Whilst some companies have vending machines for coffees and snacks, here at Cambridge Precision Ltd we have vending machines stocked with endmills, drills, burrs, reamers and countersinks, along with other tools of all shapes and sizes!

Back in 2018 we started working with M.A. Ford Europe who share our commitment to innovation, consistent quality and the provision of a professional service. They supply us with a high-tech tooling vending solution, which delivers great performance and a customised management system.

For us, this means we always have access to the exact tool we need for any job, and allows us to automate our stock monitoring, ensuring every item is costed to the right job and immediately re-ordered to keep stock levels steady. For our clients, this provides both cost and time benefits. The efficiencies gained, reduce operation time, as there are no delays  trying to find the correct tools or waiting for one to be ordered and delivered. Costs are monitored and broken down accurately for each job, rather than applied as a blanket “on-cost”.

The tooling management machines are linked to a web-based portal, which monitors exactly who has accessed the machine and which tools have been taken. Every engineer at CPL has a unique ID fob, which they scan into the machine and enter a pin code, then they can view the list of tools available. To actually select items and allocate them to a job, they enter a works order barcode, then the correct tools and quantities are gathered and the access door opens to let the operator retrieve the stock.

It’s a simple concept, but the clever technology behind the system, adds great value to our production process, stream-lining an essential element of our work and simplifying stock control and costing at the same time.