🔊From billets to brake lines

HEL Performance, founded by Simon Lane in Exeter, has grown from making stainless steel brake lines to becoming a supplier of precision-machined components for motorsport. The company’s success is driven by investments in Brother machining centres from Whitehouse and workholding and automation technology from Lang Technik.

The company started in 1985 when Hose-Equip became an authorised Aeroquip distributor, earning a reputation in industrial, marine, and hydraulic markets. In 2000, it shifted focus to braided motorcycle brake lines, creating the iconic devil’s tail logo and launching HEL Performance. The company pioneered the UK’s first fully swaged brake line system, using stainless steel and titanium, avoiding corroding cheaper materials.

This commitment to quality over cost made HEL Performance a market leader. Andy Crew from HEL Performance explains: “Focusing on brake lines for cars and bikes, in the last eight or nine years, we have moved into machining billet parts. If you’re making brake lines for motorbikes, the lines connect to master cylinders and callipers. The only way to make master cylinders and callipers under your own brand is to then invest in the machinery to do it all,” Andy notes.
HEL Performance initially invested in sliding head machines to manufacture their stainless steel brake line fittings in-house, becoming the only performance brake hose company in the UK to do this. However, the company’s ambitions extended beyond fittings. To produce the complex geometries required for brake callipers and master cylinders, HEL Performance invested in 5-axis machining technology.

The Lang Technik Partnership
The success of any machining operation depends fundamentally on workholding capability, and HEL Performance’s choice of Lang Technik equipment proved to be a defining decision.
The relationship between HEL Performance and Lang Technik began with the company’s investment in Lang’s Makro•Grip 5-axis vices. “Lang was in place before any of the robots, and the operators loved it. Lang made everything so simple and the equipment was repeatable. Going to a large scale was a massive investment, but it was worth it.”

The Automation Revolution
As HEL Performance’s production volumes increased, the company recognised the need for automation to maximise machine utilisation and maintain competitiveness. The decision to invest in Lang Technik’s RoboTrex automation system represented another strategic milestone.
The RoboTrex automation system is flexible and can be set up to cover everything from single-part production to larger batches. For HEL Performance, the choice of RoboTrex over competing systems was driven by practical considerations. “It just came down to the ease for the operators and the programmers,” Andy explains. “A lot of the other systems require weeks of training to operate the robot and then more training to program the robot. This was much more turnkey, the system turns up, a couple of engineers set it up for you, and then we know that that robot is always going to pick the vice up and put it in the right place every time,” says Andy.

The RoboTrex system features both mechanical and pneumatic actuation options, various gripper configurations for maximum flexibility, and can handle workpiece weights up to 45kg, depending on the model. Importantly for HEL Performance, the system arrived pre-programmed and ready to operate, minimising the technical expertise required from operators.
The automation technology implementation has transformed HEL Performance’s manufacturing capabilities. The benefits extend far beyond simple productivity gains, encompassing quality improvements, operational flexibility, and strategic expansion opportunities.

“It’s made us be able to make most of our parts all in one go,” Andy explains. “Because of the way the automation works, we try and do 95% of the machining work in one go. Sometimes we’ll snap the parts off, and that means there’s minimal second operation work for the operators. It doesn’t just speed everything up; it also makes everything a nice, flowing process.”

This significantly reduces handling time, minimises the risk of errors, and improves overall efficiency. The automation has also enabled HEL Performance to explore new market opportunities. “We can now do a much larger range of callipers for motorbikes. We will also go for other parts for motorbikes and cars, and now we’ve also got a new range of mountain bike parts. So we can expand our product range massively under the brand, because we’ve got the capacity to make the parts,” Andy notes.
One of the most significant advantages of the Lang Technik solution is its intuitive operation.
“It’s so easy to use that an operator can use it with pretty much no prior training. Installation-wise, there are no services required for the table, no pneumatics, no hydraulics, like with some other systems. So the machine itself can operate as it was, and then you can bolt this system on. There are no machine modifications needed. It’s just straight in, and it’s super easy and simple.”

Scaling Success
The success of HEL Performance’s initial RoboTrex installation has led to the continued expansion of its automation capabilities. “We had one Robo setup that was three, four years ago, and then in the last 18 months, the increased workload has meant we’ve decided to expand with two more robots with two more Brother machines. So, we’ve now got three robots that can run 24/7, lights out, basically,” Andy confirms.
This expansion reflects both the reliability of the Lang Technik solution and HEL Performance’s confidence in the technology. The combination of Brother VMC and Lang RoboTrex systems has allowed HEL Performance to break previous efficiency records for master cylinder and calliper production.
The ability to run unmanned production around the clock has transformed HEL Performance’s manufacturing economics. By maximising machine utilisation and reducing labour dependency, the company has achieved significant improvements in cost competitiveness whilst maintaining its exacting quality standards. The RoboTrex system’s compatibility with Lang’s existing workholding technology creates a seamless integration. The same Makro•Grip vices that operators use for manual production can be deployed in the automated system, maintaining consistency across all manufacturing processes.

Strategic Impact and Future Capabilities
The investment in Lang Technik technology has positioned HEL Performance to capitalise on growing demand across multiple market sectors. The company now serves riders and drivers worldwide, with its pioneering stainless steel brake line kits continuing to set new standards in the market. HEL Performance’s journey from brake line specialist to comprehensive high-performance component manufacturer demonstrates how the partnership with Lang Technik has delivered a platform for sustained growth and market expansion.