Manufacturer aces new business after significant investment

A TELFORD manufacturer has landed a clutch of new orders following an investment of £150,000 into new machinery.

Advanced Chemical Etching (ACE), which produces precision metal components, has secured the business – worth £500,000 – from the aerospace and medical sectors.

The investment has improved the firm’s ability to offer access to new etching chemistry and expertise in aluminium, titanium and nitinol.

That has included supplying complex parts for aircraft engines, cabin interiors and landing gear applications, while medical customers have been tapping into the firm’s new capability for bone re-construction and bionic products.

Employing 46 people, the company is now targeting fresh custom in both these and other sectors, especially where firms are looking to optimise design to reduce weight and save costs.

Chris Ball, director at ACE, said: “The new laboratory really puts us ahead of the competition and gives us the ability to develop safer chemistry processes and control tighter design parameters…delivering performance never before seen in photo etching.

“In layman’s terms, it means we can offer customers the capability to ensure the quality of components for one offs/prototypes can now be transferred into the thousands normally found in mid to serial production.

“Our aerospace and medical customers have been making the most of this new facility and the former now accounts for more than 40% of our turnover. There is now a significant opportunity to target F1, automotive and other high value engineering sectors who demand the same precision excellence.”

ACE’s work spans everything from safety critical components for aircraft and cars to simple washers, electronic connectors and ornate clock faces.

Ian Whateley, ACE managing director, said: “2016 is a major year for our business and we’ve really attacked the marketplace with investment in new technology, new capital equipment and new, highly skilled staff.

“We’re well on course to hit our business plan of turning over £5m by the end of next year.”