Investment puts Cube in good shape

A Black Country manufacturing specialist is investing in a state-of-the-art multi-axis CNC milling centre to help it deliver £2m of new orders. Cube Precision Engineering, which can handle work from single-op prototype tooling to complex multi-stage tooling suites, has spent £300,000 on a new MTE BF3200 that will boost capacity at its Rowley Regis facility and support the development of low-to-medium volume work for clients involved in the automotive and aerospace sectors.

The company used expert advice from accountancy firm Haines Watts to unlock R&D tax credits funding that has made the purchase of the new machine possible, and is now planning on maximising its new capability to secure a record £5m year.
Neil Clifton, who started the business with engineer Phil Bannister in 2009, says: “It has been a rollercoaster of a year, with a very slow January and February leading into one of the busiest periods in our history. In a good way, the quieter months at the start of the year helped us to focus on new opportunities and that is now starting to pay off.
“In the past six months, we’ve picked up over £2m of new work and this is split across automotive and commercial vehicle [£1.7m] and aerospace [£300,000],” he continues. “We knew the sudden growth would cause a few production bottlenecks and that is why we’ve invested in the new CNC milling machine. When the machine is installed, it will give us an additional 15% capacity, provide larger milling capability and, importantly, is faster than previous models so will reduce cycle times.”
Employing 42 people, Cube Precision Engineering can handle tooling of all sizes, boasting a lifting capacity to 35 tonnes and pressing capacity of 1000 tonnes.
For further information www.cubeprecision.com