Updating production plant brings in profits

A job took 28 seconds to turn-mill a few years ago is now completed in 18 seconds - that is the impact that updating production plant has on winning new business, said a subcontractor.

One of the UK's top six sliding-headstock mill-turning specialists, Qualiturn Products, celebrated its 30th anniversary earlier this year by moving to new, larger premises in Hertford.

The company is now located at 18 Merchant Drive, Mead lane Industrial Estate; tel: +44 (0)1992 584499 (web: http://www.qualiturn.co.uk/).

Managing director Bernard Groom was pleased with the logistics of his relocation, which was completed in four and a half days without any loss of production.

Each machine was re-installed and operating again within four hours, followed by lights-out running the same night.

Employing 24 people and turning over GBP 1.5 million annually, Qualiturn's success can be put down to a decision made by Mr Groom at MACH 1990, when he bought the company's first Star CNC sliding-headstock lathe.

At that time the subcontractor's capacity comprised 16 Peterman sliding-head auto's, 16 turret-type machines and a Wurth and Gruffat rotary transfer machine.

"We hardly made any profit in those days," commented Groom.

"When I saw the Star machine at the show in Birmingham, I was very impressed with its performance and knew it was the way forward for us." It proved to be a major turning point in Qualiturn's history.

With its Star lathe, the company could produce high quality, precision components quickly and efficiently.

Fourteen years on it has 15 Star CNC machines which are continually part-exchanged at the rate of two per year.

In this way, the latest multi-axis, opposed-spindle lathes with extensive driven tool capability find their way onto the shop floor soon after they are launched by the Japanese manufacturer.

For example, an SR-20RII introduced to the UK at Star GB's open house in March 2004 is currently on order for delivery in September.

At the same time, an RNC-10 bought in 1991, against the advice of Qualiturn's accountant as it was in the middle of a recession, is being sold to a company in Italy for GBP 5,500 despite it having run non-stop for 13 years.

Groom remarked that one of the benefits of Star machines is their good second-hand value.

He continued, "We operate 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year with only daytime staffing.

The precision and reliability of Star machines and their FMB bar magazines enable us to operate unmanned for approximately 60 per cent of the time, reducing costs which in turn are passed on to our customers, making us more competitive.

"This has been achieved not only through continual investment in updating our machines, but also as a result of the excellent training and technical support from Star, a partnership we are proud to promote." Groom went on to explain how the different groups of Star lathes have helped his company.

The smallest are 12mm and 16mm bar machines in the SA-series, which when purchased immediately removed the need for second operations, so reducing staffing levels and increasing profitability.

The larger and more sophisticated SR- and SV-series lathes for machining parts up to 20mm and 32mm diameter have enabled single-hit machining of complex parts and allowed Qualiturn to quote for contracts they could not previously have considered.

The SV in particular, with its large number of tool positions, enables a wide range of different jobs to be completed with a single set of tools.

Typically, a job that might have taken 28 seconds to turn-mill a few years ago is now completed in 18 seconds, so it is clear the impact that updating the production plant must have had on winning new business, adding more value and hence increasing profitability.

Groom said that the company hardly felt the recession of the past few years due to their policy of regularly installing the latest machines.

His son, Nick, made the point that the new premises, with its mezzanine floor, is proving a useful sales tool by allowing customers to view the whole operation safely without being on top of the machines.

Benefits are to be found on the shop floor as well in terms of better morale amongst the workforce; they appreciate the improved working environment as well as being able to use the latest technology.

Qualiturn also operates two twin-turret, fixed-head lathes and the plant list includes washing and deburring machines plus an impressive array of inspection equipment.

Overseeing the entire operation is a Datatrack production control system from Prospec Systems that provides full job traceability.

"We wouldn't be competitive without it," says Groom.

"We are probably doing fifty set-ups a week, which would be difficult to track without a system like this." Driven by a unique works order number for each job, the package comprises modules for sales order processing, engineering, stock control, purchasing, workshop scheduling, quality and finance.

Qualiturn was able to adopt the modules gradually as it became comfortable with them, allowing them to make a smooth cultural change away from paperwork-based systems and depending on key staff to fulfil specific jobs.

The company now uses nearly all the modules available and is currently instrumental in Prospec developing a new one for tooling management.

It will be in place by the end of the year, enabling savings to be made by controlling tooling stocks, monitoring remaining cutter life and maintaining tool kits ready for frequently recurring jobs.

As a postscript, Groom commented that he puts his company's success in part down to its membership of the BTMA (British Turned Parts Manufacturers Association).

"I don't think we would have achieved our current position without their ongoing initiatives," he said.

"Particularly useful are the organised trips to visit subcontractors on the continent to see how they operate and meet the MDs.

They certainly opened my eyes in the early days to the potential of CNC sliders, and continue to provide a useful source of reference.".

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