Finishing - September-October 2020

28 CASE STUDY
Precision boost
Ultra Precision Products Ltd,
manufacturer of high-end precision
machined components, have enhanced
their quality offering by investing in a
MecWash Systems Duo 400, as part of a
£1.5 million series of upgrades.
Ultra Precision’s main business activity is
in precision engineering; CNC milling,
turning, and machining. Based at a purposebuilt
factory in Haverhill, Suffolk, key
operational sectors include aerospace,
medical, oil and gas, subsea, nuclear,
hydraulics and defence.
A 2019 investment programme increased
engineering capacity and provided customers
with parts finished to a world-class level of
cleanliness. As well as cleaning equipment,
the investment also included the acquisition
of new CNC machines.
Replacing the previous labour-intensive
method of cleaning, the MecWash Duo 400
exceeds the requirements to clean machined
stainless steel and aluminium precision
components including rods used in medical
applications, removing soils, oil, coolant, and
swarf. It was essential for the machine to
have the ability to clean and dry products to
a high-quality specification.
MecWash’s Duo 400 has the benefit of
flood / immersion washing, which provides
the highest standards of cleaning by full
solution contact with all component surfaces,
and a re-circulating heated spray rinse, which
provides a superior surface finish by
removing detergent residues left by the wash
solution.The rinse stage can also be used to
apply a longer term corrosion inhibitor for
ferrous components, all finished off with a
hot air dry.
Simon Quick, production manager at
Ultra Precision Products Ltd, said: “Our new
component washing facility from MecWash
has proven to be a great success, hugely
improving the quality of the parts we deliver
in terms of cleanliness, whilst also reducing
the process time to complete the cleaning
operation. This in turn has helped with lead
times and delivery.
“The machine is fully programmable for
any cycle required, with a combination of
flood wash, spray wash, rinse and dry. The
water is filtered and skimmed automatically
to keep the wash solution in the best
condition possible and the dosage of cleaner
is controlled and maintained automatically in
cycle.
“As well as a full rotating wash, more
fragile items can be run on a static wash
where the baskets stay still. A variety of
baskets, dividers and clamps allow us to hold
all parts securely.
Geoff Quick, managing director at Ultra
Precision Products Ltd speaks of Simon’s
decision to choose MecWash:
“Being a British built machine was a factor
in the purchase of the MecWash Duo. This
coupled with the outstanding cleanliness
provided by the Duo made it the top choice
for Simon.
“MecWash’s customers include aerospace,
medical, pharmaceutical, defence and
motorsport. We have an excellent reputation
supplying precision parts into a wide range of
these industries, many of which also have
MecWash machines, so we are aware of the
fantastic cleanliness levels achieved.”
John Pattison, managing director at
MecWash Systems Ltd comments:
“We are always delighted when customers
are recommended our systems from other
suppliers they work with. Ultra Precision
supplies parts into many of the same sectors
that we supply our cleaning systems, so they
have seen how a well developed and
manufactured washing system can surpass
the results they were after.
“We work closely with all of our customers
to ensure the right mix of washing
technology and a bespoke blend of cleaning
chemicals. The Duo’s final wash quality meets
the highest possible standards of cleanliness. I
am positive that the Duo 400 will deliver for
Ultra Precision as they continue to increase
their capabilities and I hope they will return
to us again in the future with any further
cleaning requirements.”
Finishing - September/October2020