The expansion also allows the company to extend these services to external customers, meeting a growing demand for precision machining solutions.
Over the last five years, Norco has developed its CNC and kit cutting capabilities to support our internal manufacturing needs.
To support this strategic growth, Norco has invested in new plant equipment and expanded its production floor space by 8,000 to 16,000 square feet. As part of this expansion, the company will be relocating our existing CNC Centre to a dedicated CNC facility in Unit 33. This increase in capacity will ensure that Norco has the resources to handle growing customer demand and accommodate the latest advancements in technology.
The expanded facility is equipped with technologies designed to meet a range of machining and kit cutting needs, including:
• 3 and 5 axis routers and mills
• Multiple conveyor-fed CNC ply cutters for dry reinforcements, prepregs, glue films and vacuum bagging consumables up to 2,500 mm wide
• Waterjet profile cutting
• Conveyor-fed abrasive wire profile cutting
• Solid Model Complex Surface Flattening
• Extensive CAD capability with the ability to process multiple CAD formats
• 3D scanning for reverse engineering and CMM (Coordinate Measuring Machine) functions
• Refrigeration for pre-pregs
• Vacuum press for core bonding and panel making
New Service Offerings for Material Outsourcing and Digital Engineering
• Norco’s expanded capabilities enable it to offer a range of material outsourcing and digital engineering services, including:
• Complex core and e-plate machining and kitting
• Cutting, slitting, and kitting of reinforcement fabrics, prepreg, adhesive film, surface veils, and vacuum bagging consumables
• 2D preform kit assembly of multilayer bonded reinforcements
• CNC machining with 3 & 5 axis milling, waterjet, and wire cutting
• Kit development from CAD, templates, or using our scanning and digitising capability
• Complex surface flattening
• Reverse engineering and prototyping, optimising material processes, and developing sub-assemblies
Benefits of Outsourced Machining and Kitting
Norco’s enhanced machining and kitting services offer advantages to its customers:
• Cost Efficiency: Known, controllable cost per build
• Quality Assurance: Consistent, repeatable CNC quality
• Faster Turnaround: Quicker build times and reduced waste costs
• Stock Management: Less ordering and stock holding requirements
• Resource Optimisation: Controlled labour costs aligned with real demand and valuable production space recovered
• Capability Expansion: Access to specialist skills and expertise to enhance your own offerings
“Our recent investments reflect Norco’s commitment to staying at the forefront of composite manufacturing technology,” said Mark Northey, managing director at Norco. “By expanding our CNC and kit cutting capabilities, we can not only meet the needs of our internal projects but also offer these precision services to external customers who value quality and efficiency.”
As part of this expansion, Norco has announced the addition of 12 new team members, all of which have experience in 3D printing and related fields.
