UK firm gains pressed metal parts contract

UK company supplying pressed (stamped) sheet metal parts has won a contract from SCL to supply sports carrier components using high speed progression tooling in automated power presses.

Norfolk pressed metal experts, Ladbrook Engineering have announced that they have won a contract to manufacture pressed metal parts for SCL, an important supplier to the global automotive sector.

These parts will be significant components within a sport carrier design for a very well known prestige car.

Ladbrook has won both the order for the initial tooling and future production.

Using a technique called 'progression pressing' Ladbrook are able to press complex three-dimensional shapes at high speed and to a high quality, using automated machines.

In addition to their engineering expertise, Ladbrook also has a very good understanding of the quality systems that are so essential to the automotive sector.

"We have always taken a lot of pride in the quality of the parts we produce and the service we provide.

Winning this contract confirms our belief that UK manufacturers still value British engineering," said Mike Blowers of Ladbrook.

"Ladbrook is 70 years old this year, so it's very pleasing to know that we can still compete successfully for this type of business.

I like to think that our longtime experience of working with metal and tooling and our modern understanding of software such as Pro-Engineer and SolidWorks helps us maintain our leadership in this field." SCL, based in Wellingborough has supplied car manufacturers such as Vauxhall Motors, OPEL, Saturn (GM USA), Lotus, Toyota, Volvo and Land Rover.

The company has composite and alloy component design capability and utilises Pro- Engineer, SolidWorks, I-Ideas and Alias Wavefront to generate rapid prototypes, fabrication equipment, assembly fixtures and the geometry for CNC produced tooling.

"This project is for the very top end of the market and we needed a supplier we could trust to help us deliver a top class product," said Jim Hudson, managing director at SCL.

"It soon became clear to us that Ladbrook had the necessary expertise and their responsive nature would make them an ideal partner.

We have been very pleased with Ladbrook's contribution." * About Ladbrook - for the past 70 years Ladbrook Engineering and Manufacturing Company have been working with manufacturers around the world, providing them with the best expertise available in the field of pressed metal parts.

Today, they are able to provide high volume production as well as low volume pre-production and prototype samples.

With a capacity for more than 150 million pressed metal parts per year and a broad range of automated machinery, they are well equipped to provide manufacturers with the best of British engineering at world market pricing.

* About SCL - SCL was established in 1997 to fulfill a major automotive supply contract.

SCL utilises cellular manufacturing to provide 'just in time' delivery of aluminum alloy components and assemblies to automotive plants in Britain, Germany and the US.

The company has design capability utilizing Pro Engineer and I-Ideas to generate rapid prototypes, fabrication equipment, assembly and in process check fixtures.

The CAD math data is also the basis for 3, 4 and 5 axis CNC program generation and DCC CMM geometry validation.

With over 20 CNC machining workstations capable of providing over 500,000 parts per year, SCL has considerable production capability.

SCL can provide either a powder coat or anodize surface finish to alloy substrate.

Both the on-site powder pre-treat and anodize lines are computer controlled for efficient and repeatable coating application.

The anodize system software controls the solution immersion time, enables calibrated anodic film growth, real time process visibility and material traceability.

Colour and material application is verified with the latest technology in gloss level, multi-angle light and material thickness measurement devices to assure conformance to specification (http://www.sportcarrier.net).

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