NEW CONTRACTS, SO NEW CITIZEN MACHINE ORDERED AT MACH BY PRECISION PRODUCTS

Having won several important contracts for highly complex stainless steel components, Brian Owen, Managing Director of Precision Products based in Rustington, West Sussex, went to MACH 2008 at the NEC Birmingham with the sole purpose of purchasing a further CNC sliding headstock lathe and placed an order for a top of the range Citizen M32-V.

Outlined Mr Owen: “Although we already have eight Citizens, three M32, two L20, a C16, B12 and K-Series machines installed amongst our 60 or so lathes and turn-mill centres producing parts between 0.5 mm and 51 mm diameter, it was not a foregone conclusion that we would add another Citizen to the tally. We seriously contemplated other machine suppliers but in direct comparison of all the different factors, the top-of-the-range Citizen M32-V won through."

On the second day of the show Mr Owen was keen to check out the performance of competitor 32 mm capacity machines and their ability to effectively machine difficult materials typically required by his medical, telecoms, brewing and automotive customers. He said: “It has been surprising how these different sectors have been increasingly placing work out to subcontract since Christmas so we had to respond by further upgrading our capacity.”

Once the decision was made in Citizen Machinery UK’s favour, Mr Owen was still deliberating whether to order the new Citizen A32 shown for the first time outside of Japan and although its rapid traverse rate of 45 m/min was the fastest on any 32 mm capacity machine and the casting was heavier duty, it was the specification of the top-of-the-range M32-V that won the day. The 14-axis machine can provide simultaneous cutting with three tools and Mr Owen was impressed by the improved toolholding arrangement that enabled drilling and milling closer to the guide bush giving that extra support. He also seriously considered the commonality to his other three M32s.

He said regarding the new contracts: “We told our customers during negotiations that we would invest in new equipment to accommodate the orders which impressed them with our commitment. We also explained how that is the way we operate and did the same by ordering a new Citizen for another customer’s contract last year.”

Over the last four years more than £1.5 million has been invested by Precision Products in new equipment. It now employs 43 people at its sites in Rustington and Hollingbury near Brighton. The company operates 100 hours a week with weekends unmanned when needed and most CNC machines are Wi-Fi linked for program download.