Business is booming at Birmingham based Quantum Precision Engineering – so much so that it has invested in a MecWash Solo 400 parts washing machine to ensure it can meet the increased demand for its services.

Founded in 1979, Quantum has the capacity to manufacture even the most complex turned parts on its CNC Sliding Head machines. Last year was the independently owned company’s most successful to date; it secured a high-profile contract to supply parts used in the gas burners which kept the Olympic and Paralympic torches alight during the summer of 2012, as well as a number of other high volume projects.

This increase in demand resulted in Quantum reviewing various aspects of its business to identify potential improvements - flagging Quantum’s component cleaning process as an area where changes could be made to help increase productivity.

General Manager, Bryan Bourke, says, “Prior to commissioning the MecWash system, we used the vapour degreasing agent Dichloromethane with Acetone to clean coolant and swarf from the components we produced. Whilst this method was effective at degreasing, it was labour-intensive – particularly when cleaning tiny components, which can be quite fiddly to handle.

“This solvent can also be potentially harmful to workers’ health; we realised that in order to keep up with the increasing demand for our services, and to protect our workers’ health and adhere to COSHH regulations, this issue needed to be addressed.”

Quantum approached MecWash and instigated a number of trials at its Tewkesbury test facility to ensure an aqueous cleaning system could meet the standards of cleanliness required by its customers. MecWash’s Managing Director, John Pattison, elaborates, “MecWash has been manufacturing component cleaning systems since 1993 so we were confident we could deliver a solution which would more than meet Quantum’s requirements.

“Working closely with Quantum, it was decided that a Solo 400 would be the best option on this occasion. The Solo is one of our best-selling machines; it has a compact footprint and offers a number of features that can be tailored to the customer’s exact needs including spray washing, mist spray rinsing, dedicated jetting of blind holes and hot air drying all in a drum rotating about on a horizontal axis for superior spray coverage and drainage.”

The speed, reliability and levels of cleanliness that MecWash aqueous component cleaning systems offer were of particular interest to Quantum, as Bryan Bourke explains, “Our machines are capable of manufacturing extremely complicated parts which must be delivered to the customer completely free from contamination. The Solo achieves this by constantly rotating the components which are securely held in baskets enabling the wash solution to penetrate even the smallest bore holes. The average wash cycle takes three to five minutes which means we can effectively clean thousands of components a day if needed.”

The quality of Quantum’s CNC machines means it is able to offer a ‘lights out’ service – enabling production to continue without the presence of a machine operator. As with all MecWash systems, the Solo’s robust construction means it is more than capable of meeting these additional demands.

Not only has the Solo installation increased Quantum’s productivity, but it has also resulted in more work.  Bryan continues, “The Solo has brought a number of benefits to our business - the turned parts are much cleaner than before and we now only clean the previous day’s production in the morning, whereas before it took one man most of the day. Our customers are giving us more and more work as a direct result of the improved cleanliness of our parts.”

Find out more about the Solo from MecWash by visiting our products page.