Date: 28 October 2016
Vale Garden Houses, the Grantham-based manufacturer of high quality orangeries, conservatories, bronze casement windows and bronze doors, has purchased a second Mecal CNC machining centre from Addison Saws.
The machine, a 4-axis Mecal MC 305 Kosmos, will be used in Vale’s highly specialised Bronze Department to drill, mill, slot and prep architectural bronze extrusions of up to 3.5 metres in length and from 3.5mm to 12mm in thickness.
“It was around ten years ago that we invested in our first Mecal CNC machining centre from Addison’s – an MC 305 4-axis model,” comments Vale’s Operations Director, Dave Cheney.
“Extremely reliable and accurate, it brought significant advantages to our production schedules – and is still in everyday use.
“The expansion of our business into a new manufacturing facility just a few years ago, however, saw us place even greater demands on the Mecal.
As a result, earlier this year we decided the time was right to invest in a second machining centre, to take on board 50% of our Bronze Department’s machining requirements and ensure we are well equipped for future business growth.”
Service and reliability were key deciders
With a number of potentially suitable machines on the market, it was the reliability of their Mecal MC 305 model and the high levels of service provided by Addison Saws over the years that persuaded Vale Garden Houses to stay loyal to Addison and invest in a second Mecal machine from them.
Setting the bar for after-sales care
“Not only has our original Mecal CNC machine more than proved its worth, with an absolute minimum of downtime, the service from Addison Saws has been outstanding,” adds Dave Cheney.
“Any machine is only as good as the level of support provided and, in our opinion, Addison’s clearly set the bar in terms of customer care and after-sales service.
Their response times, knowledge, attitude and commitment to getting things sorted are all second-to-none. For that reason, Addison Saws has been chosen to service and maintain some of our other metalwork machines – they know how to problem solve and get things up and running again as quickly as possible.”
Mecal MC 305 Kosmos – enhancing production
The new Mecal MC 305 Kosmos purchased by Vale Garden Houses offers a range of enhancements over their original machine.
In particular, tool changes are much faster and the automatic clamping system, where the machining head positions the clamps, has made various manufacturing processes significantly quicker.
“The performance enhancements of the new machine are fantastic,” says Dave Cheney.
“At Vale, however, we are more concerned with accuracy than speed, as virtually every job we undertake is unique. We know we can count on both our Mecal CNC machining centres to deliver the clean cuts and high levels of precision that we demand.”
Vale Garden Houses: quality and craftsmanship for more than 30 years
Vale Garden Houses has been building conservatories and orangeries for over 30 years and enjoys an enviable reputation for quality and truly bespoke designs.
This reputation is built on Vale’s attention to detail, which sets the company apart from others. It is reinforced by Vale’s dedicated team of designers and craftsmen – each an expert in their own field.
The Bronze Department at Vale had a very interesting beginning, prompted by the search for a quality slim profile window that could be incorporated into a specifically designed glass house for an 18th century manor house.
Following extensive research and development, architectural bronze was chosen as the best-suited material from which to manufacture the windows.
The term ‘architectural bronze’ describes a metal alloy of copper, zinc and various other metals that contribute various qualities to the mix.
Family owned and run, Vale is passionate about traditional design and methods of construction, whilst working with advances in technology and materials.
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