Pressco Precision Engineering is one of Ireland’s largest manufacturing partners. Founded in Dublin in 1967 by brothers Michael and Jim Hayes, along with John Byrne, it began as a jig and tool producer.

With little industry in Ireland at the time, Pressco was the first of its kind in Dublin, supplying fledgling companies that have since grown to become some of its largest customers.

Pressco also set its sights on developing export markets; the company bought its first CNC machine in 1981 and gained clients in the aerospace and health-care industries, as well as oil and gas and electronics.

Pressco (www.pressco.ie) now employs 80 people, but it remains a family affair, with several of the founders’ children now running the business; they include Michael Hayes’ son Stephen, who joined the company as an apprentice in 1989 — just before the purchase of its first Haas machining centre.

This was followed by a VF-1 two years later, and both machines are still a regular part of the production process.

Today, around 40% of the company’s work is for the health-care sector, with much going to mainland Europe and the USA; aerospace makes up some 25% and reaches as far afield as China and South America.

Stephen Hayes says that Pressco’s relationship with Haas is central to its growth, with the business currently operating more than 30 Haas machines.

In 2018 alone, it bought four machines: a VF-6SS Super Speed VMC, two DT-2 drill/tap centres and a UMC-750 five-axis machining centre; this runs alongside the UMC-750SS Super Speed bought in 2017.

“Multi-axis is the future. The 15,000rev/min UMC-750SS has halved our cycle times, its full simultaneous five-axis motion being perfect for cutting complex components for our health-care customers.

"The ability to cut five faces in a single set-up means we load once. and the part is finished. It cuts the labour right down; and with 40 +1 tools, we can accommodate two or three different jobs.

"The DT-2s have also made a huge difference to our productivity; we haven’t changed the feeds and speeds from those we were using on the previous machines, but the high-speed side-mounted tool changer has reduced cycle times by 30%.”