CERATIZIT adds more value 

Addmore Engineering Ltd supplies high-precision parts to the automotive, medical, oil and gas industries, and what started from a barn in Watford is now a company that employs 48 skilled machinists and runs 24 hours a day.  

Frank Vasquez started the Bedford company decades ago with two sliding-head machines, quickly building a solid reputation for the high-precision parts he was producing. Specialising in highly precise and intricately machined parts, Addmore turned to CERATIZIT over 20 years ago to help with their complex component and tooling needs. Regularly visited by an Applications Sales Engineer and a Technical Sales Engineer from CERATIZIT, a strong working relationship has been built over the years, which has had a profoundly positive impact. 

Whilst many of CERATIZIT’s inserts have been used by the company for such a long time that they have become machining staples, a recent switch to CERATIZIT’s Pentron Drill was made to increase tool life and save money on tool-replacement costs. The tool Addmore were using previously was the 2XD 46mm diameter C900 from CERATIZIT. Although this tool was completing the job, the inserts were getting pick-up and sticking to chips. After adjusting the cutting data to try and solve these problems, CERATIZIT suggested that Addmore try a Pentron drill on this machine. 

Immediate benefits were seen from using CERATIZIT’s 2XD 46mm KUB Pentron drill. Whereas the previous drill had an insert life of between 55 to 75 parts per edge, the Pentron drill increased this to 120+ parts per edge, an improvement of more than 50%. Shaun Thornton, Technical Manager for CERATIZIT UK, explains that: “This improvement is down to CERATIZIT’s SOGX 03 geometry and BK8430 coating in combination with the Pentron Drill. This specialist coating minimises chip-sticking and increases swarf evacuation due to its optimised flutes.”

As well as the cost-saving benefits which come from the extended insert life of the Pentron drill, switching to this insert also meant that machine cycle time was reduced by 10%, allowing for more parts to be machined per day. Addmore also has CERATIZIT vending machines on-site that allow them to access new tools as and when needed. This enables 24-hour access to tooling and parts to prevent machine stoppages.  

As a family business, Ben Vasquez joined the company when he was 17 years old and has since gained the same level of expertise that his father was known for. Once Frank stepped down as Managing Director, Ben took over his role and has been running Addmore ever since.  

Ben says: “I don’t want to look through a brochure and guess what the best solution would be. I want to talk to someone who understands what I need and recommends to me, then and there, the right tool for the job. This is where Drew and Warren have been outstanding. I know I can pick up the phone and speak to them if I have any problems. If these problems require tooling to solve them, then these are delivered the next day.”  

As a company that is growing, the future looks bright for Addmore Engineering Ltd. With 42 CNC machines, many of which are running 24 hours a day, the company continues to carry out the work that was started decades ago by Frank Vasques. Honouring his legacy, and even though Addmore is now a significantly larger operation than what Frank started with two machines in an old barn, it is clear to see that a passion for precision still goes into every part that is machined.