Tolerances that cost money, and the ones that do not
A tight tolerance on the wrong feature can double the price of a part (sample note).
Parts made to your drawing.
From one prototype to a few thousand a year. Foundry Road Engineering (sample) machines, cuts, folds and welds metal parts for equipment makers, and inspects every batch before it leaves.
Quotes within two working days. No minimum order (sample).
Route card, job 24-1187 (sample)
Part
HM-2210 rev C
Description
Manifold block
Material
6082-T6
Quantity
250 off
10
Saw
Cut blanks 82 × 82 × 120 mm
Signed off 13 Oct
20
5-axis mill
Machine all faces and ports
Signed off 14 Oct
30
Drill and tap
Cross-drill galleries, tap M8 × 1.25
Running now
40
Bench
Deburr ports, wash and dry
Queued
50
Inspection
First article on the CMM, then 1 in 25
Queued
60
Outside process
Hard anodise 25 µm
Queued
70
Dispatch
Bag, label, 3.1 material certificate
Queued
Each op is stamped off before the batch moves to the next machine.
What we make
Four work centres under one roof, so a part can be cut, machined, welded and finished without leaving the building.
Three-axis and five-axis milling, CNC turning with live tooling, and cylindrical and surface grinding.
- Milling envelope1000 × 500 × 500 mm
- TurningØ 400 × 600 mm
- Tolerance held± 0.01 mm
Fibre laser cutting, CNC folding and hardware insertion, from 0.5 mm stainless to 20 mm steel plate.
- Sheet size3000 × 1500 mm
- Press brake135 t, 3.1 m
- Steel plateup to 20 mm
MIG and TIG welding of steel, stainless steel and aluminium frames, guards, brackets and tanks.
- Largest frame4 × 2 × 2 m
- ProcessesMIG, TIG
- Welders6 coded (sample)
Deburring, bead blasting and washing in house; anodising, plating and powder coat through approved finishers; kitted or built assemblies.
- In housedeburr, blast, wash
- Outsideanodise, plate, paint
- Assemblykits to sub-assemblies
Materials we cut
We buy bar, plate and sheet from approved stockholders and keep the 3.1 material certificate for every batch. Ask about grades not listed.
Aluminium
6082-T6, 7075-T6, 5083
Carbon and alloy steel
S355, EN8, EN24T, 4140
Stainless steel
303, 304, 316L, duplex 2205
Copper alloys
CZ121 brass, phosphor bronze
Engineering plastics
Acetal, PEEK, nylon 6
Grades held in stock or bought to order (sample).
How an order runs
The same steps for a single prototype or a repeat batch: a drawing review before we quote, and a measured first part before the batch.
Route card: your order
You send
Drawing and quantity
You get
Parts, report and certs
10
Drawing review
An engineer reads your drawing and model and asks about anything unclear.
Day 1
20
Quotation
Price per part at your quantities, set-up shown separately, lead time in working days.
Within 2 days
30
Order and planning
Material ordered with certificates, programs written, the job booked on a machine.
Week 1
40
First article
The first part is measured in full; on new parts you get the report before we run the batch.
Week 2
50
Production
The batch runs with in-process checks at the machine.
Weeks 2 to 4
60
Final inspection
Sample inspection to your drawing, paperwork checked against the order.
Before dispatch
70
Dispatch
Packed to protect the finish, sent by our van or your carrier.
On the date agreed
Typical times for a new part in a batch of 50 to 500 (sample).
Industries we supply
Hydraulics and fluid power
Manifold blocks, cylinder end caps, valve bodies and fittings.
Agricultural machinery
Pivot pins, bushes, gearbox housings and welded brackets.
Food and packaging lines
Stainless guards, change parts, frames and hygienic fittings.
Rail and transport
Enclosures, mounting brackets and machined inserts.
Energy and water
Flanges, valve parts and pump components.
Inspection you can read
Every batch is checked against your drawing, and the paperwork travels with the parts.
- First article inspection report on new parts and new revisions
- 3.1 material certificates traced to the batch
- Certificates of conformity, and finish certificates from outside processes
- Measured on a CMM in a temperature-controlled room
Lead times
Times from order to dispatch for parts with an approved first article. We confirm the date on every quote.
Prototype, 1 to 10 off
Working days
5 to 10 days
Small batch, 10 to 500 off
3 to 4 weeks
Repeat order, programs proven
2 weeks
Call-off against a yearly order
We hold finished stock for you
Agreed schedule
Lead times (sample).
No minimum order
We make single parts and spares as well as batches. For one-offs we quote the set-up separately so you can compare.
Urgent parts
Breakdown at your end? Call (555) 017-4400 and ask for the planner; we fit urgent work between batches where we can.
Apprenticeships and jobs
Most of our setters and welders started here as apprentices. Every apprentice works next to an experienced machinist and goes to college one day a week.
Engineering notes
Choosing a material grade that is easy to buy
Common grades arrive in days; unusual ones can add weeks to a lead time (sample note).
Why we deburr every part by hand
Sharp edges cut fitters and damage seals; the bench op on every route card is there for a reason (sample note).
Send a drawing or come and see the shop
Foundry Road Engineering
Unit 4, Foundry Road, Springfield (sample)
Office
Mon to Fri 08:00 to 17:00
Goods in
Mon to Fri 07:30 to 15:30
Our van
Within 40 miles, twice a week
Opening times (sample).
