Manufacturing Technology

UK-based DSL Ltd has continued its recent period of investment by adding an i-300 Regg Inspection sorting machine to its production floor – further increasing its capabilities to supply high-quality products for key target markets.

DSL has an ancestry of producing special screws for plastics since the 1980s, and was acquired in 2013 by specialist in spring steel wire – Stride Supplies Ltd. “Stride saw the opportunity for synergy between the two companies,” explains Ian Atkinson, general manager at DSL. “A key factor in the acquisition was that we are able to meet the standards demanded by Stride’s customers in the automotive, electronic and medical industries.”

DSL looks to operate at the very highest standards to ensure it provides world-class products. “We are essentially a cold heading company that manufactures anything from 1mm – 8mm in diameter and 75mm in length,” says Michael Ratcliffe, plant manager. “Whilst we are capable of making any type of product, we prefer to focus on what we do best, which is screws for plastics. We have two licences: One is from EJOT® and the other is Acument. This gives us the ability to produce the Delta PT® and Duro-PT® ranges, plus other EJOT products, as well as TORX® and TORX PLUS® products. However, if a customer comes along with something interesting then we are always willing to offer our services.”

Since the acquisition by Stride, DSL has seen major investment to ensure that it can develop and grow as a business. In June 2015 the company moved into a new and improved business unit. “We had been based in our old unit for a long time and it was time that we modernised our premises – especially in view of the quality that we aspire to achieve,” comments Ian. “The new premises also enabled us to reorganise the shop floor and make the entire production process more efficient – helping us to produce high-quality products.”

DSL realised that an important part of guaranteeing high-quality was improving its inspection processes. After looking at the options available the company contacted Italian-based Regg Inspection Srl. “Due to customers’ requirements becoming more stringent regarding lower PPM (parts per million), we needed to look at new inspection machinery that would enable us to inspect products quickly and accurately,” says Michael. “The Regg machine is the best on the market and answered our needs. It is a quick machine, it is well built, and importantly it is robust, which is important in a manufacturing environment.” 

The i-300 machine that was created for DSL has three cameras for parts inspection, with the possibility of up to five cameras. Two of the cameras can detect a variety of measurements including damage to the crest and other areas of the thread. The final (third) camera (head camera) picks out open cracks and colour changes (regarding coating). There is also the option of added functionality to the machine as and when it is needed.

“We initially sent some sample parts and drawings to Regg Inspection to show them what products we wanted inspecting,” explains Michael. “Regg then started to configure a prototype i-300 machine based on our requirements. Once the machine was ready we visited Italy to look at it and used some of our sample parts so that we could go through the inspection process step-by-step.”

Michael continues: “On placing the order, we went back to Italy once the machine was built and commissioned it. This involved once again running our parts through the machine to ensure that all the inspections were carried out successfully. We also spent time in the training room learning the software. The machine was then disassembled and shipped to the UK. On receipt of the machine we had a Regg engineer on-site, who reassembled the machine and gave two days training to our staff.”

In addition to the training it gives employees, Regg also offers technical support via remote access. “The Regg engineers in Italy are able to connect directly with the machine online and work on any issues that may occur,” mentions Michael. “We have had a few alterations that needed carrying out and the service was very quick – the engineers simply logged on and had a look from their desk and made the changes instantly. If there is a problem that cannot be rectified online, Regg Inspection also has agents in the UK that can come and visit us.”

Since the machine has been commissioned it has helped DSL improve its production process and has also enabled the company to decommission two of its old optical sorting machines – thanks to the speed the i-300 is able to inspect products.

“We look to deliver on time and provide what the customer wants, when they want it,” says Ian. “The Regg machine has enabled us to improve our service and has made us more cost-effective, more responsive – regarding lead times – and ensures that we are providing high-quality products.

Ian concludes: “As a business we have never looked to export products, but thanks to the recent investments by Stride Supplies Ltd we are looking for distributors within Europe and beyond.”