Situated beneath the Heathrow flight path in Hayes, West London, Wellington Engineering was set up by Chic Wellington in 1982. Currently led by his son Daimon, the company specialises in CNC machining and the supply of components in piece part, kit and assembly form.

It employs over 50 people and has more than 30 machine tools (supported by CAD/CAM software), other cutting machinery, cleaning equipment and inspection equipment, as well as fully automated stockholding facilities.

In recent years, Daimon Wellington’s aim has been to diversify the customer base away from an over-reliance on the medical and oil and gas sectors. “When I first joined, most of my time was spent on expanding the sectors we operated in. We now have a customer list covering a wide range of industries, still including oil and gas and medical but also cryogenic, vacuum and clean energy. Our diversification has allowed us to grow the business and improve the stability of our operations considerably.”

The relationship with Worcester-based Yamazaki Mazak UK Ltd has been central to Wellington Engineering’s growth; its first Mazak was a Quick Turn Nexus 250-II MSY turning centre (www.mazakeu.com).

Purchased in 2010, this gave the company its first multi-tasking capability and was bought specifically to machine medical and vacuum components.

“The Quick Turn Nexus was a big investment at the time, but a major selling point for us was Mazak’s Mazatrol conversational programming, which is easy to use. We were also finding that an increasing number of the machinists we were interviewing were already Mazatrol-trained.

“Once the machine was up and running, we were able to produce complete turned and milled parts, which meant we could deliver to our customers sooner, invoice earlier and get paid quicker. It also gave us the ability to run night shifts. This was a big turning point for us; we knew that to remain competitive and make money, we had to invest.

“We were doing batches of 30-50 parts, which meant set-up time was crucial. With the Quick Turn Nexus and its Mazatrol control, we were halving set-up times — a result that prompted us to continue investing.”

Significant growth

From 2008 to 2013, the company experienced a period of huge growth, which resulted in factory space becoming an issue. “Offering just 8,000sq ft, the old factory was bursting at the seams; we moved to our current 20,000sq ft facility in Hayes during 2013 and have since installed a further eight new machines, most of them Mazaks. When we made the decision to move premises, I already had a Mazak Integrex in the back of my mind, and an i-300S was one of the first machines in the new factory.”

The addition of the Integrex i-300S dramatically changed the way Wellington Engineering operated, allowing the company to step up into multi-axis machining, while helping to expand the client base and improve overall efficiency
on the shopfloor.

“These days, it’s all about one-stop machining. When we doubled capacity, our overheads increased significantly. To continue to attract new customers, we needed to do things faster and more efficiently, and we knew that investing in advanced machines would help us achieve this.”

Since then, Wellington Engineering has added an Integrex i-100 (in 2015), reinforcing the company’s reputation as one of the leading precision machining specialists in the South of England. “While the i-100 is the smallest Integrex, it has a 1,000mm-long bar feed capacity, which has enabled us to attract bar feed work up to 100mm in diameter.

“I was pitching to a major manufacturer of vacuum equipment for a job that ideally suited the bar feeder, and we were awarded this work because we were able to run the component unmanned during the night and make significant cost savings for our customer. The i-100 is also equipped with a Rota Rack parts ejector system for the larger components; this allows us to undertake work on a 24hr shift pattern, which ultimately reduces the cost per component.”

Versatility

Mr Wellington says the two Integrex machines are very versatile and attract a nice mix of work. “The i-300 model is undertaking larger billet work in the 12-16in diameter range, which is fairly rare in the South of England, whereas the i-100 can machine anything from 2 to 4in in diameter using the bar feeder, or up to 10in in diameter chucking. Both machines were major investments that have so far paid off.”

Wellington Engineering now has eight Mazaks; and with an i-200 on order, the company will soon have a complete set of Integrex i-series machines. “It is not the major factor when choosing a machine tool, but the appearance of the Mazaks is certainly noticed by our customers. Having a machine shop that looks professional, tidy and full of the latest machining technology makes a significant difference, and the Mazak machines help to create an environment that allows us to attract the right customers.

“For the future, we are looking to improve the company’s ability to cut specific metals, and we have started thinking about replacing older machines with more Mazaks, as we’re cutting more high-nickel alloys, such as titanium and Inconels. Ultimately, we want the best available kit, so that we can work with different metals and manufacture the highest-quality components.”

In terms of new sectors, Wellington Engineering is firmly focused on developing its aerospace offering and is in the process of introducing the AS9100 aerospace standard. “This certification will be instrumental in opening up new opportunities within the aerospace sector, as well as nuclear, space and defence. We’re also considering double shift patterns, more ‘lights out’ machining and conveyor systems, as I believe automation will play a major role in helping us achieve this certification.

“We plan to continue investing and have not been disheartened by the downturn in the oil and gas sector; we have a varied customer base, which allows us to continue pushing forward.”