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News Release from: Acro Precision Technology
Edited by the Manufacturingtalk Editorial
Team on 14 July 2005
UK engineering benefits as Asia 'heats
up'
Over the past 20 years, many European companies have subcontracted precision machining to the Far East and Asia, but now the trend is changing says a UK company.
Precision engineering company, Acro Precision Technology, claims to be feeling the benefit from changes in the world economy Over the past twenty years, many European manufacturing companies have subcontracted precision machining to companies in the Far East and Asia
This article was originally published on Manufacturingtalk on 1 Sep 2005 at 8.00am (UK)
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Over the past year Acro has invested heavily in a range of hi-tech, unmanned production machinery that will now enable it to compete on the world market.
With lower labour costs and lower overheads, countries such as Korea and Taiwan have been able to undercut European engineering companies.
This situation has greatly contributed to the erosion of UK engineering.
However, it seems that the tide is turning.
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East Anglian precision engineering company is competing strongly with the Far East by making use of the Internet, ensuring its message gets across through powerful search engines.
Acro recently handle one enquiry from a new potential customer that claimed lead times for certain components machined in Asia are now exceeding a year and they were now sourcing a European supplier.
The customer also explained that five years ago, the same components could be delivered within two weeks from Asia.
It appears that these lower cost economies have now attracted so much work that they are running at full capacity and can no longer offer the response times that European manufacturers require.
"We have been investing in 24 hour unmanned machines in an effort to improve productivity, so that we can compete on price with the Far East".
"Such an enquiry is music to our ears." said Fred Pain, General Manager at Acro.
"I think European manufactures are starting to consider the additional costs of dealing with the Far East".
"If they have to hold large stocks of components because of long lead times or if they need short term design changes, working with a UK supplier like Acro must start to look attractive".
"The current high cost of oil and transportation might also be a factor, leading me to think that we should start seeing more enquiries of a similar nature." Acro are determined to put British engineering 'back on the map'.
Using the very latest in CNC machining technologies and having a team of committed, professional precision engineers has enabled Acro to double their turnover in the past five years.
* About Acro Precision Technology - with over 30 years experience in the machining of precision engineering components, Acro represents one of Europe's leading suppliers to the engineering and technology sector.
Acro offers specialist low volume prototype development as well as high volume manufacturing and is equipped with a broad range of modern CNC machinery: * CNC lathes with live tooling and 24hr unmanned production.
* Swiss type sliding head automatics.
* CNC milling.
* Conventional turning/milling/finishing.
Customer projects have included components for sport cars suspensions, bomb disposal robots, hospital beds, forecourt petrol pumps, the London Underground, equipment for off-shore oil exploration and production and components for the construction industry.
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