Putting higher productivity and increased process efficiencies in its sights!

Monday 4 November 2024, 5:49:17 PM

PRS Engineering, a leading air rifle accessories manufacturing specialist, has recently increased its in-house machining capacity and capabilities by investing in two new advanced DN Solutions’ machine tools from Mills CNC.

The company, committed to continuous improvement and sustainable growth, regularly invests in new technologies (i.e., CNC machines etc.), to improve its quality and process efficiencies and to increase productivity levels.

The arrival of the two latest DN Solutions’ machines have proved pivotal in helping the company achieve its business growth objectives.

Mills CNC, the exclusive distributor of DN Solutions’ and Zayer machine tools in the UK and Ireland, has recently supplied PRS Engineering Ltd., a leading and internationally-recognised and respected air rifle accessory design and manufacturing specialist, with a new multi-tasking lathe and a new high-speed machining centre.

The machines, both DN Solutions’ models with advanced Fanuc I Plus controls, comprise an 8” chuck Lynx 2100LYB lathe and a SVM 4100 vertical machining centre, and were installed at PRS’ 1000 sq. ft. facility in Winsford, Cheshire in March 2023 and May 2024 respectively.

The new arrivals are the second and third machine tools PRS has acquired from Mills in its eight-year history; the first being a Doosan DEM 4000, a compact 3-axis vertical machining centre supplied with a 4^th-axis unit, that was installed in 2021 and that was used in part-exchange, minus the rotary table, to acquire the new SVM 4100 six months ago.

PRS’ business – explained

The Lynx 2100LYB and SVM 4100, since their installation, have been put through their paces machining a growing range of high-quality and innovative PRS-designed accessories and options predominantly, but not exclusively, for air rifles manufactured by DAYSTATE and BRK (BROCOCK), two leading, UK-based, air rifle manufacturers.

These accessories, available both as individual components and as full assemblies, include extension rails, adjustable butt plates (including upgrade kits, adapters), cheek risers, cocking levers, hand grips, silencers etc.

PRS has built preferred partner relationships with DAYSTATE and BRK (BROCOCK) over the years, and its accessories are held in-stock by both manufacturers.

PRS’ after-market business includes the manufacture and supply of accessories for DAYSTATE’s best-selling Alpha Wolf, Delta Wolf, Red Wolf rifle ranges etc., and for BRK’s popular Ghost, Safari, Sahara and Ranger rifle series etc., as well for other manufacturers’ air rifles, and are also available to end-user customers via an international air rifle dealer network, and from PRS direct.

Says Gavyn Jones, PRS’s owner and director:

“We design and manufacture all of our own products (accessories) in house, and supply them, for stock, to rifle manufacturers and a number of dealers and distributors located around the world.

“To help meet and cope with increasing demand, we are always looking to ramp up production and improve our process efficiencies in order to make our accessories better, faster and more economically than before.”

PRS’ accessories are typically machined from solid high-grade aluminium billet or bar in small-to-medium batches and, prior to assembly, are cleaned thoroughly via an in-house vapour blasting process before being sent out for anodising. (In addition to aluminium, some stainless steel, brass and engineering plastics, like Acetyl, are also machined for specific components).

A high proportion of PRS’ machined components used within its accessories are characterised by their tight tolerances and exacting surface finishes with many having intricate milled and turned features. In total some 90 different components are machined by PRS at its facility.

Cycle times vary according to the part being machined, and range from just a couple of minutes for simple components up to 90 minutes for more complex ones.

PRS Engineering – the early days

PRS Engineering is a small company that was established in 2016 by owner and director, Gavyn Jones, a passionate air rifle enthusiast who, in the past, has participated in numerous domestic (regional and national) shooting competitions and has represented England and the UK at international events, including a number of World Championships.

An apprentice-trained engineer and time-served CNC machinist, with CAD/CAM and fabrication skills and expertise, Gavyn Jones always wanted to combine his passion for competitive shooting with his engineering skills and background to create a company dedicated to designing and manufacturing high-quality rifle accessories and option parts.

In the early days, prior to the company being established, the focus was on designing and machining individual accessories for his own rifles to help improve his own performance in shooting competitions. This was done by working in his spare time in a small workshop using a compact, used milling machine bought from eBay.

With interest growing, largely from social media, and the market responding positively to the functionality and aesthetic quality of the accessories designed and manufactured, Gavyn Jones decided, back in 2016, that the time was right to set up PRS Engineering, and devote all his time and effort into making the fledgling, niche manufacturing company, a success.

The Mills CNC relationship

In 2018, the company moved to its current location and began to increase its in-house machining capacity and capabilities.

It was in 2021 that the company invested in its first machine from Mills CNC – a compact Doosan DEM 4000 vertical machining centre supplied with a Nikken 4^th-axis unit.

“Our machine shop is small, so the DEM 4000 was a bit of a godsend,” remembers Gavyn Jones.

“The DEM 4000 was ideal for machining small, milled parts, and the integration of the 4^th-axis unit along with specially-designed, tombstone-type fixtures, enabled us machine single and multiple parts to completion in a single set up.”

The decision to invest in the DEM 4000 from Mills had a ring of serendipity about it.

PRS needed a small machining centre in double-quick time, and its existing milling machine supplier could not meet these requirements.

“We approached Mills to see if they could help”, says Gavyn Jones. “They presented the DEM 4000 to us and explained that it could be supplied, from stock, immediately. Once the finance was worked out, using Mills CNC Finance, we placed the order and have continued to invest in machines from Mills ever since.”

Since 2018 PRS has changed considerably…and noticeably.

• The company’s range of designed and manufactured air rifle accessories has grown.

• The relationship built with two-leading air rifle manufacturers has had a significant and positive impact on demand for, and sales of, PRS’s accessories.

The increased product range and rise in demand for its high-quality accessories has seen PRS introduce a company-wide continuous improvement programme. Evidence of the programme being implemented can be seen with the latest machine tools the company has acquired from Mills CNC.

Lynx 2100LYB

The Lynx 2100LYB is a small multi-tasking lathe equipped with a Y-axis (+/-52.5mm) and driven tooling (6,000rpm).

The machine has an 8” chuck and features a 12-position servo-driven turret, a powerful, high-torque 15kW/ 4500rpm main spindle (169N-m), a 300mm maximum turning diameter and a 510mm maximum turning length.

The machine supplied to PRS in March 2023 was equipped with the advanced Fanuc 0iTP control, a tool setter and a FilterMist extraction unit.

Says Gavyn Jones:

“The Lynx 2100LYB represents a significant upgrade to our turning capabilities, and has made us more productive.

“Parts can be machined quickly in a single set up, and do not need to be transferred to a machining centre for the machining of milled features. The Lynx 2100LYB has helped us reduce part cycle times and, as a consequence, customer lead times.”

SVM 4100

The SVM 4100 is a compact, high-speed vertical machining designed for the fast processing of aluminium, light duty steels and engineering plastics.

The machine is equipped with an 18.5kW/12,000rpm spindle, a 30-position ATC and a large worktable (920mm x 410mm), with a 600kg maximum table load.

The machine model supplied to PRS in May 2024 had the Fanuc 0iMP control, a 4^th-axis interface, 20bar spindle-through-coolant capability, Renishaw probes and a FilterMist extraction unit.

Says Gavyn Jones:

“We part-exchanged our DEM 4000 for the SVM 4100, but kept the 4th-axis unit and transferred it over to the new machine.

“The machine has a compact footprint and, with its powerful and fast spindle, generous-sized worktable and tool changer, has significantly increased and improved our milling capabilities.”

In addition to investing in new, more capable machine tools, PRS’s continuous improvement programme has also seen the company upgrade its CAD/CAM capabilities, and now uses Autodesk Fusion software to streamline its product development process.

Future

PRS is a company that doesn’t rest on its laurels.

As well as investing in new, sophisticated machine tools, the company is always looking to improve its productivity and process efficiencies further and is actively looking at investing in automation (i.e., collaborative robots) to maintain its competitive edge.

Concludes Gavyn Jones:

“The company is at a watershed.

“Business is growing but we are tight for space. We are looking at a potential investment in automation systems in the near future to help us become more efficient and productive, and to help us respond more quickly to ‘rush’ jobs.

“As part of the improvement programme we are also considering expanding our operations by relocating to new, larger premises.

“Over the last eight years we have grown significantly and the advanced machine tools from Mills CNC, backed by their after-sales service and support, have been more than instrumental in helping us achieve our targets.”