The Mazak Siemens combination proves to be a big winner for high-end precision engineering solutions provider, Chester Hall Precision. Aerospace Manufacturing reports.

Chester Hall Precision was founded in 1974 by Brian Brown, initially located in Basildon, Essex, before moving to Wickford in 1986. Today, the company employs some 100 plus staff who work on a three-shift pattern that enables 24-hour cover from its premises. Now established as a part of the aerospace supply chain, Chester Hall makes large monolithic machining, assemblies and subassemblies for aerospace Tier ones.

“We provide a total service including concurrent engineering, manufacturing, treatments and assembly, along with the management of the complete supply chain,” says director, Phil Brown. “Most importantly, we hold all relevant BSI accreditations, and have recently gone through our BSI recertification audit for the AS9100 Rev D. It’s an achievement to be accredited to these stringent standards, but it is vital for what we do, namely critical, large structural components for aircrafts.”

Brown says that aerospace is not for the faint-hearted. “It is a very demanding sector, with the main challenges being product quality and on-time-delivery. It’s also very competitive, so you have to keep up with the latest technology or someone will overtake you.”

He believes the key to Chester Hall’s success has been putting in place a continuous improvement culture. “We have what I term a right first-time culture, which includes employing techniques, such as off-line programming for our 5-axis machining centres, machining simulation software, a lessons-learnt methodology and stringent internal audits, data analysis and training programmes. The result is we’ve developed long-term contractual partnerships with Tier one aerospace manufacturers.”

The company’s relationship with Mazak has also been important. “We started with Mazak machines back in 1995. We had realised in the late 1980s that we needed to get into CNC machines if we wanted to have a future in machining and really build this business.

“Our first machines were equipped with Mazatrol, but as our capabilities developed we increasingly standardised on the user-friendly Siemens control. Our setters and operators like it because it’s more Windows-based and feels like you’re on a PC, which means people get to grips with it quickly.”

The decision to make selected machines from the Mazak range available with Siemens control was welcomed by Chester Hall. The company now has a total of eight Mazak machines including two FH-880 and FH-8800 horizontal machining centres and four VTC-800 series machines, the latest being two VTC-800/30SDR Siemens machines.

“We like the VTC-800 series. It’s a powerful machine equipped with a good fifth axis movement that allows the spindle head to rotate a full ±110°. The fact we can now get it with Siemens control, which we’ve all but standardised upon, made the decision an easy one.”

However, the relatively compact footprint of the UK-built VTC was also a major selling-point. “We needed more capacity and the VTC has a good footprint which works well for us.

“We have a 6,000m² facility, but a lot of our machine fleet is large and we have to use space efficiently. The VTC-800 was perfect and we’ve now got four of the machines, all equipped with Siemens, working around the clock.”

The VTC-800 machines produce quality products, as seen in the finished parts coming off the machine. In the demanding aerospace sector, aftersales support is almost as important as the quality of the machine.

“With machine tools, the main challenges are support, repeatability, reliability and overall equipment effectiveness,” Brown concludes. “We need a machine tool partner who is ultra-responsive. We’re demanding because our customers are demanding, but we appreciate that Mazak knows that if something goes wrong, we need it sorting as soon as possible.”

In the future, Brown believes that further investments in technology and people will be the key to maintaining success. “I can see us making further machine investments, probably with more VTC800 capacity.”

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