MANUFACTURING TECHNOLOGY Defined by quality

For over 40 years the CTR Manufacturing Group (CTR) has been synonymous with manufacturing quality tooling and complete machine tool dies sets for the global fastener industry. Will Lowry visited the UK based company to find out how an investment plan of over GB£500,000 has been used to introduce new machinery and enable the business to continue to grow.

and know first hand the commitment to quality that runs through every employee. This commitment to quality has seen us become a valued supplier to a wide selection of industries, including the aerospace industry, and enabled us to develop into a modern and proactive precision engineering manufacturing group with a growing portfolio of services and products.” The CTR Manufacturing Group boasts three separate operating divisions:

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• Precision engineering – involving component part batch machining, multi-stage press tooling, automated transfer systems and prototype work.

• Hard metal machining – wire, spark electro discharge machining (WEDM) and diamond hard turning.

• Fastener tooling manufacture – in carbide and steel for automotive components, airframe rivets, plus complete machine tool dies sets, customised tool holders, as well as many more applications.

CTR’s fastener tooling division not only

manufactures tools, but also offers a customer support facility that

ols, but tomer hat

includes rapid turnaround for modification/

refurbished tooling, as well as a comprehensive CAD/AutoCAD die design consultancy service. “From enquiry

ehensiv e design

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through to order placement, the client’s blueprint design is constantlyntl reviewed and

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evaluated to ensureure it is engineered in the most cost-effective way,”ive way,”

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says James Blanchfield. “Design recommendations are made for c

nchfield. “Design ns are made for correct

choice of materials, ease of manufacture, and assembly – therefore giving added value throughout the relationship.”

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ames Blanchfield, managing director at CTR, has been with the company for 31 years – starting as a 16 year old apprentice. “As I worked my way up through the company, I experienced every aspect of the business,

James continues: “Working as partners with our customers has enabled subsequent process machining operations to be eliminated or reduced – where the extruded part shades the final finished size – resulting in significant operational cost savings and increase piece part output.” CTR’s ability to work closely with customers to ensure full tool and die optimisation is due to the experience that the company has built up over the years of developing parts, as well as the vastly experienced team of engineers. “We boast a wealth of experience within the business,” states James. “Our management team has a combined experience of 90+ years – Dianne Upton, our financial director, has been with the company 27 years and Alan Smith, production director, has been with the company for 37 years. Alan still works on the machines daily, which underlines the expertise within the company and the commitment of all of our staff to produce products to the very highest quality.” Originally CTR was focused on the automotive industry, working with 2nd tier suppliers to large automotive companies. Thanks to its wide range of capabilities CTR is able to provide tooling for most mechanical parts in a car, such as seat and seatbelt adjuster parts, and starter motor parts. “Bef

“Before the recession in 2008 we were predominately focused on the automotive industry,” explains James Blanchfield.

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on the automotive industry,” explains James Blan er, onc eal

“However, once the recession hit w

hit we realised how i important it was to diversify into other industries. Thanks to our large plant list and scope to manufacture we were able able to expand and throu through the quality systems and dive

mportant diversify in industries our large p scope to m we

sys

ootprint and our base.” O

Over the last

5 to 6 years CTR has been able to secure business in the aerospace

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has secu

and airframe sector. “There are very

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few companies that can meet and supply w companies that can mee

the tooling necessary for the aerospace industry,” mentions James. “Our unique ability to supply specialised tooling to the

diversification we have widened our foot bas

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Fastener + Fixing Magazine • Issue 88 July 2014