Chiron Werke UK’s established reputation for developing and providing engineering solutions as turnkey projects that actually work - particularly for users in the automotive sector - is often mirrored by customer’s similar forward-thinking philosophies and practices that set them apart, too.

Based in Stanley, County Durham, the policies adopted by Express 2 Automotive (E2A) perfectly illustrate how a company can instigate measures that will make it stand out from the crowd. A recent turnkey project with E2A involving a cell of four Chiron FZ12 Magnums brought home to us the close similarities between our two companies, and really emphasised how both:

• Set out to identify the best technical solution to a specific problem rather than accepting a compromise;
• Look at every capital investment from a value-for-money point of view rather than purely lowest cost; and
• Seek to establish ‘cradle to grave’ partnerships that extend far beyond machine delivery into a programme of long-term continual improvement.

E2A’s operations director, Mark Hutchinson, explains how and why the company has taken the traditional meaning of ‘sub-contract manufacturing’ by the scruff of the neck: “Originally established in 1996 as part of the Express Group of companies, E2A has set out to break the traditional sub-contract manufacturing mould.

“Over the past four years E2A has achieved this key objective by developing a first-class reputation for offering our automotive customer base an unrivalled capability to specify, implement and continually develop engineering solutions to their component supply issues.”

The wisdom of this partnering policy is clear to see: within four years, E2A has grown into a 70-plus employee company that operates around the clock five days a week (it is currently investigating a four-shift 24x7 system) operating from a 22,000 ft2 manufacturing facility. In November 1999, the E2A management team led by Roy Stanley (chief executive, Tanfield Group) successfully completed a management buyout that divorced the company from the Express Group. E2A is now a key member of the £12 million plus turnover Tanfield Group, comprising E2A (high precision volume machining), HMH (sub-contract sheet metal and fabrication) and EFS (component finishing and decorations applications).

Mark Hutchinson continues: “From day one, the E2A team has purposely worked to establish a quality business infrastructure supported by a high level of technical expertise. This enables us to take a lead role in supporting our customers at every stage of a new project - from the design and specification of a best practice manufacturing solution (including machine tools, tooling/fixturing and inspection equipment) through to equipment implementation and successful customer approval. That solution is then presented as a manufacturing concept to meet the prospective customer’s quality and volume requirements.

“Coupled with our continual improvement philosophy to maintain our competitiveness, our demonstrated success at being able to offer such ‘cradle to grave’ manufacturing solutions has secured a number of long-term supply agreements with a world class automotive customer base.”

This way of working means E2A establishes dedicated manufacturing cells to satisfy each specific customer and product requirement. Each cell is based around the best technical solution using ‘standard and flexible’ manufacturing facilities with bespoke tooling and fixturing to suit individual component types. “Flexibility and interchangeability are key requirements for our fixturing and tooling solutions,” adds Mark Hutchinson. “Throughout the business, hydraulically-actuated fixtures are used extensively to minimise component load and unload times.”

These principles, of course, are exactly the same as those applied by the Chiron Werke UK team at Southam. And it was when E2A was presented with the opportunity to ‘spec’ a new manufacturing process to support the production of a new range of turbocharger centre housings that the close similarities between Chiron and E2A came to light.

Says Mark Hutchinson: “We were already producing two distinct centre housing types for an existing customer and we were given the opportunity to quote for new business associated with a new range of turbochargers for the new Ford Mondeo and Transit vehicles.

“At that time we had been machining the existing components on horizontal machining centres using tombstone fixtures - a traditional machining concept originally specified by our customer and issued to E2A as an established production process. But our experience of the product and of alternative manufacturing processes revealed that these types of turbo components could also be produced using vertical machining centres.

“Basically, in the existing process, eight components are loaded to each side of the fixture and during the machining cycle each component has to be manually moved and re-positioned on the fixture at least twice.

“Of course, it is clear that every time a process is interrupted then the chance of error is magnified and the potential for scrap increases. So, we began to investigate alternative manufacturing processes to reduce operator intervention.

• Chiron’s solution was based on one-hit machining using special hydraulic fixturing to accommodate three parts per load, to complete a series of milling and drilling operations. The fixturing design obviates the need to relocate parts on the fixture to complete the machining process and, says Mark Hutchinson, “although we didn’t initially specify a one-hit solution, we could see immediately that this machining concept would eliminate inter-process handling and therefore minimise failure rates”.
• Chiron presented a very strong project configuration by demonstrating its ability and willingness to turnkey the complete project by retaining responsibility for tooling, and fixturing design and manufacture as well as the machine tools.
• Chiron had relevant experience and a known pedigree in producing engineered packages for similar components.
• Chiron clearly had the infrastructure to work with E2A throughout the product lifespan, and gave a clear commitment of their ongoing support to continually refine the process following implementation at E2A.

“Taking all these points into consideration - along with the obvious measurables of cycle times, machine efficiencies, throughput levels, machine cost, and fixturing and tooling package costs - we were then in a position to develop a cost model.

“As with every project, we never considered the solution in terms of lowest cost but rather we considered value-for-money - and, in the event, the Chiron solution was competitively priced compared with other companies that quoted.”

David Broomfield, Chiron Werke UK’s technical manager, picks up the story: “From the component drawings we could obviously see the features that needed to be produced and their tolerances and, of course, our solution had to be robust. It’s relatively easy to obtain a one-off quality approval, but the key (as in all turnkeys) is to ensure the process is robust in production.

“We were given a free hand to spec the solution as we saw fit - to meet E2A’s volume requirements which for the two component variations were initially in excess of 2,100 parts/day - and rising.

“This we did based on the installation of a quartet of Chiron FZ12 Magnum vertical machining centres - two in late 1999, followed by another two in early 2000 - with tooling by Kennametal Hertel and fixturing from Saluki.

“The tooling package comprised mainly standard indexable and solid carbide tools with the minimum number of specials. The fixturing, although based on a standard design, was developed to allow E2A to rotate the parts - once located and hydraulically-clamped - through the angles required.

“This is to ensure accurate location off the critical datum, and for that datum to be machined ‘through the back’ of the fixture. This method of machining obviates the need to re-locate parts and enables the Chirons to finish-machine in one-hit. “Like all our engineering solutions projects,” he continues, “at the start-up meeting we defined every element of the project and allocated responsibilities and timescales in terms of tooling and fixturing supply. Regular project review meetings then tracked progress against schedule.

“As well as hitting the customer output targets, from day one we had to demonstrate that the process would enable the components to be produced to a Cpk of 1.67 on all significant features (positional tolerance of holes).

“We also had to consistently achieve tolerances of up to 0.1 mm true position on holes for certain critical features of the turbo housings.”

However, adds Mark Hutchinson: “Putting everything together on paper was the easy part. Actually putting it into practice was where Chiron’s skill at turnkey supply really came to the fore. It was critical that the Chiron solution would demonstrate the level of capability demanded by the original specification. This, of course, became a condition of acceptance.”

While Chiron’s contract was effectively completed by achievement of the quality acceptance requirements, E2A’s internal quest for continual improvement means that the company continues to investigate the opportunity for process improvements using the experiences of day-to-day volume production.

Described by Mark Hutchinson as internal improvements, he is gratified that Chiron is always on hand to assist in terms of technical requirements concerning the machining process, and in support of tooling and fixturing issues.

“It’s important that we can pick up the phone to Chiron knowing there is a relationship between our companies, and that there is a high level of support available to us if required.”

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Background picture supplied by Ford