Grenville Engineering (Stoke-on-Trent) Ltd

Read the recent ‘Engineering Capacity’ interview with Stuart, our Sales Director, on increasing capabilities and capacity at Grenville Engineering…

Grenville Engineering has invested over £900,000 in the latest laser cutting, bending and punching technology to increase its capabilities and capacity.

One of the key investments was a 10kW Bystronic Bysprint 3015 3000 x 1500 bed fibre laser installed in September 2021. This complemented existing 6kw and 3kW Trumpf fibre laser machines.

Sales Director Stuart Rawlinson explained: “Grenville wanted to invest in the latest technology and this new machine is much quicker than the previous machine. We can produce more parts per minute, get them to our customers more quickly, and increase our capacity.

Another benefit of the new machine is that the more powerful laser can cut thicker material and can also cut thicker material using nitrogen. This eliminates the need for a second operation to remove the oxide layer prior to powder coating.

Stuart added: “It has also taken us into different market sectors by cutting thicker stainless steels.”

Grenville also invested in a new Bystronic Xpert 200t, 3m bed press brake.

Stuart explained: “All our other press brakes are Bystronic models, so we kept with the same manufacturer. All our operators are fully trained on this brand of machine so there was no learning curve or need for extra training. We have been very impressed with the machines we currently have and they do everything we need.

The new machine increases the maximum tonnage available from 150t up to 200t and also has an increased open height for producing deeper boxed parts and also has a full length of integrated fold/flatten mechanism for producing safety edges.

The final investment was in a used Trumpf TruPunch 3000 S11 CNC punch press.

Stuart said: “Our other machine was ageing and having some issues. We decided to buy another but explore the used market again for this machine".

“It was purchased from Severn Machines Ltd. They do a complete refurb of the machine prior to installing it. Again, this was something we had done previously that had worked really well."

“This machine is quicker and has a lot more features, which allows us to use much more tooling available to the machine.”

Summing up how Grenville has enhanced the capacity and capabilities that it can offer its customers Stuart concluded: “Grenville has spent over £900k to increase our capacity and make sure we stay competitive at a time when resource costs are rising. These new machines enable us to offer a much wider variation of parts to customers whilst reducing lead times and increasing our capacity.

“We have had a very strong year and continue to grow, so we need these investments to enable us to keep pace with new and existing customers.”

Throughout Q3, our production team have worked hard to fulfil RECORD sales orders, achieving an incredible 25% growth compared to quarter three last year. We look back at some of the milestones reached…

Record Sales

Recruiting additional employees in production has been a significant factor; our primary focus is welding and quality. Investing in new machinery has been critical in helping us increase our capacity and open our capabilities to new market sectors. The £900k investment in the machinery in 2021/22 has also helped us stay competitive when resource costs are rising.

• 10kW Bystronic Bysprint 3015 3000 x 1500 bed laser.
• Bystronic Xpert 200t, 3m bed press brake
• Trumpf TruPunch 3000 S11 CNC punch press

We have also worked hard to streamline processes, and expanding our quality department has enabled us to solve problems more efficiently.

Streamlining Despatch

The despatch area has had a revamp, with new racking installed throughout. The new installation has enabled the team to pick schedules more efficiently, positively affecting resource utilisation. The team have worked hard to put all this in place, which has helped maintain delivery schedules with the increase in production.

Apprenticeships

Congratulations to Harry Hough, who recently passed his level 2 certificate in Mechanical Engineering and now working towards level 3. We currently have five apprentices in our production team who show excellent initiative and commitment to achieving their skills and qualifications.

High Energy costs

The increase in energy costs is a concern for all businesses, and our team have been working tirelessly to find ways to streamline and reduce costs.

• We’re currently undergoing a new lighting program, upgrading to LED lights throughout all company buildings.
• Moving to electric for our vehicle fleet, starting with our sales team. The recently installed EV Zappi chargers are also available for visitors.
• We’re introducing ways to be more efficient for our deliveries by optimising the schedules and route planning.

We’ve had a big push on quality over the last couple of years, and the internal KPIs reflect this.  We’ve expanded our quality department and have around 70 years of QA expertise between Steve, Michael and Rob.  Steve has been with Grenville for 35 years, and our newest quality team member was Michael Kelly appointed as Quality Manager in August 2021.  Michael brings 24 years of experience in the automotive industry supplying parts to high-end cars like McLaren, Aston Martin & Bentley; He’s played a significant role in improving the quality department at Grenville and maintaining compliance with our ISO 9001 accreditation.  Not just in production but throughout the company, supporting the teams to make continuous improvements; keeping the customer at the centre of our decisions.

The review of the processes, from design to manufacture, has enabled us to solve problems more efficiently, saving time and keeping prices competitive, driven by our customer’s needs.  We have also invested heavily in state-of-the-art machinery and a skilled workforce.

Accredited with ISO9001 also assures our customers that they receive consistent quality products and service by continually monitoring and managing quality across the whole business.  To constantly improve, streamline operations and be more resilient and sustainable.

Our latest investment at Grenville-Engineering has landed…. The Loewer DiscMaster 4TD.  The efficient deburring machine will work in conjunction with the lasers for components that require a high-quality appearance/surface finish for the process of steel, stainless steel and aluminium.  The large variety of disc tools makes the machine very versatile, working with widths of 1.000mm, 1.500mm & 2.000mm. 

We offer various types of high-quality metal finishing services, from deburring, shot blasting, painting, and powder coating to galvanising and we can advise on the most suitable and cost-effective solution that meets your specifications.

We are constantly looking at ways to maintain and improve our productivity, lead times, and quality and continue to expand our capabilities.  We have recently acquired an additional 3,500 sqft of manufacturing space and office facilities which will be up and running over the next few months.  Watch this space to find out what we have planned and how we can help your business.

With almost four decades of experience we have developed a comprehensive portfolio of services.  We continue to provide outstanding customer service, and with another fantastic start to the year we remain at the forefront of precision sheet metal fabrication.

To learn more about our fabrication services, visit our website www.grenville-engineering.co.uk, or for more information, email our team at sales@grenville-engineering.co.uk or call 01782 577 929.

National Apprentice Week is upon us, with the theme of "Skills for Life." At Grenville, we have a proud tradition of developing successful apprentices, many of whom have risen through the ranks to become senior leaders within the company. Our commitment to providing training, mentorship, and on-the-job experience has helped us maintain high standards of quality in our products and services.

Several of our longest-serving employees began their careers as apprentices, including Stuart Rawlinson, our Sales Director of 28 years, Steve Vaughan, our Responsible Welding Coordinator of 25 years, and Mark O'Leary, a Fabricator Welder who has been with us for 21 years and is now a Quality Inspector. Other notable examples include John Curwen, our Senior Team Leader of 19 years, and Brendan Johnson, a Team Leader of 10 years.

Currently, we have five apprentices in our ranks, each receiving personalized mentorship and training from our skilled team. Harry, for example, has advanced to level 3 in just three years, gaining valuable knowledge and skills working alongside one of our top fabricators. Ryan has gained a deep understanding of machining through hands-on experience, while Josh's natural talent and enthusiasm for fabrication and welding is sure to make him a great asset in the future. Ethan has made significant progress in operating the laser and welding, and Lewis, our newest apprentice, is already showing improvement under the guidance of his mentor.

We are dedicated to supporting the growth and development of our apprentices, and to that end, we have plans to increase our apprenticeship program and potentially establish a training school in the future. Starting in April, our Quality Inspector, Steve Tinsley, will spend one day a week teaching our apprentices to read technical drawings, a valuable skill that will serve them well as they manage their own fabrication projects.

Apprentices play a crucial role in our business, and we are committed to providing them with the opportunities and support they need to build successful careers.

We would like to take this time to thank everyone for your valued support throughout the year, and we look forward to continuing the success into 2023!

CHRISTMAS SHUTDOWN DATES

This year we will close on Friday, 23rd December at 11am for Christmas and re-open on Tuesday, 3rd January 2023.

The last delivery and collection day is Thursday, 22nd December.