F1 supplier adds bigger 5-axis

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Driven Precision Engineering, an F1 machining specialist, has invested in a new 5-axis machining centre to add capacity and extend the size of work it can take on

The Portsmouth-based company has invested in 850 x 700 x 500 mm Hermle C 400 supplied by Geo Kingsbury.

Owner Ray Harris says he had no qualms buying a machine costing significantly more than a 5-axis machining centre of equivalent capacity from the incumbent suppler as quality and performance were key.

He explained, “It was our tooling supplier, Betta-Cut in Southampton, that suggested we look at Hermle, as the sales engineer is an ex-employee of Geo Kingsbury and knew the machines well.

“I searched on the internet and found only positive comments about the machines. Normally you can unearth some negatives about machine tools on discussion forums, but I couldn’t find any about Hermle.

“Then I went to a subcontractor in Gosport, Norjon, whose owner Kevin Fox has operated 5-axis Hermles for many years and now has five. He didn’t have a bad word to say about them either, so the C 400 more or less sold itself.

“Geo Kingsbury helped by introducing us to Deutsche Leasing UK for finance and deferred the start of payments for six months from the May 2017 installation date.

“It will push our first instalment on to the busy F1 build period, from December through to February. At that time of year our income is higher, as work is practically non-stop making race car components in a range of materials, jigs and fixtures, and aluminium moulds for manufacturing carbon fibre car parts.”

Working virtually seven days a week during those three months will generate sufficient income to pay for the machine over five years. It means that additional jobs carried out during the other nine months of the year will be profit and go towards the purchase of the next machine.

During the close season, there are ongoing F1 race car prototypes and components to be made, but the subcontractor has cast its net wider to serve the high-end road car, oil and gas, aerospace and yachting sectors as well, producing batch sizes from one-off up to typically 50-off.

Ray Harris added, “I try to make sure I buy only the best equipment, such as Schunk workholding and hyperMILL CAM software, as our customers expect top accuracy parts and prompt deliveries, sometimes same-day turnarounds.

Driven Precision Engineering

Tel: +44 (0)7428 111605

[email protected]

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