UK Castings Maker Sees Success : The in-house machining facility at Grainger and Worrall has managed to boost turnover due to the diversification into electrification and body in white, contributing up to £8 million to the group’s overall figures.

The facility was initially set up to deliver complex, low-tolerance machining support to Grainger’s own cylinder heads and engine castings; however, since then it has grown to work directly with OEM customers, delivering precision machined parts for customers all over the world. The key to its success is the increasing work carried out with customers at the design and manufacturing stage, enabling it to diversify into new areas such as electronic drive units (EDUs).

“We’re working very closely with our OEM customers to deliver solutions for tomorrow’s vehicle designs. We recognise that while cylinder heads and engine blocks remain an important part of our business, there are opportunities beyond this to machine EDUs and body in white structures,” said Michael Cooper, executive manager at Grainger and Worrall Machining. “For any aluminium casting that needs to be machined to tight tolerances, our techniques do not change. We have developed a unique skill set for machining castings with complex cores and can effectively transfer this capability into other areas.”

Due to the transfer of capability, Grainger and Worrall can extend its scope of work. For example, its machining facility has recently completed projects for customers in the aerospace and defence sectors, in addition to creating a dedicated flexible manufacturing system to supply body nodes to a major OEM.

“We are increasingly being involved in large programmes of work with continued investment in both our employee headcount and capability. The next few years look very exciting as we continue to diversify, branching out into other industries and working on major manufacturing projects all over the world,” said Cooper.
“Our message to the industry is to adapt now to the opportunities being presented by electrification and future vehicle designs. The industry has a wealth of experience and skills that can positively be transferred into these new business streams,” he concluded.

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