Keeping on track with production

During 2015, APT (Automatic Precision Turning) celebrated 60 years in business and is now looking forward to further success. The company says its PSL Datatrack production management and business administration system will feature as a cornerstone of its future operations.

APT has a successful strategy of continuous investment in its production capabilities, including high precision CNC multi-axis turning centres and vertical machining centres. These are a testimony to the company's core aim of offering reliability, precision, speed and high quality service to its customer base.

Alongside these investments, the first involvement with PSL Datatrack came in early 2012 after the software had come to its attention through successful implementation within other engineering subcontractors and as a result of PSL Datatrack's successful publicity campaigns in the engineering media.

APT supplies high precision turned parts and components from 1mm to 42mm diameter, as well as intricate prismatic parts in batches of up to one million, produced in materials as diverse as aluminium, brass, steels, plastics and high temperature alloys. Its broad client base covers industries such as aerospace, automotive, medical, motorsport and security with many customers taking advantage of APT’s AS EN 9100 and ISO 9001 accreditations. With so many manufacturing permutations, APT had recognised the need to improve its administration and PSL Datatrack provided the solution.

“At the time we were looking to replace our many separate Excel-based recording systems and our previous manufacturing control program from another software supplier. We needed to combine our various databases and resources into one integrated system that would provide overall complete control of the many variables within our production processes; PSL Datatrack fitted the bill,” recalls Nick Baller, operations director at APT.

As a modular software system, Datatrack is designed to integrate different manufacturing and administration routines, thereby saving time and money. APT subsequently invested in the software in order to have total control over its processes from customer enquiries through to delivery and invoicing; reflecting its own commitment to give customers an engineering service from initial drawing to the finished part.

Datatrack handles APT's quotations, works orders, purchase orders, stock, non-conformance reports and more, ensuring traceability, close batch control and full compliance with its quality accreditations.

“No longer do we have to switch painstakingly between each of our previous standalone reporting and monitoring systems,” continues Mr Baller.

Working closely with PSL Datatrack to ensure that the software is fully tailored to meet ongoing, changing requirements, APT has also been a very active contributor to PSL's customer ‘wish list’ programme. This ensures that Datatrack is regularly updated and configured from the user's viewpoint and not just from the developer's own ideas for improvement.

“We have seen many of our suggestions actioned and included in new versions of PSL Datatrack. This shows us that the customer ‘wish list’ is not just an ideal but is taken seriously by the company as a real means of implementing practical improvements to the software's functionality. It has been very useful to have an input into this development,” adds Mr Baller.

The software has proven to be an easy to use system for APT, with the interlinked modules delivering significant time savings, whilst the benefits of traceability that the system provides are making auditing quick and easy. As a result, the company is now looking at further investment in Datatrack time and attendance and assembly modules, as well as status boards to take efficiency to even higher levels by automatically distributing information and instructions to any department.

APT feels that the support it gets from PSL Datatrack is first rate with the provision of concise, well written help files and effective telephone support. If a query cannot be solved immediately, then a prompt call back from software supplier is always provided, giving APT confidence in the service.

Continuing investment in the latest manufacturing technology has seen recent acquisitions of new Star sliding head lathes, a Haas vertical machining centre and the latest Firbimatic solvent cleaning plant,. Alongside this technology, the Datatrack software will play a pivotal role in maximising the benefits of these investments.

“PSL Datatrack is the industry standard and will be at the heart of everything we do as we move into our 61st year of operation and beyond,” Mr Baller concludes.

APT www.aptleicester.co.uk

PSL DATATRACK www.psldatatrack.com