A restorer of vintage aeroplanes has increased its capacity and ability to produce challenging bespoke parts by investing in a new turning centre from Yamazaki Mazak. Kennet Aviation specialises in the renovation and servicing of historic aeroplanes, including Supermarine Seafires used in World War II, to the stringent standards required by the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) – the UK’s specialist aviation regulator.

With the aim of enhancing in-house manufacturing capacity and growing its existing business, the company has invested in a Yamazaki Mazak Quick Turn 250MSY CNC turning centre. The new machine, built in the UK at the company’s Worcester-based European Manufacturing Plant, has enabled Kennet Aviation to quickly produce high-accuracy, bespoke aircraft components, and significantly reduce the time taken to restore aircraft.

Kennet’s investment has also opened up new business opportunities by enabling the company to subcontract its capability regarding the production of rare parts for vintage aircraft restorers and collectors worldwide.

Tim Manna, director at Kennet Aviation, says: “Existing components for these older aeroplanes can be very rare, and often not available anywhere. As we may only require very small batches, requesting parts from general subcontractors can be expensive and result in long lead times. We therefore decided to invest in a high-quality CNC machine tools to manufacture parts at Kennet, so we could bring selection, quality control and timing in-house.

“Mazak provided a brilliant service, and we’ve been very impressed with how quickly and accurately the machine has been able to produce parts,” he continues. “In fact, it has been so successful that we’ve since invested in a second machine, a VCN530C vertical milling machine with an additional rotary axis.”

For further information
www.mazakeu.co.uk

BSA Tools, one of Britain’s most famous engineering brands, is reaching out to help locate its iconic machine tools believed ‘missing in action’ in all corners of the globe. The Birmingham-based business has launched an appeal to find the CNC and multi-spindle automatic lathes that have literally helped make the world go round over many decades.

Rescued from administration in 2017, the newly re-launched BSA Tools has created 15 jobs and tempted former employees to re-join the business and help a new generation of engineers. The company has the serial numbers of all machines in its archive and wants once again to service and maintain the equipment it knows best, both in the UK and overseas.

“These machines were built to last and we know many are still working out there, we just have to find them,” says Emily Eyles, business development manager for BSA Tools. “We’ve recently completed a rebuild on one machine that is 50 years old, and it’s now working as sweetly as it was on day one.

“What’s frustrating is that companies may be trying to make do with in-house servicing and repair,” she adds. “We have all of the equipment and serial numbers to help maintain these machines in pristine condition and keep them going for the next 50 years.”

An acronym of Birmingham Small Arms, the BSA name stretches back hundreds of years to the city’s ‘Gun Quarter’, which was recently immortalised on the small screen in the hit BBC drama Peaky Blinders.

BSA was also once the world’s biggest motorcycle manufacturer, owning brands including Triumph and Daimler.

For further information
www.bsa-tools.co.uk