By taking advantage of a supplier's 'previously owned' CNC sliding head automatic lathe service, a subcontractor has been able to keep pace with a growing order book for precision turned parts.
CNC sliding head automatics meet demand By taking advantage of a supplier's 'previously owned' CNC sliding head automatic lathe service, a subcontractor has been able to keep pace with a growing order book for precision turned parts By taking advantage of NC Engineering's 'previously owned' citizen cnc sliding head auto operation in the UK, Heeler Engineering of Kislingbury, Northampton, has been able to keep pace with a fast growing order book for precision turned parts and maintain deliveries to its commercial vehicle sector customers. Said managing director Martin Heeler: 'In 2005 we produced 4 million shafts, adjusting nuts, pivot pins, piston rods, spacers, nuts, bolts and washers, an increase of over 500,000 components that we machined the previous year. Almost 40% of the parts are produced on Citizen CNC sliding head autos and by opting for used machines as against new, this has allowed us to continue to install spindle capacity exactly when we need it.' As he explained, it is not all about reducing financial burden, Heeler was able to buy three machines in a package from NC Engineering to meet a large contract and immediately respond with a highly competitive quotation to win the business due to single cycle machining and limited manning methods.

'Our risk is also lower if the contract should disappear, because NC Engineering has a realistic buy-back policy if they know the machines and its history, which gives us a confidence level to go after new work.' Heeler's six Citizens include an L32, an L25, three L20s and a B12 which gives the company a good spread of spindle capacity.

Heeler maintains production security, even against strict Kanban delivery schedules, is not compromised because of the inherent reliability of the Citizen machines.

'We have never been let down and the service support is just a phone call or email away.

Quite often we can be talked through a problem over the 'phone and a service call response is always very quick.' He maintained that with NC Engineering being the Citizen specialist for over 30 years, the pre-owned machines available have a known history, have been serviced regularly and therefore give confidence they will provide a high level of productivity.

He said: 'I chuckle when they say the machines are not secondhand but 'experienced', but that really sums up the performance when they are installed.' Heeler, which employs 20 people in the second-generation family-run business, is certainly busy supplying mostly local customers.

It produces 250 different parts for one customer, makes 2,500 of two types of shaft a week and 300,000 piston rods a year.

Machines are changed-over up to three times a week and many of the components produced are typical of the parts that have disappeared overseas over the last five years.

But Heeler is not too concerned with his investment and set up at Kislingbury he is confident he can remain competitive - but not complacent.

'I am not arrogant and any subcontractor is vulnerable to losing a contract.

By capitalising on our experience in the sector and combining operations into single cycles, we have been able to largely offset the difference in labour cost and shipment.

What we can provide is security of supply.

Our customers know the quality we can deliver especially from the citizen machines and we can action an immediate delivery response when needed.

The lifeline to the Far East or even Eastern Europe is proving to be an important factor in buyer's purchase decisions as they are concerned at being held to ransom, and this is now working in our favour.' Even when facing fast rising material costs, Heeler mainly machines mild steel and free-cutting ENIA, and the company has been able to absorb most of the on-cost by improved methods and techniques.

For instance, hexagonal or rectangular, bar is no longer purchased, cheaper oversize round bar is now milled in-cycle to create hexagons and squares and one particular shaft has a thread 190mm long with crossholes and flats.

This is now machined in 'one-hit' and dieboxed on a Citizen L20 rather than single point cutting and a set of chasers tend to last for 3,000 or so parts.

Many of the existing components are now produced in half the cycle times, and hence shorter lead times than previous methods, with cross-holes, threading, knurls, flats, recesses and full deburring all performed in-cycle.

To which Heeler insisted: 'The Citizen L20 is really our ideal machine with its combination of power, speed and flexibility.' The machines are left virtually unattended once set and a first-off approved.

To which foreman Melvyn Payne described his role: 'The machines are very consistent.

We normally rack-up with new bar around 5 pm.

As I live just down the road, I come back around 7 pm and again between 9.30 and 10.00pm to make sure everything is OK and then check the parts produced in the morning and pack them for despatch.

We do all programming offline and download ready for the next batch which minimises change-over time.' Heeler said: 'We are determined to be here in the next five years.

While the manufacturing scene is changing fast, it is not all in the hands of overseas producers, technology has a lot of advantages to offer if it is used properly - that is our strength.