Engineering Capacity July 2019

FOR MANUFACTURERS ABOUT SUBCONTRACTORS

July 2019

INDUSTRY NEWS | AEROSPACE | FORMING & FABRICATION

AEROSPACE: Maintaining quality

www.engineeringcapacity.com

EventCity | Manchester | M17 8AS

2nd | 3rd OCTOBER 9.30am – 4pm (3.30pm close Thurs)

Northern Innovation and Technology in Action

FREE SEMINARS & PARKING

Over 300+ national and international suppliers will gather in Manchester this October for Northern Manufacturing & Electronics 2019 together with the RoadRailAir event. The exhibition will feature live demonstrations and new product launches of machine tools & tooling, electronics, factory & process automation, packaging & handling, labelling & marking, 3D printing, test & measurement, materials & adhesives, rapid prototyping, ICT, drives & controls and laboratory equipment.

Free industry seminar programme online @ www.industrynorth.co.uk The exhibition is free to attend, free to park and easy to get to. Doors open at 9.30am on Wednesday 2nd October.

Pre-register online now for your free entry badge and show preview at

www.industrynorth.co.uk Supported by:

NORTHERN MANUFACTURING & ELECTRONICS is an ETES event organised by European Trade & Exhibition Services Ltd Tel 01784 880890

email philv@etes.co.uk

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

For non-qualifying readers, annual subscription rates are as follows for 6 issues posted to addresses in: UK £60.00; Europe £80; Rest of the World £100 You can request your copy and sign up to our free weekly email newsletter on our website or contact us via subscriptions@engineeringcapacity.com www.engineeringcapacity.com Tel: O1737 270 648 Published by: Engineering Capacity Ltd Abbey House, 25 Clarendon Road Redhill, Surrey, RH1 1QZ United Kingdom Registered in England company number 10567217 ISSN 0306-0179 COMING UP IN OUR SEPTEMBER 2019 ISSUE Machined Components, Waterjet & Laser Cutting, Automotive, Moulding, Northern Manufacturing & Electronics Exhibition Preview, Advanced Engineering 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 It is clearly not a good thing that new orders for subcontract work appear to have dropped back by a third since April (see story on page 9), but anecdotal evidence (talking to people) seems to give a more positive view. Although a lot of the reason for this is planning for a Brexit that hasn’t yet happened, it does sharpen our focus on the need for our manufacturers to become ever more effective.

In theory, at least, the UK has a productivity deficit compared to France and Germany, but when some of the factors that go into this are taken into consideration we are probably not as bad as we think.

For one thing, different countries count the number of hours worked in different ways.

France, for example, has strict rules enforcing a 35-hour week, which incentivises companies to under-report the hours actually worked while managers who aren’t subject to the limit tend to take up the slack. Also, in France, high labour costs and tight employment legislation mean that there is a strong incentive to apply technology to reduce the number of people you have to employ. The result: France has high productivity by low employment. In the UK we currently have low productivity but high employment, which is arguably better for the country as a whole.

Germany, on the other hand, has both high productivity and high employment, which is what we should be aspiring to. And the way they are doing that is by embracing digitalised manufacturing – also known as Industry 4.0.

It is therefore good news that a pilot Made Smarter programme is currently underway in the North West to help SMEs adopt digitalised technology such as AI, robotics and the Industrial Internet of Things.

The initiative includes matched funding opportunities and dedicated technical and business support – you can see the whole story online at http://bit.ly/ECMadeSmarter.

Andy Sandford, Editor

Member of the Engineering Industries Association

JULY 2019

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Contents July 2019

14 AEROSPACE

News

Features

06 PCs keep endoscopes sterile 06 BVM is supplying medical

13 Aerospace & Defence 06 Faster cheaper bolt with AM Maintaining aerospace quality

Panel PC-based systems

07 Electronics capacity boost 06 New machines 25% more capacity at Newbury Electronics

20 Turned Parts 06 Boom boom, out go the lights

9 INDUSTRY NEWS

22 Forming & Fabrication 06 Batting for school cricket Fibre laser doubles up

08 New foundry, new chapter, for MRT 06 New facility will give 60% more

28 Casting & Forging 06 Lightweight castings contracts

space for growth

Reshoring drives casting demand

09 Subcontract market takes a knock 06 CMI dropped more than a

31 Composites 06 Private suites for the jet set

third in Q2

10 Graphite experts on export track 06 Erodex listed by Sunday Times as a top exporter 4

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33 EMO Preview 06 World’s top metalworking fair

28 CASTING & FORGING JULY 2019

Engineering Capacity | INDUSTRY NEWS Spring, wire form and assembly specialist William Hughes has introduced metrology services for high precision manufacturing following its acquisition of JK Metrology.

JK Metrology & Quality Services of Liskeard, Cornwall is a wellestablished metrology and quality consultancy for ISO 17027, ISO 9000 etc. and offers a UKAS calibration service to ISO 17025.

“This acquisition will be of particular interest to our many customers involved in the manufacture of high specification, high precision components, where accurate measurement is key to the success of their business,” said Max Hughes, Managing Director at William Hughes. “By investing resources and people into this established and wellrespected business, we will be able to offer a range of benefits for customers – including a reduced turnaround time.”

With a worldwide portfolio of customers, JK Metrology is one of only 3 UK laboratories offering UKAS Calibration of Gauge Blocks

by Interferometry (Class A). ‘By comparison’ calibration is also offered and in the future William Hughes plans to offer a rapid turnaround service. Interferometry is the highest level of accuracy for length measurement and JK Metrology can also measure items up to 1 metre long at 20°C ± 0.05ºC. The scope of services includes tungsten carbide, steel and ceramic, long slip gauges, length bars, long series gauge blocks, surface tables (including refurbishment), gauge block and JULY 2019

Metrology service launched

length bar accessories, optical flats and parallels.

The company is also a supplier of metrology equipment, from micrometers and verniers, gauge blocks and angle gauges, to coordinate measuring machines (CMMs) and a wide range of other metrology equipment. JK Metrology continues to supply and service the metrology equipment previously manufactured by Select Gauges Ltd following its closure.

Mr Hughes continued, “We are delighted to announce that John Kelly, a Director of JK Metrology for many years, following a long career in the world of gauge

calibration, will transfer to William Hughes, where his range of contacts, depth of experience and wealth of knowledge will be a valuable asset in the integration of the business into the William Hughes group.”

The introduction of specialist metrology services will sit comfortably alongside the ultrasonic cleaning services introduced by William Hughes with its acquisition of A.C.Services (South West) Ltd in 2015, serving such industry sectors as aerospace, defence, nuclear, oil and gas, medical and electronics.

8 wmhughes.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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INDUSTRY NEWS | Engineering Capacity BVM is supplying medical Panel PC-based systems to a world leader in the storage and transportation of endoscopes.

One of the customer’s latest developments is a new climatecontrolled mobile cart in which endoscopes can be stored for up to 100 days in a surgically sterile aseptic environment, free from contamination caused by harmful bacteria, viruses, or other microorganisms. The storage unit is controlled and managed by a BVM touchscreen Panel PC optimised to their requirements.

The customer had originally been creating its own hybrid system by combining a commercial TFT monitor with a semi-industrial PC. This was a time-consuming exercise, and when the embedded PC became obsolete, BVM was approached to provide a replacement bespoke system incorporating discreet power and comms cable management and custom i/o in an aesthetically branded single unit.

PCs keep endoscopes sterile

The ultimate design is based on a N3160 Atom Braswell processor on a Mini-ITX motherboard, integrated into a slim-line chassis with a 15-inch 5 wire resistive touchscreen. A customised Windows 10 O/S is optimised to provide graceful shut down in the event of unexpected power loss.

The unit offers stable and robust running and futureproofing

Expanding into medical devices The Advanced Engineering event returns to the NEC, Birmingham, on 30 and 31 October with a new zone focused on medical device engineering.

With a two-day attendance of some 15,000 engineering professionals, the eleventh edition of the trade show will provide companies with the opportunity to meet with OEMs and supply chain partners from

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sectors spanning the engineering industry.

Advanced Engineering incorporates all aspects of engineering, from design, test and measurement, inspection, materials and production, within aerospace, automotive, marine, medical and many more. At the show, representatives from across the entire supply chain of the UK’s advanced engineering industry will present their latest

against potential component obsolescence.

Outsourcing the design and manufacture has allowed the client to allocate engineering resource to develop new software features that enable the sterile cart storage system to be suitable for use anywhere in the world, improving medical investigation procedures.

8 bvm.co.uk innovations and business developments in front of some of its most influential stakeholders.

Once a single show with 80 exhibitors, Advanced Engineering now features multiple co-locating zones under one roof, covering the industry’s most advanced and noteworthy sectors including aerospace, automotive, connected, composites and performance metals.

8 advancedengineeringuk.com

JULY 2019

Engineering Capacity | INDUSTRY NEWS Two new pick and place machines at Newbury Electronics will deliver a 25% capacity increase along with a 15% productivity increase.

This new equipment means that Newbury Electronics will have a complement of ten Yamaha I-pulse M20 and S20 SMD pick and place machines.

John Rowley, managing director, Newbury Electronics; said; "We are delighted that we have been able to upgrade our facilities with these new machines. The old equipment

Electronics capacity boost has served us well, but we will now be able to unify all feeder set-up, programming, training and maintenance on one machine family type. We anticipate that this will deliver a 15 percent improvement in productivity throughout the SMD placement department. Our two new Yamaha S20 machines will double the speed of placement and meet all known technical needs of our

customers in respect of electronic assembly. So, in addition to the 15 percent productivity improvements, we will also realise a 25 percent capacity increase as well."

Newbury Electronics also has the largest compliment of Yamaha i-Pulse M20 & S20 series machines not just in the UK but also in Europe.

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INDUSTRY NEWS | Engineering Capacity Construction is now underway on a new foundry at Andover-based diecasting supplier MRT Castings.

With 60% more space than its current diecasting area, this purpose-built, 20,000 sq ft additional facility is only 100 yards from MRT’s existing site and represents an ambitious new chapter for the company.

The company says that after several years of sustained growth, it realised it had outgrown its current foundry and needed to invest in a new site in order to ensure that it was able to continue to provide customers with the level of service they expected.

In addition to significantly improved diecasting facilities it also wanted to ensure that it was providing its team with an outstanding workplace that would enhance their day-to-day environment, support an increase in productivity as well as accommodate all of the current diecasting equipment with space for additional capacity over the years to come.

In addition to relocating all of the existing foundry machinery to the new building, MRT will also be

Visit our website or contact us for a quote or advice

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New foundry, new chapter, for MRT

investing in new equipment and capabilities that will further contribute to providing a platform for the next phase of the company’s development.

One of the first machines that will be installed in the new site is a 250t fully automated diecasting cell from Italian manufacturer Colosio.

MRT says this brand-new piece of equipment epitomises its focus on transforming its processes, quality, precision and productivity. The Colosio PFO250 die casting cell will

be the first installation in the new foundry in September of this year.

Whilst the new site will focus on evolving the foundry side of the business, all CNC machining, finishing and assembly functions will remain on their current sites.

With the space on the original site vacated by the old foundry, MRT will then have the opportunity to evolve and redevelop the machining facilities over the next few years to ensure that this element of the business continues to deliver outstanding innovation and performance.

Managing Director, Phil Rawnson, explains: “The new foundry underlines our commitment to providing our customers with the most flexible, productive, and technologically advanced diecasting facilities in the UK, and providing an exciting, world-class workplace for our valued team.”

8 mrt-castings.co.uk JULY 2019

Engineering Capacity | INDUSTRY NEWS Lamborghini Aventador SJV owners with money to spare can shave an extra 1% off the car’s weight with a limited edition, pure titanium exhaust in the shape of a bull’s horns.

The VB exhaust weights just 4.66 Kg and its design has been carefully engineered to create a perfect gas flow. Last but not least, says the company, “its shapes embody the horns of the Raging Bull as further testimony of VB’s dedication to Lamborghini history”.

The SVJ exhaust will be produced in only 63 units worldwide. In addition, a distinctive Valentino’s signature edition of 15

Lightweight your Lambo

units will be made. The SVJ exhaust is made in Italy and comes in an exclusive flight case.

VB was founded by Valentino Balboni who was in charge of the development of Lamborghini

supercars for 40 years.

Valentino says: “This new VB exhaust is the best system that can possibly be manufactured for the extraordinary SVJ. It is symbiotic with the SVJ’s character. Our goal was to create an incredibly light exhaust to further enhance performance of this fantastic machine. As usual with VB, we also focused on setting free the melodies of the V12 engine, with no sound artefacts. It’s all about the purity of sound.”

8 valentinobalboni.net

Subcontract market takes a knock

including moulding and electronic manufacturing, bounced back slightly in May. The market was fairly evenly split with machining representing 43% of the value of contracts placed and fabrication representing 40%.

Qimtek owner Karl Wigart said: “The market had been holding up well in the face of uncertainty over Brexit but dropped significantly in April when the UK had been due to leave the EU. “April, May and June all saw a

steady decline in the index, with the larger companies simply not sending out projects. This was particularly visible in the West Midlands, the heart of the automotive industry.

“This suggests that OEMs had factored a high level of precautionary Brexit stockpiling into their 2019 production schedules and then had to run these stocks down once the leaving date was postponed.”

8 qimtek.co.uk

According to the latest Contract Manufacturing Index (CMI), the UK subcontract manufacturing market has broken its steady upwards trend and crashed back by 37% in the second quarter of 2019 compared to the first three months of the year.

The index dropped to 101, just one point higher than the baseline figure of 100, which represents the average value of the subcontract market between 2014 and 2018.

This is the lowest it has been since the first quarter of 2015.

Until this quarter the market had been steadily rising to reach a peak of 194 in March this year.

Within the headline figures both machining and fabrication fell sharply, while other processes, JULY 2019

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INDUSTRY NEWS | Engineering Capacity Halesowen-based Erodex UK Limited, which supplies EDM graphite and tooling to the aerospace market, has been listed on the Sunday Times WorldFirst SME Export Track 100.

Erodex UK provides a vast range of EDM supplies such as EDM wire and wear parts, as well as graphites, graphite machining and more.

Graphite experts on export track

We are very proud to be recognised in such a prestigious list of companies, which is testament to the success we have had in penetrating certain global markets

‘‘

The company came in at number 86 in the fifth annual Sunday Times WorldFirst SME Export Track 100, a league table which ranks Britain’s private SMEs with the fastest-growing international sales.

Expansion into Mexico and the

US, where it has recently established facilities in Virginia, as well as significant contract wins in China and Israel helped overseas sales hit ÂŁ3.7million in 2018. The company has seen overall overseas sales grow 42% year on

!

"

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year and now exports to six continents: North America, South America, Middle East, Asia and Africa in addition to Europe.

Erodex is a West Midlands family business, founded in 1974, ran by brothers Ian and Steve Rolinson, 51 and 56 respectively, and their cousin John, 48. The company designs and supplies carbon and graphite parts for applications such as turbine blades in the aerospace sector.

International clients include leading aerospace engine manufacturers and blue-chip companies throughout the supply chain.

Steve Rolinson, director at Erodex UK, said: “We are very proud to be recognised in such a prestigious list of companies, which is testament to the success we have had in penetrating certain global markets.

8 erodex.com JULY 2019

Engineering Capacity | INDUSTRY NEWS Young engineers from across the country came together at the European headquarters of Yamazaki Mazak in Worcester for the final of the Manufacturing Technologies Association’s Technology, Design and Innovation (TDI) Challenge.

The long running competition sees students from across the UK submit either their GCSE, A-Level or BTEC Design and Technology Course Work Projects to be judged by a panel of experts drawn from Industry made up of members of the MTA’s very own technical committee. The students are split into two judging fields of 14- to 16-year olds and 17- to 19- year olds. There is also a Group category which recognises extracurricular work.

This year saw a change in the way the final is judged with, as well as overall winners in each age group, prize’s awarded for best use of Manufacturing Technology and Best Innovation.

This year, for the first time, there was also a People’s Vote prize awarded by a vote of all those attending the day.

Stewart Lane, Corporate Manager, Renishaw, Chair of the MTA Education and Development Committee and Chair of the judging panel for the TDI Competition, said “The final of the TDI is always an inspiring event and the standard of entries for this year’s competition were some of the highest we’ve seen. The range of technologies used in both the design and manufacture of the projects was genuinely impressive and the students have to be JULY 2019

MTA lets talent shines through

congratulated in making this one of the most competitive TDI’s we’ve had to judge.”

The winner in each category received an individual prize (including iPads, GoPro cameras, Minirig speakers and drones) as well as up to £2000 of funding for their schools to spend on new Design and Technology equipment for the classroom.

Mike Falconer, Education and Development Manager at the MTA

Chris Kalogroulis, Sutton Grammar, won Best Overall in the 17 to 19 age group with his Flip magnetic clock. The Judges said "A professionally presented project".

The judging panel all asked when they could buy one!

said “The TDI gives students the opportunity to create something unique and demonstrate to the judges they have considered the whole manufacturing process, from design, to construction and how to market the product.”

He continued “The quality of innovation on show was phenomenal and we’d like to congratulate all the winners and finalist for producing such amazing work.”

Chris Kalogroulis, Sutton Grammar School, who won in the 17-19 category – and is now a two times winner of the TDI Challenge after winning the 14-16 category in 2016 - said “It was such a big bonus for Flip to win the TDI Challenge, it’s another nice confidence booster. I’m going to try and develop the clock further and see how it turns out and I’m considering trying to sell it. It’s also going to be cool to be able to say I’ve designed two award winning products. This has had a massive impact on my engineering and academic life and played a huge part in the success of my products.” www.engineeringcapacity.com

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Trade Leads from the EIA

PEOPLE | Engineering Capacity

The following FREE OF CHARGE trade leads for the UK engineering industry are currently appearing on the Trade Board pages of the Engineering Industries Association at www.eia.co.uk Mexico – Steel A steel company is looking for suppliers of steel in tape, sheet, strips and squares; hot and cold rolled steel; galvanised steel; painted galvanised steel; electro-galvanised steel and related products.

Reference: 33047 Closing Date: 10/10/2019 Mexico – NDT A company is looking for suppliers of welding, Non-Destructive Testing and coating equipment.

Reference: 33048 Closing Date: 10/10/2019 UK – Injection Moulding A UK manufacturer of injectionmoulded engineering plastics seeks a manufacturing agreement or joint venture agreement. The company offers three main services: injection moulding, cast moulding and mould manufacture.

Reference: JV1315 Closing Date: 10/09/2019 Italy – Pipe Fittings An Italian pipe fittings manufacturing company is looking for distribution services and joint venture agreements. It specialises in the production of special metalplastic fittings and manifolds for water, gas and geothermal systems. Reference: JV1317 Closing Date: 10/09/2019 For more information please email head.office@eia.co.uk quoting reference number.

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

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Prof Iain Gray has been appointed as Chairman of the Centre for Modelling & Simulation, an independent, not-for-profit specialist in digital engineering capability. Iain, Director of Aerospace at Cranfield University and former Chief Executive of Innovate UK, will help drive the company’s commitment to advancing high value design (HVD) in the UK.

Chris Carter joins photochemical etching specialist, Precision Micro as Key Account Manager to service the growing German market for precision photo-etched metal components. He will be the new point of contact for the company’s German-speaking customers and joins a recently recruited German-speaking quality engineer.

Peter Brown is the new Key Equipment and Facilities Manager at AMETEK SMP Fine Tubes a manufacturer and international supplier of precision engineered metal tube products. He joins Fine Tubes after nine years of experience working in maintenance and operations management roles and will lead production and quality control.

Dr Susanne Bieller is the General Secretary of the International Federation of Robotics. She has worked for five years as a project manager for the European Robotics Association EUnited Robotics and began her professional career as managing director of the flat-panel display group at the German Engineering Federation.

JULY 2019

Engineering Capacity | AEROSPACE & DEFENCE Frazer-Nash has used additive manufacturing to produce a novel aerospace fastener faster and at a lower cost than with traditional machining.

The company produced the component, which is used during aircraft assembly, on a Renishaw AM 400 additive manufacturing (AM) system for its customer Kwikbolt.

In 2014, Frazer-Nash decided to bring AM capabilities in-house with Renishaw’s AM 250 system.

Having worked closely with Renishaw since then it has now purchased the AM 400, which is currently used to produce metal parts for customers.

One of Frazer-Nash’s most successful projects is for its customer Kwikbolt, who are working to revolutionise the assembly of aircraft. Kwikbolt is one of only a few businesses in the world to produce a specific temporary fastening device, which is used to align aircraft panels and fuselage during assembly. The component simplifies the manufacturing process and ensures that aerospace companies no longer require a bespoke tool for every panel, helping to reduce costs, improve precision and speed up assembly.

To simplify the fastener’s manufacturing process, FrazerNash now additively manufactures the fasteners on Renishaw’s AM 400. By using AM instead of subtractive machining, the fasteners can be produced with custom geometries at comparatively lower cost.

“By using AM, Frazer-Nash is JULY 2019

Faster cheaper bolt with AM

able to produce components costeffectively in small batch sizes,” explained Stuart Offer, AM Sales Manager at Renishaw. “In contrast to machining, no custom tooling is required, which results in improvements in speed and a reduction in manufacturing costs, particularly for such a difficult to machine part.”

“The Kwikbolt project is a true AM success story,” explained Paul Mortlock, Managing Director at Frazer-Nash. “Using AM means we can easily produce a bespoke

Using AM means we can easily produce a bespoke component based on each aerospace customer's requirements.

Renishaw's AM systems have been flawless since we started working together.

Frazer-Nash now produces 25,000 AM parts a year and has expanded its range of components

‘‘

component based on each aerospace customer's requirements. Renishaw's AM systems have been flawless since we started working together.

Frazer-Nash now produces 25,000 AM parts a year and has expanded its range of components.”

“Over the last five years, we have developed a close partnership with Renishaw,” added Mortlock. “We originally chose to partner with Renishaw due to its support services and we have found these to be invaluable.”

8 renishaw.com/additive frazernashcom.wpengine.com www.engineeringcapacity.com

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AEROSPACE & DEFENCE | Engineering Capacity Real-time quality control using multi-sensor metrology allows Winbro to get miniature holes in aerospace components right first time.

The company says its partnership with metrology expert OGP UK has been a ‘game-changer’ in a highly regulated industry.

Winbro Group, a world leader in the design and production of machines and technologies based on non-conventional processes, specialises in producing the miniature cooling holes and forms in components used in the most demanding part of aero and industrial gas turbines.

These holes are critical in allowing internal airflow to prevent overheating during engine operation and, because effective cooling improves component efficiency, this leads to reduced fuel consumption and nitrogen oxide emissions on today’s generation of lightweight, lownoise jet engines.

The Leicestershire-based firm teamed up with OGP UK eight years ago and now uses three of its SmartScope systems – a CNC 300 and two Vantage 450s.

Winbro Chief Technology Officer Andy Lawson says the solutions

Aerospace machining game changer

are key to being able to guarantee quality for customers.

He said: “As Winbro’s advanced machining division has gained more and more parts, in both aerospace and industrial gas turbines, we’ve gone back to OGP UK for turnkey solutions.

We’ve bought additional programming and help for parts that we weren’t necessarily familiar with, and OGP has been very responsive in that area.

“Ultimately it’s about the speed of inspection versus production.

We’re able to take parts straight off the machine and then, while the second part is being machined or drilled, the first part will go into the inspection lab and in less than 10 minutes feedback is given straight to the operator to be able to control the process.

“We already get a much more Winbro Chief Technology Officer Andy Lawson

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quality inspection report real time, such that we are no more than one part away from an issue.”

OGP UK’s market-leading multisensor technologies house superior optical, laser and tactile sensors, automatically selecting the right tools for any given task in one routine and eliminating the need for multiple traditional measuring systems.

Collecting detailed data and gauging the characteristics of even the most demanding components and features, and doing so faster and more reliably than anything else around, come as standard.

Working with more accurate and real-time statistics, from a single reference point, has proved revolutionary for tighter control of production processes, as issues can be identified and remedied immediately.

Fewer rejects, minimal rework and faster product-to-market times are just some of the benefits.

JULY 2019

Engineering Capacity | AEROSPACE & DEFENCE Mr Lawson added: “OGP offered a full turnkey system, so we were able to give one or two of the components we had just won with our customers and work with OGP for them to develop the software and programmes, such that those programmes were fully verified with the equipment. “During the development of the new parts, you often have hiccups.

What we found was that OGP was very responsive – we were able to work together to get through

technical problems and solutions, and I think that for me was a game-changer. “It’s more than just buying the

hardware and equipment – it’s really how you utilise and get the most out of it.

8 winbrogroup.com

Wealdpark Limited Stand number 5126

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

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

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

JULY 2019

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AEROSPACE & DEFENCE | Engineering Capacity Quality management provider G&P, which has historically worked with many of the world’s leading automotive OEMs is now helping more and more aerospace customers increase quality levels, efficiency and profitability.

Key to its success is its awardwinning Quality Excellence model, which provides factual data regarding all non-conformances allowing informed decisions to be made regarding the development of the supply chain. This a total solution model covering all production site quality requirements and through the use of G&P’s escalated services there is further opportunity to support supplier development and drive

Maintaining aerospace quality

disruptions back to root cause quickly and effectively to minimise their impact.

This model helps protect reputations by maintaining quality standards in an industry where good reputations established over decades can be wiped out overnight by one faulty part.

At the heart of the model is an in-house sophisticated software

system called QTrak, which allows real-time supplier analysis and identification of quality trends.

Underpinning G&P’s growth in the aerospace industry are three guiding principles to reflect the sector’s demands and challenges – protect, define and implement.

Core to this is protecting buildlines from disruption and poor quality, while maximising their production effectiveness.

This is achieved by defining the problem through measurement, analysis, audit and data.

G&P then works with its clients to develop a permanent fix and eradicate the root cause.

8 gpqm.com

• CNC machining of Exo c materials such as Inconel, MP35N, Waspalloy, Titanium • Subcontract machining from Free Issue and supply complete including finishes • 48hr Turnaround turning and milling capacity • EDM – Spark erosion

Oil & Gas • Precision Turning using Hardinge collets • Barfeed and billet work undertaken • Small batch to High volume • Full 5 axis simultaneous milling

Motorsport

Defence

48hr 48hr

Aerospace

Turnaround T urnaround Capacity Capacity

w www.cncleicester.com ww.cncleicester.com Clipper Clipp per R Road oad L Leicester eicester L LE4 E4 9 9JE JE T Tel: el: 0116 0116 sales@cncleicester.com sales@cncleicester.com

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JULY 2019

Engineering Capacity | AEROSPACE & DEFENCE Fintek has gained GE certification for mass surface finishing processes that eliminate the bottlenecks and risks of hand finishing.

The new certification adds to its existing AS9100 and AS9001 and, says the company, is an important milestone as it continues to expand its subcontract surface finishing services in the aerospace sector.

Fintek is working with several aerospace component manufacturers to eliminate production bottlenecks where hand and traditional finishing methods are not able to achieve higher quality surface finishing requirements in shorter times.

Of particular concern for many aerospace parts manufacturers is unseen damage caused by manual deburring using small powered hand tools. These can sometimes cause accidental nicks that can compromise fatigue requirements, possibly with catastrophic consequences.

Nadcap world first Physical Digital has become the first and only company in the world to achieve Nadcap accreditation for measurement and inspection using 3D structured light (3DSL).

Physical Digital has provided 3DSL measurement services to the aerospace industry for many

JULY 2019

Cutting out hand finishing

Another hand finishing issue is missed burrs that are subsequently peened over and can also lead to component failure.

Key in addressing these issues has been the introduction of highly controllable stream finishing systems by OTEC Präzisionsfinish GmbH. Fintek, which represents OTEC in the UK, has been able to develop special processes to dramatically improve the

efficiency and, importantly, the quality of the surface finishing for aerospace manufacturers. Typical components benefiting from superior and more consistent surface finishing include turbine blades, extremely thin parts, gear wheels, fasteners and even cutting tools.

To accommodate additional stream finishing units and meet demand for these processes, Fintek is planning to extend its existing facility. “These are exciting times as much of the research and development work we have undertaken with F1 teams, the pinnacle of motorsport, is proving to be adaptable to aerospace and we can offer manufacturers mass finishing options to boost productivity and quality where previously they did not exist. This GE certification is another step forward for us,” said Managing Director Jonathan Dean.

8 fintek.co.uk

years, completing repeatability studies, batch measurement, inspection and analysis on industrial components from single turbine blades to complete jet turbine engines and full aircraft.

It operates an advanced metrology facility optimised for 3DSL optical measurement with environmental monitoring and controls including precise temperature control, diffused airflow distribution, optimised

lighting and humidity monitoring to ensure any effects are understood and mitigated.

Managing Director Tim Rapley said: “Physical Digital is the first and only company in the world to achieve a Nadcap accreditation for Measurement and Inspection using 3D Structured Light. We specialise in capturing highaccuracy surface data for a wide variety of industrial sectors.

8 physicaldigital.com

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TURNED PARTS | Engineering Capacity Investment in a new CNC mill-turning machine at WES Hardmetal Engineering has instantaneously secured lights-out manufacturing for the precision engineering firm.

The Cornwall based scientific instrumentation, aerospace, automotive, oil and gas sector service provider financed the highprecision DMG Mori NLX 2500|700 machine in response to a recognition of growth in future markets. WES says the speed with which it achieved ‘lights-out’ manufacturing with the new investment is unprecedented in the company’s 40-year heritage.

James Gazzard, Group Commercial Manager explains: “We had a strategic growth approach to this latest investment.

Increased interest in our hard metal specialisms from the scientific instrumentation and laboratory equipment sector, offered us the opportunity to

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Boom boom, out go the lights assess our market position; leading to further investment in our operations and infrastructure.

However, we didn’t expect the turnaround on our forecasted prediction to be so rapid.

“We already run lights-out on other machines, but typically on simpler components. The new machine has improved probing and repeatability so we can

run more complex parts, from exotic materials, without a dedicated operator, overnight and fill previously lost hours at the weekend.

“Having installed the new machine in spring, we have already managed hundreds of hours of additional production on top of normal shift patterns; enabling a quicker turnaround of the complex components. As a consequence, major gains across our lean manufacturing processes have also been achieved.

“As key suppliers to the automotive industry with key clients including JLR, Nissan and Honda, the ‘lights-out’ achievement is a confidence boost amongst a challenging car industry scene.

Gazzard concludes: “Like many SME’s we’ve felt the ripple effect of the current automotive industry scene but it is advancing technologies that is enabling us to manage operational processes and make gains in other areas of the business.”

8 wesltd.com JULY 2019

Engineering Capacity | TURNED PARTS Investment in production control software is key to Bromsgrove-based Davturn's turned parts operation.

The company offers its customers a complete turned parts facility and has based its growth on competitive pricing and high levels of customer service.

This includes close cooperation with the customer at all stages of the production process, from initial design through to supplying prototypes and samples. This approach helps to reduce costs and manufacture final products that fully meet customer expectations.

However, as a small turned parts company with minimal staff, administration throughout the entire production process needs to be as efficient as possible and Davturn has addressed this requirement through investment in PSL Datatrack production control software.

The company specialises in the production of turned parts from 2mm to 51mm diameter in various ferrous and non-ferrous materials, including most stainless steel grades. Using the latest sliding head CNC machines, offering up to 32mm capacity, and fixed head machines producing up to 51mm diameter parts, the company's components and products are used by customers in sectors that include the aerospace, automotive, construction, electrical, hydraulics and pneumatics industries.

Before investing in PSL Datatrack, Davturn used its own Excel spreadsheet system to record customer order JULY 2019

Co-operation is key on turned parts

information and manage the business. Whilst this system could store a lot of information, it was less than ideal for linking together all of the different data relating to the company's customers and orders or for providing a complete overview.

Now Davturn has a set of core PSL Datatrack modules and two user licences to cover the company's administration, financial, purchasing and sales functions.

Managing Director Mark Birley says:“Alongside a good quality product, we have always tried to offer a professional service. With PSL Datatrack it became possible to streamline our quotation system and run a customer order from the initial works order through to the final invoice, making us more efficient. It has reduced our administration times considerably and the invoicing module is a particularly great help.”

Davturn is an ISO 9001:2008 registered company and uses PSL Datatrack to ensure its components are supplied on time every time for each customer order or schedule and backed up by full traceability. “As we are an ISO 9001 registered company, PSL Datatrack is second to none when external auditors are onsite because of the full traceability it can quickly demonstrate. We always find that they are very impressed with the system,” says Mr Birley.

With further investments in PSL Datatrack on the cards, to cover functions including Shop Floor Data Collection (SFDC), Process Layouts and Work in Progress, Davturn is well positioned to grow its business, attract more customers and become ever more productive without increasing the burden of administration.

8 psldatatrack.com davturn.co.uk www.engineeringcapacity.com

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FORMING & FABRICATION | Engineering Capacity ECS Engineering Services is to replace all the gates on the Fort Augustus flight of locks Thomas Telford’s Caledonian Canal in Scotland, under a contract with Scottish Canals.

The Caledonian Canal runs for 70 miles through the Great Glen from Inverness in the east to Fort William in the west. One of Scotland's most important tourism and leisure drivers, it was constructed by Thomas Telford in the early 19th century so that shipping did not have to brave the stormy waters around the north of Scotland. By careful routing, most of its length is made up of the natural waters of Loch Ness, Loch Lochy and Loch Linnhe. The change in levels to the east of Loch Ness is addressed by the six-gate lock flight at Fort Augustus.

The current lock gates were installed in the mid-twentieth century and are approaching the end of their life expectancy. ECS

Fabricating history

has a single source framework agreement for lock gates with Scottish Canals, the organisation which also looks after the Crinan Canal, Forth and Clyde Canal, Union Canal and Monkland Canal.

ECS is to survey the six locks and design gates for each location, these gates will be manufactured by its in-house fabrication team, inhouse before installation. The newly designed gates will be some of the

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

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

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largest in the UK, made of steel with freshly designed sealing and self-lubricating bearing systems. These gates have been designed to provide a long working life, with little need for maintenance in an extremely tough working environment.

Jamie Wesley, ECS Operations Director says: "Whilst these gates may look almost identical to the existing, Fort Augustus is both a World Heritage Site and one of Scotland's premier visitor destinations and so, in conjunction with renowned design house KGAL, we have ensured that these modern designs are sympathetic to the location whilst being able to stand the test of time in the Scottish Highlands. ECS will also plan our operations to cause as little disruption to locals and visitors as possible. The draining of these iconic locks for this work is a mammoth task, in conjunction with Scottish Canals this will be done in a controlled process to protect the Environment and local tourism whilst providing a safe working site for our teams."

8 ecsengineeringservices.com JULY 2019

Engineering Capacity | FORMING & FABRICATION Laser cutting, coating and fabrication specialist Gratnells has helped create fold-away cricket nets that will support the promotion of cricket in inner city schools.

Gratnells worked with DEM Sports. which recently revealed an updated Concertina Cricket Net and Multi-Sport Foldaway Net System. These unique fold-away, space saving systems have been designed to promote cricket at grassroots level, primarily for use in schools without fields or where space is at a premium.

These versatile nets can be used as a safe place for containing any ball games, sporting practices, coaching sessions or disciplines; including but not limited to cricket, batting, bowling, catching, rounders, football and hockey.

As well as encouraging health and fitness and increasing overall physical activity, the aim is to make games like cricket available to all children, even those who attend inner city schools with tarmac yards or similar areas not ideally suited for practice.

Participation in sport is thought to have a number of positive effects on children from improving coordination, interaction with others, teamwork, fitness, confidence and mental well-being.

As part of ongoing anti-childhood obesity initiatives, the Government recommends 30 minutes of activity per day is required for children in the school setting. Equipment such as DEM Sports nets will enable more schools to meet these standards. It is hoped that more schools will be able to invest JULY 2019

Batting for school cricket

in this initiative by tapping into funding levied from the soft drinks industry, earmarked for improving school sports facilities and promoting healthy living; or through Funding 4 Education, which enables schools to purchase or lease sporting equipment.

Gratnells, historically known as the leading name in school storage in over 68 countries of the world, has developed its engineering arm into a multisector manufacturer capable of providing high-volume laser cutting, powder coating and bespoke metal solutions to a wide range of customers.

As well as developing the refined design of the DEM Sports nets, Gratnells Engineering provided a laser cut, powder coated finish with protective foam pads over the metal posts. The net system is either fixed to a wall,

post or fence and uniquely folds back to 50cm, extending out to 8, 10 or 12 meters depending on the size that is ordered. The Multi Sport variation measures 10m x 6m and folds back to approximately 82cm for storage against a wall. If required, the whole playing area can be enclosed using a sliding front net.

Extending the nets for use requires two people but takes only minutes to perform.

Anthony Byrne, Gratnells Product Manager, said: “Gratnells has a long history of supporting ideas that aim to help children succeed. We were delighted to work on refining this DEM Sports equipment as it has the potential to unlock inner city play spaces and combat obesity. We look forward to seeing the nets being used by children all over the UK soon.�

8 gratnells.com www.engineeringcapacity.com

23

FORMING & FABRICATION | Engineering Capacity A bespoke laser cutter at Appleby-based Barrnon allows the engineering services provider to cut and weld using a single 6kW fibre laser.

The company serves sectors as diverse as marine and agricultural, nuclear decommissioning and oil and gas.

Having invested in the new, 6KW fibre laser source from IPG photonics, Barrnon Ltd searched to find a machine supplier which would accommodate the requirement of suppling a machine that would integrate with an existing laser source.

The split beam means the engineering service provider can now run its robotic welder and laser cutting machine using just one source, maximising the laser utilisation as when Barrnon isn’t cutting, it can weld.

Fibre laser doubles up

Andy Barr, director of Barrnon Ltd, said: “I’d heard about the speed and efficiency of the Kimla machines within the industry and went to see them for

STL accredited for safety Presswork and metal contact specialist Samuel Taylor Limited (STL) is one of the first companies in the UK to achieve the ISO45001 standard accreditation for Health and Safety.

It is also in the first 100 companies to attain the conversion from BS18001 to the new international standard.

The new ISO standard helps organizations by providing a framework to improve employee safety, reduce workplace risks and create better, safer working conditions. The process

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towards compliance was a team effort of STL Company Secretary Richard Pick, Quality Assurance Manager Bogdan Dumitru and Production Manager Paul Booth, as well as external consultants Temple Quality Management Systems.

However, STL Quality Assurance Manager Bogdan Dumitru emphasizes that the key to successful transition was the commitment of all employees: “The journey to ISO 45001 accreditation was very much an employee led approach, placing a significant emphasis on employee participation and consultation.

myself at MBA Engineering. After witnessing it first hand, we decided to make the investment and purchase a 1530 Powercut Linear Fibre machine to share the source with our robotic welder. We needed a truly bespoke machine to be fitted around the source, and MBA Engineering was able to deliver this.”

Bradley McBain, managing director of MBA Engineering, said: ““At a time where lasers are becoming more efficient, a laser cutting machine can complete jobs in a fraction of the time of its predecessor, freeing up time for the business. In Barrnon’s case, this time is replaced by the robotic welder’s output.”

8 barrnon.com Employee input is essential in order to develop effective ways of protecting our workforce. If employees are given the opportunity to participate in shaping safe work systems, particularly by getting involved at the planning stage, they are more likely to identify the reasons for taking a particular action, help find practical solutions, and comply with the end result”.

Richard Pick says that the ISO 45001 certification was a direct follow up to OHAS 18001 accreditation it already held and so the transition only took 3-4 months.

8 samueltaylor.co.uk

JULY 2019

Engineering Capacity | FORMING & FABRICATION

Automated laser with global reach

A new fibre laser with bespoke automation is helping CSM ship orders as far afield as Oman, Malaysia and Argentina.

Managing Director Paul King says: “I’ve always been a believer in automation, pushing to run machines lights out wherever possible. I don’t understand why more laser users aren’t using it.”

Founded in 1978 CSM specialises in the design and manufacture of sheet metal for a wide range of commercial and retail products on a subcontract basis.

The company’s capabilities stretch from design and development work through to laser profiling and cutting, MIG, TIG and robotic welding, shot blasting and assembly. Products include clean-room filtration equipment, wood-burning stoves, trailers, and components for brands such as McDonalds, JD Sports, Subaru and Debenhams, all requiring precision cutting and speed to produce. Like many, Paul was a CO2 laser user, but, after 18 years was keen to investigate fibre laser technology.

JULY 2019

However, any new solution also had to take into account the logistics of the company’s Swansey Mill layout. “We operate out of a former cotton mill, so it is hard to accommodate a large laser machine because of the type of building with all of the columns that are in the way,” says Paul.

“Laser machines lend themselves to big, sprawling factories, so while the easy option is often to buy another machine, the footprint doesn’t always suit the space you’re trying to put it into.

So, my first thought was – what fits the space?”

As well as being appropriately sized and more energy-efficient, any prospective system needed to exceed the automation capacity of the previous installation. “Our previous laser had automation and that had been successful, so I was interested in any new automation system that offered multi-cassette capacity.”

The solution was a Yamazaki Mazak OPTIPLEX NEXUS 3015 Fiber 4kW laser machine with bespoke 10-shelf automation towers taking into account

the pillars and limited tower space available at Swansey Mill, while allowing easy access for loading sheets.

Paul King says: “The automation has given us an incredible capacity, and the machine seems to crunch through any amount of work. I can’t physically feed it enough.”

The new fibre technology laser system has also helped CSM reduce its overall energy consumption, and has provided further operational benefits for the company.

This combination of improved speed, power and efficiency provided by Mazak is helping CSM move forward and expand.

Indeed, with the company now shipping products as far as Oman, Malaysia and Argentina, along with its traditional UK market, CSM’s new laser and automation solution is crucial to the company’s future plans.

“I’ve always said to the workforce that technology and automation has never made anybody redundant in CSM – the business has continued to grow in numbers and those people have remained and been redeployed in higher value roles,” concludes Paul. “We’ve nearly 100,000 sq. ft to grow into at Swansey Mill, and we’re continuously growing commercially too – we’ve set ourselves a target to get to £6 million revenue, and the new OPTIPLEX NEXUS will be vital in helping us achieve this.”

8 csmsheetmetal.co.uk www.engineeringcapacity.com

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SPONSORED FEATURE

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Cold-cutting waterjet reduces risk and boosts productivity for leading hovercraft maker

Picture courtesy Griffon Hoverwork Ltd.

Outsourcing waterjet cutting of sheet and plate materials to manufacturing services contractor ICEE Managed Services has resulted in not just one benefit but several major quality and productivity gains for Griffon Hoverwork Limited, Britain’s only large-scale hovercraft maker.

Serving a global market and to customers’ bespoke requirements, Griffon Hoverwork Limited (GHL), builds a wide range of large and small hovercraft for commercial and military purposes, all based on advanced and innovative principles British engineer and inventor Sir Christopher Cockerell first developed back in 1955.

Most GHL hovercraft hulls and superstructures are typically constructed by welding together and assembling hundreds of panels and large and small parts, cut from 2mm thick sheet up to 20mm plate by ICEE’s waterjet resources, mostly in 5083-0 grade aluminium and 304L, or 316L grade stainless steel.

Waterjet cutting is a cold process. It eliminates a major risk in welding aluminium or stainless steel sheet and plate, and reduces fettling costs. If a panel is cut by fibre laser (or another melting or vaporising method) the intense heat forms oxides, or heat-affected zones (HAZ), on cut metal surfaces.

This oxide must be laboriously removed before panels can be welded together, or inclusions may contaminate a part or the whole weld. If this happens in a hovercraft structure, over time operational stresses might cause crack propagation leading to local or extensive weld breakage, possibly resulting in catastrophic failure.

For GHL, the waterjet coldcutting process solves both issues – no risky HAZ and no costly post-

A 78-seat Griffon Hoverwork 12000TD passenger craft operated by Isle of Wight-based Hovertravel Ltd.

processing or weld preparation.

Ideal for many materials, waterjet cutting results in a clean and accurate edge, wasting little as the kerf, or cut itself, is narrow (0.28mm). On thick plate, no wandering or ‘tapering’ of the cut occurs, so edges are always square and true for welding. A bonus is no heat distortion.

GHL often build craft to Lloyd’s Register compliance standards. To qualify, immediately after cutting in the factory, ICEE marks each part or panel, clearly identifying it in relation to associated quality assurance documentation produced for GHL by the contractor. This ensures beforehand only certified parts are built into a vessel, also providing

Opening up new possibilities for designers and production engineers, ICEE's advanced waterjet processing not only cuts a variety of sheet and plate materials in 2D, but also in three dimensions.

proof later if required that correct material has been used.

Building a large hovercraft may take up to twelve months. GHL want cut panels and parts supplied by ICEE in staged work packages over that time. In planning its production, the hovercraft maker breaks down orders into hundreds of work packages. In general, a package equals a week’s parts supply for one person.

An order package may contain between one hundred to a thousand components to be cut, depending on the build stage. As part of its comprehensive service, ICEE delivers completed work packages straight into specific task zones in GHL’s factory, together with all associated documentation, saving time and errors and boosting productivity for its customer.

8 To find out more please contact: Chris Arnold ICEE Managed Services Ltd. 20 Arnside Road, Waterlooville Hampshire PO7 7UP Telephone: 02392 230 604.

Email: Chris.Arnold@icee.co.uk Web: www.icee.co.uk

JULY 2019

Engineering Capacity | FORMING & FABRICATION Pressworker Brandauer is toasting its Queen’s Award success with a £1.5m export boost Brandauer, which employs 67 people at its Birmingham facility, has secured new orders to supply customers in the Netherlands, the United States and, for the first time ever, Israel.

It has helped the family-owned business increase sales to £9.2m and has been a major feature in it recently securing the Queen’s Award for Enterprise (International Trade) - one of only sixteen companies in the West Midlands to achieve the prestigious accolade.

The management team are focused on doubling turnover to £18m by 2022 and have invested £3m in the latest metrology technology and high-speed presses from Bruderer and Yamada to achieve the ambitious plans.

Rowan Crozier, CEO of Brandauer, explained: “There has been a lot of uncertainty with Brexit and falling demand in China, but that hasn’t stopped us actively targeting international business and winning it.

“We have found that our ability to meet exacting tolerances within competitive lead times is in demand, even in the presswork ‘powerhouse’ of Germany where their specialists simply can’t match our turnaround times.”

He continued: “Launching our new products, including Elopin (solderless press-fit connector), CB Cable Clips and turn-key tooling, has also been successful and contributed to the rise in export orders.

JULY 2019

International press coverage

“The Queen’s Award really is the icing on the cake and testament to the hard work, commitment and innovation all of our staff have put in to help make us a world leader.

“It’s rare for a company of our size to achieve this accolade and we know it is going to be a fantastic marketing tool when tendering for more work in the United States and targeted expansion into consumer markets.”

Established in 1862, Brandauer produces millions of high tolerance metal pressings and stampings every week for customers in the plumbing, automotive, domestic products, electrical, medical and renewables sectors.

The pressings include electrical connectors that are fitted in 90% of the world's kettles, edge connectors for the dimming of rear-view mirrors in 50% of modern-day cars and 7 million nose bridge clips per month -

used predominantly in medical/personal protection face masks over four continents.

85% of the firm’s current £9.2 million annual sales is exported to international markets, half of which is direct from its factory in Birmingham. This has gone up 4% year-on-year since 2015 and has seen it operate in more than 22 countries, including traditionally ‘hard to break’ territories of Israel, the USA, Saudi Arabia and Germany; the home to its most intense competition.

Rowan Crozier says: “The real breakthrough moment for our business though was the contract in Israel, where we are supporting the expansion of a subscription razor company by producing the stainless steel frames the blades are fixed to. The lead came from a social media video and, when ramped up, will be around £1m per year in revenue.”

8 brandauer.co.uk www.engineeringcapacity.com

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CASTING & FORGING | Engineering Capacity

Lightweight castings contracts Black Country foundry Alucast has secured over £3m of new contracts from car makers keen to explore ways of reducing weight on future models.

Backed by support from Sandwell Metropolitan Borough Council, Black Country LEP and the Black Country Growth Deal, it has opened additional facilities adjacent to its Wednesbury headquarters to cope with the expansion, giving the company an additional 7000 sq ft of dedicated machining space to work with.

“The automotive industry continues to move to lighter vehicles as the car makers look at ways where they can meet emission targets and improve fuel performance,” said Tony Sartorius, Chairman of Alucast.

“We have been working on this approach for some time, supporting some of the world’s most prestigious OEMs to design and cast lighter components to what they’ve been using previously.

“This is now paying off with £3m of new contracts secured in the last twelve months alone, with the promise of a lot more to come if we continue to invest in our capabilities, our design team and our rapidly growing machine shop.”

He continued: “It’s great news for the Black Country as we will be creating tens of new jobs towards the end of the year when volumes come on stream and it’s a positive shot in the arm for local manufacturing with ‘Brexit’ on the horizon.”

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Alucast, which is on course for £8.5m annual sales, specialises in providing aluminium castings for a global customer base involved in automotive, agriculture, hydraulics and the oil and gas industry.

Investment in a new £175,000 die penetrant facility, combined with more than 50,000 sq ft of manufacturing space, gives it the flexibility to offer low, medium and high-volume production.

The management has recently signed off the £400,000 acquisition of three 5-axis CNC machines from the Engineering Technology Group (ETG) in Wellesbourne, which will help it supply final machined parts to the customer.

John Swift, Managing Director, added: “It has been a real whirlwind two years, which started in 2017 with celebrations for our 50th birthday and then continued with one of our best ever periods of winning new business.

“We’re not stopping there though. The recent investment and future spend are all about making the most of new opportunities, including the electrification of vehicles where we can produce castings for motor cases, liquid cooling and power electronics for instance.”

He concluded: “Our staff have also been hitting the headlines, with Connor Danks named as the Institute of Cast Metal Engineers ‘Apprentice of the Year 2019’, following in the footsteps of his colleague Liam Greaves and Kieran Marsden in 2018 and 2017 respectively.”

Alucast is part of the Manufacturing Assembly Network, an eight-strong group of subcontract manufacturers and an engineering design agency who work together to win orders and share best practice and resource.

8 alucast.co.uk man-group.co.uk JULY 2019

Engineering Capacity | CASTING & FORGING West Midlands Mayor Andy Street has opened a new laboratory and technology centre at light-weight component specialist Sarginsons.

The laboratory within the company’s manufacturing facility will enhance the measurement, chemical analysis and material testing of components.

The new lab will extend the scope of work that Sarginsons can carry out for its clients which include major automotive companies.

Mr Street said: “We have to keep the faith when it comes to the wider picture in manufacturing in our region, but if we come to Sarginsons, the results over the last two years have been brilliant.

“They are looking at meeting some of the really highspecification challenges for customers such as Aston Martin and by capturing some of those high-end niches, it has to be good for Coventry and the region.”

MD Anthony Evans said that technology would be key to the company’s growth.

He added: “So that means going beyond prototyping and manufacturing parts but working with our customers at the development phase of new components and using our technology to support that.

“The reason for opening the new laboratory and technology centre is to ensure that every member of the team can see, on a daily basis, where we are heading as a business and the role that our technology and measurement facilities will play in that.”

8 sarginsons.com JULY 2019

New lab for light-weighters

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www.engineeringcapacity.com

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CASTING & FORGING | Engineering Capacity A £250,000 investment in machining and spark eroding will help meet Midland Pressure Diecasting meet growing demand from reshoring.

The investment at the Black Country foundry comes on the back of securing the UK’s largest vibratory de-burring machine as part of the firm’s desire to add a single source solution for its customers, including design, toolmaking, casting and finishing.

Ash Suman, Managing Director of MPD, explained: “The last twelve months have been great for the business as we saw new contract wins across automotive, leisure, security and the telecommunications sectors.

“The key driver has been our ability to take on complex parts and deliver quicker than our competitors. This led to many clients choosing to re-shore production from international rivals, who were just not getting it right and delivering sub-standard parts.”

He continued: “Over £1m of orders are in the pipeline and the recent investment will ensure we have the capacity to complete in excess of £5m in sales by January 2020…our best ever year since we launched in 2000.”

Midland Pressure Diecasting offers aluminium and zinc high pressure die casting services to customers in batch sizes (ranging from 50 parts to 5 million) and with components as heavy as 6kg produced at the company’s two facilities spanning a combined 80,000 sq ft.

With work set to increase, the company has just completed the 30

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Reshoring drives casting demand

There’s a few more budding engineers coming through the ranks and our HR team are now looking to recruit a maintenance engineer and CNC machine setter to further strengthen our existing workforce

‘‘

first phase of its new factory layout, which will boost productivity. This has included the movement of heavy plant and machinery to create a better flow of work and the installation of energy efficient lighting.

Ash concluded: “It takes a lot of time, effort and planning to reorganise a facility, but we are already starting to reap the dividends.

“Whilst investment in machinery and infrastructure is important, you also have to look at continually developing your staff and I’m delighted to see one of

our apprentices complete his course and secure the Assistant Production Manager role.

“There’s a few more budding engineers coming through the ranks and our HR team are now looking to recruit a maintenance engineer and CNC machine setter to further strengthen our existing workforce.”

Midland Pressure Diecasting, who holds the ISO 9001:2015 quality accreditation, has recently launched a new website to help with the anticipated sales push.

The company is now looking to recruit four casters, four manufacturing operatives and three linishers as part of expansion plans that will help it target £5m of sales by the end of the year.

This will take the total workforce up to 60 people and give it the required capacity to deliver the volumes generated by the new business wins.

8 midlandpressurediecasting.co.uk JULY 2019

Engineering Capacity | COMPOSITES TRB Lightweight Structures provided pressed phenolic panels for luxury private suites on five Singapore Airlines A380 aircraft.

It worked closely with international high technology company Safran to create the private suites which were commissioned to celebrate the airline’s 70th birthday, and feature over 100 different phenolic panels.

Safran was appointed to design and build the luxury cabins and, with a tight deadline to meet, approached TRB, recognising the company’s expertise in composite materials and complex project management. The design of each room was dependent on its position within the aircraft, requiring the production of over 100 different types of complex, press-cured phenolic panels in a narrow timeframe.

Every panel also needed to be supplied with a cure graph, and to undergo vigorous quality assurance checks to ensure a high standard finish. Safran assigned a programme manager to work on site alongside the TRB team, and this joint effort ensured the project met all specifications and was delivered in a timely manner.

The collaboration allowed TRB to showcase the management capabilities necessary to complete large-scale, complex projects in a relatively short space of time.

Following the success of this project, TRB has also been chosen to manufacture over 100 doors as part of an ongoing scheme to fit Skyroom suites to the rest of the Singapore Airlines Airbus A380 fleet.

8 trbls.com JULY 2019

Private suites for the jet set

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01752 894786 www.aroprandmarketing.co.uk

www.engineeringcapacity.com

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COMPOSITES | Engineering Capacity Bindatex, the UK’s leading provider of composite precision slitting services, is celebrating 10 years of partnership and delivering 50 tonnes of multiaxial fabrics to a global composites reinforcement manufacturer.

The specialist slitting service enables the manufacturer to supply its customers with material in a wide variety of widths.

Multiaxial, stitched non-crimp fabrics (NCF) are constructed from numerous layers of carbon or glass fibres and these are held in place with a polyester thread.

The fibres can be in a variety of orientations, for example +45/90/45 degrees. One of the advantages of using multiaxial composites over woven materials is that they can increase efficiency in the lamination process as multiple layers of thicker fabrics can be laid up more quickly.

The use of multiaxial reinforcements in composite manufacturing is growing and this has been driven by the ability to slit these fabrics into a variety of tape widths. However, the construction of this type of material presents many challenges during the slitting process. It is vital to ensure a clean cut and accurate slit edge without compromising the fibre orientation and the handling characteristics of the materials. The tapes can be slit as narrow as 35mm and multiple widths can be achieved from each roll. The advantage of mixing the slitting pattern within a single roll helps to ensure maximum utilization from the material thus reducing waste.

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50 tonnes and 10 years later Bindatex’s slit multiaxial tapes have been used throughout the aerospace, marine and automotive industries, ranging from the manufacture of highperformance components to carbon fibre wheels.

Chris Lever, Bindatex Managing Director, said: “We are well ahead of the game slitting difficult to cut materials and in delivering spliced

tapes to very high precision. It’s fantastic to be working with this global manufacturer in the production of carbon fibre for a variety of applications.”

As well as being experts in the slitting of multiaxial carbon fibre and glass products, the company has been at the forefront of precision narrow width slitting of uni-directional (UD) composite tapes for innovative aerospace applications. It has also successfully developed the capability to produce ‘Lay-ready’

thermoplastic splices in UD tapes that are manufactured with PEEK, PAEK and PEKK polymers.

This development in proprietary technology will enable Bindatex to deliver defined spool lengths which can help to increase its customers’ productivity on automated fibre placement (AFP) and automated tape laying (ATL) equipment.

Through collaboration with customers, Bindatex has been able to provide innovative solutions to known problems with thermoplastic UD tapes which has helped to aid further adoption of these next generation composite materials.

Bindatex has vast experience in cutting composite carbon and glass fibre prepreg materials in diverse formats including unidirectional (UD) tapes and traverse wound spools; thermoplastic and thermoset carbon fibre prepreg; woven fabrics; multiaxial fabrics and non-woven materials.

The UK-based company is an approved supplier to major thermoplastic and thermoset manufacturers across the globe. Its customers include world class material manufacturers and end users across composites, aerospace, automotive, marine, advanced manufacturing, healthcare, energy and renewables.

8 bindatex.com JULY 2019

Engineering Capacity | EMO PREVIEW From 16 to 21 September 2019, international manufacturers of production technology will be spotlighting smart engineering at EMO Hannover 2019. Under the motto of “Smart technologies driving tomorrow’s production”, the world’s premier trade fair for the metalworking industry will be showcasing the entire bandwidth of modern-day metalworking technology, which is the heart of every industrial production process.

The fair will be presenting the latest machines, plus efficient technical solutions, productsupportive services, sustainability in the production process, and much, much more. The principal focus of EMO Hannover is on metal-cutting and forming machine tools, production systems, high-precision tools, automated material flows, computer technology, industrial electronics and accessories.

The trade visitors visiting EMO come from all major sectors of industry, such as machinery and plant manufacturers, the automotive industry and its component suppliers, the aerospace sector, precision mechanics and optics, shipbuilding, medical technology, tool and die manufacture, steel and lightweight construction. EMO Hannover is the world’s most important international meeting point for production technology specialists from all over the planet. EMO Hannover 2017 attracted almost 2,230 exhibitors from 44 different countries, and around 130,000 trade visitors from 160 nations.

JULY 2019

World’s top metalworking fair

Under the motto of “Smart technologies driving tomorrow’s production”, EMO 2019 will thus be concentrating on the current paradigm shift in industrial production operations, which are no longer focusing (only) on “better, faster, more accurate”, but on the development and implementation of new functions within the framework of Industry 4.0. Digitalisation and intelligent networking in conjunction with numerous new developments, from Big Data, data analytics and artificial intelligence, all the way through to the platform economy, create the foundations for new business models, so that customers and vendors can reach a new level of productivity.

“The last EMO Hannover had already shown that Industry 4.0 has arrived in the machine tool industry,” says Carl Martin Welcker, General Commissioner of the EMO Hannover 2019. “As the world’s leading innovation

platform, we are progressing this trend by focusing on the next development step in production operations: the technical options opened up by digitalisation and networking, which are being increasingly reflected in new business models,” he adds. “This doesn’t mean that in future we shall no longer be working on optimising machines and processes in the traditional way. I am, however, confident that quantum leaps forward in terms of productivity, quality and reliability will be triggered primarily by the new technologies. So in 2019 we will be seeing an abundance of solutions that implement new services for the machine tool industry’s customers.”

8 To take part in the event and receive first-hand information about news and trends within the industry, register for your complimentary ticket at http://bit.ly/EMOtickets. www.engineeringcapacity.com

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

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

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

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www.engineeringcapacity.com

MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS 8

Qualiturn Products Limited

PRECISION ENGINEERING 8

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

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

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

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

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

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

PRECISION ENGINEERING 8

MACHINE TOOL MANUALS 8

CNC PRECISION COMPONENTS 8

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

Mini Gears (Stockport) Ltd

PRECISION ENGINEERING 8

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

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

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

dpc.co.uk

PRECISION ENGINEERING 8

JFL Broaches and Broaching

MACHINING (5 AXIS) 8

BROACHING 8

DIRECTORY | Engineering Capacity

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

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

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

Hurco vertical machining centre.

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

JULY 2019

APT Leicester, Leicester, the ar artt of precision precision..

Precision Turned Turned P Parts arts

WATERJET CUTTING 8

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

SUBCONTRACT CNC TURNING 8

Kirkham Engineering Co Ltd

ICEE Comprehensive fabrication facilities offering complete turnkey solution.

Design, Precision Engineering, Sheet Metal Fabrication and Welding.

Prototypes, one off or batch work.

Waterjet Capacity: 4m x 2.25m & dash; materials up to 230mm depth.

Aluminium Alloy Specialists.

20 Arnside Road, Waterlooville, Hampshire PO7 7UP Tel: 023 9223 0604 www.icee.co.uk

CNC Milled Components Parts Assembly Parts Subcontract Machining

Grenville Engineering (Stoke-on-Trent) Ltd

AS AS 9100 & ISO 9001

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

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

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

JULY 2019

Design & Engineering Support Service

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

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TURNED PARTS 8

SPRING MAKING 8

SHEET METAL WORKING 8

REPETITION TURNED PARTS 8

Engineering Capacity | DIRECTORY

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

September 2017

INDUSTRY NEWS | MACHINING | AUTOMOTIVE | SHOW PREVIEWS

Precision Products (Brighton) Ltd A one-stop-shop for high-quality turned parts Accredited to AS9100 Rev D Unit 2 Brookside Avenue, Rustington, West Sussex BN16 3LF Telephone: +44 (0) 1903 776 171 www.precisonproducts.co.uk

MACHINED COMPONENTS: Prismatic parts from bar

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INFO: VDW – Generalkommissariat EMO Hannover 2019 Verein Deutscher Werkzeugmaschinenfabriken e.V. Corneliusstraße 4 · 60325 Frankfurt am Main · GERMANY Tel.: +49 69 756081-0 · Fax: +49 69 756081-74 emo@vdw.de · www.emo-hannover.de

Information, Tickets and Travel Packages: Sector Global Lower Strode Rd GB - BS21 6UU Clevedon Tel.: +44 2033 843 666 E-Mail: info@hf-greatbritain.com