Front Cover Showcase
Front Cover Showcase
It’s all about the music
“We kept coming back to XYZ and in the end it became a straightforward choice due to the confidence we had in their ability to support us”
For almost 50 years Rega Research has, to the point of ‘obsession’, used engineering as the basis for the design and manufacture of its extensive range of home audio systems. Employing engineering to produce the best music for its customers, while maintaining a high level of reliability and affordability and wherever possible a strong UK-supplier base, has led to innovative designs that are both aesthetically pleasing and produce the highest sound quality. This combination has created a loyal customer base, with the past two years seeing significant sales growth, which resulted in its latest investment in an XYZ 750 LR vertical machining centre. Rega Research was founded and is owned by Roy Gandy, who struggled to find an audio system that met his expectations. He was advised, possibly by a frustrated audio dealer, to ‘build his own’ if
he couldn’t find what he wanted. The rest as they say is history. Using his engineering skills gained in the automotive sector Roy reviewed what was available, and even the best turntables at the time were said to ‘offend his sensibilities’ so the quest to re-engineer and create new concepts in audio began. The company now designs and assembles a full range of home audio equipment including turntables, amplifiers, phono stages, CD players, tonearms, cartridges and speakers. Production stands at over 5000 turntables every month made up of 3000 units/month of its entry-level P1 turntable, over 1000/month of its mid-range P3 turntable and even 70 units/month of its range topping P10 turntable, which retails at around £5000. Add these to its other products and production tops 10,000 units/month. With every product assembled in-house with components sourced mainly in the UK. There is a subtle difference between music lovers and Hi-Fi enthusiasts and Rega’s products appeal to the former: “Our customers love music, many would go to concerts daily if possible, so
we strive to deliver a level of quality that can replicate that experience for them,” says Ky Gandy, Supplier Co-ordinator, Rega Research. The blend of high quality, design and value for money has seen Rega grow from 130 employees at the start of 2020, with a turnover of £13 million to a £20 million turnover and 180 employees at the end of 2021. “The lockdown arrived and while the first few weeks impacted on operations, it also had a positive effect. Sales boomed due in part to people being stuck at home, many with more disposable income. I also think in the previous decade that the world had a shift in attitude and came to terms with value for money, which is what we aim to provide.” This significant growth added pressure to Rega’s Toolroom, which was populated with manual machines to produce assembly jigs and test rigs, as well as some prototype machining. A move to CNC had been on the cards for many years, but had been put off for several reasons, particularly lack of space. A re-organisation combined by the increase workload finally
allowed the purchase of an XYZ 750 LR vertical machining centre to go ahead. The machine will be used on a variety of materials from aluminium, High Pressure Laminate through to MDF, so Rega opted for the 12,000 revs/min model and, for added versatility, the 4th axis and 24 position arm-type toolchanger options. The XYZ 750 LR is fitted with linear rail technology, which like Rega’s products combines performance with value for money. “We had been looking at introducing CNC to our toolroom for several years, we did our research, as we do with all our suppliers, and while the machine was important, ongoing support and service was a priority. This resulted in a short list of one, XYZ Machine Tools. During our search we kept coming back to XYZ and in the end it became a straightforward choice due to the confidence we had in their ability to support us with technical help and after-sales. We also received glowing reviews from our existing component suppliers. Another factor that made the decision easier was that during the
Machinery & Manufacturing 31
30
Machinery & Manufacturing
Powered by FlippingBook