaking, deep hole

drilling, shotblasting, electroplating, painting and powder coating. Falcon Precision also supplies sheet metal and CNC machined components, particularly to the electronics, medical, defence, automotive and communications sectors. Grenville Engineering is another precision sheet metal fabricator that will be familiar to many in the business.

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SOUTHERN MANUFACTURING | Engineering Capacity There will be firms offering subcontract additive manufacturing services. One is plastics specialist IPFL, which uses 3D printing as well as conventional CNC machining to produce anything from prototypes to volume production quantities, in particular for the automotive and medical sectors. Its Boston Micro Fabrication 3D printer enables precise microparts to be built. Visitors will see examples of what is possible using the technology, as well as with high-resolution stereolithography, durable nylon multi-jet fusion, specialist fused deposition modelling materials, and multimaterial jetting photopolymer 3D printing (Polyjet). Central Scanning principally offers subcontract scanning, inspection and reverse engineering services across the UK and Ireland, either at the customer's location or in its facility in the Midlands. It says that parts ranging from a few millimetres to aircraft, trains and automobiles can be scanned with high accuracy and relative ease. It also provides full-colour, multi-polymer 3D printing services based on the data it collects or from a CAD file supplied by the customer. Prints can be vapour smoothed to enhance surface finish. Other notable subcontract and contract manufacturers exhibiting at the show include Advanced Chemical Etching, Barlow Sheet Metal, Broanmain Plastics, Convert, DRN Engineering, European Springs & Pressings, 30

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ColorFabb and BASF Forward AM. Matsuura is taking a separate stand to promote Additive by Matsuura, the industrial 3D printing side of its business.

ICEE Managed Services, MRT Castings, PRV Engineering and Sub-CNC Precision. Production technology Subcontractors on the mechanical engineering side of the show looking to expand their capacity will be spoilt for choice, as machine tool suppliers will be there in force. These include Ajax, Bruderer, Hurco, Chester Machine Tools, Matsuura, Mills CNC, Sharmic, XYZ and Yamazaki Mazak. There will similarly be a robust appearance from companies supplying metrology equipment. Aberlink, Keyence, LK, Mitutoyo, Optimax, Vision Engineering and Zeiss will all have stands. Anyone looking to produce parts additively rather than subtractively will no doubt make a beeline for the stands of several 3D printing equipment providers. Additive-X represents numerous machine manufacturers and will take the opportunity to promote some of the latest products from Formlabs, Markforged and 3DGence. CREAT3D also has multiple solution partners, such as Nexa30, Markforged, Formlabs, Ultimaker, MakerBot,

Free Seminars There will be two free technical seminar programmes over the three days, one covering mechanical engineering and the other electrical and electronic engineering. They will give visitors and exhibitors alike valuable learning opportunities, with a focus on the technical, managerial and environmental issues facing manufacturers today. Presentations will include advice for small manufacturers looking to improve their relationship with customers, how to enhance a sales team's performance, CE and UKCA marking compliance, sustainable practices in manufacturing, and management skills coaching including how to address the challenges of hybrid working. Southern Manufacturing & Electronics 2024 will co-locate again with AutoAero, a specialist theme within the exhibition devoted to automotive and aerospace engineering. There is ample car parking at the site, which is well served by road and public transport links. A regular, complimentary bus service runs between Farnborough’s Main and North Camp railway stations and the show. Admission and parking are also free of charge. More information and tickets are available from 8 industrysouth.co.uk JANUARY 2024

BTMA MANUFACTURING MEMBERS | DIRECTORY

The British Turned Parts and Machined Component Manufacturers Association Find out how our members can beneﬁt your business Enquire directly with our Members, via btma.org or mail to info@btma.org

Arturn Ltd enquiries@arturnengineering.com www.arturnengineering.com

CK Precision Engineering Ltd Info@ckprecisionengineeringltd.com www.ckprecisionengineeringltd.com

Davturn Precision Turned Parts Ltd matt@davturn.co.uk www.davturn.co.uk

Ashtead Engineering info@ashteadeng.co.uk www.ashteadeng.co.uk

Colpa Precision Engineering Ltd steve@colpa.co.uk www.colpa.net

Dawson Precision Components Ltd. sales@dpc.co.uk www.dpc.co.uk

Atkinson Engineering sales@atkinson-engineering.com www.atkinson-engineering.com

C&M Precision Ltd office@onehitcnc.com www.onehitcnc.com

Dawson Shanahan (Wales) Ltd info@dawson-shanahan.co.uk www.dawson-shanahan.co.uk

Bailey & Wade Engineering Ltd www.turnedpartsrus.co.uk Louise.Fisher@nuttersfastenings.co.uk

CTN Group Ltd charlie@ctn-group.co.uk www.CTN-GROUP.co.uk

DKW Engineering Ltd karl@dkwengineering.co.uk www.dkwengineering.co.uk

Batchflow Engineering info@batchflow.co.uk www.batchflow.co.uk

CTPE Ltd www.ctpe.co.uk alex.taylor@ctpe.co.uk

Dobson & Beaumont sales@dobsonandbeaumont.co.uk www.dobsonandbeaumont.co.uk

BTL Precision-UK Ltd www.btlprecision-uk.com clive.lambert@btl-uk.com

Currie & Warner Ltd tonyfox@curriewarner.com www.curriewarner.com

Falcon Engineering Productions Ltd sales@falconengineering.co.uk

Cambion Electronics Ltd sales@cambion.com www.cambion.com

Davromatic Precision Limited sales@davromatic.co.uk www.davromatic.co.uk

Global Engineering sales@globaleng.co.uk www.global-engineering.co.uk

JANUARY 2024

btma.org

DIRECTORY | BTMA MANUFACTURING MEMBERS

GS Brown (Precision Engineers) Ltd malcolm@gsbrown.com www.gsbrown.com

MJ Engineering Ltd www.mjengineering.net enquiries@mjengineering.net

Quantamatic info@quantamatic.co.uk www.quantamatic.co.uk

G W Martin and Co Ltd sales@gwmartin.co.uk www.gwmartin.co.uk

Neida Products Engineering Ltd sales@neida.co.uk www.neida.co.uk

Rodmatic Ltd enquiry@rodmatic.com www.rodmatic.com

H P C Services Ltd sales@slidinghead.com www.slidinghead.com

Normec (Manchester) Ltd sales@normec.co.uk www.normec.co.uk

Rowan Precision Limited sales@rowanprecision.co.uk www.rowanprecision.co.uk

Herve Engineering Ltd sales@herve-engineering.com herve-engineering.com

Oracle Precision Ltd shaun.palmer@oracle-precision.co.uk www.oracle-precision.co.uk

Rowes Precision Products Ltd phil.willoughby@rowesprecisionproducts.co.uk www.rowesprecisionproducts.co.uk

Salcey Precision Engineering Ltd info@salceyprecision.co.uk www.salceyprecision.co.uk

JCF Engineering Limited john.felton@jcfengineering.co.uk jcfengineering.co.uk

MaS Precision Engineering Ltd sales@masprecision.co.uk www.masprecision.co.uk

Plastic turned Parts Ltd sales@plasticturnedparts.co.uk www.plasticturnedparts.co.uk

Scot Bennett Engineering Ltd rob@scotbennett.co.uk www.scotbennett.co.uk

Machined Component Systems sales@machinedcomponent.com www.machinedcomponent.com

Precision Component Services Ltd shane@precision-components.co.uk www.precision-components.co.uk

Sheldon Precision Engineering Ltd www.sheldonprecision.co.uk info@sheldonprecision.co.uk

M&M Turned Parts Ltd sales@mmturnedparts.co.uk www.mmturnedparts.co.uk

Qualiturn Products Ltd sales@qualiturn.co.uk www.qualiturn.co.uk

Solstrand Industries Ltd james.valentine@solstrandindustries.com www.solstrandindustries.com

btma.org

JANUARY 2024

BTMA MANUFACTURING MEMBERS | DIRECTORY

Sub CNC Precision Engineering Ltd www.sub-cncprecision.co.uk george.dingley@sub-cncprecision.co.uk

Tercet Precision Ltd Alex.Burns@tercet.co.uk www.buyturnedparts.com

Wealdpark Limited sales@wealdpark.co.uk www.wealdpark.co.uk

Swissmatic Ltd info@swissmatic.co.uk www.swissmatic.co.uk

Thomas Brown Engineering Ltd info@thomasbrownengineering.co.uk www.thomas-brown-engineering.co.uk

Wharf Engineering Ltd sales@wharf-engineering.co.uk www.wharfengineering.co.uk

Wilco Manufacturing Ltd sales@wilcomanufacturing.co.uk www.wilcomanufacturing.co.uk

Techfore Turned Parts Ltd info@techfore.co.uk www.techfore.co.uk

Tenable Screw Co Ltd nigel@tenable.co.uk www.tenable.co.uk

Trust Precision Engineering Ltd info@trustprecisionengineering.co.uk www.trustprecisionengineering.co.uk

Yorkshire Precision Engineering Ltd info@ypel.co.uk www.ypel.co.uk

Enquire directly with our Members, via btma.org or mail to info@btma.org

BTMA TECHNICAL MEMBERS | DIRECTORY

Arno (UK) Limited sales@arno.de www.arno-tools.co.uk

Bowers Group sales@bowersgroup.co.uk www.bowersgroup.co.uk

C Dugard Limited sales@dugard.com www.dugard.com

The Amodil Group tkd@amodil.co.uk www.amodil.co.uk

Ceratizit UK & Ireland Ltd info.uk@ceratizit.com www.ceratizit.com

Filtermist Systems Limited sales@filtermist.com www.filtermist.co.uk

Badger Anodising (Birmingham) Ltd sales@badgeranodising.co.uk www.badgeranodsing.co.uk

Citizen Machinery UK sales@citizenmachinery.co.uk www.citizenmachinery.co.uk

Floyd Automatic Tooling Ltd sales@floydautomatic.co.uk www.floydautomatic.co.uk

JANUARY 2024

btma.org

DIRECTORY | BTMA TECHNICAL MEMBERS

Gen2 Group pmasters@gen2group.co.uk www.gen2group.co.uk

Optimum Oils cliff.thrussell@optimumoils.com www.optimumoils.com

Star Micronics GB Ltd sales@stargb.com www.stargb.com

Premier Machine Tools UK Ltd david.dunn@premiermt.co.uk www.premiermt.co.uk

Stelstocks Ltd info@stelstocks.co.uk www.stelstocks.co.uk

LNS Turbo sales.uk@lns-europe.com www.lns-europe.com

PSL Datatrack sales@psldatatrack.com www.psldatatrack.com

Turbex Ltd sales@turbex.co.uk www.turbex.co.uk

Matsuura Machinery Ltd imichie@matsuura.co.uk www.matsuura.co.uk

Smiths Metal Centres info@smithmetal.com www.smithmetal.com

Wickman Coventry Ltd o.coyne@wickman.co.uk www.wickman-group.com

Mills CNC Ltd tdale@millscnc.co.uk www.millscnc.co.uk

SolidCAM UK Ltd info@solidcamuk.com www.solidcam.com

Wieland-Nemco Ltd. sales@wieland-nemco.com www.wieland-nemco.com

JFL are broach and broaching specialists with many years personal experience. We offer a comprehensive broaching service covering keyways, squares, hexagons and special forms. Unit 2, Deethe Farm Industrial Est, Cranfield Rd, Woburn Sands, Milton Keynes, Bucks MK17 8UR Tel: 01908 585103 www.jflbroaches.co.uk

www.engineeringcapacity.com

SUB-CNC Precision is a leading UK manufacturer specialising in CNC machining of Turned parts Sliding Head: Multi-axis twin-spindle lathes offer flexibility from simple to complex turned parts. Size range �1-35mm. Fixed Head: Twin-spindle twin-turret lathes for reduced cycle times. Size range 8-65mm. Unit O, Cradock Road Luton LU4 0JF Tel: +44 (0) 1582 667537 www.sub-cncprecision.co.uk

CNC PRECISION COMPONENTS 8

JFL Broaches and Broaching

CNC MACHINING 8

BROACHING 8

The Association for UK machined component manufacturers

Qualiturn Products Limited 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. 7 Fountain Drive, Hertford, Herts, UK, SG13 7UB Tel. +44 (0) 1992 584499 www.qualiturn.co.uk

JANUARY 2024

Bowers Group is a leader in the field of measurement, supplying quality metrology instruments to organisations worldwide.

WE MACHINE ALL

TURNED COMPONENTS TO AEROSPACE

STANDARD

PRECISION ENGINEERING 8

Bowers Group

SUBCONTRACT CNC TURNING 8

METROLOGY 8

Engineering Capacity | DIRECTORY

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

GET YOUR QUOTE TODAY

DJJ Precision Engineering Ltd Providing CNC Milling, Turning, 5 axis and Robotic automated machining, Honing, Grinding, Broaching, ID marking, surface finishing & PPAP certification for hundreds of industries.

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

REPETITION TURNED PARTS 8

PRECISION ENGINEERING 8

Unit 3 Albany Court, Albany Park, Camberley, Surrey, GU16 7QR Tel +44 (0) 1276 469866 www.bowersgroup.co.uk

TUVRheinland ISO 9001:2015, JOSCAR accredited Ford Tier 1 Global supplier. Winners of BAE Systems International Chairmans Award. Cyber Essentials

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

SPRING MAKING 8

PRECISION ENGINEERING 8

Contact Sales for more information T. 01495 760561 mail@djjengineering.com

JANUARY 2024

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.

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

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

www.engineeringcapacity.com

FARNBOROUGH | Hants | GU14 6TQ 6th - 8th February 9.30am - 4.30pm

(3.30pm close Thurs)

Where Industry and Innovation converge

FREE SEMINARS FREE PARKING

Incorporating The Subcontract Engineering Exhibition

Over 600 national and international suppliers come together to exhibit at Farnborough International Exhibition and Conference Centre this February for Southern Manufacturing and Electronics (inc AutoAero) 2024. Meet the power behind UK manufacturing industry and see live demonstrations and new product launches of machine tools & tooling, electronics, factory & process automation, packaging & handling, labelling & marking, 3D print technology, test & measurement, materials, composites & adhesives, rapid prototyping, ICT, drives & controls, plastics & polymers 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 6th February.

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

www.industrysouth.co.uk

AUTOMATION DEFENCE FOOD & DRINK AUTOMOTIVE / AUTOSPORT ELECTRONICS AEROSPACE TRANSPORTATION PACKAGING ELECTRICAL & MECHANICAL ENGINEERING ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING LOGISTICS MARINE ENERGY SPACE ENGINEERING R&D MEDICAL MATERIALS / COMPOSITES CONSTRUCTION PLASTICS & POLYMERS

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

01784 880890 | philv@etes.co.uk

Engineering Capacity January 2024 digital edition

Articles inside

DJJ Precision Engineering