The Big Interview Made in the UK
Nestled in the corner of a quiet trading estate in Congleton, Cheshire, is Devanét UK – a unique manufacturer of belts, buckles and other assorted products.
P&P editor Melanie Attlesey paid the company a visit to go behind the scenes.
T
o those not familiar with Devanét UK and the way it works, the company could easily be perceived as one with a complex manufacturing facility producing belts and buckles in their hundreds.
But the reality is much more of a personal and intimate affair with each item produced carefully by hand. Needless to say I was pleasantly surprised upon my arrival. Devanét UK comprises of two key members of staff; David Webster and Alan Rogers. David has been in the promotional goods business for 16 years and after realising a gap in the market he founded Devanét UK in 2011. Alan joined the company three years ago. David tends to focus on the more creative side of the business, working closely with clients to achieve their desired look and is responsible for the technical elements, which he says he thoroughly enjoys. Meanwhile, Alan brings the designs to life in the factory. When times get particularly busy and the company has large orders to fill they call upon part-time members of staff to help them through. So what exactly does Devanét UK manufacture? The answer is simple. Pretty much anything with metal and
David Webster and Alan Rogers outside Devanét UK’s premises
leather. The level of work that goes into producing such high quality products is quite extraordinary.
The process
Firstly Devanét UK works closely with the client to establish an initial visual design of the desired product. Once the client is happy with the design, David then sets about using specific CAD modelling software to create a 3D visual of the buckle. During this process David is also able to view the exact tool-paths and selection of tooling that the milling machine will take to create the design and also see how the finished buckle will look. David says: “Although I am a qualified designer, I had a couple of days training on the new modelling software and the rest of my knowledge is down to research and experience.”
The design is then transferred via USB stick over to the CNC milling machine. Milling is the process whereby the buckle is cut out of a solid brass plate and the design is then machined. The machine is accurate to 0.02mm and can be used to create intricate detailing on the buckle or any other metal product. “Brass provides a beautiful finish, compared to cheap steel. We can produce items of different thicknesses depending upon customer
preference,” explains David. The buckle is then tumbled. Tumbling is the process where all rough edges and burrs are smoothed away, the buckle goes through a second phase of superfinishing to reach the preplating stage, then it is plated to customer requirements. At present the lead-time for production is three to four weeks, depending upon the size and complexity of the order. However, to speed up the manufacture and control quality, David and Alan have made the decision to bring the tumbling and plating stage in house, with the tumbling operation expected to be fully operational from October 12. An American machine has been purchased to enable Devanét UK to be able do this. Devanét UK has also ordered plating equipment which is scheduled for completion by end of October, which will mean nickel, gold, silver, gunmetal and anodised aluminium finishes will be offered to customers.
During the final production stage the prong and any other parts of the buckle are then brazed into place. And then voila, customers have a finished bespoke belt buckle, of which the quality of workmanship is second to none. Where high volume buckles are required, Devanét UK produces a master design which is then cast at an Italian foundry, the raw buckle is then returned for final finishing.
Complete ensemble Alan Rogers busy at work fulfilling an order for British Land | 76 | October 2016
Not only does Devanét UK manufacture belt buckles at its factory, but it also assembles the complete belt from scratch. Anything from leather belts to web belts and gifts can be created. The leather used by Devanét UK is sourced from a tannery based in the UK. The leather hide can be Pantone matched to a customerʼs exact requirements. The leather belts are all cut to length by a special cutting machine which can cut from 2mm to 400mm wide, before the buckles are stitched into place. There are several leather stitching machines used by David and Alan, one is a fully computerised, and another one can sew through leather as thick as three-
www.printwearandpromotion.co.uk
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