Precision machinist restructures and sees business return
1 min read
Precision and volume machinist Rodmatic has doubled the turnover from its high technology CNC machining division, increased sales by 50% in its volume production operation at Reading and will hit targets for its August year end of 90% of production being exported to customers mainly in the fluid power, automotive, specialist automotive and marine sectors.
"Like most subcontract firms, production dipped two years ago, as customers re-assessed stock levels," said managing director Brian Steatham. "With lots of co-operation from a flexible workforce, coupled with key investment decisions, this put us in a strong position to meet varying monthly targets and, in particular, being able to respond quickly to bring in totally new business."
Over the two years, Mr Steatham restructured the business away from being a mainly high volume producer of turned parts shipping over 500,000 components a week from its 38 multi-spindle autos installed at the Rodmatic Multico division, with its CNC-based, smaller batch producer Rodmatic Hytek moved into a sector-specific-based supplier of turned and turn-milled parts.
This move enabled the provision of a cost-effective production solution from prototype and small batchwork to continuous, around-the-clock production, where the joint experience and skills of the working team could be of greater benefit.
Rodmatic employs 50 people at Reading and is currently recruiting additional skilled machinists. In addition, Mr Steatham has recently set up a customer support team under sales director Bob Todd, with Adel Hinton as sales and marketing co-ordinator and Patrick Evans, a lean manufacturing specialist previously employed by machine builder Tornos in Switzerland. Mr Evans played a key role in application engineering for medical products, and his appointment significantly strengthens Rodmatic's position in the medical sector and for future growth in related component supply.
Already running around-the-clock, five days week, with the current influx of new business this is set to increase to six days/week at Reading.
Additional capacity has just been added, with the purchase of a second, high specification Eagle sliding headstock turn-mill centre. Four additional CNC machines and expansion of its quality department and non-contact measurement capability are budgeted for 2011-12 financial year.
