Tooling technology
He is always at the end of the phone, and we’ve never had any problem contacting him if we need him. We really can’t sing high enough praises of him or thank him enough for what he has supported us to achieve.’ Adam visits Ritchie Engineering Solutions on a regular basis and has a constant line of communication with the brothers. Aside from Adam’s support, Ceratizit’s tooling has had a huge impact on the costs and operations in the workshop. On the Matsuura machine, which is running 24/7 in the workshop, Ceratizit’s inserts have more than doubled the tool life than the ones which were previously used, which has equated to a considerable saving in tooling costs. The MaxiMill SX indexable Parting Off tool from Ceratizit has been a standout product for the company, as the reliability of this part has meant that they have been able to run more single operation jobs and conduct more lights out running. This has allowed products to be manufactured much quicker and with considerably less scrap from damaged parts. Alasdair explained that ‘Investing in Ceratizit’s tooling has always been worth it for us, as investment in quality tooling achieves a longer tool lifetime and more reliability, which in the long run saves you a lot of money. They have a holistic view to tooling in this way, it’s never just about them making a profit, everything they recommend to you is done with consideration for your own processes and the profitability of these.’ Like many companies who work in partnership with Ceratizit, Ritchie have a Ceratizit vending machine in the workshop so that inserts and tools can be accessed immediately. Duncan described how ‘there are two practical elements to have the vending machine here. Firstly, it means that there is a robust supply chain, and secondly that we have spares available when we need them. Their tooling is now an integral part of our everyday
machining, so having parts on demand is brilliant for us.’ Ritchie Engineering, with Adam’s support over the years, have grown into a business which is able to retain competitiveness whilst not compromising on the quality of what they produce. This ethos for quality, which has been passed down by their father, lies at the heart of Ritchie Engineering. True to the heritage of where the business began, they still produce parts for hot air balloons, although these have advanced since their original designs from the 1980s! Alasdair and Duncan are looking to the future of Ritchie Engineering Solutions optimistically and are excited to see what is in store for the company in the coming years. Duncan commented that ‘We are excited to see what’s to come for Ritchie. The constantly evolving tool range from Ceratizit means that we can improve our processes as and when appropriate tools and associated cutting strategies are recommended to us.’ Whilst they are now working towards achieving more accreditations in aerospace, more of their bespoke designs are bound to be in the skies in coming years. n
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Machinery & Manufacturing 26
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