Accentuating the positive at Kepston
The Aldridge site majors in precision grinding, milling and turning operations; over the past two to three years £750,000 has been invested in new equipment
Positive initiatives and investments have paved the way for a bright future at furnace brazing, bright annealing and precision machining subcontractor Kepston Limited.
Celebrating 95 years in business in 2011, the company has seen many changes internally and also in the world at large during its long history. And since the dark days of early 2009, Kepston has fought back with a succession of positive initiatives, which has culminated in a very bright future.
The company has two sites, one at Aldridge and one at Wednesbury, both in the West Midlands. The Wednesbury site has developed into the UK’s leading subcontract mesh belt furnace brazing and bright annealing company for both mild and stainless steel components. This has been achieved by acquisition as well as ongoing investment in the latest plant to ensure high quality at competitive prices. This is essential to ensure that its extensive customer base can compete on the world stage in the automotive sector. Hydrogen batch furnaces for the annealing of soft magnetic materials support this key activity.
The experience available at Wednesbury is often used to assist customers, at the design stage, to advise on joint design, limits and fits as well as the most suitable braze alloy to use for a specific application. All activities are controlled under the ISO 9001 2008 accreditation and Kepston is currently working towards the TS 16949 standard.
The bright annealing of mild and stainless steel components completes the picture at the Wednesbury site. The current six mesh belt furnaces and seven batch furnaces ensure a fast turn round, with further plant planned in the near future.
The Aldridge site majors in precision grinding, milling and turning operations; over the past two to three years £750,000 has been invested in new equipment. The traditional jig grinding section has benefited from the addition of a CNC Hauser and a CNC G48 machine. This has extended the size of components Aldridge can process as well as maintaining the very tight tolerances achievable in a temperature controlled environment.
The universal grinding section has also benefited from the addition of a CNC Kellenberger machine, which has extended capacity with the benefit of consistent repeatability of components. This section may well require further investment in 2011 to satisfy the increase in demand.
The latest additions have been a CNC Hardinge/Bridgeport VMC XR1000 and a GS51A Turning Centre. These will enable Kepston to offer a broader range of processes to existing customers as well as a number of potentials currently being worked on. These additions will enable it to reduce lead times by bringing more of the process under its own control.
The main markets Kepston operates in include aerospace, defence, motor sport (including Formula 1) and general precision engineering – focusing on customers with high demands in terms of tolerances, quality and fast turnaround.
The company has ISO 9001 2008 approval and will achieve AS 91000 standard by the end of 2010, while a building extension in 2011 will enable the Aldridge site to continue its development.
Says commercial manager Andy Oakley: “We would welcome any new enquiries for the services we provide. It is a very exciting time for all of us at Kepston and we would like you to be part of our ongoing development.”
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