Simple parts can often be designed and programmed in less than 10 minutes, and even complex assemblies, with as many as 100 individual components, will normally be completed in a couple of days.

The ability to accept customers' product information in the widest variety of formats further demonstrates the flexibility of Henderson's services. The spectrum extends from emailed DWG or DXF files, to paper based drawings and free-hand sketches, which are all input to the Radan system before processing.

Once verified, the design data is converted into fully-specified NC programmes in a matter of moments (complete with automatic clamp avoidance and the tagging of nested products) ready for transfer to Henderson's production machines by DNC link.

The Radan system is also used to produce folding sequences and general assembly drawings for the company's shop floor fabricators in a drive for right-first-time products in the shortest possible leadtime.

The company supplies products in materials ranging from aluminium, brass and copper, to steel, stainless and coated alloy; and is equally happy manufacturing prototypes and oneoffs, as producing batches of several thousand parts at a time. Applications can vary from micro components to complex assemblies up to several metres long.

www.henderson-fabs.demon.co.uk