Forming a new pathway to productivity

Ed Hill visited Rugby-based AW Precision to discover how this well-established punch and die engineering company is changing to keep pace with modern manufacturing.

Darwin’s concept that animals have to adapt to survive applies as much in business as it does to evolution and we live in times when manufacturers are facing some monumental disruptive challenges.

Not only do major technical advances such as automation, artificial intelligence and additive manufacturing loom large on the horizon, but there are also difficult economic headwinds such as the manufacturing strength of China, electrification of automotive transport, US trade battles, and of course Brexit, that UK companies have to contend with.

Rugby-based AW Precision has built up a strong reputation primarily in the precision engineering of punch and die products since it was formed in 1970. The family owned company now manufactures a very wide range of these items, (including bespoke tooling) along with supplying die sets, tooling accessories and gas springs.

Its major markets include automotive, where it supplies and supports all the major OEMs in Europe, and many other sectors where sheetmetal processing is used such as rail, nuclear, general and heavy engineering, electrical and white goods.

Last year the company, which currently employs around 70 people, generated a £6.5 million turnover and it currently handles around 1,500 live accounts.

At its impressive 5,000m² site in Rugby, AW Precision has a wide range of metalworking capabilities, including 5-axis machining, CNC grinding, CNC turning, wire erosion and heat treatment on-site.

Sales Manager, Andy Whitworth is the third generation to work at the company along with his father (Andrew) and grandfather (Geoff) who founded the company – originally with just two machines – and who still has a role in the business aged 85.

Modern machinery

Andy Whitworth says the company is currently undergoing a period of transition mainly involving investment in the latest manufacturing technology.

“At one time we had 40 Jones & Shipman 540 surface grinders, now we just have 12,” he says. “Last year we invested more than £800,000 in new machinery, which included a Kitamura Mytrunnion 4G, 5-axis machining centre and a Rollomatic NP5 peel grinder with Comat super filtration.

“We’ve also purchased a Star SR-32JII type B sliding head and a Star SR-20J type C lathe with bar feeders. With these new Star machines, we can do what would once have taken four operations down to just one machine saving several hours of production.”

Other notable machines in AW Precision’s extensive range of machine tools includes a Studer S33 cylindrical grinder, Biglia turning centres and eight GF AgieCharmilles wire eroding machines.

This investment in the latest machining technology represents a step change for AW Precision according to Mr Whitworth.

“Punch and die will always be the cornerstone of the business but we are now entering a new chapter. We are promoting the company as a high performing, wide capability, precision engineer, as well as an established supplier of punch and die products. We have many capabilities including: turning, grinding, wire erosion, heat treatment, and milling along with reverse engineering and state-of-the-art quality and inspection. We are starting to build up the subcontracting arm of the business because in reality we are one of the biggest subcontracting workshops in the area.”

AW Precision’s inroads into subcontracting are in part a recognition that its traditional principal market of automotive is declining and also an opportunity to use its engineering know-how and legacy to win more work and increase productivity. The move for the ISO 9001 registered company is already paying off with a substantial amount of business in the defence market.

Mr Whitworth says the company’s foundations in punch and die give it the ability to offer customers added capacity and quick turnarounds.

“Our other big advantage is we are used to dealing with small batch orders. 1- or 2-offs are not unusual for us, made very cost-effectively and to very high precision. We could be described as a job shop, but we are not the kind of traditional job shop you would think of. I like to think that we provide much more than that. We offer a wide range of processes, with great engineering experience and expertise and perhaps most significantly a large amount of capacity and a high level of stock material to hand.”

In an era when the speed and progress of manufacturing technology is sometimes hard for businesses to keep up with, Mr Whitworth believes one of AW Precision’s biggest assets is its ability to react quickly to the market.

“It’s is one of the benefits of being family owned,” he says. “We are adaptable; if we have to make a decision, we can make it without having to go through a lengthy evaluation process. If we wish to invest in a new type of machine, for example, we can make that kind of decision very quickly.”

Skill flexibility

Adaptability is also something that Mr Whitworth is looking for when it comes to staff too. AW Precision has its own training scheme for new employees, primarily because, according to Mr Whitworth, the nature of young engineers’ work is significantly changing.

“UK companies complain about a skills shortage, and it does exist, but mainly because we have not invested in innovation and automation,” he explains. “In the future we are going to need people with new kinds of skills. We have a lot of heritage and experience in our company – some of our employees have been with us for 20-30 years – but we also have youngsters who we are developing so they can work more diversely and efficiently.

“In the future we will have more automated loading, more offline programming and dedicated CAD/CAM engineers. The design office and programming engineer will have a bigger role to play than the hands-on precision engineer. Shopfloor staff will need to be able to move from machine to machine, whether it’s a milling machine, grinding machine, lathe or EDM. Fortunately, there are some very adaptable people out there.”

He adds: “The way we manufacture and produce will change but the products will be the same. I wouldn’t be surprised if the factory is half the size in ten years’ time from a machinery point of view, but with a larger CAD/CAM facility and programming team. We will be leaner, but we will be producing more with a higher turnover. With investment in new technology and processes we just won’t need the floorspace.”

50 more

Next year AW Precision will be celebrating its 50^th year and the changes it is currently putting in place are intended to help it celebrate 50 more.

“My grandfather and father are still involved in the business which makes an interesting dynamic as we all have different strengths and approaches when it comes to manging our respective business areas,” Mr Whitworth says. “We have to value and promote the products and processes we are well-known for, but also embrace new technology such as 3D printing.”

He concludes: “The world of manufacturing will always change whether it’s due to technology, foreign competition or economics, so you have to adapt to survive and sometimes be two steps ahead as well.

“We have to keep investing and innovating, and it’s not just a question of looking at your staff levels or your buildings, it’s also a question of looking at your processes, products, sales and admin – you have to consider the business as a whole. Ultimately we all need to move forward to keep the company on track for future growth.”

AW Precision www.awprecision.co.uk