The Client: Portsmouth Aviation
Industry: Packaging specialists and engineering solutions provider
CNC Machine: MultiCam 3000 CNC Router and MultiCam 3000 Router with Knife System
“We were very impressed when we saw a demonstration. There are definitely cheaper machines out there, but it is the quality of the machine and accuracy that was most important to us.”
A leading packaging specialist and engineering solution provider, Portsmouth Aviation work with their customers to help in both design and production of new products. This means they need high calibre CNC machines in order to meet their customers’ expectations.
Having previously used another branded CNC machine which did not produce the desired quality of product it was really important to Portsmouth Aviation to thoroughly research before buying replacement machines.
Why did you choose MultiCam?
“We chose to buy the two MultiCam machines because we were very impressed when we saw a demonstration. There are definitely cheaper machines out there, but it is the quality of the machine and accuracy that was most important to us, as well as the operating system being really easy to use.”
The engineering team in the Norfolk office were already set up using software that they were used to. With the new MultiCams this didn’t need to change as they were able to output to different machines using the same system.
What benefits have you seen since implementing your MultiCam machine?
“Foam inserts used to be manufactured using manually operated routers and dedicated rigs and fixtures. This meant we had to spend a considerable amount of time manufacturing the rigs and fixtures, we also had limited flexibility to incorporate design changes quickly. Our CNC machines give us the flexibility to incorporate design changes quickly and accurately without wasting time and materials. The set up is completely different now. Having MultiCam CNC Routers has changed the way the team work, meaning they are producing accurate products efficiently, as well as repeatability being very important.
What advice would you give to someone looking to buy a new CNC machine?
“Being able to see the CNC machine running and see a product demonstrated is something that I highly recommend you do as the machines can be used for such different applications. We used the drag knife and oscillating knife – I would recommend having this as a bolt on, especially when working with thinner materials which are difficult to machine using a conventional router cutter. The knife systems benefit from producing no swarf during cutting, saving on down time for machine clean down between operations.”
You can find out more about Portsmouth Aviation at their website www.portav.com
