Investment in a refurbished high-speed press is helping Kent-based sub-contract manufacturing specialist deliver a significant aerospace contract that has been re-shored from Spain.

HV Wooding, which offers laser cutting, wire erosion, busbars, motor laminations and presswork to customers all over the world, has invested over £120,000 into new tooling and the installation of a Bruderer BTSA 25H to produce more than 28 million precision parts every year.

The contract will utilise the press’ repeatable quality and 1500 strokes per minute capability, with the industry-leading RAM Guidance System ensuring unparalleled stability and longer tool life.

Components will be used in a number of tamper-proof products for the airline sector and should account for 60% of the machine’s capacity, leaving the other 40% for new opportunities in electrification and green energy.

“This is the second Bruderer we’ve installed, after inheriting our first when an electrical client outsourced its press shop,” explained Paul Allen, Sales Director at HV Wooding.

“There are few machines in the world that can offer the speed and accuracy in such high volumes and this is going to make a major difference to our ability to meet the requirement of our aerospace customer.”

He continued: “The material we are using is really thin gauge and tolerances are tight and that’s why we decided on the BSTA 25H. The Ram Guidance System eliminates the possibility of movement, prolonging the tool life and giving us consistent quality, something the customer wasn’t getting overseas.

“It was a real partnership approach, with Bruderer experts working with us to identify the right machine and then planning the timeline so that we could manage the install without disrupting production. This meant running the initial parts off at its Luton factory whilst we were putting the machine in place.”

HV Wooding, which exports 30% of its £10m turnover overseas, has also invested in a Unidor Multi-Sensor in die tool protection system and a Unidor Press Force Monitor.

Both additions to the machine are designed to ensure the tool safety at both low and high speeds and provides protection against overload and potential damage to the tool.

Simon Stewart, Technical Manager at HV Wooding, went on to add: “We have been really impressed with the performance of the BSTA 25H and are already looking at ways where we can standardise the set-up process to move other projects on to it.

“There is also the potential to target new opportunities, with the 1500 strokes per minute speed giving us plenty of capacity to take on high volume electrical, lamination and motor orders.”

Bruderer UK has remained operational throughout the Covid-19 pandemic and, despite the difficulties, has posted an impressive last twelve months with increasing demand for new and refurbished presses and its Zani range of stamping presses.

A lot of this has been driven by clients supplying into the medical and automotive sector, who all require precision parts in high volumes.

Adrian Haller, Managing Director of Bruderer UK, concluded: “This is a perfect example of our partnership approach, working with the production team at HV Wooding to identify a solution that fulfils both immediate and future manufacturing needs.

“The BSTA 25H is a fantastic high-speed press and capable of easily meeting the 28 million pars per annum demanded by the aerospace contract. Importantly, it has also opened up new opportunities for the client to go after a potential pipeline of orders that they previously wouldn’t have been able to compete for.”