The Surrey-based business says it has managed well-over 200 bespoke tool projects on behalf of customers, overseeing everything from concept to validation. With a dedicated maintenance team, and an advanced, fully-equipped toolshop managed by Kamil Stec, for several years now Broanmain says it has supported UK manufacturers seeking a high quality yet financially viable reshoring option.
Says Broanmain managing director Jo Davis: “We are delighted to join this influential engineering group of likeminded industry experts. The current pandemic, combined with Brexit, has highlighted a number of vulnerabilities in product prototyping and UK manufacturing supply chains. In the last 18-months, Broanmain has observed a heightened trend towards reshoring both the production of components, driven by real-time manufacturing, and the end-to-end management of tooling projects.
“It’s no secret that UK toolmaking has been in decline in recent decades, with a perceived scarcity of skills. By not protecting this highly technical role, we are doing a real disservice to the polymer industry. Very often, manufacturers face a choice - compromise on quality, or compromise on speed. Both instances usually result in a tool that’s not fit for purpose.”
Broanmain manages the tool design and moulds plastic components for a number of Tier 1 to 4 suppliers in the automotive, aerospace, industry, medical and consumer markets. Many of these parts are used globally by blue-chip organisations. It remains a committed member of the British Plastics Federation.
By joining GTMA, the family-run business is eager to showcase the benefits of working with a toolmaker that also truly understands the nuances of the moulding process and how to create a master tool that upholds British engineering standards. Working with one organisation that will manage the entire toolmaking process start to finish for a set price, results in quicker reactions, project continuity and greater transparency.
Welcoming Broanmain to GTMA CEO Julia Moore commented: “Since meeting with Broanmain at Southern Manufacturing & Electronics 2020, UK reshoring developments have rallied further. For a large majority, improved quality is often cited as the primary reason. But the global pandemic has now accelerated demands due to supply chain vulnerabilities. Our reshoring tool [see link below] helps to connect manufacturers with trusted UK suppliers.”