New facility set up to apply new, unique,
hard, wear resistant coating for engineered parts

A brand new development and production facility has been set up in the UK, which offers customers a rapid coating service for the application of an innovative carbon coating to a wide range of engineered components used in extreme, arduous environments.

After securing £570,000 of investment funding in November 2008, Diamond Hard Surfaces Ltd has just opened a new, 1,500 square ft development and manufacturing facility at Caswell Science & Technology Park in Towcester, Northamptonshire. Diamond Hard Surfaces is the first high technology company to occupy a position on this prestigious business park. (Refer to picture above).

The company's patented coating, Adamant®, is a thick, hard, amorphous, diamond-like carbon coating that possesses a unique combination of surface properties. The coating is as smooth and slick as PTFE, but with excellent hardness (3,500-4,000HV) and the toughness of carbon-fibre. These unique properties provide the coating with technical advantages over other currently available materials, particularly in extreme, harsh operating environments, where the life of engineered components, such as mechanical seals or bearings, is critical. (Refer to picture below).

Adamant® is particularly beneficial in applications where Engineers are pushing the boundaries of load, chemical resistance, temperature and abrasion. Where performance limits have already been reached using traditional materials such as hardened steel, Adamant® can extend the life of components, even in the most arduous of applications.

The coating represents a genuine technological step-change in the coating of engineered components for extreme performance. The material, which has excellent load bearing characteristics and wear resistance, derives its uniqueness from Diamond Hard Surfaces' patented manufacturing process. Not only is the coating applied to components at unusually low temperatures (less than 100 deg C), which means it can be applied to a diverse range of substrates, but it is also environmentally-friendly, with no pre- or post-treatment required.

Chris Walker, CEO of Diamond Hard Surfaces comments: "We are installing state of the art equipment at our new facility in Towcester, which will enable us to provide a coating service for advanced engineering applications in a diverse range of industry sectors, including oil and gas, motorsport, aerospace and medical. With its low friction and high load bearing characteristics, and excellent abrasive resistance, many companies are working with us in order to improve the efficiency of their high performance applications."

Adamant® is currently being used in a variety of applications, including mechanical seal faces for the oil and gas sector. The company is also working with a variety of blue chip companies in order to enhance applications in other extreme, arduous environments.

The company's principal investors are Oxford Technology Management (OT4) and E6 Ventures Sarl, sector-specialist investors affiliated to Element 6, a $500 million manufacturer of supermaterials.

Diamond Hard Surfaces Ltd in profile
Established in 2005, Diamond Hard Surfaces Ltd was initially founded by Chief Technology Officer, Sergey Aleksandrov, with the backing of Oxford Technologies Management Venture Capital Trusts, A VCT fund that specialises in start-ups and early stage technologies. Since 2005, the technology has been protected by patent and the manufacturing process has been further developed in the company's laboratory facilities.

For further information, email: pr@diamondhardsurfaces.com or view website: www.diamondhardsurfaces.com

Customers benefit from Precision Plus® 25th anniversary

Precision Plus Vacuum Parts, Inc., one of the world's largest providers of vacuum pump replacement parts, is marking its 25th anniversary by offering its customers additional savings on more than 100 of its most popular products.  The offer provides savings of between five and 40 per cent on selected pump kits and spare parts, all of which are guaranteed to meet or exceed OEM specifications.

Precision Plus supplies vacuum pump replacement parts and consumables for anything from a minor repair to a complete pump rebuild.  Items including vacuum filters, repair kits, KF fittings, oils (FDA approved), rotors, stators, plates and shafts for virtually all major pump models are stocked and ready to ship within 24 hours of ordering, and all are backed with responsive technical service and customer support. In 2008 the company shipped more than five million individual parts.Each

Precision Plus supplies vacuum pump replacement parts and consumables for anything from a minor repair to a complete pump rebuild. 

Precision Plus part can be cross-referenced to its OEM counterpart simply, making ordering fast and easy.  There is no minimum order amount so customers only purchase the items they need.

Customers can either download an electronic catalogue or order a hard copy version to assist in product selection, and parts can be ordered online from www.precisionplus.com

"We are delighted to have reached this 25 year landmark and have decided to mark the occasion by thanking our customers for their continued loyal support," says Mike Wills, Marketing and Product Development Manager, Precision Plus.

"Our company was founded with the sole aim of providing the highest quality replacement parts and service at competitive prices, and we are proud to continue to deliver the same competitive, high quality service today."

Precision Plus in profile
Founded in 1984 in New Jersey, USA, as an independent manufacturer of vacuum pump replacement parts; Precision Plus continues to lead the way as a source of high quality aftermarket spares and accessories.  In 1998 Precision Plus relocated its business to a new global headquarters in Niagara Falls, New York.  Here the company continually strives to refine and develop its products and operations in order to adhere to the founding principles of world-class customer service, high quality, competitive pricing and prompt delivery.  As part of Edwards Vacuum, Inc., Precision Plus is positioned to offer an ever-increasing range of products. Precision Plus and the Precision Plus logo are registered trade marks of Edwards Vacuum Inc.

Edwards in profile
Edwards, whose 90^th anniversary is in 2009, is a leading supplier of integrated solutions for the manufacture of microelectronics devices, including semiconductors and flat panel displays. It is also a world leader in vacuum technology for industrial, scientific, process, and R&D applications. Edwards employs around 3,000 people globally, in the design, manufacture and support of high technology vacuum equipment. Edwards invented the concept of the commercial oil-free 'dry' vacuum pump and now supplements this with a wide range of other pumping technologies as well as related products and services.

For further information, e-mail: miles.firth@edwardsvacuum.com or view website: www.edwardsvacuum.com

Company's SC21 programme underpins
improved business development and growth

The acquisition of Exhall Grinding & Engineering Co and the creation of a new group headquarters and technical centre by Arrowsmith Engineering Ltd are the latest steps on the path to world-class manufacturing and business growth by the ambitious Coventry-based aerospace and automotive component supplier.

Picture shows Jason Aldridge, third from right, together with his staff at Arrowsmith Engineering Ltd.

At a time when most subcontractors are retrenching, Arrowsmith is utilising government funded initiatives to turn a manufacturing downturn into opportunities for the future.

At the heart of the company's resurgence has been its commitment to the 21st Century Supply Chains (SC21) programme - a scheme championed by the Manufacturing Advisory Service West Midlands (MAS-WM) and its regional partner, the Midlands Aerospace Alliance (MAA) - which is designed to enable aerospace and defence sector companies to increase their competitiveness in global markets.

Arrowsmith has made major strides since it embarked on its journey to continuous improvement three years ago, with enhanced manufacturing, quality control and monitoring procedures confirming a continuous uplift in quality and delivery performance since it signed up for the SC21 programme. 

The proof can be seen in the attainment of its first 100 per cent OTIF (On Time In Full) delivery rating in September, making it Pattonair's top supply chain partner for the month.  The company was also endorsed as an organisation exhibiting best practice at the latest SC21 dissemination event held at the Royal Airforce Museum at Cosford in October.

"SC21 is much more than just a badge," says Arrowsmith director, Jason Aldridge. "It is a way of working that encompasses all aspects of the business, from up-skilling our workforce and investing in equipment, to improving processes and striving to be more effective in everything we do. If implemented throughout the West Midlands, it would help manufacturers not only to safeguard, but to create hundreds of extra jobs in the region."

The acquisition of Exhall Grinding fits perfectly with the SC21 principles encompassed within Arrowsmith's five year business plan.

"The new company will now operate as a division of Arrowsmith Engineering and we are already working to bring its capabilities into line with our existing ISO 9001:2001, AS EN 9100 and ISO 14001:2004 quality and environmental standards," says Aldridge. "The take-over has also accelerated the creation of our new headquarters and expansion of our on-site technical centre.

"The grinding operation's facilities both complement and extend our existing capacity, enabling us to offer a full range of surface, centreless, internal and external grinding services alongside Arrowsmith's established CNC turning, milling and Vertical Machining Centre (VMC) capabilities. In addition, we can now offer automatic honing, including match grinding, and 'tub' disk grinding up to 450 mm diameter."

For further information, e-mail: jason@arrowsmitheng.co.uk