Shrewsbury College ‘drills down’ with MACH machines

Shrewsbury College’s engineering workshop is a large, modern and impressive facility that features a range of high-performance CNC and manual machine tools and equipment. In 2021, the college made the decision to upgrade the machining capacity and capabilities of its workshop by acquiring 10 manual milling machines, 10 lathes and one pedestal drill supplied by Bristol-based MACH Machine Tools.

The college followed up this initial investment in 2022 and in 2023 respectively, with the acquisition of a second pedestal drill and two more manual milling machines. The grand total of 24 new MACH machines in such a relatively short time-frame is proof that Shrewsbury College is not only committed to continuous improvement, but demonstates its desire to build and maintain a world-class engineering resource for students, apprentices, local and regional employers, as well as the wider community, is a primary focus.

The MACH machine tool line-up comprises 12 classic MACH VS-1 manual turret-type milling machines, 10 x MACH L-1340 manual lathes and 2 x MACH SB 30 pedestal drills. Shrewsbury College, which has been recognised as ‘outstanding’ by Ofsted, is a progressive FE/HE provider that offers a comprehensive range of full-time and part-time apprenticeships and higher education vocational engineering courses at its London Road Campus facility.

These courses include an introductory Level 2 diploma in manufacturing engineering, a (craft) Level 3 City and Guilds diploma in manufacturing engineering and a new, two-year T-level mechanical engineering qualification, through to HNC/HTQs’ in mechanical and manufacturing engineering, as well as short, bespoke introductory and skills development courses aimed primarily at adult learners.

Wide range of courses
Students and apprentices on this wide range of courses need access to the latest, most advanced machine-tool technologies in order to gain experience on machines and equipment that are being used by industry, and to develop a range of specific, practical and transferable skills required by local and regional employers to help them secure employment, facilitate career progression and realise their true potential.

Since 2016, Shrewsbury College has been on a mission to mprove and upgrade its engineering, manufacturing and machining resources to better meet local and regional employers’ training and recruitment needs and requirements. Recent investments, facilitated in part from sizeable grants the former Marches Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) combined with funding from the college itself and from other partners, has seen Shrewsbury College radically transform its engineering workshop.

This facility now includes a ‘state of the art’ CAD and design suite with advanced 2-D/3-D modelling software and additive manufacturing (AM), CMM equipment, a Festo FMS Industry 4.0 ‘Smart Factory’ mechatronics suite, electronics suites, robotics, PLCs and a range of CNC and manual machines as well as MIG, TIG and MMA welding bays, plasma and laser cutters, a CNC press brake and a robotic welder too.

Andrew Lee, Shrewsbury College’s director of apprenticeships and employer partnerships, and curriculum director for mechanical, manufacturing, electrical/electronic and automotive engineering, said: “2016/17 was an important watershed moment for the college and the investments made in advanced technologies helped elevate our profile and increase and enrich our engineering provision.”

Milestone moment
This landmark investment, although clearly a milestone moment, was never intended to be a one-off purchase. Shrewsbury College is constantly improving and expanding its engineering curriculum to keep pace with technological developments, help combat employers’ ongoing skills shortages and prepare students and trainees for the changing world of work. Upgrading the capacity and capabilities of its workshop is therefore crucial in making sure it can meet these objectives.

MACH MT’s range of manual lathes and milling machines, while perhaps not being as illustrious as their CNC counterparts, are essential basic pieces of equipment and are used by Shrewsbury College to teach students and trainees the fundamental ‘building blocks’ (milling and turning principles and methodologies, skills, and safety protocols) of engineering, and specifically, machining.

Prior to 2016, the college provided a relatively narrow range of mechanical engineering courses and supported a ‘traditional’ number of employer-apprenticeship programmes with the practical machining skills element being taught on older ‘legacy’ machines acquired back in the 1970s.

However, to enable the college to better meet employers’ recruitment needs and requirements, now and in the future, it is constantly evaluating its engineering provision to ensure its relevance and credibility with employers. Mr Lee said: “We regularly meet up with local and regional employers, collectively and individually, to better understand their needs. These discussions provide us with accurate market intelligence that we can then use to help shape and direct our provision.”

It was, in part, as a result of this intelligence gathering and employer feedback that led the college, back in 2021, to audit and benchmark its existing manual machine tool capacity and capabilities.

Mr Lee said: “The review revealed that our manual machine tool provision needed to be expanded and upgraded to ensure the skills we developed with our students and apprentices, met the needs of industry and also allowed us to increase our capacity. The increase in engineering courses and apprenticeship programmes on offer combined with larger numbers of students/apprentices and our intention to enable all to learn new skills and put them into practice using a machine by themselves, rather than in ‘pairs’, was putting pressure on our existing manual machine resource.

“We quickly established that we needed to more than double the number of manual mills and lathes in the workshop to ensure the quality and relevancy of the practical and skills-based content of our engineering courses. We also decided that we needed to acquire an additional standalone manual drill to handle routine drilling and tapping operations.”

Extensive evaluation process
To acquire the new machines a detailed open tender inviting potential machine tool companies to submit comprehensive proposals to supply a range of manual machines (10 x lathes, 10 x mills and one drill), was prepared and advertised. As part of the college’s robust procurement procedures, an extensive evaluation process was undertaken following the tender’s closing date.

MACH Machine Tools, with its extensive manual machine tool line-up combined with its knowledge and experience of the FE/HE sectors, and its range of customised and augmented services for educational organisations, was able to score highly with its tender submission, and was shortlisted as a result.

Following a visit by Shrewsbury College representatives to the MACH Machine Tools’ facility in Bristol, and a secondary visit to Neath and Port Talbot College which had already invested in similar MACH manual machines, the company was awarded the contract.

MACH Machine Tools’ tender response was successful for a number of reasons which included: the technical quality, price and availability of the machine tools recommended; the level of service and support, including delivery, installation and training provided; and the scope, scale and value of ‘social’ support provided (sponsorship, promotions and advertising, master classes etc).

Mr Lee continued: “MACH Machine Tools submitted a competitive tender that represented real value for money. We hadn’t dealt with the machine tool supplier previously, but the quality, build and specification of the machine tools the company recommended in its tender, in addition to its price point and the company’s after-sales service and support, put it in the driving seat.”

MACH manual machines are built to last and include many technology features supplied as standard that on many competitor machines are only available as optional extras. MACH VS-1 Classic manual mills are proven and popular and are a staple machining solution for many UK component manufacturers and tool makers. The machines have a rigid design and build and are equipped with large 1,219 x 229mm worktables, powerful variable-speed 5,000rev/min spindles and two-axis digital readouts (DROs).

MACH L-1340 lathes are compact machines equipped with quick-change tool posts and tailstocks, and feature anti-vibration and stress relieved beds, backlash eliminators and two-axis DROs. MACH SB 30 pedestal drills are powerful and reliable and are a valuable machine shop/workshop asset. The machines are supplied with 405 x 505mm tables, 1.5HP motors and a 75-3,140rev/min spindle capable of drilling a range of materials.

Mr Lee concluded: “The MACH machines are great performers. They are accurate, flexible and reliable, and their acquisition has strengthened our manual machining capacity and capabilities enabling us to provide students and trainees with relevant, practical and transferable skills. Furthermore, the machines are in constant use — six hours a day, five days a week for 45 weeks of the year and have to be reliable and available for use at all times.”