Brown & Holmes

Successful mirgration from OHSAS18001 to ISO45001

Brown & Holmes — 13/08/2020

Wayne Baker our Quality and HSE Manager has led the team to an extremely successful migration from OHSAS18001 to ISO45001.

This new standard sits well with our current accreditations: :

ISO9001

ISO14001

AS9100

“This new standard can help deliver the following benefits:

ISO 45001 benefits

Increase organisational resilience through proactive risk prevention, innovation and continual improvement
Strengthening of legal and regulatory compliance whilst reducing business losses
Demonstrates brand responsibility by committing to safe, healthy and sustainable work
One global occupational health and safety system for all businesses, of all sizes”

Quote from the BSI Website

If any of the above are of interest, or to find out more please call the Brown and Holmes team on: +44 (0)1827 63591 or email info@brownandholmes.co.uk

Atling Steady Rests UK Supplier

Brown & Holmes — 04/01/2021

Brown and Holmes have been selected by Alting to support the supply of their fanstastic Hydraulic Steady Rests in the UK.

Atling design and manufacture Steady Rests to a very high standard, with innovative designs giving a very compact size with increased range compared to other solutions.

Brown and Holmes feel that we can support this top qulaity product with the level of support expected by our customers.

We can evaluate your needs, advise on machine tool additional requirements (brackets and facilities), design, manufacture, supply and install.

Please visit our product page for more information or contact us on 01827 63591 or by emailing info@brownandholmes.co.uk

Brown and Holmes appointed Peiseler agent for UK and Ireland

Brown & Holmes — 20/07/2020

We’re delighted to announce that Brown and Holmes is now the exclusive UK and Ireland agents/distributors for Peiseler indexers, trunnions and special pallet systems. Brown and Holmes is also supporting existing and future owners of these Peisler products with a full service and repair service, using genuine manufacturer parts,

The Peiseler product range includes:

ATC: a compact, high-performance and flexible series of Peiseler NC rotary tables These can be set up either vertically or horizontally and have variable faceplate diameters and designs.

Frame sizes: ATC 125 – ATC 160 – ATC 250 – ATC 300 – ATC 350

Other features include:

Pneumatic or hydraulic clamping
Motor attachment at left or right
Motor attachment with elastic coupling
Various motor makes
IP67 version
Gearbox to the left or right, 1:1 or 2:1
Optional rotary manifold, 4 + 1 ports
Additionally integrated support bearing
Optional angle measuring system, Heidenhain RCN 2380, with a system precision of +/-5‘‘ or RCN 2580 with a system precision of +/-2.5‘‘
Assembled cable set

WTC: standard fixtures based on the modular ATC series. ATC and counter-bearings are mounted on a steel base plate to a common to centre height. A selection of counter bearings is available for the different ATC sizes.

The ZATC series are two-axis rotary tilt tables. The ZATC is a modular series that uses the cubic housing shape of the ATC rotary tables. special housing adaptations for your application (if you would like to set up multi-spindle table axes). Options include

pneumatic and hydraulic versions
counter bearings
one or multiple spindles
base plates or substructures
special housing adaptations
multispindle table axes

Frame sizes: ZATC 125 – ZATC 160 – ZATC 250 – ZATC 300

Also available are

Counter bearings and trunnion assemblies
Steady rests and tailstocks
Substructures and baseplates
Clamping chucks, collet chucks
Individual solutions and special designs

For more information, please contact us on 01827 63591 or by emailing info@brownandholmes.co.uk.

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Lightweight Robot-Eva

Brown & Holmes — 02/11/2020

We are excited to announce that Brown & Holmes and #Automata have signed a partnership deal to add #EVA to our existing product range to broaden our customer base across the West Midlands.

This collaboration is a significant opportunity for both companies, addressing the fast-growing gap in the market for lightweight, affordable automation.

Oliver Pilsbury-Gaunt and Kate Hyslop have made us very welcome to the Automata family, and we look forward to working closely to fulfil our customers requirements.

Please visit our website for Tech-Specs for the Eva Robot.

If you would like further information or a Demo, please contact us on 01827 63591 or by emailing info@brownandholmes.co.uk

How 50% of Employees at Brown & Holmes Were Former Apprentices

Brown & Holmes — 19/01/2021

Turnkey workholding and sub-contract machining solutions provider Brown & Holmes have been quietly helping close the UK skills gap by training staff and apprentices from within the business. This holistic approach has enabled the business to retain plenty of staff, including 50% of which were former apprentices.

Tamworth based business Brown & Holmes have vast experience in meeting the stringent requirements of customers within industries including aerospace, automotive, defence, pump and valve and the oil sector. Helping meet these requirements are the 3 apprentices the company employs every year. Director of Brown & Holmes, Kevin Ward said:

“Our apprentices are trained in various roles in order to find out what their strongest skills are. This includes being trained up as skilled machinists, assembly engineers and design engineers to eventually be fully employed as one of the mentioned roles”

In 2019 the British Chambers of Commerce announced that the manufacturing industry was facing the biggest skills shortage in 30 years. A massive 81% of UK manufacturers admitted that in late 2018, they struggled to find people with the right experience and qualifications to fill vacant roles. This is why Brown & Holmes believes training staff from within is massively beneficial for businesses and ensures natural replacements for those who may be retiring or moving to pastures new.

In fact, Kevin is a great example of a former apprentice at Brown & Holmes who learnt the relevant skills and took over the company back in 2003. Kevin added:

“There isn't a massive pool of talent locally, therefore there is pressure to train our own employees and help the expansion of the business.”

Alongside machine tool training, Brown & Holmes also offer specific training including management. In order to give apprentices the time to learn about the business’ processes, apprentices work in a dedicated area before moving into the main business and getting a tour of the machining and design departments. Kevin concluded:

“We are very proud that we invest very heavily into employee training. I strongly believe that manufacturing holds good career opportunities for people, sometimes overlooked by the school syllabus.”

Made Futures was created to encourage people to get jobs in manufacturing, in support of those who have lost their jobs over the course of the 2020 pandemic. There's still time to sign up and be part of the exhibition by filling in the form here.

AS9100

Brown & Holmes — 19/11/2020

Brown and Holmes are AS9100 accredited and have been for quite some time.

We can support your sub-contract/precision engineering requirements with the required traceability!

Please contact us with your requirements, Tel: 01827 63591 or email info@brownandholmes.co.uk

Hydraulic Pipework in Automated Fixtures

Brown & Holmes — 03/02/2026

You might not compare a hydraulic system in an automated fixture, such as the one pictured, to a work of art, but behind every smooth motion and reliable clamp lies the precision craftsmanship of the pipework. Here, at Brown & Holmes (Tamworth) Ltd., the skills and expertise that are at the core of the ‘art’ could not be taken more seriously. .

In automation, precision is everything.

At the heart of every meticulously engineered hydraulic pipework system are the core skills and knowledge required to deliver a smooth, reliable, and repeatable performance.

The fixture shown is one of a suite of three which manufactures four different components for our client. Each side of each fixture is dedicated to a different component & the three fixtures enable three different machining processes.

Precision skills in cutting, bending, and assembling pipework are crucial to ensuring the system is leakproof and reliable, and has high automation efficiency.

Good hydraulic pipe routing is not just about function.

Precise movement, high strength, and durability are key to providing the stability needed in a fixture’s hydraulic system, and enhancing overall productivity and operational accuracy, but it is also about:

Efficiency: For minimal pressure loss and to ensure consistent flow of accurate, controlled motions.
Safety: Proper installation with regular checks and maintenance to minimise the risk of leaks, fatigue, or vibration-induced failures.
Aesthetics & Accessibility: Neat, organised layouts make systems easier to maintain and inspire confidence in the build quality.
Longevity: Proper bends, clean connections, and well-chosen fittings made from strong, durable materials extend the life of both pipes and components.

 Automated hydraulic fixtures are the backbone of repeatability in manufacturing. And while the technology driving them may be advanced, the foundation is still built on skilled engineering and meticulous workmanship.
Hydraulic pipework is more than plumbing – it’s an art form that balances design, precision, and durability.

If it’s time to take your manufacturing efficiency to the next level, contact Mick Waller: +44 (1827) 63591 or email: mwaller@brownandholmes.co.uk

Peiseler 4th/5th Axis Rotary table available at Brown and Holmes

Brown & Holmes — 30/09/2020

The fantastic Peiseler products are exclusively available at Brown and Holmes, Available for purchase, spares, integration support and much more.

Retro-fit your existing 3 axis Machine tool and add the versatility you require, either by adding a 4th axis unit, or a complete 5th axis add-on.

Take a look the Youtube Video showcasing Peiseler.

Brown and Holmes can offer Design, Project management and complete manufacture and assembly for all your requirements, be it a bespoke Workholding solution, standard product or sub-contract machining capacity. Even professional 3D Printing.

If any of the above are of interest, or to find out more please call the Brown and Holmes team on: +44 (0)1827 63591 or email info@brownandholmes.co.uk

Brown and Holmes install MB500 on a Hurco VM10

Brown & Holmes — 17/09/2020

Following up on a website enquiry a new customer to Brown and Holmes from Aylesbury requested extraction on his new Hurco VM10.

Patrick from Highpath Engineering recently purchased a new Hurco to assist with his growing manufacturing requirements. Patrick is the MD of the highly successful Highpath Engineering. Highpath create Specialist Cycle Adaptions that adapt and modify cycle cranks where standard products don’t meet your needs.

Patrick was interested in the MistBuster units due to the ease of cleaning and maintaining and the reduced running costs.

After a brief site visit, we established a requirement for the MB500, the smallest MistBuster unit would easily meet the requirements of enclosure size, and mist/smoke being generated.

Patrick was very happy with the speedy install by Brown and Holmes’ installation team, and with the operation of the extraction.

In this instance we installed as a suspended mount, but supplied a plenum that could be mounted on top of the machine if required.

Partick had the following to say about our install:

“Running our Hurco VM10i in our small business unit was giving us an air quality problem, especially with the workshop doors closed.

We looked at the many solutions on the market, but having had Mark from Brown and Holmes explain the significant savings in running and maintenance costs with the Mistbuster design, we commissioned an MB500 unit.

Mark and the team at B&H were very helpful during the ordering stage and during installation, and provided a swift resolution to a small teething problem. They even colour matched the MB500 to our Hurco!”