Scotland has traditionally been the UK’s base for oil and gas related products and services with one such manufacturer, VCL (Valve Components Ltd) of East Kilbride, manufacturing large precision valves and associated specialist equipment.

With an additional manufacturing site in Malaysia, VCL invests regularly in new plant and machinery, so when the company identified a requirement for a large capacity hollow spindle lathe, Broadbent Stanley was at the top of the shortlist based on previous experience working with the Halifax-based manufacturer.

Broadbent Stanley is a major supplier to the oil and gas industries with its range of high quality, heavy-duty manual and CNC hollow spindle lathes. VCL opted for a PA 45, 3m manual machine as Graham Thomas, Broadbent Stanley’s managing director, explains.

“We have supplied machines to VCL in the past and they initially came to us for a CNC machine as around 90% of their work was to produce high precision large diameter threads in valve bodies with minimal operator intervention.

“Not only did they need to machine threads in new components but required the potential to pick up and re-cut existing threads during refurbishment of customers’ valve bodies. In addition VCL needed a long reach boring bar due to the accessibility and depth of some the threads.”

He continues: “We recommended the patented semi-automatic threading cycle option on our PA series manual machines, suggesting there would be major savings by going manual rather than investing in a CNC machine.”

Tests were duly carried out following the in-house manufacture of a special long reach boring bar and holder, with a thread machined complete, exactly to specification with a time saving over the customer’s existing method of some 60%.

“We are an application led company so when a potential customer comes to us we always ask for details of the components to be machined rather than just quote against a paper requirement,” Mr Thomas concludes. “Of course it does have its downside as the fully kitted machine supplied to VCL was about half the cost of its CNC sister, but it has always been our philosophy to be open and up front with our customers and that will never change.”

Broadbent Stanley
www.broadbentstanley.co.uk