The 2020 pandemic has brought together some of the greatest minds from some of the most prestigious manufacturers in Britain to design, build, and ship vital medical equipment at very short notice.

Companies as diverse and skilled as Siemens, Rolls Royce, and BAE Systems have pooled their expertise to create large quantities of CPAP ventilators for use in hospitals and surgeries worldwide, in record time.

We are delighted to announce that we've won the 2020 UK Enterprise Award for excellence in Sub-Contracted Machining for Oil and Gas! We were extremely proud to be nominated by our customers for the Best Subcontractor Oil & Gas in the SME Energy & Power Awards at the end of last year and now we have been selected as the overall winner for Best Oil & Gas Subcontractor in the SME News Enterprise Awards 2020.

Although this is not to be formally announced until the end of August, we wanted to announce it as soon as possible to keep the positivity and good news flowing throughout our fabulous industry!

Single stroke honing uses a sequence of gradually larger sized abrading tools to complete a bore in a single cycle whilst using multiple tools. The process is conducted by a special-purpose CNC honing machine, through which the bore diameter and positioning are determined in advance.

Compatible materials for honing include stainless steel, cast iron, carbon steel, ceramics, polymer plastic, and glass.

Outsourcing – already a familiar concept in IT and payroll – became a popular option in manufacturing following the 2008/9 recession, and the trend has persisted since, with many engineering companies recognising that outsourcing can bridge the skills gap as well as keeping costs low, improving turnaround times and boosting profit margins.

Honing is the precision machining process in which a very fine surface on a workpiece is produced using an abrasive tool. High quality honing of hydraulic cylinders is essential, as the effective operation of the pistons depends on the cylinder having a very fine surface finish, which can also prevent premature wear of moving components. Honing also creates a secure seal around a hydraulic cylinder, providing extended life and preventing costly leaks.

Machine honing is a precision metalwork technique used to create super-flat, shaped, and super-smooth surfaces. By applying an abrasive stone anvil to cut against the metalwork, and applying intense pressure and movement, pieces of any shape and size can be altered to exact material specifications.

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:

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.

Manufacturing enterprises within the engineering footprint remain the largest economic contributor of the engineering-based industries, generating £156.1 billion GVA (or 9.3% of the GVA for all industries) in 2015. Indeed, in 2016 almost half of the engineering footprint turnover came from manufacturing (46.5%).

What’s in a price? It’s a simple question, and one that often has unexpectedly complicated answers. This is because some things – such as skill, experience, and technical knowledge – are difficult to quantify. Issues such as identifying additional processes are also important. If you’re interested in learning about honest CNC machining quotes, here are some pointers to help navigate the often murky waters of engineering pricing.