The company operates an all-Haas Automation fleet of 15 machine tools, with the bias toward turning, including SL and ST30 and 40 CNC lathes, some with barfeed, as well as VF2, VF3, VF4 and VF6 vertical machining centres.
Additional investment has been made in a soon-to-be-delivered rotary carousel system to store finished components and service JIT delivery scheduling for major customers.
Sigma general manager Andrew Millington comments: “This new facility provides the launch-pad for our planned growth and expansion into new market sectors. Being centrally located and close to the M62 and M1 motorway networks also provides easy access to customers across the UK.”
In addition to the recent move, Sigma has also embarked upon an aggressive 5S programme and has invested in ProgressPlus production management software to enhance communication with both customers and suppliers and to streamline processes.
Andrew Millington continues: “ProgressPlus provides us with more enhanced and in-depth traceability functions for both our quality department and day to day operations team, to locate information more freely from one source within the system instead of pulling numerous resources together to achieve the same solution. It will allow us to generate and create a variety of reports to monitor performance across many key indicators from delivery to efficiencies from machines and personnel.”
Taking advantage of the additional floor-space available within the new site is sister company Quick Hydraulics. Headquartered in North Shields, Quick Hydraulics has also established a base here to facilitate growth outside of the North East of England for its comprehensive range of hydraulic engineering services which include the design and manufacture of hydraulic systems, power units, control systems and test rigs.
The move occurred following investment from new parent Altec Engineering Group, which acquired Sigma last year.
