Join us at the Paris Air Show from 17 to 21 June to discuss future projects and allow us to demonstrate our increased capabilities.
Please contact the Business Development team to arrange an appointment. We look forward to meeting you.
Contact us via sales@middlesexaerospace.com
Middlesex Aerospace are proud to sponsor local youth football team the Hatch Warren Phoenix Fireball Purple and wish them every success!
Mark Martindale, the vice chairman of Hatch Warren Phoenix Football Club commented –
“As a not for profit grassroots football club we’re always grateful for sponsorship to help us ensure football is affordable for all. The rain jackets are very welcome additions to the kids kit. Sincere thanks to Middlesex Aerospace for their generous support.
Middlesex Aerospace has committed to a seven-figure investment with long-term machine tool partner, Yamazaki Mazak, to support the continued expansion of the company following an extended period of success.
Middlesex Aerospace is one of Britain’s leading tier-one suppliers of critical components and assemblies to major OEMs throughout the global aerospace market. Currently employing 150 staff, including five apprentices, the new investment will lead to the creation of further roles within Middlesex Aerospace’s machining and assembly department.
Middlesex Aerospace has worked with Mazak for over twenty years and its latest investment comprises of two state-of-the-art 5-axis Multi-Tasking machines, and one horizontal machining centre, complete with an expanded tool storage system.
The new equipment will not only reinforce Middlesex Aerospace’s existing in-house precision machining capabilities, but the increased capacity of the new machines will allow the company to further develop its offering to customers. What’s more, the new machinery will enable Middlesex Aerospace to operate lights-out un-manned manufacturing, 24-hours a day throughout the entire week; dramatically improving production volumes.
Laurence Foulds, Managing Director at Middlesex Aerospace, comments: “Our latest investment in machinery is one of the company’s most significant to date, and will allow us to support a number of new customers and programmes, as we continue to grow the business.
“Mazak has been our long-term machining partner for two decades. The work we undertake for our customers places a great demand on our equipment, and we know that Mazak machine tools – as well as the company’s Applications Engineering team – ensure we are able to deliver the incredibly high levels of accuracy and repeatability mandated by the aerospace sector.”
Alan Mucklow, Managing Director UK and Ireland Sales Division at Yamazaki Mazak, adds: “Middlesex Aerospace is a fantastic example of a British business taking the lead in the global supply chain and delivering exceptional results. After many years of working together, we are delighted to be able to help the company take a step closer towards realising its long-term strategic goals, through the purchase of three new state-of-the-art machining centres.
“The aerospace supply chain is faced with a unique array of application engineering challenges, given the stringent accreditations that govern the industry, and our latest 5-axis and horizontal machining centres are more than capable of working to the tight tolerances required.”
As a leading aerospace company we constantly strive to deliver the best solutions to our clients. Our on-going focus remains on reducing lead times, engineering costs and for this project quicker response time to spares and OE (Original Equipment) manufacture.
Recently we made the decision to invest in Plastic Additive Manufacturing Technology to support both internal and external influences.
With the technology installed our teams successfully designed and manufactured specialist fixtures for a number of applications including part marking, assembly and testing. For particular applications involving heat and oil, we researched and conducted a number of tests using available material within the marketplace to ensure accuracy and consistency, this ensured that we could capture other variables such as the lifespan of material before they breakdown.
Being able to print required fixtures straight from an imported Solidworks model into specialist software enables us to save time and therefore the associated costs for our customers when drawing the parts for tool manufacturers.
The results are clear to see
At Middlesex Aerospace we are serious about improvement and see a problem as both a challenge and an opportunity to grow. We have introduced one of the key communication tools used in lean environments and the results are clear to see with a positive impact in both communication and response time.
The SQDCP (Safety, Quality, Delivery, Cost & Performance) visual management board.
Middlesex Aerospace’s introduction of SQDCP (Safety, Quality, Delivery, Cost & Performance) boards throughout our key work streams within the factory has demonstrated a positive impact in communication and response time.
The use of the boards enable us to efficiently communicate potential improvement opportunities every morning, have a positive input and involvement from all staff and convey expectations for the day clearly and accurately. The boards are also a focal point for any issues arising that need to be dealt with quickly and effectively throughout the 4 tier structure. This enables us to quickly adapt our operational activities to meet both internal and external drivers.
The SQDCP board is a methodology introduced to us through the SiG (Sharing in Growth) program that quickly conveys how the process is performing against these 5 categories. These KPI’s cover both internal and external measurements that enable us to see the bigger picture in an easy to read format for all staff. The daily meetings last for no more than a short 15 minute interval, before business cell leaders take any feedback to the following tier, this is where information can be passed through the tiers quickly and effectively and if required have a response from senior management.
The implementation of the SQDCP boards has
Three year Mechanical Engineering Apprenticeship
“Middlesex Aerospace welcomes Christine Graham and Alan Hay as new apprentices. We have had an apprentice programme since 1950 and have taken on apprentices every year thereafter. Paul and I once asked our father how many apprentices the business had taken on, and he replied that he had stopped counting when he got to a thousand, so Christine and Alan have a long heritage behind them”. Laurie Foulds, Managing Director.
To find out more about our Apprentice Scheme click here
Two years ago, we rebranded ourselves as Middlesex Aerospace, this also coincided with our enrolment onto the Sharing in Growth (SiG) programme – much has happened in the intervening period.
Together with the SiG team we set ourselves a number of objectives.
• To reorganise our Senior and Middle management teams.
• To introduce a new shop floor team leader structure.
• To offer customers a broader range of services including supply chain integration.
• To develop preferred partnerships with our Key suppliers.
• To continue to promote apprenticeships and training within the company.
Good progress has been made with all these objectives and we can now see sustainable growth for the next few years and beyond. We are determined to be the supplier of choice for all our Customers and we will continue to develop the business by further investments in equipment, digital technologies, robotics and our specialist workforce.
The Aerospace Industry is fast moving – we intend to maintain a lead in everything we do. Our new company animation will give you a brief overview.
Working within key areas of the business I gathered
a wealth of information and experience:
‘ The opportunity to understand technical drawings and have an appreciation for the tools and methods used to check parts’.
The tool room is still a crucial learning process that really helps you understand the core processes in engineering. This gave me the grounding necessary to later help me understand the more complex aspects of engineering. This is an area that most of the apprentices find the most enjoyable’.
After my apprenticeship finished I was asked if I would like to work within the hub cell milling section. This was a role I enjoyed for the next 5 years.
In April 2011 I took the position of technical sales and estimating. This role taught me a great deal about how a business runs and what is required. During my time in this position I had varied roles which included account management, project management, estimating, building quotations, and cost based exercises.
In mid 2015 I then joined the supply chain department. My main duties include carrying out supplier audits, cost and quality based improvement exercises with our suppliers and other projects internally and externally. Again this position has let me experience yet another side of the business and gives me a greater appreciation of how the company operates.
BCOT Qualifications and extensive training programme completed:
‘ Throughout my time at Middlesex the company has always been extremely supportive in ensuring I have had the correct training and skills to back up current and future roles. As the company has grown within the aerospace industry so have its employees.
When I started my apprenticeship if someone would have asked me what you think you will learn and gain during your time at Middlesex it would have been fairly brief, a good solid grounding in advanced engineering.
However 14 years on not only has my knowledge in engineering grown but equally as important I have grown as a person. When I started I was quiet, shy and in honest lacking self-confidence. For me this has been so important.
The journey I have been on has taught me so much about myself. Leading meetings, presenting and working with senior company executives internally and externally’.
Eliminating waste and adding value to production lines is a deep-rooted focus of Middlesex Aerospace. Through joint lean events and project coordination with KLX, jointly resourced service teams have designed a best fit kitting solution to enable clear visibility up and down stream of the supply chain. Full traceability, certifications and customized labeling requirements are supported through the kitting infrastructure.
Cross functional teams took assembly detail directly from the Bills of Materials and Assembly Work Details. Kitting design experts then delineated all the data, part numbers, and tribal knowledge into clear visual instructions printed directly on the custom-designed kit box.
A comprehensive suite of management reports were also defined to ensure clear visibility of the supply chain capacity and identify any early warning signals. KPIs and business intelligence have been tailored to meet the needs of Middlesex Aerospace teams and provide a basis for all contract management meetings.
The results are clear and offer a multitude
of benefits program wide.
46 separate part numbers, including
16 drawn items and all associated requirements now reduced to 1 part number
Booking in/out reduced from 4 hours per batch to 30 minutes
Operation sequence part lay out, mistake-proof coordination, exact unit count
preparation, full customization to part
type, size, quantity and integration of
specific assembly instructions (i.e. peer
check, stop points, etc.)
Reduction of 60% in generation of C Of C’s
Collect and layout reduced from 3.5 hours per batch to 30 minutes – time saved equal to 1 day per week
8 hours saved per month, reduction from 102 invoices per month to 1
Reduction from 7.5 hours per month to 1 hour
Saved valuable floor space in stores area
The expectation from the joint initaive is that this activity will result in a 50% reduction in kitting time and eliminate shortages at the site level.
This will be accomplished via precounting and presenting parts within the same operation sequence as the aforementioned kits.
Middlesex Aerospace have worked collaboratively with the cross functional teams to deliver a world class service model enabling greater visibility of supply chain capacity.
The outcome of this collaboration is a shared vision of success for the future, the flexibility to respond to a changing market and enhance our ability to surpass the service expectations now and drive continuous improvement into the future.
Starting over 50 years ago our Apprentice Scheme is something we have always been proud of and as three more successful apprenticeships are completed, all with outstanding college results we congratulate them on their hard work and wish them all the success for their future careers with Middlesex Aerospace.
Apprenticeships completed at Middlesex Aerospace 2017:
Max Hull: Mechanical Engineering Technician
Tom Meager: Mechanical Engineering Technician
Oliver Vincent: I. T. Support Engineer
Max Hull
After studying for his BTEC Level 3 Extended Diploma in Mechanical Engineering at Basingstoke College of Technology Max joined us September 2014 as a Mechanical Engineering Apprentice.
During his first year, whilst being trained on every manual machine in our Tool Room, he completed his Level 3 NVQ work based assessment in mechanical engineering along with studying and passing the required I.C.T. qualification. At the start of his second year he was enrolled on a two year course, at Basingstoke College of Technology, to achieve the HNC in Mechanical Engineering. This was carried out on a day release basis. One day every week spent at college. At the same time he was partaking in a Level 4 NVQ in Mechanical Engineering which is a work based assessment whilst spending three months at a time in numerous departments within Middlesex Aerospace.
In July 2017 Max completed his L4 NVQ in Mechanical Engineering and also achieved a distinction grade in the HNC for Mechanical Engineering. August 2017 saw Max successfully complete his three year apprenticeship along with all of his college qualifications. He is now on our “Apprenticeship Plus” training scheme which will give him the opportunity of further training in all of the departments within the company with the focus on the machine shop and assembly.
Max is looking forward to becoming an all-round skilled mechanical engineer and a long and prosperous career with Middlesex Aerospace.
Tom Meager
Prior to joining Middlesex Aerospace in August 2014 for a three year Mechanical Engineering Apprenticeship, Tom had achieved a Level 3 BTEC certificate in Automotive Engineering and a Level 2 BTEC certificate in Mechanical Engineering, studying full time at Basingstoke College of Technology. In his first year with Middlesex Aerospace he under took his Level 2 NVQ work based assessment whilst being trained on all of the manual machines in our Tool Room. For his second and third years he enrolled at Basingstoke College of Technology on a Level 3 BTEC for Mechanical Engineering, for one day each week, along with being assessed in the workplace for his Level 3 NVQ in mechanical Engineering whilst spending three months at a time in each department within Middlesex Aerospace.
Like Max, Tom completed his college work with a distinction and successfully completed his three year apprenticeship in August 2017. He has also joined our “Apprenticeship Plus” scheme and will be undertaking further training within the work shop to become an all-round skilled Mechanical Engineer.
Oliver Vincent
Oliver joined us in August 2014 as an Information Technology apprentice. His 3 year apprenticeship has included block release to the “QA Training Centre” as well as day to day on site training here at Middlesex Aerospace. He has successfully completed his Level 4 City & Guilds in Networking and I.T. Infrastructure and has also achieved certificates in Microsoft Technical Accreditation covering Networks, Security and Servers.
On completion of his apprenticeship Oliver has been offered a role within Middlesex Aerospace as our I. T. Support Engineer and is looking forward to a long and prosperous career.
For more information on our Apprenticeship Scheme click here