Grenville Engineering has expanded its machining department by installing an XYZ CT 65 HD CNC lathe, adding turning capacity to help meet customer demand and bring more work in-house.
For the Stoke-on-Trent subcontract manufacturer, the investment is about having capacity available when customers need it. The additional machine offers greater scheduling flexibility, reduces reliance on external subcontractors and strengthens coordination with fabrication, welding and assembly.
Grant Barratt, Director at Grenville Engineering, said: “We need to be in a position to react to our customers’ requirements. Having an additional machine gives us greater flexibility to respond to changes in demand.
“Keeping more work in-house allows us to take greater control of production, rather than relying on subcontractors. Keeping the customer at the centre of our activities is our approach to business generally, and this investment supports that.”
The XYZ CT 65 HD accommodates a maximum turned diameter of 220 mm and maximum turned length of 510 mm, with a 65 mm bar capacity. Typical components include shafts, bosses, bushes, and spacers, supplied either as individual machined parts or as part of larger fabricated assemblies.
Equipped with Siemens 828D ShopTurn control, a 12-station VDI turret and Renishaw automatic tool setting, the machine supports efficient preparation of one-off jobs and repeat batches. Grenville Engineering has also specified a bar feeder, using automation to improve manufacturing efficiency.
For suitable batch work, automated bar feeding reduces the need for repeated manual loading between components. This helps make productive use of the additional capacity while the machining team manages programming, tooling, process control and inspection.
The expansion also supports customers looking to consolidate their manufacturing requirements with a single partner. Where a project involves both machined and fabricated components, Grenville Engineering can coordinate more of the production sequence internally, reducing handovers and simplifying communication.
Alongside the production benefits, the new equipment creates further opportunities for employee development.
Grant added: “It provides opportunities for our employees to expand their capabilities and knowledge. That adds value to their own development as well as to the company. Investing in equipment gives our people more scope to develop, while helping us build the service our customers need.”
Established in 1984, Grenville Engineering provides sheet metal fabrication and precision engineering services from prototype through to production. Its in-house capabilities include laser cutting, tube laser cutting, CNC punching, forming, machining, welding, assembly and inspection.
The latest addition strengthens that wider service, with increased machining capacity supporting both standalone component orders and projects requiring several manufacturing processes.