Engineering firm aims to speed ahead with growth
A Wearside engineering firm has trimmed its delivery times, thanks to support from an elite team of manufacturing experts.
RDS Engineering, based in Washington, is now using state-of-the-art scanning equipment, purchased with the help of the Sustainable Advanced Manufacturing (SAM) Project.
SAM is a collaboration between European Regional Development Fund and University of Sunderland, that was set up to help local SMEs introduce new technology to improve products or processes.
It also supported the firm with a production planning and workflow management workshop, to help iron out any kinks in RDS Engineering’s internal processes.
RDS managing director, Rob Bone, said: “Businesses that are going to need all the support available we emerge from lockdown and begin the process of restoring normality.
“Projects like SAM are essential to help firms, like ours, take that next step and begin operating on another level.
“We probably would not have been in a position to invest in the new scanning equipment if it weren’t for the support of the SAM Project. Having done so, we have massively reduced our inspection timescale – which has huge man-hour savings.
SAM also helped fund a new vertical CNC machine at the firm.
RDS Engineering is an independent supplier of precision components and tooling to the oil and gas, automotive, aerospace, defence, medical and power generation sectors.
SAM offers four key support functions to businesses gearing up to grow –
technical expertise, research and development, factories and facilities and grants.
Ken Teears, project manager at SAM, said: “RDS Engineering is a prime example of a company operating successfully in a sector in which our region has particular traditional strengths.
"What sets them apart is desire to drive forward progress and keep improving and streamlining its processes."
To find out more about SAM, visit www.samprojectuos.co.uk or email sam.project@sunderland.ac.uk