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Prospects are Bright for Small, Complex Batches
01 Mar 2006
Manufacture of complex parts costing pounds rather than pence is undoubtedly the future for turned parts subcontractor, Qualiturn Products. The company has streamlined production with the addition of two Star SR-20RII multi-axis mill-turn centres. Its Hertford facility now boasts 15 Star sliding-headstock lathes, all of which are less than eight years old and of top specification in terms of the number of CNC axes, driven tools and traverse speeds.
Owner Bernard Groom commented: "In 2004 we lost three contracts for fairly simple components - none requiring reverse-end work - to subcontractors in China, India and Korea, but none in 2005."
His view of British subcontracting is that the prospects are bright provided that firms do not try to compete for orders involving large batches of simple parts, such as those traditionally made on cam auto's or conventional multi's.
An advantage that UK subcontractors have over foreign competitors is the trend towards ever smaller batches, whereas having parts made in India or China requires large runs for them to be economical.
While Qualiturn typically produces batches in the region of 15,000-off, orders for 50-off are not infrequent; quantities that are far too small to have machined overseas.
Other work that is relatively safe is the production of components to tight tolerances; for example, a recent order for 5,000-off components stipulated that + 6 microns, - 0, be held on a 5mm turned diameter.
www.qualiturn.co.uk
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