Sheen Spark scoops SC21 Bronze award
Midlands wire erosion and spark erosion services specialist Sheen Spark Ltd is celebrating retaining the prestigious aerospace SC21 Bronze recognition award it first achieved in 2014.
Sheen Spark Limited is a Birmingham based, family owned company that has specialised in a combination of CNC Wire Erosion and CNC Spark Erosion for over 45 years predominantly within Aerospace but also servicing the Medical, Automotive and Plastics Industries.
The company employs a team of highly skilled, experienced operators and dedicated personnel who have worked for Sheen Spark on average for 17 years. This is backed up by a Quality Department that ensures the high standards of work, that the company prides itself upon, are maintained.
In a technically demanding and challenging industry Sheen Spark has continually invested in state of the art machinery and inspection equipment to satisfy, and exceed, customer requirements.
Another key to the company’s success is a commitment to meeting demanding prices and deadlines whilst maintaining high standards and the capability to deliver high specification work. This has led to many aerospace primes being supplied including Rolls Royce UK, UTC Aerospace, MTU, Goodrich Germany and Meggitt Aerospace.
The deployment of SC21 has assisted Sheen Spark in securing important new orders with these blue chip clients. For example, one particular project, is now coming to fruition after over six months careful development with client Rolls Royce. This involves the spark eroding of 150 angled holes on a particular part to precise specifications.
The company also has both NADCAP and AS9100 accreditation and in fact was the first UK SME (Small to Medium Enterprise) to be AS9100 Rev C approved back in 2010. It is also a current member of the NWAA (North West Aerospace Alliance)
SC21, which is about to celebrate its 10th anniversary, is a programme designed to increase the competitiveness of the aerospace and defence industry by raising the performance of the supply chains. Over 650 companies are currently signed up to the SC21 journey and are committed to achieving common industry development and performance gains.
Sheen Spark initially signed up to SC21 in 2008, backed by the MAA (Midlands Aerospace Alliance) and adopted SC21 principles into the business at every level, Since then the company has seen steady improvements in OTIF (On Time In Full) performance as well as obtaining consistently high scores on Quality and Delivery.
As well as these benefits the company feels that the SC21 process has given the business the ability to take a very clear look at itself and enable reviews over all areas in a comprehensive and sustainable way.
Robert Sheen, Director and company SC21 champion said “Sheen Spark has been involved with SC21 for a number of years and throughout that time has consistently helped both us and our customers in the form of improved Delivery & Quality Performance. This retention of SC21 Bronze especially is a real badge of honour for the company and we feel very proud at being showcased at the forefront of the SC21 club in this manner”
In 2013 experienced supply chain consultants, and SC21 practitioners, Dave Bull and Jeremy Bell now of DB Concept Solutions were enlisted to rescore Sheen Spark’s SC21 diagnostics. Significant improvements in both BusEx and Man-Ex scores meant the company was able to gain a first SC21 award in June 2014.
Dave Bull, Director of DB Concept Solutions, said: “Congratulations to Sheen Spark on maintaining the SC21 award level performance needed to retain this award. SC21 is a recognised mark of excellence and the company has embraced the SC21 culture successfully over a number of years now and worked hard over that time to implement it.”
The SC21 award will be presented to Sheen Spark at an SC21 Task Force Event to be held later in 2016.
Sheen Spark fully intends to maintain the focus on SC21 and plans to retain SC21 Bronze level award status in 2017. It will continue to use the company CSIP (Continuous Sustainable Improvement Plan) to maintain, review and implement continuous improvement activities.
Particular focus is also being given to expanding the customer base and moving into other industry sectors.