Classic car manufacturer invests in new manufacturing tech

Burlen is a manufacturer of genuine Skinners Union (SU), Amal and Zenith Carburettor brands, and owner of the J40 Motor Company

Installation of new equipment allows Burlen to undertake end to end product development and rapid prototyping while also providing an opportunity to implement more efficient production processes.

Subsequent manufacturing improvements allows Burlen to have full control of every step of production, helping to safeguard the future of its automotive brands and maintaining its reputation for quality.

Production capable 3D scanning and printing allows Burlen engineers to accurately measure apertures, robustly verify prototype and production parts and reverse engineer many products that have been unavailable or deemed too time consuming to produce in the past.

This latest technology also gives the ability to manufacture easily and swiftly, essential for the J40 Motor Co where many small parts are required to continuously be in stock.

Installation of DMG Mori’s full 5-axis milling machine and universal turning centre allows Burlen to machine any of their current parts faster.

The milling machine will be used for rapid prototyping of complex parts, which was previously outsourced, and allows Burlen to produce bespoke, one-off parts to meet client demand. The universal turning centre replaces a CNC lathe and will not only increase production speed and capacity but also allows for larger components to me machined in-house.

Installation of a new, large-scale laser cutter allows Burlen to accurately manufacture in-demand parts for the J40 Motor Company bringing production in-house also provides enhanced quality control and the ability to rapidly re-stock when required. In addition, this new machine will provide many of the metal parts needed for the manufacture of SU and Amal products – a task which was previously outsourced.

Speaking of the recent investment Burlen Technical Director Jamie Burnett said “Burlen can now transform an idea to a useable product within hours, rather than months. Better still, we can complete the entire process, end-to-end, in-house from concept to rolling-road testing. Not only does this mean continuous product development for all of our brands, it also allows us to create bespoke client projects to any given specification.”

Mark Burnett, Burlen’s Managing Director, added “Burlen has a reputation for handmade products, and that will always be the case and modern processes complement our traditional methods - rather than replace. We are now able to create new products faster, allowing us to focus our traditional skills where they are most needed. If a machine can create a number of J40 parts swiftly and easily, it allows our skilled workers to concentrate on other areas of the business, from restoration to manufacturing. Technology allows us to do more, faster.”

Burlen www.burlen.co.uk