To increase its production of complex aluminium parts for electric vehicles, Bedwas-based Hydro Components Ltd has invested in four Mecal Kosmos machining centres and a Mecal Geos MDT five-axis machining centre — supplied by Addison Saws (www.addisonsaws.co.uk).

Behind this decision was a contract for the supply of aluminium body components intended for manufacturers
of zero-emissions vehicles.

Addison Saws regional sales manager Mike Grogan said: “At first, Hydro Components needed to out-source the CNC machining element, as issues with its machinery meant that it could not produce the parts itself.

“It began to use a local sub-contracting company operating three Kosmos machining centres, which were ideal for producing the required parts.

“However, it soon became apparent that bringing the operation back in-house would shorten the turnround time, reduce the overall cost and provide greater control over the manufacturing process.”

After the successful installation of the Kosmos machines, Hydro’s production manager became interested in setting up a single-step automated production line, eliminating the need for additional saws.

The Mecal Geos MDT five-axis machining centre was purchased after being seen in action during a visit to Mecal’s factory in Italy.

The management team were also reassured that the accompanying Mecal software could handle the bespoke programmes required for complex parts.

Hydro’s production manager said: “Addison have been a great help all round, from selecting the right machinery to assisting in the program writing and ensuring that we get the very best out of all our machines.

“They even supplied an engineer to assist us with machining centres bought elsewhere.”