Shortly after Christmas 2021, the CBI warned that many UK businesses are facing up to two years of labour shortages, with the manufacturing sector particularly hard hit. It’s a situation that’s not restricted to the UK – similar problems exist in the United States and Germany, for instance – but for a country that is globally recognised as a leader in the field, with strong export sales, a skilled labour shortage in manufacturing has major implications for supply chains and the economy.

Public concerns about the state of the environment have soared in recent years and, at Hone-All, we recognise that we have a role to play in protecting the Earth in any way we can.

Nearly one-quarter of carbon emissions are produced by manufacturing businesses worldwide and, while the CO2 emissions in the UK have fallen by 10% in the past year, there’s clearly a long way to go.

At Hone-All, we have the knowledge, skills, and expertise to tackle complex projects in a range of sectors. As a family-run business that prides itself on teamwork, collaboration, and communication, we’re not constrained by muted ambition; instead, we invest in our teams and technology to ensure the highest quality service for our customers in diverse areas of industry, from aerospace and pharmaceuticals to defence and motorsport.

Computer Numerical Control (CNC) technology is at the forefront of the precision machining industry, yielding greater control, more accurate results, and a reduced need for manual intervention during the manufacturing process.

We are looking forward to welcoming a new Pinacho ST285 CNC lathe to our workshop here at Hone-All, after accepting a quote from C Dugard Ltd, of East Sussex.

This is an exciting investment for us because it is the first CNC lathe we’ve purchased with a C-axis. The additional axis gives us the capacity to drill and tap on PCDs and machine keyways/slots in-house, increasing the range of services we can offer. Previously we had to either subcontract this aspect of our work to a trusted supplier (with customer permission of course), or request the customer to arrange it themselves after machining – something we were always uncomfortable with because it meant we couldn’t offer an end-to-end service.

A wide range of materials are used in CNC machining, making it one of the most versatile methods in modern precision manufacturing. Most metals are compatible with CNC machining, alongside several plastics and polymers, and even certain foams. Your choice of material hinges on the purpose of the component, the environment in which it will be used, it’s stress load, and your production budget.

Precision engineering is now one of the most widely used techniques in manufacturing, responsible for manufacturing the majority of everyday items, alongside specialist and precision components used in engines, pumps, and machinery.

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%).

Computer Numerical Control (CNC) turning is a practical and efficient way of manufacturing custom components. However, while CNC lathes are capable of producing consistent results in a speedy and cost-effective manner, there are things that can go wrong with the process. Let's look at four of the most commonly experienced CNC turning problems and examine what can be done to resolve them:

CNC turning has become an important manufacturing process for a wide variety of applications, utilising modern technology to create more precise components and parts. When precision, reliability, and accuracy matters, this process can make a big difference.