>
SUBCONTRACTING TURNING
Start up success
Celebrating its first year in Materials used are equally as “Whilst an early economic
business, joint company diverse, encompassing recovery is likely to be fragile,
directors Yian Stavrou and stainless steel, Inconel, many companies have now
George Dingley of Sub-CNC titanium, mild steel, aluminium stabilised their business
Precision reflect on how they alloys, brass, copper, bronze, position and performance
launched, and have nylon and delrin. sufficiently to begin to think
subsequently grown, their Additionally, the company is about the future,” he concludes.
subcontract precision finding effective ways of “For Sub-CNC Precision – whilst
engineering business from a bringing its experience to bear we’ve had a clear focus on near
standing start – as the in the form of a consultancy term performance, we’ve also
recession started to bite. service. Recently, with a job for been taking steps to position
Mr Stavrou comments: "We a particular customer, enhanced ourselves positively for the
launched Sub-CNC Precision in efficiencies through modified future. We want to support our
early 2009 at a time when set-up processes and customers in emerging from the
Yian Stavrou and George Dingley
market conditions were programming methods resulted downturn as winners, and
incredibly challenging. in a cost saving of 10% for the secure this position for our own
Manufacturing businesses were customer – simply by speeding company too.” member of the British Turned the UK for precision turned > SUB-CNC
looking to control costs, gain up cycle times and maintaining Sub-CNC Precision has Parts Manufacturers Association parts and machined component
PRECISION
efficiencies in their supply existing tooling costs. recently been approved as a (BTMA), the trade association in manufacturers.
www.sub-cncprecision.co.uk
chains, and for smarter, more
innovative ways of doing things.
We saw an opportunity to
respond to this by providing
Our initial focus
high quality products on time
and at highly competitive
was on providing a
prices, using our combined
engineering skills and
experience in the turned/milled service to other
parts sector built up over 25
years, to do so.”
subcontractors who
He continues: “Whilst we
appreciated the huge
challenges that the market
were seeking a
represented, we also
recognised that the environment
reliable overspill
could create opportunities for
companies to distinguish
themselves and for us, this
service where
meant being confident,
determined and willing to take delivery times and
bold action.”
Mr Dingley concurs: "Our
quality could be
initial focus was on providing a
service to other subcontractors
who were seeking a reliable
guaranteed
overspill service where delivery
times and quality could be
guaranteed. This initial focus
allowed us to develop our brand More recently, Sub-CNC
and reputation in the market, Precision has won a large
strengthen our skills and contract for a blue chip
importantly, develop a number company, involving complete
of relationships that would sub-assemblies being
stand us in good stead for designed, prototyped, field
the future.” tested, manufactured and
Within six months of starting assembled in-house. “This is a
Sub-CNC Precision the need to part of the business we have
invest in more machinery to run been looking to expand for
alongside a multi-axis Citizen some time,” Mr Dingley reveals.
sliding head lathe was apparent “Being able to design and
as the customer base and order produce in-house gives the
book grew. Investment was customer greater input to the
therefore made in a Haas fixed product, and in return we can
head turning centre, expanding offer greater accuracy on
the company’s turning capacity leadtimes and cost. Innovation
from 22mm to 44.4mm bar fed in design will be a key area in
and 220mm chuck diameters. which manufacturing
"This machine has allowed us businesses will be able to
to bring in-house the larger differentiate themselves,
diameter work we were and Sub-CNC Precision is well
previously outsourcing and placed to take advantage
enabled us to tightly control of this.”
quality and delivery times So what does the future
ourselves,” Mr Stavrou explains. hold? In the near term, Sub-
“Having conquered the initial CNC Precision will be
learning curve, we are now able expanding its premises,
to keep set-up times to a increasing office space and
minimum on the fixed head creating a larger area on the
lathe, using our multi-axis shopfloor for a further sliding
Citizen for any milling head machine. “Our primary
operations that are required." focus will continue to be our
With an expanding customers, maintaining and
customer base, Sub-CNC developing trusted supplier
Precision is machining turned relationships and delivering a
parts for companies in a first class service at a highly
diverse range of industries competitive price,” says Mr
including sports and leisure, Stavrou. “We also aim to
motorsport, photographic, achieve BS EN ISO 9001
lighting and electronic sensors. registration this year.
www.pesmag.co.uk
Production Engineering Solutions • March 2010 29
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