Product category:
General Machining Subcontracting Services
News Release from: Target Precision | Subject: Target Precision
Edited by the Manufacturingtalk Editorial
Team on 30 September 2003
Selecting subcontractors - a science or
art?
On the surface, selecting sub-contractors is fairly straightforward: the price has to be right; product quality must be spot on; deliveries should be to schedule and yet some consider it an 'art'.
On the surface, selecting sub-contractors is fairly straightforward: the price has to be right; product quality must be spot on; and deliveries should be to schedule But for Mark Warne, senior buyer at Amphenol - a world-leading manufacturer of interconnect products - the process is an art
This article was originally published on Manufacturingtalk on 11 Jun 2003 at 8.00am (UK)
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"I've been sourcing sub-contract capacity for about 14 years, and I would say that because of the intricacy of some features these connectors have been the hardest components to source - especially in terms of quality." Having served his apprenticeship with the company, Warne relies heavily on his engineering background in determining the best turned parts suppliers for Amphenol.
The starting point is always the plant list, he says, "this will immediately tell you whether a company is capable and therefore likely to be competitive." One of 27 Amphenol manufacturing facilities worldwide, the company has been manufacturing in the UK for over 40 years at both Nottingham and at the UK headquarters in Whitstable, Kent.
The company specialises in the manufacture of harsh environment military circular connectors and cable assemblies, data bus connectors and interconnection systems, mass transit connection components/systems and aero engine connectors, as well as fibre optic connectors and interconnectors for ground, marine and aerospace applications.
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Product presentations made at Southern Manufacturing by Target Precision, the Harlow based specialist sub-contract manufacturer of precision turned parts, hit the bullseye among show visitors.
Target Precision Adds Another Citizen for Capacity
Target Precision, specialist sub-contract manufacturer of precision turned parts, has expanded its CNC machining capacity with the purchase of a Citizen B12 Type VI sliding headstock auto lathe.
It employs 350 people, with 120,000 line items, the Whitstable site (which mainly produces products for the worldwide military market) is vertically integrated from design and test through to production and plating facilities for both plastics and metal components, and can operate around the clock when necessary.
So, "not unlike other manufacturers, Amphenol's sub-contract needs are characterised by peaks and troughs to meet our forward order book as well as to soak up any internal over-capacity problems caused most often during the holiday periods," says Warne.
"In terms of turned parts machining alone, that means we can outsource perhaps 3,000 hours of machining each month.
"This equates to a lot of parts - and a lot of money - so while all our sub-contractors have to be price competitive, crucially they must also be reliable and well-equipped to deliver the correct number of parts of the right quality at exactly the right time." However, Warne explains that in recent years the move towards smaller components - particularly connectors within the 2.5mm to 4mm diameter bracket - has put considerable strain on the company's small parts turning capacity.
It is here that Target Precision plays a key role in Amphenol's manufacturing programme by producing a wide range of contacts and connectors in materials as diverse as aluminium, copper alloys, beryllium copper and stainless steel.
Like everyone involved in buying turned parts, Warne is today presented with a number of viable alternatives in addition to UK turned parts specialists, including North America, Far East, French and Swiss companies (which always enter the frame when high volumes are required, he says).
"We are producing a varied range of contacts and connectors with a wide variety of machined features in addition to turning, ie parts requiring slotting, the drilling of vent holes and the milling of flats.
"We have been working with Target Precision for about four years.
While the quality of the North America, Far East, French and Swiss products are excellent, I know I could possibly get cheaper work overseas, but Target's ability to consistently produce high-quality parts and to deliver quickly are just two of the company's great strengths." Target Precision's technical capabilities are excellent, as Warne explains, "we feel it is essential we visit the company to see for ourselves the overall package on offer; how they set-up and use their machines, how they operate as a company, and to meet their machine operators and quality control people.
"It means establishing an 'open book' working relationship that is based on a lot of communication between our companies.
It also includes the transfer of machining methods, when necessary, and even us supplying the appropriate tooling - we've been producing these parts for years, so there's no need for anyone to re-invent the wheel.
"In one instance, the 12-operation machining sequence on a 22mm long connector involves the through drilling and boring of a 7.5mm hole, internal grooving and broaching of five slots, cross-drilling of three holes of 1mm diameter, internal chamfering of the holes, threading, face grooving and parting-off.
The part is then back faced and finish bored.
"Important, too, is the way suppliers can react to our demands.
In much the same way that we have to be flexible ourselves, sometimes machining just five-offs to meet urgent requests, we also expect our suppliers to be equipped to respond just as quickly," he adds.
With a total of 17 CNC machines including 10 Citizen sliding head automatics supplied by NC Engineering, Target's ability to react quickly to urgent orders has always been one of the company's main attributes in its successful supply of complex mill/turn parts up to 32mm diameter.
By combining the skills of a flexible workforce with the capacity benefits of lights-out and weekend running, if necessary (since all the Citizens feature bar-feed systems), productivity can be ramped up as and when required.
"Target has always been on hand to supply the number of components we require at short notice," concludes Warne.
"That has always been one of their great strengths, and this high level of response and service is one of the main reasons why we will continue to source capacity in the UK.".
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