METALTECH RIDES THE RECESSION THROUGH POSITIVE INVESTMENT PLANS

The first two months of 2010 saw forward orders leap by some 30 per cent enabling Metaltech Precision to step up its double day shift to meet the demand. Orders flowed in, not only from drawing new business such as from the motorsport sector, but also from existing customers winding up supply demands by ordering new parts quoted last year and replenishing stocks run down in the recession.

Andy Riste, Business Development Manager maintains because MD Steve Hill has never fought shy of investment – this paid-off for the company over the last 18 months as times became more difficult. He said: “Over the last two years six new machines including turn-mill centres and a Citizen A20-VII CNC sliding head lathe have been installed bringing the head count to 49 machines in addition to expenditure on other production equipment.”

At the same time the heavy fabrication area has been expanded and a second paint shop established on the four-acre Chard, Somerset site. With the 47,000 ft² machine shop full to capacity, the company is currently expanding into recently vacated 8,000 ft² adjoining building.

Following the acquisition of another smaller subcontract firm, adding its workforce and order book to the Metaltech balance sheet, this will also create a full five-axis milling capability enabling the ‘one-hit’ production technology philosophy of the management team to be extended to further improve productivity, competitiveness and hence the opportunity for growth.

Under Mr Hill, Metaltech Precision will source machines when needed to meet new business demands. While some equipment suppliers have proven to be key in meeting his requirements, each installation is won on merit from specification, cycle time and quotation. A prime example is the recent Citizen A20-VIIPL purchased from Citizen Machinery UK of Watford to improve productivity on an existing contract for oil filter spindles destined for truck engines. The machine, now installed in a one operator cell with a centreless grinding machine, has reduced cycle times by some 20 per cent from previous machining methods.

According to machine setter Olly Facey, there are other immediate benefits from the Citizen installation. He said: “For me and my opposite number on the second shift the operator interface at the control could have almost have been written for us. Access for toolchange is ideal and very quick (through the Citizen/Sandvik developed QS system which can take as little as 40 secs to complete) and through a typical batch of 3,000 parts, the machine is so consistent that offsets and tweaks to maintain SPC targets are rare.”

What he and Mr Riste are unable to account for is that the Citizen A20 is also recording an improvement in tool life of some 30 per cent even when using identical cutting oil, the same proven speeds and feeds are used as on the previous sliding head machines. Here, stability was a key element in the design of the machine with its compact structure and the inherent rigidity of the casting particularly with its ability to absorb any vibration generated under cutting conditions.

Other factors in the development of the Citizen A20 contributing to shaving off precious seconds is the specification with its rapid traverse rates of 32 m/min, the quickest in its class, achieved by very high rates of acceleration. It can also cut with two tools simultaneously and through the faster processing capability of the “Streamline Control” has the ability to overlap different sequences.

Both main and subspindles of the machine have maximum speeds of 8,000 revs/min with full C-axis and four 6,000 revs/min driven tools. One of these tool positions can also accept rotary, face or slitting style tools.

Two of the filter shaft components produced on the Citizen are very similar, the third which is 168 mm long requires a major reset. All three are produced from 16 mm diameter Hitenspeed 45A and have critical sealing diameters of 13 mm that are turned to a process size of +0.08/0.10 mm diameter ready for heat treatment followed by plunge feed centreless grinding.

At each end of the larger 168 mm long shaft threads of M10 x 1.5 and M12 x 1.75 are respectively cut in the main and subspindle positions. There are also undercuts, relief diameters and various blend radii and chamfers. A deep hole of 5 mm diameter by 55 mm deep has a 5 mm diameter through cross hole for which Mr Riste praises the Citizen CoolBlaster II high pressure coolant system enabling a high penetration rate to be achieved and ensures a good clearance of swarf. Due to its programmable nature, CoolBlaster is also used to flush the subspindle collet and keep tools and the machining area clear of swarf.

Metaltech Precision was formed in 1973 in Chard by Mr Hills’ father and moved to its current premises on the four acre site in 1999. Growth has been steady year on year averaging at least 10 per cent and its current customer base spans at least 60 companies. Sales in 2008 for the 70 employee company set a record at £8.4 million with one customer’s account valued at over £1 million.

Parts are supplied as single components, prototype and pre-production batches right through to requiring round-the-clock continuous machining. Industry sectors supplied are mainly based south of the Midlands and include pump, machine tool, medical, print, tobacco, hydraulic, rail, automotive and, now with the recent company acquisition – high end motorsport.

As Mr Riste outlines – currently 40 per cent of business is based on turned parts and this is an important growth area for the future. He said: “With our investment policy led culture we have very few machines over five years old, this means we can be extremely competitive on quality, delivery and price.”