Lancashire-based Merc Aerospace, a precision engineering specialist, has seen a £500,000 boost in revenues after winning a string of new orders on the back of moving to ‘one-hit’ machining.

The company (www.mercaerospace.co.uk), which employs 50 people at its facility in Barrowford, has seen its turnover rise to £4.2 million thanks to a sustained investment drive that has included the purchase of two ‘state of the art’ CNC machines supplied by Engineering Technology Group (ETG – www.engtechgroup.com).

The company has replaced five older models with two Nakamura WT150II multi-tasking turning centres, as part of its commitment to lean manufacturing and reducing lead times for customers that include Airbus, Agusta Westland, BAE Systems and Bombardier.

Equipped with Fanuc and Smart X control software, these multi-axis CNC machines have drastically cut set-up and programming times, while freeing up over 150m of floor space for future acquisitions.

Richard Meade, Merc Aerospace’s commercial director, said: “We are focused on offering our clients the ‘lowest total cost of acquisition’ for their precision components.

This is where the two Nakamuras really come into their own by delivering fantastic control, speed and repeatable quality.

"Our customers have been so impressed with these new capabilities that they have even placed new product orders with us, building on a £500,000 increase in annual sales for 2018.”

Merc Aerospace has over 40 years’ experience of serving the aerospace, defence, energy and oil and gas sectors.

It offers five-axis milling, CNC turning, EDM and aerospace assembly services from its 20,000ft factory, as well as capitalising on increasing demand for ‘fast make’ parts with short lead times.

Mr Meade concluded: “Our ‘one-hit’ machining approach has really improved our productivity and made us more competitive when looking to secure new opportunities both at home and overseas.”