A £1.25 Million expansion at PRV Engineering and an upgrade project has just been completed at its site in New Inn, Pontypool, South Wales.
The addition of an 8000 sq ft building to its already 28000 sq ft facility, and the addition of a 10 Tonne overhead crane capacity means that PRV have set themselves up to re-enter the fabrication and construction markets. Markets that it retracted from some years ago to concentrate on developing its internal Engineering and Fabrication Services.
We have all heard of gold plated jewellery and silver plated cutlery. But how many of us actually understand what plating is and how else it can be used, especially in industry? Here at PRV, plating is a big part of what we do as a company.
Silver and tin plating are essential finishes for parts that are designed to carry heavy electrical currents.
Plating is a surface covering in which a metal is deposited on a conductive surface. Plating has been around for many years but is seen as critical for modern technology. Typically plating is used to to decorate objects, for corrosion inhibition, to improve solderability, to harden, to improve wearability, to reduce friction, to improve paint adhesion, to alter conductivity, for radiation shielding and for other purposes too.
Subcon (the sub-contractors exhibition that showcases the best of the UK high precision engineering machining industry) is about to get underway again at the NEC in Birmingham. This year it is being held from the 4th till the 6th of June. With a list of top class exhibitors , it promises to be a great exhibition!
The focus of Subcon is on advanced manufacturing. Exhibitors include the likes of:
5 Axis Milling technology takes the chequered flag as Formula 1 Team Lotus install 5 new HPU 450U machines at their workshop in Enstone, Oxfordshire. Team Lotus are one of the latest companies to give in to the promise and potential that the 5 axis milling process holds; a process that leading high precision machining specialists PRV-Engineering were quick to recognize the advantages of.They wre one of the first companies in the UK to invest in this latest state of the art engineering discipline.
The word “fabrication” means to make something from raw material. In the case of metal fabrication, that raw material is, unsurprisingly, metal. The material used in metal fabrication will however have already been processed from its true raw state into a usable raw material format such as metal sheet, rod, or bar.
Fabrication differs from assembling. Rather than using a processed raw material, the assembly process uses parts or components specifically made for the purpose. Assembly is however an operation that is included in the art of fabrication.
The new plating facility that PRV Engineering now has is yet another example of Simon Jones’ (Chief Exec of PRV) determination to offer the company’s clients the most comprehensive service through continuous investment into new areas.
Finishing is one of the most important areas in the engineering sector. Components that have been carefully machined to the highest standards and tightest specifications can still be scrapped if the finishing is not up to standard. It’s one of the reasons that PRV Engineering prefer to do as much manufacturing as possible in-house. The new plating facility, specialising in tin and silver plating, is another sure step in this direction.
The new steel framework fabrication and concreting service is yet another example of how PRV’s CEO Simon Jones won’t give the grass any chance to grow beneath the company’s feet. Following hot on the heels of recent new investments in the latest state of the art CNC machinery costing in excess of £1 million, this new venture demonstrates Simon’s passion and resolve for continuous expansion and diversification.
PRV have recently had their factory extended. But rather than waiting for someone else to provide the new steelwork frame and concreting, they took the bull by the horns and did it themselves. Drawings and specifications were provided by fully qualified architects, and PRV poured the concrete, and manufactured and erected the steelwork, all to specification. “It gives you more control over the process, including the timing”, said Simon, “and you know what they say? – If you want something doing right – do it yourself”!
Investment is the key to future success; so says Simon Jones, CEO of PRV Engineering, and after all, he should know. PRV Engineering are one of the fastest growing and most successful high precision engineering service providers in the UK. They owe it all to the fact that they are prepared to invest in their own future. In the same way that the government’s education policy was coined as being “education, education, education”, PRV’s philosophy would be coined as “investment, investment, investment!
The engineering sector is one of the fastest growing technical sectors in the economy. Recent advances in CAD/CAM, and new breakthroughs in programmable software packages are opening new pathways all the time. It’s vitally important that if an engineering company wishes to stay at the cutting edge of its industry, it understands that investment is the key. It must have the latest plant and machinery otherwise it will lose its competitive edge.
Pushing the boundaries of technology is always an exciting event, and there is no better place to be able to do it than within the Formula one Motorsport arena. The McLaren Group is one of the leading motorsport engineering companies, and at their engineering works in Woking, Surrey, they are constantly on the lookout for any technological advancements that can get them onto that winner’s podium.
Formula 1 is one of the highest, fastest innovators in the hi-tech engineering sector. Within the span of one racing season, over 90% of a car’s engine is redesigned by the Vodafone McLaren Mercedes Formula 1 racing team. Anything that can help them in pushing the boundaries of the technology is always pounced on and scrutinised with great alacrity. Just lately, the focus has been turned onto the inspection function.
The art of engineering has now reached the stage where it can produce engineered art. A new Powermill CAM software program is being used in the film industry, together with a 5 axis router, by film set maker Golden Era Productions. They use it to replicate works of art for film set props. It enables complex works of sculpture like Rodin’s “The Thinker” and “The Kiss” to be recreated in all their glorious detail – with one difference of course.
Whereas Monsieur Rodin would have taken many months to have completed one of his stunning works of sculpture, the latest application of the art of engineering can do it in hours. It’s surely enough to be making him turn in his grave.
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