Kenard's Dartford facility has completed installation of another Puma 700 Turning Centre machine while a Mach 3 131B waterjet cutting machine and Fast Response Cell are now operational at the company's Tewkesbury facility. This strengthens the company's existing capabilities to provide a complete manufacturing service that supports customers from the product development stage through full production to final assembly. Kenard's investment in the Mach 3 131B waterjet was made on the basis that it offered significant setup and machining time improvements providing a range of benefits that could be then passed on to the customer. The greatest advantage however has come with the ability to profile pure copper components with a minimum of waste, as other methods such as wire eroding, laser and plasma cutting are unsuitable because of the heat induced recast layer generated on the cut surface. Keith Ellis, managing director of the Kenard Engineering Group, commented: “We continue to be extremely optimistic about the economic climate for manufacturing in the UK, with good levels of enquiries and new business opportunities. Our main focus is therefore on increasing our capabilities, becoming as efficient as possible in order to remain competitive and offer our customers a complete, value added service. “We continue to invest in these advanced technologies and monitor our performance to inform process optimisation in order to enhance our manufacturing and production capabilities. We have always embraced new technologies and advanced manufacturing methods to grow our business and, most importantly, improve the services we are able to offer our customers.” www.kenard.co.uk
