BTMA member Rodmatic of Reading is setting a course few competitors will follow with the objective of being a true global subcontracting business.

By combining the expertise developed over some 40 years of high volume subcontract machining with a strong IT led strategy for smaller batchwork involving highly complex multi-feature components where a 'one-hit' single cycle operation will prevail, BTMA member Rodmatic of Reading is setting a course few competitors will follow with the objective of being a true global subcontracting business. Says director Brian Steatham, fresh from selling his highly successful software business Pathtrace to Planit Holdings at the turn of the year: 'I want to invest in this business and draw on my experiences from taking Pathtrace into international markets.' During his time at the head of the programming software company he successfully launched the business into America, Japan, Singapore, China and Brazil. Brian Steatham's vision is to structure the investment led company, already having a turnover of GBP 5 million and employing 55 people, into one providing a machining service that is very competitive, efficient on delivery and high on quality to support sectors such as oil and gas, fluid power, medical and specialist automotive with companies that operate in the global market.

The company, under managing director Robert Rickman, is already operating as two divisions, Rodmatic Multico for high volume production and Rodmatic Hytec as a fast response, single cycle, specialist production operation for higher value and complex parts in batch sizes between 20 and 500.

While both divisions are being organised with a view to being IT driven, they will use the latest business and communication systems and software, the most appropriate machine tools and quality equipment and this is to be progressively installed.

Adds Brian Steatham: 'We are not afraid to invest to achieve our targets.' Already at the Reading facilities a new Daewoo Puma MX 2000 ST turn/mill centre has been installed alongside an Hitachi Seiki HiTec-Turn 20 mill centre and a Mitutoyo Crysta Apex C co-ordinate measuring machine sited in its own temperature controlled inspection centre.

As would be expected from the founder of Pathtrace, EdgeCAM off line programming is being utilised to take in CAD models for four-axis contouring and five-axis positioning to present the tooling appropriately for compound angle feature machining.

Rodmatic Hytec is also providing a design support service where consultation for cost-effective machining is given taking in the extensive and traditional skills available from Rodmatic Multico's volume manufacture expertise as well as 'single cycle' technology.

And as part of the service available, in addition to Kanban or direct to line, both Rodmatic operations will provide packaging and delivery to customer specification.

Typical of the projects undertaken at Rodmatic Hytec is a family of shuttle valve bodies produced in batches of between 25 and 50 parts directly from a 200 mm sawn billet in a single operation.

The components involve considerably more milling and drilling than turning with more than 30 different holes, some set at compound angles with various critical intersections and breakthroughs to other holes and features.

Further operations also include turning, extensive milling, boring and threading carried out on the Puma MX 2000 ST utilising both main and subspindle, B-axis and five-axis positioning.

Altogether some 40 tools are used with the support of sister tool replacement for extended running to produce the part in a single cycle.

Previous suppliers machined the valve body from castings requiring numerous operations and relocations all accumulating to extended lead times with greater possibility of reject work.

Indeed, with Rodmatic Hytec's method development, any porosity problems often found by the customer on testing are a thing of the past and with a massive lead time reduction, it can almost instantly reset the machine to produce the next customer delivery.

The shuttle valve family was programmed using EdgeCAM Part Modeller and EdgeCAM Solid Machinist which, according to production manager Jonathan Imm, allowed holes and features to be easily repositioned or resized to accommodate the 'family' differences.