Precision manufacturing sub-contract specialist Di-Spark Ltd was established in 1980, and the Portsmouth-based company has undergone significant change over the last 38 years.

In the early days, the focus was on tool making, and it pioneered the use of wire-cut EDM technology to manufacture press tools for the printed circuit board industry.

Today, Di-Spark is virtually unrecognisable from what it was in its early days, focusing on prototypes, one-offs and small-batch production using a variety of advanced CNC machines — including five-axis machining centres.

The company has also significantly changed its sector and industry focus, and now manufactures high-precision complex parts for a number of highly regulated industry sectors, including aerospace, defence, space, oil and gas and motor-sport.

Its manufacturing skills and experience are further evidenced by its recent AS91000 Revision D certification.


Managing director David Light said: “If you are not constantly moving forwards, the chances are that you’re going backwards. The manufacturing environment is dynamic, constantly evolving and changing.

"In my experience, companies that are unable or are unwilling to change have limited prospects. Fortunately, we are not in that position.”

Key to Di-Spark’s growth and success is its investment in advanced high-productivity machine tool technologies; over the years, the company has built a strong relationship with Coventry-based GF Machining Solutions Ltd (www.gfms.com/uk).

Earlier this year, it bought two Mikron HPM 450U machining centres, as well as an AgieCharmilles CUT P 300 wire EDM machine (to produce down-hole equipment for the oil and gas sector).

Mr Light said: “We operate 24/7 and do everything in our power to improve productivity and eliminate inefficiencies. The HPM 450U five-axis machines help us achieve both.

"They give us simultaneous five-axis machining performance, and — with their integrated automatic pallet changers and large-capacity automatic tool changers — enable us to run them unmanned.

"These advantages, coupled with the machines’ ability to reduce set-up times and machine complex parts ‘in one hit’, further increase our productivity and improve our machining flexibility.

“We are experiencing tremendous organic growth, especially from customers who need access to our milling capabilities.

“Our machine tool investment strategy — based on acquiring new ‘state of the art’ technology instead of merely replacing existing machines with like-for-like technology — continues to pay dividends.

"This year, for example, we were able to win back pre-production and production work from an aerospace customer that had placed a machining contract in India, only to find that it was soon experiencing quality and lead-time issues.

"Having an advanced five-axis machine tool capacity at our disposal enabled us to provide a world-class machining solution for the customer.”

In conclusion, Mr Light said: “We rely on machine tools from GF Machining Solutions, and we value the company’s applications and technical support.

“Our Mikron five-axis machines and our AgieCharmilles EDM machines have been — and continue to be — instrumental in us maintaining and reinforcing our world-class position.”