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Progressively forging the future
Caparo Atlas Forgings
Darlaston, UK
120 years of engineering history carries accolade of being the first road car to SEMS rollers, including two twin SEMS units
many positive attributes. When it comes generate over 1,000 bhp per tonne. “Of course dedicated to producing a high volume
to managing change and driving a it is an immense attention grabber,” says Gary automotive part, through a diverse array of
business forward in a global marketplace Dixon, “but more significantly it evidences the thread rollers, to bar turning lathes. CAF also
it also, inevitably, presents significant advanced technologies to be found in Caparo.” retains the ability to hand forge and thread
challenges. Caparo has squared up to short run or really complex components. These
those challenges at the UK’s largest The Caparo Group has businesses globally that are crucial capabilities for one, recently won,
fastener manufacturing plants. employ over 6,000 people and generating stainless steel part. Complex and highly visible
anticipated 2008 revenue of in excess of one when assembled on the finished motorcycle,
Darlaston, just north of Birmingham, still has billion euros. it demands high levels of aesthetic as well as
the literal skeletons – roofless buildings whose technical care. For CAF managing director, Ian
walls still carry the faded blazon of once The Darlaston operation has two sister Clarke, it epitomises CAF’s UK future. It is not
famous names – of a proud British fastener businesses; Caparo Atlas Espana, in Barcelona, hard to see the commercial value as well as
manufacturing industry. Caparo Atlas specialises in the manufacture of grooved, the technical achievement involved.
Fastenings (CAF) is a survivor, in an industry cylindrical and spring pins as well as customer
that, in manpower terms, is barely a tenth specific engineered parts in carbon and Over recent years an already versatile
that of the early 1970s. Survival, in itself, is stainless steel, brass and aluminium. Recently machine inventory has been supplemented by
testament to the resilience needed to endure opened in Chopanki, India is a 46,000 square equipment from acquisition of smaller UK
the, sometimes painful, evolutionary process metre fastener plant, with a current capacity fastener making businesses. CAF has been
undergone by a company that started its life of 10,000 tonnes – and growing. careful to acquire knowledge and experience
as FW Cotterell Ltd in 1887. By 1928 it was along with the machinery. For example, a pair
part of the Guest, Keen and Nettlefolds In the UK, CAF operates from a substantial of M20 formers and a half-inch, long-stroke
conglomerate that dominated UK fastener site. The traditional buildings present constant header producing lengths up to 200mm, are
making well into the 1970s. By 1982, though, challenges but the production floor has seen a all tended by the same experienced setter
GKN had focused on other strategic markets, transformation over recent years, with who worked on them at the previous
and the sale to the Armstrong Group heralded productivity and flexibility clear watchwords. company.
the formation of Armstrong Fastenings Some 70 forging machines and 102 finishing
Limited. machines produce around 2,000
different parts every month, adding up
In hindsight 1987 proved pivotal for the to an annual capacity of
company, marking its acquisition by Caparo. around 15,000 tonnes.
During the decade that followed Armstrong Machines are generally
negotiated an often difficult balancing act located in
between standard fastener production ‘family’ cells
supplied to distribution and strengthening – for
direct OEM relationships built on increasingly example a
specialised manufacturing. That the company rank of
should, eventually, minimise standard range Nedschroef
production to focus on specials was inevitable. boltmakers are
core
“Caparo Atlas Fastenings Limited is now an workhorses,
integral element of the Caparo Vehicle grouped to
CAF’s
Products (CVP) division of the Caparo Group, ensure
National 1250
which also includes companies dedicated to maximum
automotive braking, tubing technologies, efficiency in
composites design and to the highly advanced setting and machine
design, engineering and manufacture of control. Most of the
chassis and crash systems for automotive, forging machines are fed through inline RMG The jewel in the crown in terms of recently
aero and marine vehicles” states Gary Dixon, wire drawers and CAF has recently switched to acquired machines, though, is a National
commercial director of CAF. 2 tonne wire coils for larger diameters. 1250, bought together with a 750 version,
CVP is the cradle for the extraordinary and inaugurated in September 2007. The 1250
hypercar, The Caparo T1, a sports racing car, Similar cell layout has been applied to is particularly significant in providing CAF with
with near Formula One performance and the secondary operation machinery, ranging from the capacity to produce complex
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