Stoneswood Precision Components Ltd (SPC) are a small engineering company based in Dukinfield, UK. Part of a privately owned group its core competences are the machining and assembly of metallic components. Established in 1977, the current premises were erected in 1990 and in 2004 SPC signed an RSP with Airbus, which extends to 2023.
The company is gone through rebranding during time. Originally they had a dedicated facility to supply leading edge details to Airbus on the A400M programme.
SPC operates on a single shift and concentrates on long term strategic contracts. The business has 8 multi-pallet machining centres, along with minor mechanical assembly and CMM inspection capabilities. SPC have extended their capabilities to offer AOG and UOR services.
This is the first SC21 re-assessment after their first Bronze award, issued in 2021. The foundations of SC21 have led them to focus on the CSIP. Even though the Covid Pandemic has impacted on these activities, their goal remains to maintain and enhance business performance through a stable Bronze standard of performance before they move towards Silver.
(Thomas) Charles Day, Stoneswood Precision Components’ Managing Director reports that their mission is: “Engineered to deliver, empowered to delight. To develop the business to be a leading supplier of hard and soft metal components with primary focus on strategic contracts”.
He would like his company “to be seen ubiquitously throughout the Aerospace markets as a class leading manufacturing organisation. Through the learning offered with SC21, and from previous improvement programmes, we are confident in achieving this aim.”
He continues:
“Following on from the SIG programme, Stoneswood would like to gain the recognition of being a world class manufacturing organisation and see SC21 as the catalyst to achieving industry recognition. The SC21 framework offers a structured approach for development and peer recognition as progress is achieved.”
They have seen this tangible benefits after the adoption of the SC21 programme:
- 110kg per year reduction use of plastics through societal benchmarking
- Embarked on BSI14001 with audits due QTR1 2022
- Won new customer (BAE Maritime) who strongly advocated SC21 as a industry standard benchmark
- Started to use CpK for key processes (CMM)
- Leaner production
- Leaner processes
- Waste reduction
- Workforce involvement / motivation
- Improved use of internal business information
- Improved customer / supplier relationships
- Improved quality performance over the past 12 months
Charles stated: “It is with great enthusiasm that we have embarked on our journey with SC21, which has unfortunately been tinged with the effects of COVID in stalling some activities. The coming year will no doubt bring further challenges as we recover, however the journey we now find ourselves on will be one of excitement and trepidation on what we can truly achieve.”
