Contract machinist provides stocking service

One feature of a contract machining service that sets it apart from other subcontractors is the extensive 'consignment stocking' service it provides to customers.

One feature of Holifields' contract machining service that sets it apart from other subcontractors is the extensive 'consignment stocking' service it provides to customers.

Components, kits of parts and even sub-assemblies are produced to an agreed schedule by Holifields and are stored at its Abingdon premises.

When the OEM calls off a further supply, the required quantity is shipped within 24 hours to meet just-in-time requirements and only then does the customer pay.

So none of the manufacturer's money is tied up in inventory; Holifields owns the stock and temporarily bears the costs not only of producing the components but also of stocking them.

The whole process is orchestrated by Prodman software, a derivative of the SageLine 100 automated back office system incorporating sales and purchase order processing, supplier management, stock control, serial number tracking and sales invoicing.

According to historical delivery schedules and stated intentions of the customer, stock levels falling below given thresholds automatically trigger further production for replenishment.

What is surprising about Holifields is the extent to which it has developed this side of its business, which managing director, Barry Holifield, describes as a partnership approach to winning new contracts and keeping them.

"There are a lot of subcontractors out there that can produce high precision machined parts, so consignment stocking gives us the edge," he says.

"It's all about customer service - giving people a little more than they can get elsewhere." Sales manager, Roy Marshall points out that only 10 per cent of their work is one-off business, the remainder being repeat contracts.

Of that, half involves consignment stocking, split evenly between single components and kits of parts or assemblies.

With a turnover of around GBP 3.5 million generated by 35 staff, it is apparent how much money Holifields is prepared to invest in carrying customers' stocks.

Medical industry contracts form a large part of Holifields business, but the company is also active in Formula 1, cryogenics, instrumentation and scientific work.

Diverse other industries are served where the company's two Flow CNC twin-head water jet cutting machines may be harnessed to good effect, ranging from high technology motorsport contracts to profiling signs for the building industry.

Components up to 3m x 2m may be cut and the company's experience includes profiling titanium up to 100mm thick.

Water jet cutting contributes around 20 per cent to turnover, much of it combined with turning and / or milling in multiple operations, this being another area of specialism.

Over half of all components that come off the water jet machines go to a second and sometimes a third operation.

Small to medium batches, say from 10- to 5,000-off, form the mainstay of Holifields work; and it has considerable flexibility to manufacture in quantities that are most economical as it decides on how many parts to stock on consignment.

A full range of materials is machined, with the accent on non-ferrous, from plastics through aluminium, brass and copper to stainless steel, titanium and molybdenum.

In addition to the water jet cutting equipment, the plant list includes nine machining centres, some with a 4th axis, from Bridgeport, Daewoo, Hitachi Seiki, and Miyano and the same number of CNC lathes mostly from the latter two suppliers, including bar-fed models to 51mm diameter and bar pull to 74mm diameter.

At a time when many of its peers and indeed some of its customers are struggling, Holifields is investing heavily in extra machines for the new building it will move into later this year, adjacent to the existing premises in Nuffield Way, Abingdon.

This will double the floor area to 22,000ft2.

Already on order are two self-loading VTLs with live tooling from Hitachi Seiki, a Miyano bar-fed lathe with live tooling and sub spindle, and a Daewoo lathe that will considerably extend turning capacity up to 560mm diameter, one metre long.

The company is also considering a third water jet profiler and extending milling capacity to 2m x 1m.

The infrastructure for handling the existing and soon-to-be-increased capacity is based on I-DEAS solid modelling CAD, Licom AlphaCAM for generating the cutter paths and Seiki Systems DNC connections to the machine tools.

Input from customers can be in the form of all types of CAD file, drawings, sketches or sample parts requiring reverse engineering.

Production is scheduled manually using job cards by Mike Alder in the customer contact area to maintain maximum flexibility when allocating jobs to machines and for fast-tracking urgent orders through the system.

On receipt of the next job card, each machine operator calls down the program directly from the data server, editing at the machine as necessary.

Material is bought in specifically for each job and is issued from a bonded store to the operator, who includes a 'goods received' note on the job card.

This provides full traceability, ensuring that the correct material is used and eliminating any risk of free-issue material from a customer being incorrectly allocated.

Quality control to BS EN ISO9002, to be upgraded to ISO9001:2000 by the end of the year, is backed by two co-ordinate measuring machines as well as conventional metrology equipment.

The full-time inspection team works independently of production areas, ensuring unbiased dimensional checking and fact finding.

Each part undergoes first-off approval before going into production, followed by in-process and regular patrol inspection to monitor for changes, and last-off inspection before the batch is delivered or placed into stock.

Special inspection requirements including SPC can be undertaken on request.

The Holifields service extends from contract machining and consignment stocking to include plating and painting of components where required, making this Abingdon firm one of the most versatile, one-stop-shop practitioners in the subcontracting business anywhere in the UK.

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