When, out of the blue you are asked if you want to acquire the business that you work for, it is probably quite a shock. That was certainly the case for Steve Smith and Simon Walters at Patterns (Derby), a company that is steeped in history having been formed in 1947 by Sam Attwood and staying in family ownership until 2010 when the duo was invited to take ownership of the business.
The opportunity was accepted, so Steve and Simon took over the reins of a company that have stayed true to their manufacturing roots from when it was founded. When the company was established, there were 2 main elements to the business. A precision machining side producing tooling and parts for the nuclear & aerospace sector and a patternmaking side constructing wooden patterns for the foundry industry.
As their reputation grew, they were approached by a leading aero engine manufacturer in the city to produce inspection fixtures for the pipework that carries fluids throughout the jet engine. Initially made from wood, these manufacturing and inspection fixtures are now produced from aluminium to provide greater durability and longevity.
By their own admission, taking on the business was met with trepidation but they have continued to make investments that have enhanced its potential. One of these has been the move to new premises located at Eagle Park in Derby in 2018. This relocation has enabled them to put all their manufacturing under one roof and improve workflow throughout the company.
Although the precision machining skills and knowledge of pattern / fixture manufacture are core to the business, the technology used to manufacture their products has developed over the years. The company still retain several manual mills and have a number of XYZ CNC turret mills fitted with the ProtoTRAK control in both 2 and 3 axis configurations. These sit alongside a couple of ProTURN lathes for the precision turned parts and pins required on the pipe checking fixtures. But it is the latest investment that has seen benefits being brought to the shopfloor that were highlighted by a valued member of staff.
Steve Smith takes up the story “We have had a couple of vertical machining centres for a few years. One of these I brought to the business when I joined in 2003. This particular machine was still in great shape mechanically, but it was the electrical side of the machine that was becoming problematical. We made the decision to move it on and invest in a new machine. Initially we looked at a direct replacement in terms of capacity (800mm x 500mm X & Y) to the old machine and XYZ had a product that fitted our requirements. We then had discussions with our team here and it was Jay Kiernan, one of our Cad/Cam programmers and machinists who observed that there was a larger model available that would help to reduce the number of set ups on some of the parts we manufacture”.
“Some of those items are patterns for plant pots”. Simon explains “Just as the covid pandemic hit, we were approached by a local company who specialise in rotational moulding. They wanted to develop a range of plant pots, and we were happy to assist creating the patterns. As some of these plant pots are quite large, we had to use 2 set ups to manufacture the pattern using location and datum holes for the accurate setting up of the 2nd operation. When we had made the decision to make an investment, we not only looked at a direct replacement but also the next size machine up in the range. Jay had checked out XYZ’s products having worked on their equipment before joining us and suggest perhaps the stepping up to the 1600 LR model could bring some benefits to us”.
The 1600 LR machine with 1600mm X axis travel offered far more than the outgoing machine, but the 660mm Y axis movement is where Patterns saw the biggest advantage of moving to this model. Reducing the need for a second set up and being able to machine the pattern in one go has allowed them to see significant gains. Another advantage that the machine offered was 740mm maximum distance from spindle nose to table. This clearance with the 630mm of travel means there is scope for taller jobs to be mounted on the table. The machine has been taken with the standard BT40 10,000rpm spindle as Patterns saw no advantage of increasing it to the 12,000rpm option and the 15kW (20hp) spindle power is more than adequate for the materials that are being cut in the pattern making process.
Simon Walters continues “Now the machine is installed we are seeing some advantages over and above those we highlighted at the purchasing stage. A number of times already we have been able to have a secondary part set up further along the bed which was just not possible on the older machines we have due to table size and capacity. We were up and running in next to no time due to Jay’s previous experience on the Siemens 828D control. With XYZ coming on site to carry out our training, they were able to assist in ensuring our post processor was outputting correctly. This was a key element for us as 75% of the work going through the machine uses programs that are generated from our CAM package. To aid flexibility though, the machine does have the Shopmill conversational software fitted so that some of the less complex parts can be programmed directly on the machine.
The machine is located right at the back of the unit, so installation proved a challenge, but Steve concludes “The installation team at XYZ were spot on. Nothing was too much trouble navigating the machine through the factory. In fact, the whole experience of dealing with XYZ on this purchase was second to none. The advice provided from the recommendation to have the 4th axis wiring loom pre-installed for upcoming projects through to delivery and installation information have been great. With the challenges that we see getting skilled staff for the type of work we do and the fact that we are investing to help move the business forward, Simon and I believe we have made a great purchase with the XYZ 1600LR”.
