To work with Heller UK to support the increased demand for their machinery and to help introduce a new product to market.
Heller is a leading manufacturer of 4 and 5 axis CNC machining centres, manufacturing systems, crankshaft and camshaft machines, they are a global leader in this industry and produce state-of-the-art products for customers around the world. Heller recognised our experience and expertise as a supply partner that could meet their expectations and fulfil their needs.
Universal Wolf worked with Heller UK to provide a scalable manufacturing solution for their H-series CNC machining centres. Our team spent a lot of time with the customer to understand the technical requirements of the product. As a highly technical, large-scale project, the first stage was to put the product through our New Product Introduction (NPI) process. From there, we made suggestions to improve the design and make it more suitable for large-scale manufacture. We monitored and signed off against three key customer criteria: aesthetics, paint quality, and the fit and function of all moving parts.
The Heller name means quality and precision; and the exterior casing of the CNC machines must also reflect the quality within: as the first impression of the product that the customer receives; this is critical.
Before the product was scaled for production, we fabricated three unpainted builds for customer sign-off. This ensured that when scaled, it was done effectively and to the customer’s requirements. We also handled Bill of Materials (BOM) items specified by Heller, took ownership of the relevant items and carried out fit-outs of ancillary items, including electro-mechanical components. We collaborated with Heller to produce the manufacturing standard operating procedures (SOP) and working instructions.
Because we are always prepared to run with the customer on their quest for better, we invested in tools that would enable us to manufacture at the large scale that Heller required. As part of our pack approach, we collaborated on shared learnings with Heller to understand and communicate our roles and ensure the product was a success.
As a result of our work together, the product successfully passed through our NPI process into full-scale, repeatable production. The project created a strong partnership that will be the base for continued collaboration on future projects. Universal Wolf joins Heller’s supplier base as a business ready and able to scale to their needs – now and in the future, as we work with them on their next generation of products.
