Root and branch transformation for Southampton subcontractor

Investment in two new machines from Mach Machine Tools is all part of a big picture transformation for BSA-Regal Engineering. PES reports.

BSA Regal Engineering was established in Southampton back in 1965 and today has 25 employees. The company was a founder member of BSA-Regal Group when Regal acquired the well-known BSA motorcycle group in 1994.

The transformation in question is not the kind that is so gradual, or so limited in its scope or scale, that its impact and effects go largely unnoticed.

Instead this is a root and branch metamorphosis: a radical repositioning of the company focused on improvement and growth, and concerned with strengthening and elevating BSA-Regal Engineering’s position within its existing supply chains, and on winning new high-value business in different sectors and industries.

This whole company approach permeates all levels and aspects of the business; from progressive recruitment strategies (as evidenced by a recently implemented apprenticeship programme) and the constant reviewing, monitoring and streamlining of its manufacturing processes and systems, through to its strategic investment in the latest and most advanced machine tool and ancillary technologies.

The recent investment made in two new Mach 1062-HD vertical machining centres from Mach Machine Tools – part of the Vigilance Group of companies – is a case in point and demonstrates that BSA-Regal Engineering is a company that is going places.

The machines, both with X-axis travels of 1,020mm; Y-axis 625mm; and Z-axis 610mm, were installed at the company’s 12,000ft² facility in Southampton at the start of 2020: the first arriving in January, the second in February.

Since their installation both machines have been put through their paces machining a range of high-precision components (prototypes and one-offs through to larger batch series) from an equally diverse range of materials such as aluminium, stainless steel, tool steel, plastics, titanium, and nickel alloys, for BSA-Regal Engineering’s growing UK and international customer base.

These customers operate in and across a wide range of industries and include the defence, rail, marine and shipbuilding, fibre optic, food and drink processing, medical device, tobacco, oil and gas and security sectors.

Machine decisions

The two Mach 1062-HD machining centres selected by BSA-Regal Engineering are high performance machines and were acquired to improve the company’s machining capacity and capabilities and have replaced three of the company’s older machines which were used in part exchange to help fund the new investment.

Martin Clayton, workshop supervisor at BSA-Regal Engineering explains: “To achieve our growth objectives and to make us more productive and competitive, we need access to high-performance CNC machine tools that deliver the accuracy, speed and process reliability we expect and that our customers demand.

“In recent years we have initiated an investment programme to replace our older manual, semi-automatic and CNC machines with more advanced machines that now includes multi-tasking lathes and a 5-axis machining centre. The two new Mach 1062-HD machines are part of this ongoing improvement programme.”

Although not an existing MACH Machine Tools’ customer, BSA had knowledge of the company having previously dealt with Mike Corbett, Mach’s CNC divisional manager, when he was an applications manager at XYZ.

“We know and trust Mike,” Mr Clayton affirms. “When he made us aware of the performance and competitive price of the 1062-HD machines, back in September 2019, we sat up and took notice. The machines seemed to be exactly what we were looking for, and we made arrangements to see a model in action at Mach’s showroom in Bristol.

“We were specifically looking to replace two of our older vertical machines, that were a bit long in the tooth, with machines that had larger X-axes, more powerful and reliable spindle technology; and through-spindle-coolant capability.”

Other prerequisites for both machines included the incorporation of the latest Siemens control system, the integration of an efficient swarf management system and, on one of the machines, a fourth axis unit.

Controlling factors

BSA-Regal Engineering has made the decision to standardise the control systems on its machine tools in favour of Siemens. This move has helped the company achieve greater operational efficiencies and improved machine tool utilisation, allowing programs to be transferred between machines helping to reduce production bottlenecks.

Siemens control systems, with onboard ShopMill or ShopTurn conversational programming software, are also the control of choice with BSA-Regal Engineering’s apprentices.

“To plan for the future and to address the ongoing skills shortage, we have introduced an in-house apprenticeship programme in cooperation with City College Southampton,” Mr Clayton explains. “All three of our apprentices favour, and are more confident using, the Siemens CNC control platform.”

With this in mind BSA also traded in a relatively new Heidenhain-controlled machining centre, as well as the two older VMC’s, for the two new MACH 1062-HD models.

The two Mach 1062-HD machines have been in operation for just under six months and, according to Martin Clayton, ‘haven’t missed a beat’. The machines are equipped with powerful, high-torque18.5kW/10,000rpm direct-drive BBT 40 chilled spindles, features that provide high accuracy volumetric removal rates and excellent finishes.

The machines’ through-spindle-coolant capability is also proving its worth helping to make BSA’s machining processes more reliable, helping the company to reduce part cycle times by employing higher speed and feed rates and extending tool life.

The high-efficiency chip augur system on the machines is helping to reduce machine downtime and is particularly advantageous during long machining runs. And the incorporation of the GSA fourth axis unit, which can be used on both machines, increases the machines’ flexibility.

Martin Clayton concludes: “We are delighted with the performance of our MACH 1062-HD machines. They, as intended, are making us more productive, efficient and competitive.

“Features like their direct-drive spindle technology with through-spindle coolant capability, generous-sized 24-position ATCs, good ergonomic design and easy workpiece accessibility have made them firm favourites with machine shop staff.

“Our new machine tool investment programme and apprenticeship scheme, in addition to us embracing new ways of working such as offline programming, a movement towards unattended, lights-out operations and more overt and targeted marketing, are helping us raise our profile and reposition the company.”

BSA-Regal Engineering www.bsaregalengineering.co.uk

Mach Machine Tools www.machmt.co.uk