MAPAL Takes-Off In 2017

As the manufacturing world increasingly utilises and exploits the strength to weight ratio benefits of CFRP materials, intrinsically linked is the consumption of Polycrystalline Diamond (PCD) cutting tools. Wayne Whitehouse, the Managing Director of MAPAL UK, the world’s leading PCD cutting tool manufacturer provides an insight into the company’s UK performance…

As a subsidiary of the renowned German PCD tooling Group, Rugby based MAPAL UK witnessed growth in the region of 30% in 2017. Explaining the growth and the ongoing evolution of the business, Mr Whitehouse says: “Over the last 5 years we have enjoyed growth in the region of 45%, the jump in 2017 sales revenue is credit to a number of factors. Firstly, we have long been known as industry leaders in the automotive industry. This has been credit to the performance of our extensive PCD product lines, multi-stage tooling solutions and the technical experts we have to cultivate our service partnerships with world leading OEMs, particularly in the engine manufacture arena. However, the long-term predictions for the combustion engine and the exceptional performance of the UK aerospace industry has led MAPAL UK to re-align its business strategy. The 30% growth in 2017 is the first sign of this re-alignment.”

To sustain this growth, MAPAL has made a significant investment in staff, equipment and infrastructure. As Mr Whitehouse continues: “We invested over £1m in new machine tools and metrology equipment in 2017 and we are planning an additional £1m spend in 2018. As well as the capitol investment that is generating a 50% increase in PCD tool manufacture, the MAPAL Group has re-structured its global manufacturing processes. With a focus on streamlining the business, we have restructured our manufacturing facility with air control, installed OPUS programming software and we are upgrading the tool management facilities; all with the aim of reducing the cost-per-piece production costs and essentially customer costs.”

The comprehensive OPUS system will give MAPAL UK access to a tool database suite with an unprecedented number of tool production programs and designs from the global system. Additionally, MAPAL UK will integrate the tool programs developed in the UK to the new tool data platform. Integrating a globally uniform tool design and programming database with globally standardised production machines and methodologies is already helping MAPAL UK to enhance lead-times and reduce programming times by over 30%.

“Facilitating growth through new technology investments and streamlining exercises will yield long term benefits for MAPAL UK and its customer base; however, the implementation is showing instant results. To support our business and capacity growth, we have now invested in a new vehicle to provide a collection and delivery service for customers in the Midlands. Not only will this service enhance lead-times and generate consistency for our local re-grind and tool servicing customers, it will free-up the valuable time of our sales and technical engineers; as we don’t want our technical experts involved in the supply chain.”

“Recruitment is also a key aspect of our business and in the last 12 months, we have seen two apprentices complete their training. As these apprentices receive their indentures, we will be actively recruiting the next batch of trainees. For the first time ever, we have also employed a General Manager at Rainey, our wholly owned Ireland subsidiary. Eamonn Orchin will be a great addition to the team and he will eventually make the transition to Managing Director when Roy Douglas retires.”

“Another first for MAPAL in 2017, was the appointment of our first graduate engineer. Our new graduate has an aerospace engineering masters degree and he will work directly with Dick Arnold, our experienced aerospace project manager. This emphasises the strategic importance MAPAL UK is now placing on the aerospace sector. Yet another first for MAPAL in 2017, was our exhibition presence at Advanced Engineering in November. With dedicated composite and aerospace areas, we felt the show could be a suitable platform for us to demonstrate our expertise in these sectors. The response was extremely positive and we are already generating business from the exhibition.”

Closing on what has been a record breaking year, Mr Whitehouse says: “As a Group, MAPAL is already working with many of the world’s leading aerospace OEMs. The aim for the UK business is to build upon existing OEM and subcontract relationships, target niche pockets of the aerospace industry with our unique standard product lines and tailored tool design solutions and also emulate the success our European counterparts have achieved with the very latest product lines that were launched at EMO in September. Many of these solutions will receive their UK exhibition debut at MACH 2018 and we expect the new aerospace product lines to make a significant impact at the show.”