BDL Tool & Die Engineering Ltd is a subcontract manufacturer that specialises in precision machining of components for industries such as motorsport and F1, aerospace, automotive, construction and hydraulic. Employing a workforce of over 60 highly skilled personnel in its 4,000m2 facility, the Daventry company has recently signed up for a new initiative from the Hoffmann Group.
Telling MTDCNC a little more about the company, Gareth Morris from BDL Tool & Die says: “We have about 70 machines on-site and we also have another site that includes a fabrication shop. At our other facility, we have just designed, manufactured and built our very own portable rock and concrete crusher that is completely UK manufactured. Everything in it is made and designed by ourselves and we are proud of this product that has gone to market in 2021.”
When asked how Hoffmann has supported BDL Tool & Die, Gareth says: “They have been fantastic to us. Most of the tooling we get is through Hoffmann and the service we get from them is excellent. You place an order one day and it is here the next day, it is second to none.”
BDL Tool & Die has recently joined an industry first – a guaranteed savings plan with the Hoffmann Group, discussing this, Gareth says: “I was approached about the new plan, and when you are approached about any new scheme you are naturally very dubious. However, with this plan it is a 10% saving on your purchases, so you would be crazy not to take Hoffmann up on the offer. It’s amazing.” Looking at how the minimum 10% saving is achieved, Gavin says: “It is based on your average tool spend, and if you don’t achieve it – you will get it anyway, as it is underwritten by Hoffmann. You really would be crazy not to go for it.”
“We do use the full range of Hoffmann tools and we have had meetings with the tooling representatives that have come in and given us advice on our feeds and speeds to reduce our runtimes. It has benefitted us by having Hoffmann in our corner. Where I may not be fully experienced with the products that I am buying, I can ask the questions of people with the experience and they will come and visit our site and explain what are the best products to use and identify the best ways to use them. This saves us money because their expertise ensures that we buy the right tools for the right job every time.”
This method has certainly reduced cutting tool costs and improved cycle times in comparison to previous tools that have been used at BDL Tool & Die.
As Gavin concludes: “These benefits are delivered from the knowledge of the Hoffmann cutting tool experts telling us the best way to use the cutting tools with regards the speeds and feeds, which is inevitably going to give us a longer run time and improved performance.”