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Partners in sheet metal manufacture

Partners in sheet metal manufacture

02/03/2009 | Channel: Business Improvement

Mason & King began providing a service in sheetmetal fabrication in 1954. Since that time, the company has built up a considerable reputation as one of the leading suppliers in the UK.

Based in Leicester, in over 70,000 square feet of modern manufacturing workspace, it is ideally placed to serve customers throughout the UK and beyond. The focus of the operation is on higher added-value assemblies that often pose a technical challenge. Mason & King offer a full in-house service covering laser cutting, CNC bending, CNC machining, robot welding, painting and mechanical assembly. Part of Mason & King’s reputation is based upon their innovative use of these technologies in order to give the best value to their customers. Working with customer design departments is seen as a key step in achieving best possible value and quality. This collaboration can extend from input on ‘design-for-manufacture’, right through to complete product design using the latest 3D CAD systems. Mason & King has over 25 years’ experience in the application of lasercutting technology not only in product design, but also in the development of low-cost tooling techniques.

A wide variety of industries are benefiting from this service, including construction equipment, refuse vehicles, military vehicles, transportation, materials handling, gaming machines etc. Typical batch quantities are from ten parts to 500 parts often requiring daily deliveries using their own transport fleet.

Control of the production operation is based upon state-of-the-art MRPII system under the umbrella of ISO 9001: 2000 accreditation. Data collection at each step in the manufacturing process, using bar code reading terminals on the shopfloor, helps Mason & King meet the delivery demands of their customers. The terminals themselves are a typical example of the Mason & King ethos. Having assessed the type of product available in the marketplace, and deciding that they were not robust enough for their environment, they designed and manufactured their own. These units have performed faultlessly and generated interest from other manufacturers that have visited their site. Mason & King is also working with the DTI-funded Suppliers to Motor Manufacturers Forum, which aims to use supply chain collaboration as the platform for driving cost out of the manufacturing process. Successes to date include improved product and information flow in-house, and also joint Six Sigma initiatives with customers.

Mason & King believe that it is this advance on a broad front covering innovation, investment in new technology and lean manufacturing methods will be the key to ongoing success.

For further information please contact:
Mason & King Ltd
Tel: 0116 261 4300
Email: sales@masonking.co.uk
Web: www.masonking.co.uk