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In business, it’s a given that if you don’t move forward and continually improve, you’re effectively going backwards. It’s no coincidence, then, that the most successful companies are those that regularly take in investment, such as HPC Services, based in Ilkeston, Derbyshire. Dave Tudor reports.
This article is one of several featured on PES about members of the British Turned Parts Manufacturers Association (BTMA). HPC Services, led by Managing Director Paul Cobb, was founded in 1997 and employs 30 people. We operate from a 12,000 square foot facility and have numerous certifications including ISO 9001, AS 9100 and ISO 14001 environmental standards.
At our core, HPC is a lathe specialist offering both sliding head and fixed head capabilities, but we complement this with milling and stock holding, and offer call-off/kanban contracts to our customers as standard at no additional charge. .
“This allows us to plan our production capacity more efficiently, minimize costs and reduce lead times through large-scale production,” said John Bennett, Operations Manager, HPC Services. . “The components can also be assembled and delivered as a kit.”
Informed choice
I mentioned investments in the introduction and alluded to the fact that keeping plants and equipment up to date is of paramount importance for aspiring manufacturing companies. Technology is advancing at an unrelenting pace and companies must optimize every aspect of their business to remain competitive.
To ensure your equipment investments are made wisely, it’s important to listen to your customers and respond to market needs. HPC Services has done just that through investments worth £2m over the past three years.
HPC has at its disposal 18 machine tools sourced from a variety of leading manufacturers, including Doosan, Citizen, and Nakamura. Indeed, new equipment from his two latter suppliers has formed a key part of HPC’s recent investments, with two of his M32-VIII sliding head lathes from Citizen and a purchase from British distributor ETG. Includes three Nakamura WT150 multitasking machines.
But machine tools aren’t the only beneficiaries of HPC Services’ investment plans. Autodesk’s Fusion 360 CAD/CAM software was introduced to provide flexible 3D CAD, integrated CAD/CAM, 3D simulation, and generative design capabilities.
“Fusion 360 is a very powerful and versatile software package, but from a practical standpoint, one of the biggest benefits for us is that it has been a game-changer in terms of productivity and efficiency. It’s directly programmable,” Bennett asserts.
quality assurance
The remainder of the recent investment package in HPC was equally wisely spent on quality assurance, perhaps the most important area of all. This included a Keyence IM800 image dimension measurement system. ViciVision M306 Techno Cylindrical Part Measuring System. Together, Prolink quality control and process monitoring software forms a comprehensive quality assurance formidable powerhouse. ViciVision and Prolink (sister companies of OGP) are part of Carfulan Group, based in Derbyshire.
“We were looking for a system to speed up and improve our laboratory department,” explains John Bennett. “The Keyence system is very easy to use and produces exactly the same results regardless of the operator. The addition of Prolink software allows us to generate inspection reports from drawings that are automatically toleranced and numbered. This eliminates many operator errors and allows you to link all your existing measurement equipment to create detailed reports.
“In modern manufacturing, statistical process control (SPC) is no longer a formality but an essential part of achieving operational excellence, seamlessly integrating with existing infrastructure and providing information “We need robust solutions that enable informed decision-making,” he continues.
“After evaluating our UK supplier base, we decided to invest in Prolink software to seamlessly capture data from our Vici shaft gauging machines, Keyence and other CMMs. Prolink’s QC Calc software is intuitive and scalable. We were able to provide an integrated software solution that provides real-time data monitoring and automated reporting capabilities to understand and improve product quality.
“Part of the Prolink package I purchased included Discus Ballooning software,” he added. “This significantly reduces the effort required to create FAI and PPAP reports. With Discus, users can capture detailed characterization of a part model or drawing by capturing product images, drawings, and specifications. Efficiently identify, derive specific measurement requirements, and automate inspection plan generation.
“Discus’ modular software solution significantly reduces the effort required for various inspection plans such as AS9100, TS16949, and Part 820 quality. Supports all customer formats, export to Excel, and custom templates. Software The solution helps us as a manufacturer to achieve improvements in quality and efficiency, giving our customers the perception that our production processes are stable.
“A major driver for investment in inspection equipment is that customers have started demanding reports and data that are difficult to provide through traditional methods. Now they receive complete inspection reports in seconds instead of days. can do.
“And the end line that underpins all of our investments reduces scrap levels and cure times, and we wanted to pass this cost savings on to our customers. Now we can get the right size parts the first time, and We are confident that we will receive it at a much lower cost.”
Predict future demand
It’s clear that continued investment is in the DNA of HPC Services. Bennett reports that investments in new machinery are typically made annually. The decision about what specifically to purchase is primarily determined by the type of part the customer is requesting. We engage in regular dialogue with our customers to provide valuable input on what future demand will look like and adjust our investments accordingly.
Like many precision subcontract engineering companies, HPC serves a variety of market sectors. Some of the most famous include railroads, fire suppression systems, printing and date-coding machinery, kitchen faucets and bathroom fixtures, and scientific and camera equipment.
Another value for investing in gold, which John Bennett also believes, is that the company is a member of the BTMA. “It’s very convenient to have access to the latest technology information and general information related to the turned parts industry,” he enthuses. “Membership also provides excellent networking opportunities and helps us build relationships, as well as demonstrating our commitment to the UK turned parts industry.”
HPC must never stand still. HPC is currently in the process of establishing a prototype and development facility nearby to complement its existing capabilities. Additionally, the company is looking to further expand its quality department with the introduction of the latest Keyence XM-5000 portable CMM.
HPC services
www.slidinghead.com
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