Huddersfield-based Thomas Brown Engineering — a sub-contract precision engineering company — has invested in a new Hardinge Bridgeport XR1000 vertical machining centre after winning three contracts from the aerospace sector.

Supplied by Engineering Technology Group (ETG — www.engtechgroup.com), this machine will use the additional power and torque provided by its GTW spindle on the toughest materials, while the Heidenhain TNC 640 control and the Nikken 4th-axis rotary table will deliver increased accuracy, flexibility and repeatability.

This marks the latest stage in Thomas Brown Engineering’s expansion, which has seen its turnover increase and its head count expand to 20 people.

Tom Brown (www.thomas-brown-engineering.co.uk), who founded the business in 1983 after serving an apprenticeship and working at a local firm, said: “We have always been big fans of the excellent performance that Hardinge Bridgeport machines deliver, so it was no surprise when we updated our capabilities with the new XR1000.

"Aerospace is a growing market for us, following our AS9100 accreditation, and after winning three important contracts, we needed more capacity and shorter lead times.

“We spoke to ETG about our requirements and it came up with the XR1000, specifying it with a Nikken 4th-axis rotary table to give us the opportunity to produce more-complex components.

“That decision is already paying off, with some cycle times reduced by as much as 20%, which makes a major difference to our productivity.”