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AWI
Testing boost for AWI following £ 100,000 investment
One of the UK ’ s leading manufacturers of ‘ High Performance ’ alloys has completed a £ 100,000 investment in a new testing room at its West Midlands factory .
Alloy Wire International ( AWI ), which celebrates 75 years in business in 2021 , has designed and equipped the facility to include two tensile testers , a Micro-Vickers Hardness tester and four lab furnaces to support heat treatment .
It has also acquired macro and micro imaging technology and a custom-built metallographic lab to help with the preparation of materials .
This project means a lot of the subcontract testing can now be done inhouse , shortening lead times for its global customer base and giving it the opportunity to test new processes and materials quickly .
It took over six months to complete the fit-out , but the firm is already reaping the benefits with several new customers agreed in the last month , all keen to take advantage of the rapid turnaround provided by AWI .
“ We were increasingly asked for more testing as our customers strive for exacting performance from the materials they purchase ,” explained Andrew Du Plessis , Technical Director at AWI .
“ The decision was taken as part of an overall commitment to improve our service and the range of testing we can deliver in-house , and this is reflected in the level of investment and extent of capability we can now offer .
“ What this means to our clients is that we will have far greater control over testing and , I have no doubt , this will reduce lead times for them .
He went on to add : “ We ’ ve also improved our image analysis capability through the purchase of new micro and macro imaging systems , allowing micro-graphic examination up to 1000x magnification . This will significantly boost our R & D activity , so
What this means to our clients is that we will have far greater control over testing and , I have no doubt , this will reduce lead times for them .
we can continue to bring new materials and services to market .”
Alloy Wire International , which manufactures round , flat and profile wire for more than 5000 customers , was founded in 1946 by John Stockdale in an old ambulance station in Old Hill in the Black Country .
The company ’ s founding principles of ‘ manufacturing quality , delivering reliability ’ has stood the test of time and remains a crucial part of how it deals with its global client base , spanning automotive , aerospace , medical , nuclear and oil and gas .
Today , the firm is employee-owned with most of the staff owning shares in the business , a decision made by existing Chairman Bill Graham and the current Senior Management Team .
This inclusive culture has been crucial in helping AWI more than double turnover from £ 5m to £ 11m in the last thirteen years .
Andrew concluded : “ 75 years is a fantastic achievement for the business , but we can ’ t rest on our laurels and need to continue to invest in leading the world when it comes to supplying more than 60 exotic alloys .
“ To mark the big anniversary , we have launched our ‘ Wired for Good ’ campaign , which will see us commit to becoming carbon neutral and to support a number of local charities . It also means listening to our 5000 + customers and making investments that will deliver a competitive edge to them .”
For further information , please visit www . alloywire . com or follow Alloy Wire International on LinkedIn .
8 PECM Issue 52