Haas Automation has helped Denis
Welch Motorsport set up its machine
shop, supplying three turning
machines and more – managing
director Jeremy Welch is pictured
Inset: Austin Healeys, a specialism of
the company
Helping hands
Two companies have been aided in setting up machining facilities by helpful machine tool technology
suppliers. Denis Welch Motorsport lent on Haas Automation for help, advice and technology, while TWP
Manufacturing saw Citizen Machinery UK provide extensive support for its independently acquired, 20-yearold,
fi rst CNC sliding-head investment
Jeremy Welch heads up the rm that his
father founded over 40 years ago, Denis
Welch Motorsport, but the family racing
involvement goes further back. It was Jeremy
Welch’s great grandfather who built the rst
six-cylinder engine ever made in the UK, in
1906, and went on to build Brook Marine
racing engines with notable success (world
champion in 1921).
Today’s Welch has also had his feet on
the pedals, he personally driving the Healey
Endurance car, along with the owner, that set
17 national and international speed records,
and still holds the UK record for the fastest
vehicle over a 100-mile distance in the UK.
Having taken over the business 15 years
ago, he has turned to Haas ( www.is.gd/irakif )
for his most recent the machine tool
technology to support the business that has
been successful in the UK, Europe, Australia
and the Far East.
Whilst building cars, it became obvious
that older models needed new components,
although the originals were no longer
available. So, the company supplies
replacement performance parts for classic
cars, as well as restoring and preparing exworks
cars, and specialises in Jaguar E-type
and Austin Healey models.
But when Jeremy Welch took over, the
company had no CNC machines. So, to
develop the parts manufacturing side of the
business, he set about acquiring access to
original drawings then converting them to
CADCAM data. Quality and supply security
were also important. In previous times,
manufacturing was subcontracted out, which
meant that new designs were shared with
third parties and quality sometimes varied.
Welch found that machining work on castings
was being turned down by subcontractors,
so he turned to Haas who, working with
CADCAM software suppliers, delivered the
perfect solution for CNC porting cylinder
heads on a Haas horizontal machining centre.
Three Haas lathes, a UMC-750 5-axis
universal machining centre and a VF-4SS
super speed vertical machine have been
added in the last few years. “We did look
around the market, but nothing rivalled Haas.
We felt comfortable investing because we
know what we’re going to get; a great product,
together with a reliable management and
service team. The whole package works for us.
“Having our manufacturing in house has
made a massive difference. We’ve expanded
our range considerably and we can now
control our own processes and quality.
We have much better exibility too; if a race
car has an issue at the eleventh hour, we
simply re-make the part. We’re taking control
of our own destiny.
“The training has been tremendous. I’d
never written a CNC program, but with Haas’
help I jumped straight on the 5-axis machine.
We do mainly 3+2 machining, which enables
us to use less xturing and most
programming is completed manually at the
control using the Haas G254 Dynamic Work
Offset function. One of our operators had
never used a CNC machine, but after training
with Haas he now writes programs on the
ST-25Y lathe using Y-axis and live tooling.”
The latest acquisition is an ST40 turning
centre, which is currently machining period
magnesium wheels and uprights for race
Jaguars. “We bought the machine especially
for this job and it’s been fantastic.
I recommend Haas to anyone I can.”
Today the company has over £1,500,000
of parts on the shelf – two thirds of its
turnover is global mail order to trade and
private customers.
But Denis Welch Motorsport still prepares
race cars, ensuring they are track-ready and
transported to the circuit. One recent
restoration project was the ex-Andy Rouse
16 October 2020 | www.machinery.co.uk | MachineryMagazine | @MachineryTweets
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