Rodmatic sees business rise 60 per cent, while tooling costs stay level
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Rodmatic's Multico and Hytek divisions have slashed tooling costs, maintaining 2009 levels, even as its business has grown by 60 per cent in the first quarter, compared to a year earlier.
The company has processed in excess of 100 totally new components so far this year through the Reading facility of Rodmatic's Multico and Hytek divisions, but the company's focus on cost reductions and productivity improvement has meant tool costs have been maintained within 2009 levels.
"Even while introducing new work, our focus on productivity and eliminating waste has become a major contributor to control of expenditure and improving competitiveness," said managing director Brian Steatham.
"By installing two automated vending cabinets, for instance within our 30,000 ft² workshops, it has helped control the 1,700 different tooling elements we have on our books. As a result, we have improved cash flow, but also introduced better control, improved efficiency, eliminated shortages and created gains from time lost when setters would normally search for items they needed.
"The effects of recession have put a new focus on the business and has encouraged us to devote time to look at areas for improvement in support of our 38 multi-spindle autos in the Multico operation and CNC turn-mill, sliding-head lathe, wire EDM and vertical machining centre cells in the Hytek division."
The higher efficiency gains have not only led to the winning of new contracts, but also, according to Mr Steatham: "Enabled us to provide a more predictive service to our existing customers."
