Increased aerospace demand prompts Hone-All investment to eliminate bottleneck

When the custom-built HTC-3000W CNC honing machine is installed it will open up a capacity bottleneck currently being solved by the loan of a 2,000 mm stroke length Sunnen HTB-2000S PLC horizontal tube honing machine. A major incentive for this investment in a 3,000 mm stroke length honing machine is the growth in demand for the company's subcontract machining expertise from customers in the aerospace industry. One new aerospace contract alone requires a substantial increase in honing capacity to be in place within the next six months. "Placing the order for a new hone now makes sure that Hone-All Precision will be in the best possible position to meet this demand and avoid any risk of delay," says Andrea Rodney, co-director Hone-All Precision. Guaranteed by Sunnen to provide the 'lowest manufacturing costs per part', the new hone – equipped with a touch screen control that contributes to step-by-step set-up times of less than two minutes – is expected to boost Hone-All Precision's honing capacity by up to 200%. "We have created a precision machining environment here in Leighton Buzzard that takes in everything from sourcing raw materials through to the delivery of high-quality components," says Colin Rodney, managing director. "Maintaining our specialist skills in honing, gun drilling and deep hole boring is an integral part of our business, and this latest investment in a new honing machine is clear evidence of our commitment to a programme of continuous improvement. One factor in stimulating demand from the aerospace industry is Hone-All Precision's accreditation to BS EN 9100, the international aerospace quality standard, which was followed in July 2010 by the award of SC21 Bronze level status.