CPL Engineering has been supported by
Haas Automation technology and service
from the start of the company’s existence
Haas Automation helps start-up,
wins loyalty
Haas Automation helped Chris Edmondson and
Paul Foster when they were setting up their
company, CPL Engineering.
Today, aerospace is the largest industry
served, but CPL also works hand in hand with
companies such as Teledyne Defence and
Space to develop products used in space,
telecommunications and the Ministry of
Defence. CPL is also well respected in the
motorsport industry.
Taking the company’s rst steps, managing
director Edmondson began looking for a CNC
machine, but found that most of the suppliers
were not eager to help a edgling business.
It was at this point that he contacted his local
Haas Automation (https://is.gd/fucuba)
salesman. He says: “Haas bent over
backwards to support us. We had no idea
which model we needed, but they spent hours
with us going through the options, then we had
a day at the showroom viewing demos. We
were sold. It was obvious that the build quality
was second to none. Like for like, the Haas
machines stand head and shoulders above
the rest.”
Edmondson opted for two VF-2 vertical
machining centres, with one having recently
been traded in for a new model, the other has
run every day since the company began.
“It’s as good for repeatability as a brand new
machine and it’s been very reliable.”
Investments have been made in a further
nine Haas machines over the past few years,
including six Super Speed vertical machining
centres, which boast 12,000 rpm spindle,
24+1-pocket side-mount toolchanger and
35.6 m/min rapids.
Edmondson again: “The Super Speed
machines are superb. They have improved our
cycle times by ten-fold. All our programming is
completed of ine, so we simply load the
programs in and press ‘Go’. We can run an
extra shift overnight, unmanned without any
worry.
“What I like most about the machines is
that, old or new, the controls are the same.
The buttons are laid out and labelled
identically and this consistency helps our
operators enormously. Whenever we get a new
machine in, we have half an hour with the
trainer to show us any improvements, then
we’re cutting metal.”
Service is also an important factor, he
notes: “Across 11 machines, in all the years
we’ve been using Haas our downtime has
totalled less than two weeks. The service is
absolutely top class. It’s something we can
rely on.”
Having been awarded ISO 9001
certi cation, the company is applying for
AS9100 and is putting the nishing touches to
an additional unit, increasing total capacity to
3,200 ft2.
“Our existing customers are always asking
us to do more for them. This facility will enable
us to offer them everything they need,”
Edmondson concludes. More Haas machines
look a likely need, then.
Excel switches back to Sodick, praising
the technology’s capabilities
EDM specialist Excel Precision Group has
enhanced its wire and spark erosion
capabilities by acquiring two new Sodick
machines from Sodi-Tech EDM (https://is.gd/
muvegi). Installed at the company’s Gloucester
facility, which has AS9100 rev D and NADCAP
AC7116/3 Rev B approval in place for both
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