Having received an order for 30,000 components from the C-PAP Flow Generator consortium tasked with manufacturing 10,000 units, Bryken had just 10 days in which to deliver. The limited timescale put pressure on Bryken’s manufacturing capabilities, it was able to quickly adapt its experience and knowledge to meet this short lead-time, high volume requirement. The company’s typical customers hail from the automotive, construction equipment, oil and gas and power generation sectors.
In addition to the demands placed on its machining capacity, with 14 machines, including twin-spindle turning centres and sliding-head lathes being dedicated to the order, availability of tooling was also a major factor in meeting the deadline. Bryken took advantage of support offered by long-term tooling partner Ceratizit UK & Ireland to provide tooling for projects such as this at advantageous discounts. An initial order was placed for over 325 items from the Ceratizit catalogue, including high performance solid carbide drills, turning inserts and internal grooving and boring bars.
Says Stewart Taylor, Bryken’s commercial director: “The support we have had from Ceratizit UK & Ireland has been brilliant. Following the initial order, we have been asking for additional cutting tools daily, ranging from taps to end-mills. As always, we received what we ordered the very next morning, with technical support available as and when we needed it.
“With this initial order for parts from Bryken complete, Mercedes AMG HPP has been able to complete the first 10,000 C-PAP Flow Generators being packed delivered. The success of this order may lead to follow up business in support of the government’s Ventilator UK project.”
The Ceratizit offer is open until 31 August and is available to any engineering company manufacturing ventilator and other related diagnostic equipment for the National Health Service during the current Covid-19 pandemic. The offer includes:
1. Full technical support with additional support from Projects team and Applications team
2. Free test tools for cutting trials on ventilator projects
3. Priority handling of orders
4. Free delivery no matter what the value of order is
5. 70% Discount on tools used in the manufacture of ventilators until 31st August 2020.
6. 180 days for returns instead of the usual 30 days to allow for freedom of ordering different tools.
Says Nigel Walls, industry solutions engineer, Ceratizit UK & Ireland: “This is a perfect example of why we set up the offer of support to those customers assisting in the fight against Covid-19. Our ability to get tools to customers when they need them has always been at the centre of what we do, but we are happy to go that extra distance and support this vital work with tooling discounts and any technical support that a customer may need.”
