However skilled, a single engineering business can't be a master of all trades. If you need specialist services for single projects, such as boring or drilling, it can be better value to outsource. Outsourcing precision engineering can cut costs, reduce your workload, increase productivity, save you money on equipment purchase and hire, and enhance your profit margins. You don't need to move production abroad, either - Hone-All handles all of our outsourced services on British soil. Here's our guide to how outsourcing your engineering could benefit your business.

Hone-All's long association with the aerospace industry includes honing, drilling and boring services for bespoke parts, from landing gear for military aircraft to pistons for helicopter rotors . Along the way, we've invested in our people, systems and equipment to ensure accuracy, traceability and repeatability guaranteeing the stringent quality requirements required by this safety critical industry. Our continuing approval to AS9100D is testament to our commitment and success in meeting and exceeding the highest of standards.

At Hone-All, we have a long history of association with the aerospace industry, so we were excited to learn about a new initiative from the UK government offering grants for innovative products in this sector.

Metalworking brings you better results if you take a systemised approach to your components. Honing requires you to work with bore size tolerances of 0.0001” so precision is a necessity. With the right machine, fixturing, abrasive, and oil, you can improve your quality and cycle times and reduce costs and lead time therefore improving your competitiveness. Let’s look at this in more detail:

Gun drilling is the ideal process for drilling small diameter holes without losing straightness and precision. It creates close tolerance holes in high-temperature alloys and a range of steels. Machines must be configured to precise specifications, then operated using precision tooling, high-pressure coolant, and an interrupted feed. Some applications require a sub-micron finish that a gun drill can’t achieve, so extra processes and customisation are often needed such as honing.

To create the perfect component, you need an effective and efficient relationship with your machining company. Your precision machining process can be derailed by miscommunications over even the tiniest part, so communication is integral. The machining sector has become increasingly flexible, with bespoke solutions making clear expectations even more important. Relationships are only as healthy as both sides of the customer / supplier connection, and there’s much you can do to improve your results.

Hone-All was founded on a passion for excellence in the area of specialist honing. The company began as a family business that focused on developing the skills to manage tough projects. Since its launch, we have relocated to larger premises that support an effective large-scale production environment with the best technology for every task.

When it comes to industrial rollers, it pays to get it right. With the digital revolution causing changes to printing, packaging techniques, and machinery, many of the traditional norms have vanished. This means manufacturers of industrial rollers need to really know what they are doing. Here’s a quick guide to what a decent manufacturer will offer.

Manufacturers in all sectors are under intense pressure to deliver quick results on tight budgets. Your customers expect a fast turnaround and a competitive rate, which you have to achieve with the minimum resources available. It is natural, therefore, to look for areas where economies can be made on the manufacturing process. Industrial rollers are a common target for these cost saving exercises, with the risk that low price is prioritised over quality.

As a business, we will naturally assume there is a requirement of concentricity or equal wall thickness unless we are told otherwise, for example, if the application is simply for fluid flow

You could argue that we are over-engineering the machining and this is at the expense of our competitiveness within the industry. However, we believe in giving the customer the very best that can be achieved and ensuring that they do not encounter any unexpected issues further down the production process.