Tucked away in 24,000 square foot premises on the Heathfield Industrial Estate in Newton Abbot, Devon, UK, is an unusual example of a combined design and manufacturing expertise.

Tucked away in 24,000 square foot premises on the Heathfield Industrial Estate in Newton Abbot, Devon, UK, is an unusual example of a combined design and manufacturing expertise. The facility, which is home to 30 people, is shared between 4-Tech Systems and Robinson Instrument Machining (RIM). But what makes the arrangement out of the ordinary is the fact that, despite owning RIM, design specialist 4-Tech Systems accounts for just half the sub-contracting machinist's output.

The high performance motorsport components and after-market kits designed and supplied by 4-Tech Systems include fully machined cylinder heads and virtually any internal engine part from camshafts to valves.

One example of the company's design expertise quoted by Martin Case, 4-Tech Systems' managing director, is that modifications to one of the engine designs used in the British Superbike Championship has had its performance boosted by an additional 30HP.

A long-term user of XYZ ProTURN manual/CNC lathes, the past two years has seen RIM install four XYZ vertical machining centres, most recently a XYZ 1510 VMC and a XYZ 1010 VMC, together with a XYZ 250 TC turning centre.

Both VMCs are equipped with 11.5 kW BT 40 spindles providing a speed range of 60-12,000 rev/min and are programmed via the easy-to-use Siemens 810D conversational ShopMill control.

The XYZ 1510 VMC features X, Y and Z axis travels of 1510mm by 604mm by 604mm, while the equivalent figures for the XYZ 1010 VMC are 1010mm by 509mm by 509mm.

The XYZ 250 TC turning centre is powered by a 22.5kW spindle motor capable of 3500 rev/min, has a VDI turret holding up to 12 tools and is programmed via the Siemens conversational ShopTurn control.

Production of motorsport components for 4-Tech Systems involves RIM in the close tolerance machining of aluminium alloys and high-grade vacuum melt steels.

However, RIM also serves other demanding high technology industry sectors such as aerospace, medical, food and marine.

Other materials routinely machined by the ISO 9001-accredited sub-contractor include mild and stainless steels, titanium, brass and plastics.

This work, as with projects undertaken for 4-Tech Systems, is subject to competitive tendering, and reducing component cost and shortening lead times are significant factors when investing in new capital equipment.

RIM's managing director, Ron Robinson, points out that all customer projects are subject to stringent quality control and inspection procedures.

Motorsport components, for example, are highly stressed in use and conformance to specification is crucial in preventing premature failure.

According to 4-Tech Systems' Martin Case: 'Our customer base on the motorsport side goes from small, privately funded racing teams employing, say, three to six people to factory-backed OEM supported racing teams employing several hundred people.

And while we like to supply full systems, we can, and frequently do, design and supply single components.

This means that production equipment has to be equally flexible and capable of satisfying exacting quality standards.

The XYZ machines have given us the competitive edge we need and have done all that was expected of them and the after-sales support has been excellent.