Miyano turn-mill centres a success for turning subcontractor

The original BNJ-42SY was added to the plant list to enable Rodford to meet a growing order book of challenging, complex and demanding aerospace parts. As managing director Rod Dallyn (image, left, with son Neil) explains, it proved to be a complete 'step change' to the business. "It completely altered our way of thinking, seriously upgraded our machining capability and dramatically reduced our lead times on the 42 different parts we have produced from up to 42 mm bar," he said. Through the back end of 2009 and into 2010 Rodford Engineering was again facing a growing order book and Mr Dallyn knew he needed to expand his machining capacity. He said: "Talking to Miyano Machinery UK, we agreed the BNE-51SY5 would fit the bill and indeed, the moment it was installed and set on existing work, it had an immediate effect. Within just a month we were combining two and three previous operations into one cycle and immediately cut both our machining and lead times." Said Mr Dallyn's son Neil who is works manager and largely responsible for production: "It's the overlapping capability of machining cycles at both spindles that is saving us 30 to 50 per cent on floor-to-floor times and with combined operations we immediately cut at least two weeks from our lead times." Rodford Engineering has been in business for 26 years specialising in subcontract turning and milling of components up to 150 mm cube in aluminium, stainless steel, inconel, titanium and plastics which are supplied to leading aerospace and tier 1 customers.