Prototype Engineering

We undertake prototype machining of billet machined components, machined castings and assemblies. Working closely with the customer we can assist in design development advising on best machining practices, materials and production techniques. As a small dynamic company we are also happy to undertake revisions, usually at short notice.

Design Assistance: We are happy to provide design assistance at all levels from interpreting verbal specifications and concepts through to CAD design and drawing preparation. Whist we expect customers to have a clear idea of what they require, we are more than happy to provide advise on engineering principals such as wall thickness, proximity of holes to edges and preferred use of three primary working axis etc. In many instances a customer might have a component that requires excessive machining; we can recommend design modifications to simplify the production engineering requirements whilst maintaining the original mechanical specifications.

Copy Machining & Reverse Engineering: We can copy obsolete parts directly in the case or turned parts, or prepare technical drawings for remanufacture. We can also reverse engineer components, dismantling larger assemblies and both replicate component function and improve performance characteristics.

Design Revision: We can make design changes quickly, either through primary CAD design or through the modification of machine stored cutting programs. It is not uncommon for items to reach 8-10 revisions.

Production Techniques: When time is money, reducing the production time is critical to the bottom line, especially in large volumes. We can assist in evaluating prototype production techniques including reducing multiple set up times, minimising cross machine transfers, ie milling/turning operations and optimising roughing and finishing operations.

Materials: We work in all standard materials but are also happy to work with special alloys and exotic materials. Much of the work involved with components machined from specialist materials involves gauging the correct cutting speeds, feed rates and tooling in order to achieve the desired result.