THOMAS Dudley has underlined its commitment to investing in enhancing its manufacturing capabilities with the acquisition of Black Country Castings in Tipton.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Thomas Dudley’s Adrian Lacey (Manufacturing Manager), Mick Cramphorn (Foundry Director), Mick Harrison (General Manager) and Nathan Tucker (Process Improvement Engineer) pictured with the newly acquired moulding line.

It will enable the Dudley business to manufacture quality-assured grey and ductile iron castings in mould sizes up to 870 milimetres by 648mm via a Kunkel Wagner horizontal moulding line.

Mick Cramphorn, foundry director at Thomas Dudley in Birmingham New Road, explained: “We have recently invested over £8 million to equip our foundry with world-class manufacturing technology including two new Disamatic moulding lines; a new advanced centre for engineering; core making, coating and drying facilities and state-of-the-art quality suite.

“The acquisition of BCC furthers this investment and will enable us to offer existing and new customers a genuine single source solution encompassing Disamatic, horizontal and air set manufacturing platforms.”

BCC at Vaughan Trading Estate in Sedgley Road West is only a short distance from Thomas Dudley’s existing foundry, BCC specialises in manufacturing castings up to 80 kilograms in weight and serves a number of strategic market sectors.

The company has developed exceptional expertise in the production of highly intricate, large scale cores.

Mr Cramphorn added: “Over the last five years, the Thomas Dudley team has worked tirelessly to offer customers one of the UK’s most technically advanced foundries.

“The acquisition of BCC is another exciting move and we look forward to instilling our core company values, ethos and customer-driven approach throughout the business.”

Thomas Dudley recently won the company achievement of the year award at the Cast Metals Federation awards dinner in Coventry.

The award recognised Thomas Dudley as a foundry that ha d taken itself forward during the last 12 to18 months and developed long term sustainable improvement in business performance.

Thomas Dudley has just opened a new visitor centre in which its has invested £50,000 at its main works to showcase its manufacturing facilities to school groups.

The company has also launched a Careers in the Classroom website (http://www.careersintheclassroom.co.uk/)

It is also sponsoring the Black Country Museum’s schools membership scheme as part of its efforts with schools.

and has worked with St Thomas’s Community Network in Dudley on its business planning process.

The firm has invested £50,000 to create the new facility, called the John Dudley Foundry Visitor Centre after the chairman, which will enable school groups to see a working iron foundry in action.

Joint managing director Martin Dudley, the chairman’s son, said: “It will let school children see what we do without any danger. There is also a viewing gallery from which you can see the whole foundry in operation.”

Last year Thomas Dudley won the business of the year award from the Black Country Chamber of Commerce in recognition of it being a successful business that was determined to succeed and excel.

The company has invested heavily over recent years to modernise its production and to develop new products.

 

Source: Express & Star