How has investing in Biesse’s Materia CL 5-axis CNC machining centre contributed to STAL’s impressive growth? Three years on, it’s the perfect time for STAL to take stock.
When Stephen Slater, Managing Director of STAL, set up the business in 2003, the firm focus was on ‘steady’ pattern making for the castings industry. It soon became apparent that there were lots of opportunities for pattern, mould and model making in other industries; but to successfully meet their demands, the company needed a more versatile and larger CNC machine. In particular, it would need to process both aluminium and composite materials.
In purchasing this capital equipment, STAL applied the same due diligence and care as it does to its manufacturing and design. The decision to choose Biesse was only made after meeting their manufacturing team in Italy.
As Stephen explains,
“We knew that an investment of this scale would not only allow us to take on bigger projects, but also significantly reduce turnaround time. Return on investment aside, we selected Biesse as our partner pretty much for the same reasons our customers choose to work with us: the opportunity to collaborate with a team we knew we could trust and who would be honest in their approach; show extensive industry knowledge; and work to the highest quality standards.”
STAL were the first company in the UK to purchase a Materia CL. Three years on, their determination to become early adopters of Biesse’s machining centre has certainly paid dividends:
- Halving of the time needed to manufacture parts.
- The ability to manufacture much larger components which has led to regular repeat business in four new markets: Motorsport; Aerospace; Marine; and Automotive.
- Return on investment achieved after only 24 months.
STAL’s early investment in Biesse signalled a bold commitment to ambitious mould and model making, and the very start of a growth trajectory that shows only signs of accelerating further.