A Northamptonshire-based precision engineering firm has made a significant investment in Yamazaki Mazak machine tools to enhance the productivity of its turning operations.
Established in 1974 as a supplier to Northampton’s iconic shoe industry, R&G Precision now specialises in the production of complex parts for a broad range of sectors including motorsport, aerospace, general subcontracting, and oil and gas.
Shortly after taking over R&G Precision from his retiring father-in-law in 2024, Managing Director Vincenzo Chiarelli decided to revamp the company’s turning operations after identifying the adverse impact of lengthy set-up times for its previous lathes on both productivity and profitability.
“I took the decision to close our turning section and effectively start from scratch,” Vincenzo explains. “Someone came in to price up our old machines and, in stages, we got rid of them completely.
“We then sat down and said to ourselves ‘where do we go from here?’, and that’s when Mazak came in. Two of our employees had already worked with their machines before and told me they were the gold standard, so we decided to go for it.”
To date, Yamazaki Mazak has delivered two turning centres to R&G Precision: a QT-200MSY and a QT-250MSY, both of which have allowed the firm to significantly boost its manufacturing output.
“At first, I was quite sceptical about what these new machines could do,” Vincenzo continues, “But after Mazak installed the first machine, we were getting jobs up and running in as little as three hours, more than twice as fast as our old machines. At this point, I was completely sold on the idea, so we then got the second Mazak machine in, and it’s had exactly the same impact on productivity as the first.”
Following the successful integration of both the QT-200MSY and QT-250MSY, R&G Precision has now ordered a QT-250MSY turning centre as part of its ongoing investment in Mazak’s high-performance machine tools.
“Given the speed with which the first two Mazak machines are operating, and the ease of setting up and using them, it’s made total sense to invest in a third machine, and we’re looking forward to its arrival,” Vincenzo adds.
“We’re so impressed with what Mazak has delivered to date, and with all the technical support that they’ve given us. We’re delighted to have them as our turning supplier of choice.”
Jason Butler, Sales Director at Yamazaki Mazak UK & Ireland, said: “R&G Precision provides a prime example of the transformative impact that our world-class CNC turning centres, coupled with stand-out service support, can have on productivity.
“As a successful and long-running engineering firm, R&G understands just how important it is to evolve with the times, and this investment is reflective of that fact. We look forward to working with Vincenzo and his team in the coming months and years to help the business meet its ambitious plans for growth.”
For more information, please visit: www.mazak.com/uk-en.
