HCM Engineering

HCM Takes on New Apprentices

HCM Engineering — 28/09/2021

Dudley based tooling manufacturer HCM Engineering took on their latest apprentice this month. Jamie Beddall has joined the team as their latest Assembly Technician joining highly skilled experts Paul Wharton and Richard Johnson. Luke Hanson has also joined the team as their latest CNC machining specialist.

If you work in the manufacturing sector, you will be sure to know that UK engineering and manufacturing has a massive skills shortage. According to a government study, 186,000 skilled Engineers are needed annually until 2024 to plug the skills gap, and almost 20% of the current workforce is due to retire by 2026 according to the ECITB.

Therefore it is no surprise that businesses such as HCM are working hard to produce more skilled engineers to carry on the legacy of their firm.

Established in 1969, HCM has developed into one of the UK's leading exponents in the manufacture of tooling and prototypes for a European-wide base of customers responsible for supplying components to the World's Automotive and other industries.

Jamie was presented with a Precision Apprentice starter kit to help him on his manufacturing journey at HCM. The team looks forward to what the future holds with Jamie and Luke onboard.

Long Established Partnership Leads the Charge in Additive Material Technology

HCM Engineering — 06/11/2020

MIM members CastAlum and HCM Engineering have worked together for over 20 years, and have recently collaborated for CastAlum's additive metal printing facility.

HCM has been designing and manufacturing large complex tooling and foundry equipment used by CastAlum. The powerful partnership has established CastAlum 'leading the charge' in utilising additive material technology and producing parts other countries can't make.

HCM Engineering is proud to have worked alongside the team as CastAlum since their beginnings in Welshpool over 20 years ago. They say it is refreshing to see investment in the latest plant at CastAlum and equipment for additive manufacturing. This enables the supply base to up their game and trail blaze behind CastAlum as an industry leader and provides cutting edge foundry equipment.

CastAlum's components are cast and machined, the firm works with the likes of major car brands such as VAG, BMW, Ford, General Motors, Fiat, Porsche, Mercedes and Jaguar Land Rover. Paul Dodd, Engineering Director at Cast Alum, said:

"CastAlum is a naturally proactive and aggressive business and one that has built its reputation upon being best in class and producing particularly challenging products."

Simon Hanson, Managing Director at HCM Engineering, said:

"We are proud to have supported CastAlum in their new in-house additive metal printing facility."

"Having watched additive, since I first saw it in a research centre in Melbourne Australia over 20 years ago, I have seen all sorts of processes and applications at plants and facilities around the world. The most challenging being high pressure die casting, as you can see the AM engineers' eyebrows raise when you explain the forces and heat involved in premium die casting applications."

"Finally, I feel, we are all gaining traction and solving the complex issues in hand to make this practical and affordable."

Read more about how CastAlum is leading the charge in additive manufacturing by clicking the link below and heading to page 42:

https://issuu.com/schofieldpublishingltd/docs/mt_37f15c19cd0aa7?fr=sZjZiNTIwMTg1OTQ

Celebrating 50 years of HCM Engineering

HCM Engineering — 20/12/2019

Made in the Midlands member HCM Engineering is celebrating their 50th anniversary, we take a look back in time with images taken when the company was first established and what it looks like now. Along with taking a look at how far the company has come in terms of technology and quality.

Established in 1969, HCM has developed into one of the UK's leading exponents in the manufacture of tooling for a European-wide base of Aluminium and Iron foundries. On top of this, the company’s vast capabilities expand to designing and manufacturing die casting machines, ancillary machines, jigs, fixtures to enable the processing of the components.

HCM considers its main asset to be the people it employs. Their highly-skilled employees are supported by the company's continual recruitment and training scheme incorporating a structured modern apprenticeship programme.

Raymond Hanson along with two other founders started the business in Stourbridge 50 years ago, in 1969, when they noticed an opportunity after working for Birmid Aluminium, a large foundry in Birmingham. They noticed the growing tooling industry at a time when engineers could choose the work they took on for the automotive industry due to the level of work available. Raymond and company rented a small facility where they started working long hours to get the business up and running.

The first image below shows engineers working with manual copy milling machines back in the early 70’s, used for die milling to produce products from blocks of metal. Copy Milling machines were one of the first investments the company made back in 1969.

The second image shows a comparison of where the companies machinery stands in 2019, engineers use computerised CNC machines and CAM programming that display a 3D image of the product being produced.

HCM stands for the three surnames of the people who started the business, ‘H’ being for Hanson, the idea to set up the company derived from their passion for making Tooling for the automotive industry. The Stourbridge based company started off in the industry with low and high-pressure die plus gravity tooling to create engine parts. 50 years later, HCM has a wider range of capabilities including component design with 3D printing and a facility that is a hundred times the size, compared to the 100sq facility they started out with.

Now in 2019, celebrating their 50th anniversary, the company is owned by Raymond’s sons, Mike and Simon Hanson and have for the past 26 years. The company now supplies to a range of industries and uses their long-standing experience, coupled with the latest technology, to make their products. During their ownership, they have also extended the company overseas including setting up a branch in Bangalore in 2003 to compete with Eastern pricing.

The first image below shows Raymond when the company was set up in 1969. The second is an image of Simon in the same position as his father as Managing Director.

Going back to when the company was founded, the 1980s brought about the decade of computerisation and HCM Engineering wanted to be part of this to be ahead of the game. In 1981 Raymond, founder of HCM Engineering, and company visited Japan to look at the automation of manufacturing. Noticing that the technology was advanced, they decided to invest in a large copy milling machine. The company’s research also saw visits to Austria and Japan, in fact, the company purchased two copy milling machines from Austria in the late 1970s.

Simon Hanson, Current Owner and Managing Director with Mike Hanson, said Raymond and company would regularly take risks and source funds through selling their personal belongings to stay ahead of technology. He added:

“When the company is growing, you get the enthusiasm for it to keep having that winning streak.”

In the late 1980s and early 1990s 1 million was invested into the company, filling it with CNC machines and CAD cam. This allowed the company to compete with Eastern countries when it comes to cost and improve the quality of their products. They were also able to produce more product by running the machines at night with no labour required. This led to the company working with massive brands such as Bentley, JLR, Mercedes and Aston Martin.

The image shows (left to right) Mike and Simon Hanson, Srikanth and Ray Hanson when opening their subsidiary in Bangalore, India.

Established for 50 years, HCM Engineering has broken boundaries when it comes to keeping up with the latest technologies and competing with lower prices coming from other parts of the globe. Now, with the ability for low pressure, high pressure and gravity tooling, along with being able to create complex component designs in conjunction with the OEM’s, the company's client list expands across the biggest automotive brands in the world.

Join Made in Midlands today, click the link to find out more

https://madeinthemidlands.com/benefits

Anglo-Indian collaboration offers improved market coverage

HCM Engineering — 07/04/2021

With concern over trading conditions in a post-Brexit and Covid world, one Diecasting Society member company has highlighted how continued investment, a positive attitude and collaborative trading with international partners can offer a solution to the perils of global supply chains.

Known for his outspoken attitude, Simon Hanson of HCM Engineering Ltd is confident that there are plenty of opportunities to grow the business in the future thanks to an open-minded approach and a long-standing relationship with a partner company on the other side of the world. HCM expanded into India in 2013 following a long association with Ibex Engineering, of Bangalore. Hanson said: “We at HCM have a similar ethos to everyone at Ibex. It is important for us to work with people who are equally committed to quality and advancing technology. Our combined skills sets mean that we are achieving great things together.”

Hanson explains: “Joining hands with our Indian cousins makes us stronger and more attractive to our end customers. Our UK/Indian trade partnership has enabled us to be more competitive, as we can compete with Eastern pricing. It means our customers benefit from the vast expertise of both HCM and Ibex. By collaborative trading, we can provide custom solutions in a range of metals and processes and we can stimulate R&D into new ideas with our diverse range of ideas, providing both companies with a different way of thinking.” The Indian aluminium diecasting market is directly linked to the automotive industry, which is the fifth-largest in the world and is expected to become the third-largest imminently.

India has a low per capita car ownership of 20 vehicles per 1,000 citizens, compared to 800 vehicles per 1,000 citizens in the United States and 85 per 1,000 citizens in China. Thus, there is a huge potential in the Indian automobile and ancillary industry. Out of the numerous diecasting companies in India, over 25 units produce around 12,000 tons of die castings per year. Ibex Engineering was established in 1998 as a young, fast track TS 16949 / ISO 14001 / OSHAS certified manufacturing company, based in Bangalore, India – the emerging global hub for outsourcing. A team of trained engineers and skilled technicians operating under a strict quality and delivery code enables Ibex to be a one-stop, full-service operation for all aluminium pressure diecasting, magnesium pressure diecasting, aluminium gravity die casting and precision machining needs.

“The largest casting that is presently produced in our facility is about 3.5kg, with multiple steel inserts and a total shot weight of 5.5kg. Our real-time control diecasting machines provide for a highly repeatable process with reduced casting rejections and are the most preferred equipment for some of our customers producing safety-critical parts for the auto industry”, says Srikanth GP, founder and MD, Ibex Engineering.

Armed with a mechanical engineering degree from Bangalore University and nearly two years of working experience with a leading manufacturing company, Srikanth GP set up this facility 23 years ago, with a strong determination and a focus on the ever-evolving manufacturing landscape. He is also a Harvard Business School Alumni and an avid wildlife and motorbiking enthusiast. Srikanth and Hanson have developed a strong working relationship, based on trust and mutual appreciation.

EXPERTISE WITHIN

With over two decades of manufacturing expertise, the quick response system delivers zero PPM and 100 per cent on-time delivery. Ibex has manufacturing capabilities for low and high volume parts, including expertise in light-weighting.

The company’s in-house toolroom was set up as a joint venture with HCM Engineering. HCM is a family-owned business with over five decades of manufacturing expertise in the European die-cast tooling market. This joint venture has enabled Ibex to support the in-house tooling development needs as well as complement the UK operations with the smaller sized tooling needs of the UK market.

“In 2017, Ibex invested in developing magnesium diecasting under the guidance of its key European customer and M/s Rauch of Austria, which is a pioneer in magnesium melting,” Srikanth explains. “A fully integrated facility with over 50,000 square foot of shopfloor area for magnesium diecasting has been built and began operating in January 2020. This is India’s first magnesium diecasting facility and supplies castings into the Indian defence sector and safety-critical parts into the Indian automobile industry.

“Located in the suburbs of Bangalore, Ibex plays a pivotal role in the rural integration of the workforce. Most of the employees are from the local neighbourhood, who were mainly working in the farmlands. Elaborate technical and management training processes have made this loyal workforce the main pillars of Ibex’s success.”

As one of the UK’s leading manufacturers of tooling for a European-wide base of aluminium and iron foundries, HCM has continued to grow over the decades, thanks to its commitment to investment and an ability to see the wider picture. Hanson in particular is always on the look-out for development options and is keen to further strengthen the company's portfolio. Based in Lye in the West Midlands, HCM has high-speed CNC milling, the latest CMM Equipment, 3D design software, large surface grinding and cylindrical capabilities, along with digitising and reverse engineering abilities.

Its relationship with Ibex adds further strength and Hanson says this is how the company is able to survive and prosper during times of uncertainty and change. “You have to be flexible and collaborative working provides that additional strength,” he says.

HCM has a reputation for working closely with OEMs to help produce complex component designs and working with a number of partners in a supply chain is nothing new to the company, with Hanson relishing the opportunity for the company to company teamwork.

FUTURE PLANS

It is expected that the advent of electric cars in the near future will create a huge demand for magnesium die castings due to their light-weighting. Srikanth enthuses: “Ibex is rightly poised to encash this opportunity by being the pioneers in the Indian magnesium diecasting arena. The new facility already has a built area for magnesium recycling and is awaiting machinery. Post this installation, Ibex will be ready to challenge the Chinese monopoly in magnesium diecasting.”

Post-Covid lockdowns in India in April 2020, Ibex utilised the opportunity to set up a state-of-the-art injection moulding facility with 15 machines to supply the health care industry. Supplies from this facility will replace parts that were previously imported from the Far East, thus pursuing the ‘Made in INDIA’ and ‘ATMANIRBHAR’ plans of the Indian central government.

Ibex LIFESTYLE is a new division that is designing and manufacturing European quality outdoor furniture from gravity die-cast aluminium. The high-end furniture is rust- and weather-proof and carries a ten-year warranty. Currently, there is an online store www.ibexlifestyle.com to retail into the Indian market. The first physical experience store is expected to be ready in mid-2021. The products will eventually be supplied into the overseas market.

It seems that both HCM and Ibex have backed winners in their quest for collaborative working and Hanson says rather than a complaint about “changing times”, companies need to find ways to embrace the change and look to the future.

Contact: Simon Hanson, HCM Engineering,

Tel: +44 (0) 1384 422643,

email: simonh@hcmeng.co.uk

web: www.hcmeng.co.uk

MIM members raise £7k for Race Against Dementia

HCM Engineering — 30/08/2022

Just a few days ago, Made in the Midlands member companies teamed up with others from around the UK to raise money for Race Against Dementia.

The Cannonbawz Run "NC500 Race for Dementia '' took in around 500 miles of Scotland's coast in just two days.

James Worthington, one of the founding members of MIM, organised the event informally with fellow members Tony Satorius of Alucast, Simon Hanson of HCM Engineering, and Phil Stanley of TWP Manufacturing. They talked about the idea at a social event at Cosmo Bonsor and decided that they had to make it happen!

Simon Hanson said: "There were over 50 cars from all around the UK to undertake this fabulous but challenging 500 miles in 2 days, stopping at some of Scotland's top tourist sites for short breaks and fuel stops."

"There has been support from celebrities like Sir Jackie Stewart who have been affected by this crippling and misunderstood disease."

MIM members raised over 7K alone this year with huge support from the industry.

To support this great cause or put yourself forward for a future event, please check out the links below

https://www.cannonbawz.com

Can you help by donating to their JustGiving Fundraising Page: https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/anthony-sartorius1?experiments=donate_now_track_click&successType=StaticDonateButtonClick

Future Proofing the Casting industry - saving costs and time to market of metal components

HCM Engineering — 15/03/2023

Looking forward to the CASTCON future proofing exhibition and seminars where HCM Engineering are exhibiting and presenting with Simon Olive from Magmasoft showing ways to de-risk tooling in our industry by using technology supply chain design for manufacturing techniques to save significant costs and time to market.

We can save tens of thousands of £££'s in designing for manufacture and ensuring the tooling isnt wasted or inefficient in making die cast components.
#costeffective #diecasting #tooling #toolingsolutions

HCM – Two Decades enjoying a ‘Joint Venture’ In India

HCM Engineering — 04/01/2021

HCM Engineering’s Managing Director, Simon Hanson, was sent to Australia on a trade mission in 2001 to understand how the Australian automotive casting industry coped with the far eastern competition with countries such as Japan, China, Korean and Singapore.

“I found the 3-week tour invaluable and learnt from one toolmaker in Brisbane that they had formed a joint venture with highly skilled low-cost countries to assist in keeping them competitive in a global market. They are an island nation and form networks and alliances to huddle together to show a stronger image, capacity and technical working group.” Simon explained.

Simon said the thought remained with him throughout his tour around industrial India 18 months later in 2003 after he had met a trading company during a die casting visit in England. The tour resulted in finding a suitable partner in Bangalore, South India. A highly skilled and empowered workforce managed by a Harvard Educated Indian, Srikanth, who Simon instantly “clicked” with.

(Image: Ray Hanson – HCM founder – cutting the ribbon in 2008 for new plantain India)

In 2004, Simon continued: “We bought a 5-acre plot and set about forming a plan of building a world-class facility and transferring the 50 years of experience and traditions we had at HCM UK in precision high-class tooling for the aluminium casting industry. We learnt from them and vice versa. As a result, we became a more mature and diverse team and able to offer more solutions at a more competitive price.

“We bought and transferred suitable machines/equipment, trained and developed the Indian team and had regular visits to India and the UK every couple of months during the next few years. Even going over to India for a weekend when a meeting needed to be face to face.”

The team grew, the factory was complete, new work was placed and HCM began trading in India. The strategy was to complement HCM UK in supplying relevant lower cost parts to large complex tooling that is often 12 tons and £250,000 in cost. This helped them maintain the UK market and fended off foreign competition to ensure our business, people and skills remained in the UK.

(image: The vision for the new Magnesium plant plus the cleanroom for medical)

Simon added: “Our traditional UK customers were under huge pressures to buy from the far east but we could now get a lot closer on cost and also help service, maintain and develop the tooling locally to help keep UK die casting companies to stay in the UK and not have to offshore.”

This was a win-win for HCM’s UK customers and helped the Indian subsidiary provide commercial business models that worked for the premier UK industry with JLR, Aston Martin, Bentley, McLaren and with their tier 1’s such as Bosch, Borgwarner, Getrag, Magna and Yazaki in Automotive. This also included the non-automotive groups in lighting, wind supply, leisure and electronics.

HCM designs and manufactures tooling in the UK and India with tools up to 12 tons and 3 meters in size. This is supplied to industries such as Medical & Motorsport, but also IBEX India, HCM’s sister company, who are manufacturing Aluminium and Magnesium components for Military, Automotive 4 and 2-wheeler vehicles, domestic boilers, lighting and more. Simon concluded:

“What we have learnt is that team effort is key and by joining hands we are stronger and more resilient to the volatile world and markets we serve. The hybrid approach works and we have a really strong bond with our sister company. Even buying virgin jungle land and helping to build eco-lodges and resorts as a shared interest in wildlife and conservation. Even filming for the BBC’s David Attenborough programs.

An example of the joint venture success was when we had to provide parts to Nissan Japan on 1st January and due to our traditional Christmas shutdown, we couldn’t do it but used our multi-cultural team in India to manufacture as they work over Xmas and supplied a cast product for vehicle trials to Nissan Japan.

The next few years will be challenging with new trade agreements with a world coping with COVID but we have to find ways to evolve, survive and diversify.

From HCM’s perspective, we have opened up new markets in building products, wind turbines, marine and electronic infrastructure and exploring new rail programmes like HS2 to grow our customer base”.

We have lately developed a lifestyle business manufacturing high-end garden furniture and also COVID medical plastic components in this ever-changing world.

www.hcmeng.co.uk

www.hcmibex.co.uk

www.ibexengineering.com

www.ibexlifestyle.com

www.machaan.com

Make UK Manufacturing Conference 2023 LONDON was a real winner !!

HCM Engineering — 16/03/2023

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hc2ilVGCv5A

We attended the event to network and focus on new markets to compliment the automotive, EV motor, off road, oil/gas and lighting components we currently design and manufacture.

Also listening to the industry specialists and government to ascertain the pulse of our trade and the future projections.