EDITOR ’ S CHOICE QUICK AND ABLE MANUFACTURING
AMAZON FILTERS LIMITED
Amazon Filters strengthens in-house component manufacture
Process filter maker Amazon Filters has begun the latest stage of a £ 1 million investment programme designed to support industries worldwide that rely on process filtration .
Having opened a new production hall and storage space at its Surrey factory , the 37-year-old firm has now added fresh capacity to its housing component manufacturing with two semi-automated CNC mills going live .
The new machines will strengthen Amazon Filters ’ policy of ‘ vertical integration ’ in which production activity is increasingly done in-house with less reliance on third parties or subcontractors .
The aim is to support ‘ quick and able ’ manufacturing , the fast , accurate capacity to turn round customer orders , including complex and bespoke projects , whatever their size and wherever they originate .
Adrian Price , Lead Fabricator , said : “ As the global market expands , the ability to do things in-house becomes more important so we have taken the opportunity to grasp the nettle and improve our processes .
“ Our work is very diverse and we relish the challenge of the one-off , for example if you have an oil and gas customer saying they need specific equipment to go that bit deeper in the oceans , it ’ s great to be able to say we can do it .”
The new CNC equipment complements a doubling of staff numbers in housing component manufacture from six operatives three years ago to 12 now and with a further appointment due in 2023 .
Component manufacture involves the processing of raw , hardcore metal bars , blocks , sheets and tubes into parts ready for welding and final housing assembly .
Tube lengths tend to be three or six metres , weighing up to 130kg and with diameters of 12 or 16 inches .
As the global market expands , the ability to do things in-house becomes more important so we have taken the opportunity to grasp the nettle and improve our processes .
Stored on huge racks , the raw material parts are moved into position for cutting , folding , drilling , marking and other processes using lifting aids including a motorised platform .
Amazon Filters colleagues Troy Procter , right , Housings Production Support Technician , and Josh
Booth , Housing Component Manufacturing Operator , in the firm ’ s dedicated production hub .
Most metal is stainless steel but , for some applications , the nickel alloy Hastelloy is the base material .
At any given time , hundreds of flat discs or plates are in the process of being turned into lids , top ends or end caps and with different-sized holes drilled to suit .
The team operate five distinct cells : sheet metal ; de-burring and degreasing ( the removal of very fine coats of oil ); press ; fabrication ; and , most recently , machining .
Amazon Filters ’ capital spend complements recent team appointments on the sales side , including territory managers for the Americas and Asian-Pacific regions .
For more information , visit www . amazonfilters . com or call 01276 670600 .
30 PECM Issue 60