Certificate No: FS562122
People often have technical questions before they commit to a manufacturing partner for their project.
This page provides clear and direct answers about how we operate and what we can achieve for your business here in Cambridge.
We want you to feel confident that your components are in the right hands when they reach our workshop floor.
We have held the ISO 9001:2015 certification for many years. This means our quality management systems are regularly checked by external auditors to make sure we are doing things correctly and safely. It provides our customers with peace of mind that every component we manufacture is tracked and inspected to a very high standard throughout the entire production cycle.
We are set up to handle both ends of the manufacturing spectrum depending on what your project requires. If you just need a single prototype to test a new idea or a proof of concept, we can work with you to bring that to life quickly. Likewise, if you have a product that has already been tested and requires a large production run, we have the capacity to manufacture your parts in much higher volumes.
The main difference is which part of the machinery is moving during the cut. In CNC milling, your material is held still on a table while a variety of cutting tools rotate at high speeds to remove material. In CNC turning, the material itself is rotated at high speed while a stationary cutting tool is pressed against it to create a cylindrical shape.
Our milling department is very versatile and features a range of machines that can handle different sizes and complexities. We have the ability to perform basic 3 axis work for simple plates and brackets as well as more involved 4 and 5 axis setups for parts that need work on multiple sides. This allows us to choose the most efficient machine for your specific design to keep costs and lead times down.
We have a range of precision lathes that allow us to produce turned parts with extreme accuracy. These machines can handle various diameters and lengths, making them ideal for everything from small pins and fasteners to much larger shafts and housings. We focus on maintaining consistent dimensions and excellent surface finishes across every single part we turn for our clients.
We use multi-tasking lathes that can perform several different operations in a single setup. These machines can often mill features into a turned part without us having to move the component to a separate milling machine. This not only speeds up the manufacturing process but also removes the chance of errors that can happen when a part is re-clamped multiple times across different benches.
As mentioned above, we do have 5th axis milling capabilities at our Cambridge facility. This technology allows the cutting tool to reach almost every surface of a component in one go, which is perfect for very complex shapes and aerospace parts. Using 5 axis machines reduces the number of separate setups required, which helps to keep your parts as accurate as possible.
The tolerances we can hold depend on the specific material and the geometry of the part. Our machines are capable of holding dimensions within a few microns when the project demands it. If your design has a particularly difficult tolerance, we recommend discussing it with us early so we can plan the best machining strategy for the material.
We have extensive experience in machining difficult materials such as titanium and inconel. These metals are much tougher than standard aluminium or steel and require specialised tooling and a lot of patience to get right. Our engineers know exactly how to manage the heat and tool wear associated with these exotic alloys to ensure a high-quality finish every time.
We work with a vast array of materials on a daily basis to suit various industry needs. This includes common metals like aluminium, stainless steel, brass, and copper, as well as various grades of engineering plastics such as PEEK, nylon, and acetal. Whether you need a lightweight plastic prototype or a heavy-duty steel component for an industrial machine, we have the expertise to machine it effectively.
We keep a range of common materials in stock at our facility so that we can start urgent jobs immediately without waiting for deliveries. This usually includes various grades of aluminium and stainless steel that are frequently used by our local clients. For more specialised materials, we have a reliable network of suppliers who can often deliver what we need within twenty four hours.
If your project requires a specific material grade that is not in our standard stock, we are happy to source it for you. We have long-standing relationships with metal and plastic stockholders across the country who can provide certified materials for any application. We always ensure that these materials match your exact specifications and come with the necessary certificates of conformity where required.
Most of our customers send their designs as STEP, IGES, or DXF files, but we are also comfortable working with many other types. If you are unsure if your specific file format is compatible with our software, you can simply send it over and our engineering team will check it for you.
While a 3D model is excellent for programming our machines, it is often helpful to have a 2D drawing as well. The 2D drawing is where you can specify your tolerances, surface finishes, and any special notes that are not always clear in a 3D file. Having both allows us to be absolutely sure that we are making the part exactly the way you want it without any guesswork.
If you only have a PDF drawing, we can still help you get your project started. Our engineers can use the dimensions and notes on your PDF to create a 3D model for our machines to follow. While this adds a little bit of time to the initial setup process, it is a very common way for us to work with clients who might not have access to modern CAD software.
We offer a complete range of finishing services alongside our machining capabilities so you get a complete part. This includes treatments like anodising, plating, and heat treatment to improve the durability or appearance of your components. By managing the finishing process for you, we can ensure that your components arrive ready for use.
We provide full assembly services for clients who need their parts fitted together before they are delivered. Our team can take multiple machined components and combine them into a finished sub-assembly or even a complete product. This is a great way to simplify your supply chain and reduce the amount of work your own team has to do on the shop floor when the parts arrive.
We have the facility to laser mark your components with part numbers, logos, or serial numbers for easy identification. This is a very clean and permanent way to identify your parts, which is especially important for industries like medical and aerospace where traceability is vital. The marking can be applied to almost any material and will not wear off or fade over time.
We provide both clear and coloured anodising for aluminium parts to provide protection and style. This process creates a hard layer on the surface of the metal that prevents corrosion and can also be used to add a professional look to your product. Whether you need a simple protective coating or a specific colour for branding, we can manage the entire process for you as part of the job.
We supply a wide range of industries that all share a common need for high-precision parts. Our clients come from the scientific, automotive, and electronics sectors, as well as general manufacturing firms throughout the region. We are used to working with the different requirements of these industries and can adapt our processes to suit the specific needs of your project.
We regularly manufacture components for the medical sector where quality is paramount. We understand that these parts often require extreme precision and very high standards of cleanliness and traceability. Our quality systems are designed to meet these requirements, ensuring that every medical component we produce is safe and reliable for its intended use in a clinical environment.
We are very comfortable working to the strict material and manufacturing standards required by the aerospace industry. This often involves using specific aerospace grade alloys and providing full documentation for every part of the manufacturing process. We know how to manage the rigorous inspection and testing that is necessary for parts that are destined for use in flight.
Our lead times vary depending on how complex your parts are and how much work we currently have in the shop. For simple parts, we can often turn them around in a week or two, while more complex projects with finishing might take a bit longer to complete. We always give you a realistic delivery date when we provide a quote so you can plan your own production schedules accurately.
We do offer a fast-track machining service for those times when a project is truly urgent and cannot wait. If you have a machine breakdown or a critical deadline, we will do our best to move your job to the front of the queue to get you moving again. Please let us know as soon as possible if you require this service so we can check our current capacity and help you out.
We do not have a strict minimum order quantity for our engineering services. We are just as happy to machine a single part for a prototype as we are to produce thousands of components for a large contract. Every job is important to us, regardless of the size, and we provide the same level of care and attention to a one-off part as we do to our biggest production runs.
