Bracebridge Engineering Ltd is a Made in the Midlands Gold Member 
Bracebridge Engineering Limited, a leading supplier of precision presswork since 1978, has started 2012 by investing in both personnel and the latest IT equipment in support of its ambitious growth plans.
It has just appointed a quality control engineer, a new position created to give better co-ordination of a newly launched quality drive that is set to completely change the working culture of the company. As part of this, Bracebridge is implementing a programme to achieve accreditation to TS16949, the quality system for the design/development, production, installation and servicing of automotive-related products.
“We plan to achieve accreditation as soon as we can, hopefully within 12 months,” said general manager Keith Street. “Tier one and tier two suppliers to the automotive sector demand that their own suppliers have TS16949. Gaining this standard will definitely open doors for us. Everybody at the company is keen to get on with the programme.”
This March will see the launch of another quality-related initiative when new continuous improvement practices are introduced to all production areas of the company’s factory. The aim of this is to establish lean manufacturing techniques, foster better teamwork and “empower” operators to improve their individual workstations. Bracebridge, which has 21 employees and is located in Perry Barr, is already accredited to BS EN ISO 9001:2008.
Bracebridge’s core business is the manufacture of bespoke presswork and metal pressings, using ferrous and non-ferrous metals in sheet, coil or tube form. The company supplies customers in various industries across the UK and Europe,
Its extensive plant list includes hydraulic presses (with capacities up to 200 tonnes), blanking presses (with capacities up to 160 tonnes), stand-alone secondary presses (with capacities up to 75 tonnes), thread rolling machines, automatic saws, and vibratory deburring and drying machines.
The company provides manufacturing solutions required for deep-drawn, formed and blanked components, in both high and low volumes, and in a variety of surface finishes including plating and painting. It also offers a range of ancillary processes such as sub-assemblies, spot welding and tube sawing.
Bracebridge’s other major investment at the start of this year has been in a state-of-the-art MRP (materials requirement planning) computer system, which will improve stock control, scheduling and ordering procedures. “As our product portfolio has grown, we needed a new system that could cope with the large number of part numbers we are now handling,” added Keith Street. “I’m also hoping it will reduce the amount of paperwork within the office!”
Also on the IT side, a revamped website, which will make it easier for potential customers to submit enquiries online, is due to go live in the coming weeks.
Bracebridge, which turned over £1.4 million in the year to October 2011, is predicting sales will pass the £2 million barrier in the current financial year. Its ultimate objective is to increase its turnover to £4 million and double the size of its 18,000 sq ft factory by 2016.
