2020 was a year of great uncertainty for the UK’s manufacturing sector, but the year proved that the sector will prevail, with businesses becoming increasingly accustomed to finding workarounds to obstacles and prioritising collaboration over competition. So, in 2021, what will be the main manufacturing trends to look out for?

I was so thrilled when Andrea contacted me and offered me the opportunity to join Hone-All.

Due to Hone-All being one of our valued suppliers as well as a competitor, I had visited previously and had been impressed with the processes and procedures on show. So much so, I did try and emulate and implement some in my previous company but didn’t really have the time to complete them before the decision was made to close us.

Trepanning is a specialist machining technique for drilling large holes in materials, particularly in situations where limited machine power is available, or if you wish to retain the core material from the bore instead of reducing it into swarf chips. Unlike conventional solid core drilling, trepanning only drills an annulus, or a ring, at the fringe of the hole, leaving the core intact so that it can be easily removed. Due to the lower amount of power required, since the core is not being drilled, the method is a suitable alternative if sufficient machine power cannot be attained. If you’re considering trepanning metal for your next engineering project, it’s worth considering the following key questions, to ensure that you plan every aspect to achieve the best possible results.

In a post-COVID-19 world, the nature of global manufacturing supply chains will have to change substantially to be sustainable. Growing concerns about the environment, the role of the national economy in day-to-day life, and national unemployment also mean that businesses are beginning to shift their priorities when it comes to how they want to manage their production.

CNC honing is an excellent way to achieve tighter tolerances and better surface finishes on a wide range of precision machined components with a round bore. Here's a simple guide to this sophisticated process.

In this article we would like to talk about quotes; specifically, why specialist CNC engineering companies charge what they do. There is a cost versus quality debate in every industry we can think of. The argument possibly goes that the lower the quote, the more corners must need to be cut at the suppliers’ side in order to achieve the price while still returning a reasonable profit. This usually leaves a fairly wide margin for flexibility, but it also means that a race to the bottom towards ever lower prices is rarely beneficial for either customers or suppliers in the long run.

In the middle of a viral pandemic, you simply can't afford to waste time and energy by waiting too long. You can't run the risk of moving anything that might harbour or transport pathogens across tight borders and lockdown zones. It's also crucial to support your local manufacturers during lockdown - without orders to keep them going, many may have to scale back or shut down, once lockdown has finished for good.

Are you looking for ways to improve your productivity? Your choice of CNC Turning and machining specialist may have more of an influence than you realise. In a world of choice, here are some of the reasons that going local can make a difference.

It’s hard to imagine a world without tubes. Through them, liquids and gasses flow, and energy moves. Tubular components have travelled to the depths of the Mariana trench, have touched the surface of Mars, and have delivered life-saving injections to billions of humans and animals.

There is a great saying – if you always do what you always did, you’ll always get what you always got! It is a phrase we use often when those who are not technically qualified, or as experienced in machining, as others throw a wild or mad idea into the mix when brainstorming or problem solving.