The “unfaltering reliability” of two Hartford vertical machining centres at Nottingham-based Goodman Metal Works has spurred the family-owned business to order a third machine from T W Ward CNC Machinery (Ward CNC), Hartford’s exclusive UK and Ireland agent (www.wardcnc.com).

All three machines are being used as replacements for ageing VMCs.

Goodman Metal Works was established in 1964 and specialises in fabrications weighing up to 25 tonnes. Richard Goodman (the son of company founders Terry and Dorothy) said: “The Hartfords are well-built sturdy machines that work day in day out, achieving consistent standards of machining.

“Knowing that when we switch them on, they will always work — and work well — was one of the prime considerations when we chose them.

“The bulk of our machining is straightforward milling, boring and drilling, but I need ultra-reliable and highly rigid machines, because I cannot afford to let customer delivery schedules go awry.

“In fact, the first two Hartfords helped us gain two new customers, due to the fact that we were able to keep our delivery promises.”

The first two investments — in a Hartford PBM-115A CNC horizontal borer and then an Infinity HSA-420 double-column VMC — were made on the realisation that the savings made on the maintenance costs (and down-times) of Goodman’s existing VMCs would pay for the new machines.

Mr Goodman said: “Ward CNC had plenty of machines in stock, so we could immediately see what we might be buying, and the Hartfords stood out on a variety of counts.

“I could see the quality of the machine build, which is based on a one-piece heavy-duty cast-iron bed for superb accuracy and rigidity, and I could see that these machines offered exceptional performance.”