Leeds-based WDS Components Ltd, a supplier and manufacturer of standard parts and components, has expanded its production capacity with the purchase of two new Citizen M32 sliding headstock CNC lathes from Bushey-based Citizen Machinery UK Ltd.

The latest investment reinforces WDS’ stock guarantee programme that supports the availability of standard parts and components and provides OEMs with rapid availability for large orders.

The new machines are being used to manufacture high volumes of popular smaller-diameter components such as studs and have boosted the company’s ‘state of the art’, ‘lights-out’ manufacturing capacity effectively doubling the production capacity for high-volume parts up to a maximum machining diameter of 32mm or M12 thread size.

The new Citizen M32 sliding headstock CNC lathes can automatically manufacture a completed product, for example by cutting threads at both ends of a stud, as opposed to requiring two separate processes — this also removes the delay of a manual product change-over.

Set-up time to manufacture each component has also reduced from around 1hr to just 15min. As the machine itself is also compact, this means shorter distances for workpieces to travel, resulting in faster machine cycle times. A 13-axis motion control to high precision and tight tolerances also ensures optimum product quality and high repeatability across the production run.

Stock guarantee
The new machines are supporting the expansion of WDS’ stock guarantee across the company’s product range of over 4,500 products and will ensure that WDS can respond to OEMs for urgent, high volume order requests. The stock guarantee backs up in-stock availability for same-day shipping of large and small order quantities and includes a 10% price discount if it doesn’t hold the specified item in stock for the quantity required.

WDS’ production expertise includes a team of qualified engineers with experience across CNC as well as manual machines. The majority of WDS’ standard parts and components are designed in-house, and parts are manufactured using the highest-grade materials.

Adam Broughton, WDS production manager, concluded: “Our continuing investment in CNC machinery for our manufacturing facility in Leeds enhances our ‘Made in Britain’ offer to our customers. On-site manufacture by our skilled workforce increases the quality and consistency of the products we can deliver, and it also means that we maintain very competitive prices.”