Latest developments include the purchase of a Star sliding-head lathe in July 2007, while last year saw the installation of a Miyano fixed-head lathe, metrology equipment from Tesa, an Autocrib tool store and PSL Datatrack production management software.

The subcontractor now produces seven million components per year, from simple to highly complex mill-turned parts, for delivery to 250 customers operating in a wide range of industries, including the aerospace, automotive, surgical and electronics sectors. Customers are mainly in the UK but include some in China and Eastern Europe.

Average batch size is 1,000 but can be as low as five-off or up to 100,000. Tolerances are sometimes very tight; one recent job required + 6 microns, - 0 to be held on a 5mm turned diameter.

A second MecWash aqueous washing machine, this time with ultrasonic cleaning capability, will be installed later this year, as will a high-rise carousel for storing bar. Space has already been freed up on the shop floor by relocating a manual lathe, mill and press to the mezzanine area, which has been doubled in size.

In 1990, Qualiturn’s owner and managing director, Bernard Groom, was one of the first contract machinists in the country to start lights-out machining, with no operator attendance during the night shift.

The plant list currently includes 16 Star CNC sliding-head mill-turn centres and two Miyano twin-turret fixed-head lathes, the most recent of which, model BNJ-42SY, has a Y-axis to allow more complex, single-hit cycles involving such operations as cross tapping and helical milling. Qualiturn’s move into fixed-head turning was prompted four years ago by customers asking for a full service involving the supply of mill-turned parts up to 42 mm diameter. Maximum capacity of sliding-head lathes is 32 mm diameter.

The subcontractor adopts a principle of exchanging machines at a rate of two per year, when they are eight years old at the latest. It is not because they are unreliable, but to take advantage of the latest capabilities of the most up-to-date plant, including higher cutting speeds, faster rapid traverse, more tooling stations and different attachments.

www.qualiturn.co.uk