SUBCONTRACTING NEWS

NADCAP Gold Merit

The Wallwork Group’s aerospace heat treatment site in Bury has been accredited with NADCAP Gold Merit Status. The site, one of four, comprises 8361 m² of processing space. The company is the largest independent aerospace heat treater in the UK, offering 117 thermal processes. To achieve Gold Merit, Wallwork had to achieve two consecutive accreditations of 18 months each without any major non-conformance reports and with less than seven days of cumulative delinquency. Achieving a merit level is only the start. Constant vigilance is required to maintain the systems that support it.

More information www.wallworkht.co.uk

Second MecWash MWX400 for Vixen CNC

After purchasing a MWX400 system in 2020, Vixen CNC experienced such an improvement in cleaning efficiency that the company ordered another system for its factory in Snowdonia. Vixen CNC has seen a significant increase in demand for its services over recent years. The company needed the additional machine due to its use of both ferrous and non-ferrous metals – and the different process requirements of the two applications.

Jake Wood, managing director of Vixen CNC, says: “The MWX400 systems have transformed the washing capability and overall productivity at our factory. The communication and servicing from MecWash have been excellent, which combined with the effectiveness of the cleaning, made the decision of investing in a second machine a simple one.”

He continues: “We replaced a tunnel wash system with two MecWash MWX400 machines. Each machine uses a specific cleaning process, one for ferrous metal and the other for non-ferrous metals. The initial MecWash MWX400 system in 2020 considerably decreased our manual drying requirements, which had been both costly and time consuming. Overall, the MecWash systems have provided superior cleaning results, in faster time – and all with reduced manpower.”

The process starts with powerful ultrasonics, which are essential to clean the intricate shapes and blind holes of oil, swarf and fine particles. MecWash MWX systems boasts four ultrasonic rod transducers with single or mixed frequency (25 and 40 kHz). The ultrasonics create large amounts of localised cleaning energy, dislodging any contamination. After the wash stage, the components are rinsed, firstly with an ultrasonics stage, followed by flood and spray rinses, resulting in a polished finish.

More information www.mecwash.com

Shot-blast solution suits EV components

Due to rapidly growing demand for electric vehicle (EV) components, Alupress AG, a Brixen, Italy-based manufacturer of aluminium and magnesium die-castings, recently had to increase its shot-blasting capacity. For this purpose, the company purchased a continuous feed spinner hanger blast machine, including a transport system, from Rösler. The custom-engineered equipment design guarantees effective but also gentle de-flashing of workpieces without any risk of warping.

To ensure gentle but fast and effective de-flashing in continuous flow, the Rösler feed spinner hanger shot-blast machine features eight special turbines, each with an installed power of 11 kW. The turbines contain extra-wide throwing blades generating a particularly broad blast pattern. Furthermore, contrary to the standard placement of turbines on one side of the blast chamber, turbines are located on both sides.

This duplex turbine placement, together with the broad blast pattern, generates a gentle blast operation, significantly minimising the risk of warping. Meanwhile, the comparatively high blast media throughput, needed for the efficient de-flashing and cleaning of light metal components, ensures fast and effective shot-blasting operations.

Another feature preventing part warping is the workpiece carrier, which not only rotates during the shot-blast process but also oscillates back and forth in three positions. This guarantees the safe removal of flashes and burrs, even in difficult-to-reach areas like undercuts.


Necessary maintenance work is facilitated by multiple connections for cleaning equipment at different sections of the shot-blast machine.

A handling system ensures easy and trouble-free transport of the workpieces. At the load/unload station, the height of the workpiece carrier is adjustable to the height of the respective operator.

More information www.rosler.com

Quest for flexibility brings Nakamura investment

Quest Precision Engineering has been on a trajectory of continuous growth thanks to the acquisition of seven high-end Nakamura-Tome turning centres from the Engineering Technology Group (ETG). The Scottish manufacturer initially acquired two Nakamura-Tome turning centres through the pandemic and has kept adding to the plant list ever since.

The Dundee-based company has four Nakamura-Tome WT150II turning centres, two NTY3-150 turn-mill centres and has just purchased a Nakamura MX-100 from ETG’s Scottish distribution partner RAM Engineering & Tooling.

“We’ve been working with Quest Precision for over 20 years and done a lot of applications together, focusing on productivity and flexibility,” says Ross Milne, company director at RAM Engineering & Tooling. “This is epitomised by the Nakamura MX-100 turn-mill centre with swivelling B axis, opposing spindles and lower turret. We’ve also got a gantry loader and bar feed on the machine. It’s a proper step-change.”

Gordon Deuchars, managing director at Quest Precision, says: “Nakamura one led to Nakamura two in just three months, and then around 18 months later we won a big order. This brought Nakamura three and four online. More recently, we’ve been manufacturing the complex ‘Mark 3’ autonomous valve for the oil and gas industry from Inconel 718. We needed a robust machine to take us to the next level, namely the NTY3-150. We’ve now progressed to the Mark 4 valve, which is why we recently installed the MX-100 multi-axis machine.”

He adds: “Our relationship with ETG has been first class. From the moment we enquired about the first machine they’ve been there for us on every turnkey project. The Nakamura range offers the flexibility, efficiency and reliability that we need as a busy manufacturer in the subcontract field.”

More information www.engtechgroup.com

Dugard supplies C&K with six machines

With 75% of its turning centres bought from Dugard, it is safe to say that C&K Precision Engineers is reaping the rewards of working with the south coast machine tool specialist. The Stoke-based manufacturer is a subcontract machining, assembly and fabrication business serving the medical, aerospace, surveillance and general manufacturing sectors. Working in these segments, C&K Precision demands machine tools capable of delivering high-quality, tight-tolerance workpieces from the most challenging material grades. 

Matthew Kelsall, Director at C&K Precision, says: “We moved to a larger facility in 2017 and seen continual grown ever since. There’s a skills shortage and we’re lucky to have a good team around us, but we have to maximise that with the most productive machines.”

That is why six of the company’s eight turning centres have been purchased from Dugard Machine Tools. Alluding to why the second-generation business founded in 1969 keeps returning to Dugard, Kelsall says: “One of the main things is reliability. The first Dugard machine we bought has been with us for six years and it’s been very reliable. It’s a very robust and rigid machine with box guideways, and we need that as we cut many exotic materials.”

As a turner operating four machines at C&K Precision, Matthew Gerrard adds: “The machines are built extremely well, and they perform brilliantly on materials like Inconel 625 and titanium. You can make massive cuts on the Dugard SMEC machines, whereas others might stall. This is due to their high-specification motors and box-way construction. Furthermore, if we’re making parts from titanium with less than 1 mm wall thickness, the Dugard SMEC machines ensure we don’t get any vibration.”

More information www.dugard.com