A new Mitsubishi SG12S EDM die sinking machine at motorsport subcontract machine shop, Nicel Precision Engineering is having a profound effect on productivity and throughput. The new EDM machine from the Engineering Technology Group (ETG) is reducing lead times and Nicel’s reliance upon external sources to an extent that the machine is largely responsible for increasing turnover by 20% since its installation at the end of 2021.
Located close to Northampton in ‘motorsport valley’ and founded in 1999, Nicel has become so successful that it now boasts a strong connection with many high-profile motorsport companies, directly supplying almost all of the F1 teams as well as teams in other motorsport classes.
Commenting upon why it is witnessing continued growth, Managing Director Kevin Banks says: “The motorsport segment want their work turned around very quickly. F1 teams typically want parts in a window from 4 to 14 days – but fast-turnaround next-day service is also quite high on the agenda. To turn work around this quickly, you need a diverse range of highly capable machine tools, highly skilled staff and material availability. Many of our subcontract competitors are quoting the F1 industry 6 to 12 weeks – and this is why we are winning more work.”
Mr Kevin Banks says: “We produce a lot of intricate components for the F1 industry that require die sinking, one example is special-purpose bolts that have either Torx ends or other unique bolt-ends. Whilst our external EDM supplier is first class, the typical lead time is over 2 weeks with a more expensive ‘fast-turnaround’ service available. The cost of £4 to £15 per part for die-sinking is not the issue for us – it’s the loss of 100% process control and also losing full control over our lead times.”
The company spoke to fellow subcontract manufacturers and even F1 teams – the signs were all pointing towards Mitsubishi. Then, Nicel discussed the issue with one of its customers – a prominent F1 team that has a bank of Mitsubishi EDM machines. As Kevin recalls: “We were losing our flexibility and also the ability to react at speed due to not having our EDM capability. We thoroughly looked at the market and when we discussed our search with a major F1 customer, they kindly invited us in to see their EDM machines – a bank of Mitsubishi EDMs. They couldn’t speak highly enough of the machines that run long hours every day. That tipped the argument towards Mitsubishi.”
The company opted for the Mitsubishi SG12S from ETG, as Kevin adds: “The quality and the ETG service is a given, but we bought the machine for a few simple reasons. It has a self-probing facility that ensures every job coming off the machine is 100% right. We also bought it for its ease of use and simplicity. Another key point was the built-in fire suppression system which means we can run the machine unmanned overnight and additionally; the generator technology means the machine has a very low power consumption.”
Whilst Nicel runs a day shift with weekend overtime, the Mitsubishi SG12S runs complex jobs by day with simple jobs and batch projects to run through the night. As Kevin adds: “We have created our fixturing systems, so we can clamp 40 to 50 parts on the table and these will be processed overnight. With a 25-position tool carousel and automatic probing, it is perfect for lights-out running. We can set up a batch, run the machine overnight and they will be finished the next day. Previously, we would have subbed these parts out for £4 to £15 per part with a lead time of a few weeks. The EDM has eliminated the subcontracting costs and compressed our lead times to give us complete process control.”