A SUCCESSFUL MOVE FOR PLASTICRAFT

Earlier this year, well established plating and process plant manufacturer Plasticraft – a Norman Hay plc company – relocated its main production operation from Cannock to Norman Hay’s comprehensive central design and engineering facility in Coventry. Has the move paid off? The editor recently visited the company to check on progress seven months down the line…

The Plasticraft move to Coventry was part of the ‘strategic integration’ of three Norman Hay plc manufacturing divisions. Plasticraft itself, Ultraseal International and Ardrox Engineering. These operations share the same basic activity – the movement of process liquids – so the consolidation of engineering design and production expertise under one roof to streamline manufacturing, optimise operating efficiency and reduce costs, will undoubtedly help the companies to compete more efficiently in today’s tough global market for capital equipment.

Consolidation of the three operations was also designed to facilitate the smoothing-out of the sales ‘peaks and troughs’ inherent in capital equipment manufacture and assist with overall production stability. However, risk is inherent in a major change of this kind. Customers may feel insecure and the existing workforce can become disaffected.

In this case, the positives appear to have vastly outweighed any potential negatives.

Says Peter Gummer, Director – Business Development at Norman Hay plc: “Since moving to the Coventry engineering base, Plasticraft has gone from strength to strength. The company has completed two large process lines recently for a major aerospace customer and has a very healthy order book.”

“In fact it’s amazing how quickly the Plasticraft operation has become integrated, which reflects the professionalism both of the management and the workforce.”

Plasticraft has retained its plastics fabrication plant in Cannock, which Peter Gummer says is working ‘flat-out’, and most of the other former Cannock-based workforce now travels to Coventry.

The company has also been keen to retain the confidence of its existing customers, many of whom have already visited the Coventry facility.

“Our major customers have been quick to appreciate the benefits of the integration and have been impressed by the technical capability of Norman Hay’s comprehensive design and engineering resource in Coventry”, says Peter Gummer.

Ardrox Engineering

Plasticraft shares a common customer base in the aviation industry with sister company, Ardrox Engineering, which moved to the Coventry site in 2003 following its acquisition by Norman Hay plc. Ardrox NDT chemistry (supplied by Chemetall plc) is firmly established in aerospace but the Ardrox plant engineering expertise offered by Norman Hay plc is perhaps less well known. Although Ardrox Engineering has achieved notable successes over the last few years, particularly with its automated carousel NDT systems and working on many refurbishment projects, its technical capabilities have not been actively marketed.

Working hand-in-glove with Plasticraft on aviation-led technical innovation and with a concerted marketing programme planned for both companies, Ardrox Engineering is ideally placed to attack the global market for advanced NDT plant.

An ideal example of the new regime of design and manufacturing collaboration between Plasticraft and Ardrox Engineering is represented by the two new aerospace component process lines mentioned by Peter Gummer. These operate in tandem for the nitric surface etching and NDT of critical parts. They incorporate individual transport systems for the parts, which are carried in baskets. The lines include design features that draw heavily on Plasticraft’s in-line plating plant experience, combined with Ardrox Engineering’s proven NDT technology.

An important element of manufacture was that the lines, which are almost 20 metres long, were assembled and tested on the factory floor at Coventry. This was not possible at Plasticraft’s Cannock site, where space limitation meant that large footprint plant had to be assembled on-site at the customer’s premises.

Ultraseal International

Ultraseal International – the third company in the Norman Hay manufacturing triumvirate at Coventry – operates primarily in the niche automotive market of advanced technology for the impregnation of castings and is also benefiting from company integration.

Says Ken Southwell, Ultraseal’s Sales and Marketing Director: “Over 90% of our business comes from overseas and much of that is cyclic, so the consolidation of design and production is a big plus – helping fill the troughs and keep our skilled workforce busy during lean periods.”

“The exchange of design and engineering ideas between the three operations is also beneficial, enabling the best approach to be selected for each particular application. As time goes on, I also expect a combined and increased sales and marketing effort to help develop new markets for Ultraseal both overseas and in the UK.”