Now in its 17th year of business, Hi-Spec Precision Engineering has evolved from a small start-up business to an established subcontract manufacturer that has fully embraced the latest CNC technology and, more recently, automation technology to drive growth and productivity. A case in point is a new 10-pallet Kitamura Mycenter HX250iG horizontal machining centre from Dugard.

As well as its subcontract business, the company is also renowned in the music industry, manufacturing custom precision-crafted electric guitars. Indeed, the company claims to be the only UK manufacturer and sales outlet for precision guitar components such as bridges, control plates, pick-up screws, neck ferrules, neck screws, pick-up surrounds and more. These components are now available for machining on the Kitamura Mycenter.

Managing director Darren Grainger says: “Our milling work has increased a lot over the past year and cycle times are getting longer with more complex components. This means that some jobs can occupy a machine for up to two weeks at a time, so we needed to look at some way of getting higher production rates and more unmanned hours. Horizontal machining centres are known as production machines and seemed like the obvious choice. The 10-pallet pool is the icing on the cake.”

He adds: “We have one order for 300 parts that is about to arrive and each part requires two operations of more than 30 minutes each. This order will tie up one of our existing machines for four weeks doing the first operation and another four weeks completing the second operation. On the Kitamura machine, we will be able to reduce this cycle time from eight weeks to less than two.”

For further information
www.dugard.com