Case Study - Planned Maintenance Support for MB Aerospace Newton Abbot Ltd
MB Aerospace Newton Abbot Ltd provides highly engineered aero-engine component manufacture and repair, specialising in the production of Airfoil and complex rotating gas path components. oelheld’s SintoGrind TTS coolant, a top-quality product that offers an exceptional surface finish and which carries a manufacturer’s recommendation for the Walter machines on site, is used for the company’s HSS grinding processes. To ensure accurate temperature control and coolant cleanliness, the process is supported by two Vomat FA120 microfiltration units with integrated chillers that deliver a steady flow of <120l/minute of clean oil at a controlled temperature of +/-0.2°C to the workpiece. This means that effective maintenance of the filtration units and avoidance of any downtime has a direct impact on both workpiece quality, and productivity.
In 2019, the company implemented a procurement strategy to establish contracts that would provide a fixed cost for equipment maintenance wherever possible, to assist with business and financial planning. oelheld UK’s service contracts were perfectly aligned with the strategy, providing a customised schedule that allows maintenance costs of the two Vomat units to be accurately predicted.
All oelheld UK service contracts are tailored to the specific requirements of each customer’s processes and needs. For MB Aerospace this involves three annual visits to conduct full 75+ point functionality testing of the Vomat units, cleaning of the filter vessels (including HSS prefilter and waste sack), and F-Gas leak testing of the integrated chillers, which ensures H&S compliance.
As well as predictable spend, with regular visits to site our service engineers have been able to carry out preventative maintenance to help avoid one of the biggest costs of them all: unplanned downtime. Regular health checks are the best way to identify and resolve potential issues at an early stage and because our service engineers take the time to get to know each customer’s systems and the team managing them, they get a fuller picture when conducting routine visits that can flag up potential issues early on.
As an oelheld UK service contract customer, MB Aerospace Newton Abbot Ltd is also able to take advantage of customer perks such as priority response times and preferential call out rates if issues do arise, as well as discounted oil top ups and filtration spares, all of which can add up to a significant saving.
We are pleased to say that the company is now in their second year of service contract support. We asked Glyn Foxall (Maintenance Team Leader) what the main reasons for renewing were:
“It is important for us to have the filtration system well maintained because it keeps the machine in better order and a healthier machine is always good for the operators. We decided to renew the service contract with oelheld because the servicing and support in the first year was very good. When we had an issue there was an oelheld engineer on site the next morning and the engineers have been great – efficient and helpful. The service visit reports we receive are to the point and informative and overall the service contract is good value for money for us”. – Glyn Foxall, Maintenance Team Leader, MB Aerospace Newton Abbot Ltd
In 2021 MB Aerospace Newton Abbot Ltd continues to pursue its strategic vision of further diversification within the defence markets which builds on recent investments in next generation engine machining capabilities, new plasma and thermal coatings technology, defence product range expansion, and Industry 4.0. For full details of the company’s component manufacture and repair capabilities or to make an enquiry, please get in touch via https://www.mbaerospace.com/contact/enquiry/. We look forward to continuing to work with the team and working hard to retain our Tier 1 vendor status with 100% On Time In Full Deliveries rating.
Regular servicing and maintenance contributes significantly to consistent, predictable, system performance. What you need to do, and when, depends on a number of factors including overall system performance requirements, H&S regulations relevant to your processes and your internal quality and risk management strategy. If you don’t have the necessary in-house maintenance capabilities or resources, consider a service contract with an approved provider to ensure your systems give you sustained performance and remain compliant with H&S regulations relating to workplace exposure limits.