Performance enhancing chopper parts maker praises Alphacam software

Budd Boulton, the Pewsey, Wiltshire-based firm's managing director, explains that designing and machining parts using this software helps it to respond fast when, for example, a new model comes on to the market. "We buy one of the first, and, before it has even been seen in the trade magazines, Alphacam gives us the ability to produce a range of upgrade components for it," he says. Boulton explains that Quick used to build radio controlled helicopter kits from aluminium, steel and carbon fibre – but that cheaper Chinese models took the market. Hence the decision to go for the upgrade market, designing and manufacturing reverse engineered parts for higher performance. Quick manufactures its components on five CNC machining centres, all driven by Alphacam and managed by two operators. "Using only one piece of software means the operators have become very proficient with it, and we don't have to swap software between machines," he says. "On the turning centres we have three machines with very similar capabilities, and it is so convenient being able to choose any one to a do a production run," he adds. As for the reverse engineering, Boulton says that Alphacam helps new components go from the design stage to prototype within 24 hours, and then into production immediately, with the toolpath generated automatically offline. "I looked at many systems before selecting [Alphacam], but I made the best choice, and if I had my time over again I would select it again."