Moving forward with 5-axis

It is committed to providing high quality CNC machined components while providing prompt and efficient customer service. Established in 2001 by directors Steve Balem and Darren Taylor the company has been going from strength to strength.

In 2012 Bay Engineering moved into a new purpose built 6,000ft³ factory and invested in new machining centres with a prospect to increase its 13-strong workforce.

Darren Taylor explains: “We have expanded our team to 20. Our highly-skilled staff are augmented by external specialists in their respective fields which has enabled us to continue our steady growth whilst making improvements across the company. Ultimately, this lets us deliver an ever-improving service and quality of work to our customers.”

“In 2010, we turned over £320,000. Since then we have grown steadily and we have every confidence in reaching our 2017 forecast of £1.7 million.”

Steve Balem adds: “Our culture of continuous investment should see us soon surpass the £2 million mark. This will undoubtedly include the procurement of more Haas 5-axis CNC mills. We have a long-standing tradition of using Haas; we find them to consistently deliver solid, long-lasting machines, that are great value for money and output quality components.”

“Our commitment to quality has always been at the forefront of our current and future plans. Our quality management system has just been approved to ISO 9001:2015 and we are duty bound to ensure all components we manufacture are fully traceable – from the material purchased, to programmer, to operator, to inspection through to goods-out.”

More 5-axis machining has been an essential part of Bay Engineering’s long-term investment plan for increasing both capacity and machining capabilities. Mr Taylor clarifies: “We were looking for a 5-axis machine to expand our capabilities and had a list of specific requirements. Our search for a ‘perfect-fit’ machine began and ended with a call to Haas. They suggested the 12,000rpm version of the UMC-750 universal machining centre.

“With 762 x 508 x 508mm travels, an integrated dual-axis trunnion table and 40+1 tool changer we knew we had found the right solution. Since taking delivery of the machine in March 2017 it has become the most popular machine in the workshop.”

Such an advanced machine requires a similar step up in CAD software. Fortunately, Bay Engineering’s CAD package of choice was ahead of the game.

“We’ve been using OneCNC for over 10 years now and it has always worked seamlessly with our existing Haas machines,” Mr Taylor continues. “We have a CAD station attached to each mill for programming and file transfer. This year we’ve upgraded all our CAD stations to Windows 10 Pro and OneCNC-XR7 3D Expert to fully complement our the UMC-750. We’ve also added modules to OneCNC that provide us with optimum 5-axis control whilst maintaining our existing workflow.”

“We have a strict 5S strategy in place, but we take the spirit beyond the obvious tooling and marking,” he adds. “All our CAD stations are configured with the same software connected to a central server providing access to all files at any time. Our ERP software is bespoke, accessible throughout the building and provides the latest information from the shopfloor as required to those who need it, including production status, resource planning and delivery performance.”

Bay Engineering has also started running a night shift allowing continuous manufacturing around the clock: “We were looking for a way to increase utilisation of our growing range of machining centres to meet customer demand,” Steve Balem affirms. “Adding 24-hour skeleton staff has allowed us to realise and leverage the full potential of our machines.”

He concludes: “Our long-term investment plan since moving to new premises has already paid off. We will continue pooling our collective expertise, our machines, and our teamwork to ensure our customers receive the highest quality components with customer service to match.”

Haas www.haas.co.uk

Bay Engineering www.bayengineering.co.uk