Tooling experts have lift off

A Black Country tooling firm is bouncing back from Covid-19 after securing a string of new contracts in the aerospace sector.

Cube Precision Engineering, which can handle single op prototype tooling to complex multi-stage tooling suites, has picked up more than £675,000 of orders from prime and tier 1 customers over the last two months despite the industry suffering from the effects of the pandemic.

The firm’s ability to deliver quality products on time was instrumental in securing the work and its engineers are now offering additional support in improving the process and manufacturing methodology.

This has helped it bring all but two of its 42-strong workforce back from furlough, with a number of new opportunities across automotive and advanced engineering in the pipeline.

Neil Clifton, managing director at Cube Precision Engineering, said: “2020 had got off to a great start and we were all set for a record year, until Covid-19 took hold and a lot of projects were stalled or put on hold indefinitely. Like all of manufacturing, we’ve had to pivot our operations, but importantly we have managed to continue working throughout the pandemic, including making parts that went into a machine that was being used to make face masks.

“We have also been looking at how we convert new opportunities during the crisis and this has resulted in us securing additional aerospace work with two strategically vital customers.

“This is more than double the revenue we were expecting and came about thanks to the way we engage with our customers, working with them to deliver the best manufacturing solution, rather than build to print. The experience of Kevin Davis, our aerospace account manager, has been vital in this process.”

Employing 42 people, Cube Precision Engineering can handle tooling of all sizes, boasting a lifting capacity to 35 tonnes and pressing capacity of 1000 tonnes. The company provides prototyping, design, simulation, manufacturing and full inspection, giving high profile customers across the aerospace, automotive, defence and rail a single-source solution for its complex tooling requirements.

It has recently invested £300,000 on an MTE BF3200, a new state-of-the-art multi-axis CNC milling centre that will support development/low to medium work for a host of UK and international clients.

Neil said: “Our tooling produces parts that go into some of the world’s most efficient jet-powered aeroplanes, luxury vehicles, off highway trucks and, in some cases, decorative furniture for superyachts. This is all achieved from our factory in the Black Country and with the support of a predominantly local supply chain."