Business Profile... 

Over the past seven to eight years, 50-year-old Cam Profiles has invested around £1.5 million in three Kopp CNC cam milling and grinding machines — a Kopp SK22 grinding machine, an FSK 32 grinding and milling machine and an FK 32 milling machine. Supported by a variety of manual machines for the initial operations, finishing is the preserve of these high-tech machines in most cases. And with these, says director Steve Owen, the company is right at the forefront of precision sub-contract cam manufacture in the UK and is able to machine cams accurately that are over one metre in diameter. That said, Cam Profiles first used CNC to generate cam profiles many years ago using an obscure Israeli CNC to support this mathematically-intensive task.

The large capacity of its latest investments has become increasingly demanding, according to Mr. Owen: "Over the years, cams have got larger. 15 years ago, to get a cam over 2’ 6" would have been unusual. Today, this is no longer so with the average cam size having moved up to around 24" from 18". The reason for this, he adds, has been the trend to using stationary cams while revolving stations around the outside, as opposed to vice versa                     

This has meant that cams have grown so that as many stations as possible can be set around them. Canning and packaging processes benefit from such a move, as it is easier to move the product than rotate the cam. Such large cams are generally of the barrel type, but edge and track cams are also manufactured by 26 employee Cam Profiles.

In parallel with this change to larger cams, the company has also targeted new markets, specifically the USA. And, once again, the new plant and equipment has supported this. Around 60 per cent of Cam Profiles’ sales are now export, with Europe, Far East and Australasia all included in its international reach. Indeed, a significant factor in its current business upturn has been related to export.

STEADY MARKET

The profile of cam use hasn’t altered greatly. That said, it has been true that some cams were replaced with pneumatics, hydraulics and electric drives, but these were not easily supported in some markets, while the increase in work rate has precluded the use of pneumatics and hydraulics. A swing back to cams has occurred in some cases. Conversely, boosting sub-contract manufacture has been the trend for those that previously made cams in-house. They cannot support the investment in the necessary plant to produce high-precision components. Indeed, one company has recently approached Cam Profiles seeking a supplier to make all the cams that were previously made in-house. Increasing accuracy, however, has been a continuing trend, with track width tolerances of 10 micron and angular positioning of a few arcs of second now held by Cam Profiles. "We have taken on jobs now that we would never previously have contemplated because of our ability to hold such close tolerances,’ emphasises Mr. Owen.

In terms of actually improving the process of Cam manufacture over and above applying these latest machines, Mr. Owen points out that the geometry rather limits such improvements. "We use porcupine cutters, for example, for ‘hogging’ the metal off, but when it comes to finishing, you have to stick with a cutter that is close to the roller diameter. We will continue to invest in the latest CNC technology to keep us at the forefront of complex and accurate cam generation plus we may improve our support operations or sub-contract these to people who themselves have invested in the latest technology to do such work."

Apart From manufacturing cams, Cam Profiles also provides advice on cam shape design. Says Mr. Owen: "We can offer first-line advice regarding basics about cam applications, such as how best to achieve a given operation with a cam and how big the cam must be as regards sensible pressure angles. And, of course, we can influence cam design to make manufacture easier and hence give a more cost-effective design. But we do not get into machine design." And the advice given is impartial, he underlines. For example, if the company knows that there is a better way of achieving something with a cam design but which is not within the capability of Cam Profiles, then the customer will be advised of this and even pointed at a company that will he able to meet its need. But, while the design element has grown, many of Cam Profiles’ customers know cams very well and the company offers reassurance in such cases as to how much further a design can he refined to deliver maximum performance.

In the small world of sub-contract cam manufacture, the company competes against the same companies time and time again. And, in competing, it’s the trinity of quality, price and delivery that counts, complemented by customer service. At the high-quality end of the market where Cam Profiles operates, quality is pretty uniform, says Mr. Owen. On price, and with so much exported, the current strength of sterling is a problem, with the US market less affected in this respect, but instead hit by a downturn in the USA’s machinery sector over the last year. But it is the installation of CNC machinery that has allowed the company to remain price— and quality—competitive, highlights Mr. Owen, along with the company’s willing and flexible workforce, a competitive edge when compared to countries such as Germany, for example.

A significant factor in the company’s recent move from St Albans, Herts to its new Luton site is the availability of skilled labour. The move has only just been completed. having been undertaken over a period of several weeks so as not to disrupt the business. Machines were disassembled, moved, re-assembled and put hack to work before the next machine was moved. And now, at Luton, the machines are all in one area and on one level. Work handling between operations is no longer the time—consuming activity that it was, so the layout of machines and equipment is now dictated by process aid workflow patterns rather than by where a jib could he located so that it would not foul the ceiling!

A reduction in response time has been another target, Cam Profiles having recently invested in AutoCAD, which will support the direct receipt of drawing data in electronic form via email. This eliminates the need to receive A4 parts of AO drawings by fax or post.

And putting this all together means that the company’s success rate in winning orders is around the 70 to 90 per cent mark in an improving market. Of course, much of this business is repeat orders from customers who are renewing their quote and, all things being equal, will continue to source with their established supplier. "It’s a fairly small marketplace" concludes Mr. Owen, adding that, while there are occasional surprise pockets of demand, after 50 years Cam Profiles knows the industry and it knows Cam Profiles. And it’s one in which the company continues to operate successfully aid profitably.

Kopp this...

Cam Profiles is not only a user of Kopp machines, it is also the UK agent for them. After-sales support including service advice is offered. Spares supply is as quick from Germany as it would be if stock were held in the UK, but in the case of electronics, lndramat parts are available from Mannesman Rexroth in the UK, anyway. The main market is OEM in-house use, and a recent sale to a diesel motor maker has come off the back of sub-contract work. This linkage of sales with Cam Profiles sub-contract work helps keep the company abreast of the latest market requirements.

Originally reported in the Machinery and Production Engineering Magazine on 21 April 2000

  Back To Main Page...