Large twin-column capacity

Engineering thermoplastics such as nylon, acetal and PEEK are regularly machined, as well as composites such as Railko, Tufnol, epoxy glass and polyester. Batch sizes range from one-offs to runs in excess of 1,000.

Founded in 1971, Jones Nuttall has been dealing with Hurco since 2000, at which time the subcontractor decided to progress from manual-tool- change mills to machining centres. It opted for Hurco equipment due to the high build quality and spindle power of both the machining centres and lathes.

The constantly changing demands of the railway industry require Jones Nuttall to adapt accordingly. That is why in addition to subcontract machining the firm has a fabrication department with spot, MIG and TIG welding capabilities, plus arc welding machines, punching equipment and guillotines. Many of finishing processes are also completed in-house, including shot blasting, powder-coating, painting and varnishing, as well as heat treatment and a range of plating, polishing and anodising processes.

8 jonesnuttall.com

For more than 30 years, Birmingham-based Rowan Precision Ltd has been manufacturing high-quality parts for customers – and for much of this time, the company has relied upon Guhring UK to supply its cutting tools.

As a subcontract machining specialist to industries such as the defence, medical and aerospace sectors, AS: 9100 and ISO: 9001 accredited Rowan specialises in sliding and fixed head multi-axis turning and 5-axis machining. With more than 10 sliding head turning centres on the shop floor, the company has an enviable reputation for medium to high volume lights-out manufacturing of small components. It is here that the service from Guhring has played a pivotal role.

Matthew Lowe from Rowan Precision Ltd said: “We’ve had a good relationship with Guhring for many, many years and they supply us with high-quality tooling and excellent technical advice. When we need something, they are here to have conversations and meetings about upcoming jobs, and we can talk about the processes with the Guhring technical team. We cut anything from plastics up to titanium, the high EN numbers, iridium, platinum and other challenging materials and Guhring will sit down with us, look at our drawings and give us what we require to do the job.”

Looking at specific tools, Matthew said: “We use a bit of everything. This ranges from Guhring’s Micro end mills, the