In order to increase its capacity and improve accuracy, family engineering firm, Asquith and Rogers of Foleshill, Coventry, purchased a Mikron UCP 710 high performance five axis machining centre for component manufacture. The machine represents a major investment for a company that employs less than 10 people and which only works a single shift. MD and joint founder Dave Asquith explains why he believes the Mikron machine will help grow his business into the future, 'Our customers, such as Ilmor Engineering Ltd.
and Rolls Royce Ltd., demand engineering of the highest quality.
The new machine enhances our ability to supply them with products to an accuracy, at a price and in a delivery time that puts us ahead of the competition.' The company saw the new business opportunities that a CNC capability would open up for them and they decided to research the five axis CNC machine market.
The field soon narrowed down to a short-list, from which the Mikron emerged as clear winner due to its superb accuracy and large machining envelope.
Their existing equipment had limited the company to a maximum component size of 300 mm3 but the Mikron has increased this to 500 mm3.
Much of the work that Asquith and Rogers undertakes relates to Formula 1 cylinder head components, which are produced in small batches, for which the Mikron five-axis machine is ideally suited.
One of their principal clients, Ilmor Engineering has five Mikron machines installed, of which three are five-axis CNC machines.
This facility gave Asquith and Rogers additional confidence when making the purchasing decision.
The installation of a substantial new machine into a fully operational tool-room already equipped with major items, is a matter that requires good planning if it is to go without a hitch.
In the case of Asquith and Rogers the Mikron machine was delivered, direct from Switzerland to their premises, checked, tested, installed and up and running in only four days.
Dave Asquith explains his company's philosophy 'We believe our dedication to excellence helps our clients succeed in their chosen fields, whether that be aerospace or Formula 1.
When I visited Mikron in Switzerland I was impressed by how much their professional, business-like attitude and their commitment to quality matched our own.' Since its inception in 1966, and from its successful early years as jig-boring subcontractors, Asquith and Rogers has taken advantage of technological advances, and is now forging a place for itself in the ultra-high precision five-axis machining subcontract market, with special expertise in components for the automotive and aerospace