Left to right: Jeremy Meadowcroft, Mike Diskin and Jonathan DiskingHalifax Numerical Controls (HNC), a world leader in rubber roller grinding and grooving machines has received a significant funding boost having secured a six-figure loan from
Finance For Enterprise (FFE) based in Doncaster. The company was formed in 1998 and continues to serve customers in the UK and worldwide from its base in Halifax, West Yorkshire.
HNC engineers have a long history of experience in all aspects of advanced machine tool design, build, and support. The team has a particularly high level of expertise in CNC and PLC automation systems. HNC’s core skills combine all aspects of mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, electronic engineering and software programming, and R&D in the field of rubber and composite roll manufacture.
The funding is designed to aid working capital and future growth for the company which makes manufacturing machines to order for global customers. HNC managing director Mike Diskin is a renowned industry expert and is a regular guest speaker at manufacturing conferences around the world.
The demand for HNC to solve manufacturers challenges and build machine solutions to order in established markets like Germany, USA, Indonesia and occasionally Australia is very high. Current large project orders in progress include two for
Mid-West Innovators in the USA and two for
Hilzinger in Germany, and a third machine that is currently being built in Taiwan which will be shipped and commissioned in the USA.
High demand In addition to the above, HNC has seen high demand for its machine from the renewable energy sector. HNC’s machines are used for the grinding of the high-voltage electrical connectors, used to connect solar and wind farms to the grid. The machines are particulary suited for grinding the complex profiles required on these components and HNC see this as a growth area.
Mr Diskin said “This investment will help us to continue innovating and transforming the roll production industry. Expanding the use of fully automatic machining of rolls means we can help manufacturers deliver a higher level of quality and consistency that is not dependent on operator skill. HNC’s range of automatic roll builders, grinders, groovers, and duplexer designs are the most advanced machines of their type in the world, and we are looking forward to future growth and the employment opportunities this will create locally.”
Jeremy Meadowcroft, FFE business lending manager, said: “HNC is a well-established, profitable business with an excellent reputation around the world. This additional working capital will fund organic growth and enable the company to fulfil the many contract orders in progress while also securing new projects and consultancy assignments.”
HNC has also been approached by the Yorkshire Innovation team to work with the University of Huddersfield’s
3M Buckley Innovation Suite specialists to develop a roll measuring machine that can be used to accurately add an innovative dimension to UK manufacturers and has been awarded a £450,000 grant to develop the machine. Once in use the machine has the potential to benefit UK manufacturing outputs and grow national GDP and engineering specialism.
HNC will then be allowed to use the machine to deliver a world’s first to customers worldwide. This development is expected to increase turnover from £1 million to £5 million over the next three years.