Rising to the challenge

Gordon Griffiths has spent his entire working life in one place, beginning in 1964 as an apprentice with a gauge and toolmaking company based in Markyate, Hertfordshire.

These days the site is home to a multitude of smaller businesses, one of which is Griffiths Precision Engineering, a precision machining subcontractor set up in 1981 and having a long track record in the manufacture of special tooling.

“We can handle production volumes, although most of our work falls into the one-off to 20-off category,” says Mr Griffiths. “We enjoy a challenge, and if something new comes along that could improve our response and our competitiveness, we will give it a try, which is why we invest continuously in new equipment and why we can machine virtually anything, including titanium and aerospace alloys.”

Mark Griffiths joined his father's business straight from school 14 years ago and is an enthusiastic advocate of CNC technology. He was influential in the recent decision to invest in an XYZ 1020 VMC vertical machining centre, which has a 1m plus table to match the capacity of the company's two SIP jig borers. “This means we can finish machine larger workpieces or simply put up several fixtures and machine several smaller jobs without needing to stop the machine,” he says.

Typical of the type of work undertaken by Griffiths Precision Engineering is the special tooling used in car seat belt test rigs and in the testing of diesel engines. However, the well equipped workshop allows the company to apply its knowledge and skills to a broad range of machining work. The new VMC has joined two other XYZ machines – a 5.75kW (7.5hp)/4,000rpm ProTurn SLX 355 lathe and a 3.75kW (5hp)/3,600rpm ProtoTrak SMX 3000 turret mill – purchased following personal recommendations from other XYZ customers. According to Gordon Griffiths: “These CNC/manual machines have proved to be very good value for money and we are perfectly happy with them and with the support that has been provided to us.”

The 15kW (20hp)/8,000rpm XYZ 1020 VMC is equipped with the Siemens ShopMill conversational control and is designed for serious metal removal, with its solid Meehanite ribbed casting and induction hardened boxways contributing to maximum rigidity and vibration absorption. Table size is 1,120mm by 500mm, with X-, Y- and Z-axis travels of 1,020mm x 540mm x 580mm contained within a 2,650mm (W) by 2,105mm (D) footprint. Maximum workpiece weight is 800kg.

“To succeed in the subcontract machining business you need to build good relationships with customers and with suppliers such as XYZ,” concludes Gordon Griffiths. “This is my primary focus because with a small team like ours you have to make sure everything is in place and is functioning efficiently – so I can concentrate on running the business rather than interfering in the actual day to day machining. The fact that we are not a ‘one man, one machine' type of operation ensures we have the flexibility to deal with the unexpected, and I know that whatever is required by our customers, we have the skills and machine tools needed to achieve it.”

Griffiths Precision Engineering
www.griffithseng.co.uk XYZ
www.xyzmachinetools.com