The move follows a rising order book for its subcontract machining services plus contracts for three UK automotive and an off-road vehicle manufacturers for specialist-purpose machine tool and assembly machines. Subcontract work boasts current orders from London Underground, light railway, defence, food industry, paper mills and workholding and toolholding sectors, the latter two linked to a major international tooling supplier.
In boosting its capacity, installation of the Bridgeport XR1000 has created a further skilled setter-operator position at the company and led to the recruitment of an additional apprentice on a three-year programme.
Say Tony Clifford, workshop manager: "Our increased production order book, plus the addition of over £500,000 in special equipment application orders this year, began to pressurise our 3- and 4-axis milling section, which meant we had to react to expand our capacity. We have also recruited a skilled CNC setter/operator and taken on an additional apprentice machinist in order to home-grow the level of technology capability we require.
"The Bridgeport XR1000 ideally met our capacity needs, with XYZ strokes of 1,020 mm by 610 mm by 610 mm. It has a 12,000 revs/min, BT40 spindle, linked with dynamic thermal compensation through the Heidenhain iTNC 530 control, and will be ideal for processing aluminium components, as well as general-purpose machining."
Inca Geometric, based in Chartham, near Canterbury, Kent, originally formed its special machine tool, assembly and test rig operation in 1956. During the 90s, it expanded into subcontract machining.
The company has 21 highly skilled employees, which enables it to support prototype and development projects, right through to initial production stages, as well as batch work processing. Plant and equipment installed includes: slotting; internal and external splining; honing, jig boring and grinding; turning; milling; vertical and horizontal boring; plus a fabrication capability for parts up to five tonnes.
It has in-house SolidWorks CADCAM that supports a design-for-production service, as well as supports the development of special-purpose machine tools and equipment, assembly machine and test rig build.
