Beakbane wins machining centre tool changer fabrication work from Heller

Kidderminster, Worcs-based Beakbane is producing one magazine fabrication a day for Heller UK, also based in Worcestershire, in Redditch, and is planning for increased volumes. The magazine fabrications had previously been made 100% in-house, at Heller's plant in Germany, and the decision to re-source them in the UK came as part of Heller's move to make Redditch its worldwide centre of excellence for chain-type tool magazines. Beakbane - a leading supplier of machine protection equipment, supplying components such as slideway covers, bellows and armoured aprons for all kinds of machine tools - has been supplying Heller with machine tool components and fabrications, such as door sets, since the 1990s, via its subcontracting service, but this adds further to its offering. "We are delighted that Heller has decided to entrust us with this major project," said Beakbane's managing director Mike Southwell. "This adds yet another strand to our portfolio of services and products for machine tool manufacturers and shows that we are prepared to make major investments in time and resources to meet the needs of our customers." Beakbane has invested approximately £80,000 on plant and equipment solely to support this project. This includes welding equipment, fume extraction and compressors, as well as the installation of a pit and lift table to allow welding to be carried out at a safe and convenient height without the need for platforms or ladders. Beakbane has also added a new overhead crane in its workshop to allow the new work to be carried out alongside existing production. Five new jobs have been created so that the factory can work a full twin-shift system producing the magazine fabrications. Heller's UK produces four models of four-axis horizontal machining centre – the H2000, H4000, H5000 and H6000. Magazine fabrications supplied by Beakbane will be used on all of these machining centres, which are exported around the world. In addition, the fabrications from Beakbane will be incorporated in tool magazines supplied from Redditch to Heller's other machine tool manufacturing plants in Germany and Brazil. Altogether, Beakbane is producing six variants of magazine fabrication, the heaviest weighing 1.25 tonnes. It is now Heller's sole external supplier of fabrications for magazines, and only fabrications for the very largest machines and non-standard items are made in-house in Germany.