First machine arrives as AWI kickstarts £500k investment drive

Alloy Wire International, which supports more than 6,000 customers across 65 countries, has purchased a new wet drawing machine that will allow it to significantly increase capacity as it looks to take advantage of a rapidly growing order book.

The AWI team has worked with the manufacturer to ensure this new machine will fit seamlessly into the production set up at its state-of-the-art factory, with its specific features helping to reduce lead times even further.

Capabilities on the new £145,000 machine include pre-programming to allow for set spool weights or wire lengths and flexibility to work with a wider range of both inlet and finish sizes – this in turn increases the range of mechanical properties that can be offered across all its 62 grades.

Tom Mander, managing director of AWI, commented: “Our sales have risen by over £6 million in the last 18 months and our pipeline of orders is looking extremely healthy – the time was right to push the button on upgrading our manufacturing capabilities.

“The production team looked at what we required to give us more capacity and greater flexibility and a £500,000 investment package was signed off, starting with the recent install of the wet drawing machine.”

He continued: “This has been customised for our operations and will allow us to consider work we have previously turned down.”

Alloy Wire International, which has two sites at Brierley Hill and in Yorkshire, was purchased by directors Tom Mander, Andrew Du Plessis and Adam Shaw in January.

The new-look management team has overseen a significant growth in sales, with orders up nearly 40 per cent, placing the company on course for nearly £18m turnover by the closer of 2023 – the best 12 months in its 77-year history.

Investment in its people and increasing stockholding of its 62-strong High Performance Alloys to over 400 tonnes has been crucial in attracting spring makers, fastener manufacturers and critical suppliers to the automotive, aerospace, oil and gas, nuclear and MedTech sectors.

Tom continued: “You can’t stand still in our sector. The wet drawing machine will be the first of a total £500,000 investment strategy that will eventually see a four-spindle annealing line spooler, a new multi-head drawing machine and two, single hole drawing machines arrive by the end of the year.”

He concluded: “We’re continually assessing ways in which we can further boost efficiency and deliver faster turnaround times for clients by already starting to look beyond this initial investment drive.”