Transforming Production With Ceratizit UK & Ireland

When Atkinson Equipment needed to tool up the company's latest machine acquisition, it knew exactly where to turn. The decision to partner with Ceratizit UK & Ireland wasn't taken lightly, but rather built upon years of trust, technical excellence, and a single cutting tool that solved what seemed like an impossible challenge.

Located in Westbury, Wiltshire, Atkinson Equipment has been at the forefront of precision engineering since the late 1960s. What began as a family business developing oil heating, refuelling and liquid transfer equipment has evolved into a sophisticated manufacturing operation serving multiple demanding sectors. Today, the company operates as both an OEM of pump systems and a JOSCAR-registered subcontract machining specialist serving defence, aerospace, automotive, rail, fitness, marine and medical industries.

With 20 years at the company, Ben Hale, Engineering Production Manager at Atkinson Equipment has witnessed much of this evolution firsthand. Ben and his team understand the daily technical challenges that influence strategic decisions about tooling partnerships that can genuinely impact the bottom line.

The machine shop at Atkinson Equipment represents a significant investment in cutting-edge technology. The facility houses a range of Doosan machines, a CMZ TA250 turning centre and two Citizen sliding head machines providing high-volume capability. The milling department is equally impressive, featuring a Brother U500 5-axis machine with Cubebox automation, a Brother M200 5-axis, a Brother twin pallet RX450, and a HAAS machining centre. This diversity enables Atkinson to tackle everything from bespoke pump components to high-volume production runs of peripheral equipment.

The Foundation of Trust
Several years ago, Atkinson Equipment faced a technical challenge that threatened to derail a critical aluminium project. The company needed special purpose end mills capable of reaching beyond 130mm. Their existing distribution supplier didn’t have a solution.

Ceratizit UK & Ireland was approached and responded with a solid carbide high-performance end mill featuring dedicated aluminium geometry and, crucially, a necked design that delivered both the reach and the rigidity for stable machining. The tool completed the project swiftly whilst maintaining the demanding surface finish and dimensional accuracy the customer required.

"That single tool made an enormous difference to us," recalls Ben Hale. "It wasn't just about solving the immediate problem. What really impressed us was how Ceratizit's technical team understood exactly what we needed and delivered a special tool almost immediately."

Despite this successful collaboration, Atkinson continued to rely primarily on its long-term supplier for the bulk of their cutting tool requirements. However, the memory of Ceratizit UK & Ireland’s service, delivery speed, and technical capability lingered.

The Catalyst for Change
In February 2025, Atkinson Equipment took delivery of a Citizen L32-VIII LFV sliding head turning centre, a significant investment driven by a contract to manufacture gym equipment. The machine acquisition was primarily for a four-component project, each part was required in quantities of 30,000, totalling 120,000 parts. This demanded a reliable tooling partner.

To streamline the supply chain, Atkinson Equipment wanted a single-source tooling solution for the new Citizen machine. The RFQ went beyond cutting tools. The ISO: 9001:2015 certified company needed collets, bushes, sleeves, tool holders, drills, and peripheral equipment to create a seamless transition into production. Once again, the OFTEC-approved company approached Ceratizit.

Iain Tattersall, Ceratizit UK & Ireland’s Regional Technical Sales Engineer, who had supplied Atkinson Equipment previously, relished the opportunity. Working closely with Ben and Ceratizit's applications specialist Vinny, the team developed a complete tooling package tailored to the components whilst maintaining the flexibility to support any future tooling requirements.

"What Ceratizit delivered went far beyond just cutting tools," explains Ben Hale. "The breadth of products was impressive, but what really set them apart was the technical knowledge and support behind each cutting tool. The Ceratizit team were actively involved in maximising productivity and delivering prolonged tool life to optimise machine performance. That level of support is invaluable when you're trying to hit aggressive production targets."

The tooling package included everything from workholding components to the latest generation cutting tools from Ceratizit's performance range. Standard products were specified where appropriate, but the real value lay in the technical support. “The Ceratizit team optimised speeds, feeds, and cutting strategies and continually refined the process, spending time at the machine with our team to ensure optimum productivity levels.”

Expanding the Partnership
The Citizen L32-VIII arrival established a foundation for a much deeper relationship with Ceratizit invited to conduct a comprehensive tooling review across the entire workshop. Ceratizit systematically evaluated existing inventory, identified opportunities to swap out standard products for equivalent or superior alternatives from its own catalogue. This like-for-like exchange delivered immediate benefits, reducing cutting tool costs significantly whilst improving tool life by up to 20% on most product lines while simultaneously improving productivity by anything from 10 to 50% in certain cases. However, the real gains subsequently came from Ceratizit's technical advice.

"The difference between working with a distributor and working with Ceratizit became crystal clear during this process," notes Ben Hale. Ceratizit engineers know their products intimately. They can tell you what will work best for your specific application, material, and production volume. That expertise has enabled us to push cutting parameters further than we thought possible."

One notable example involved replacing an older generation 17mm diameter U-drill with Ceratizit's Pentrum drill from their latest technology range. The upgrade delivered 40% cycle time reductions and extended tool life by more than 30%, which eliminated unplanned tool changes during production runs. Similarly, a turning insert upgrade on the Citizen resulted in improved cycle times and more critically surface finishes. This enabled Atkinson Equipment to meet tight customer tolerances without additional secondary operations.

Iain Tattersall now visits Atkinson Equipment every two to three weeks, a frequency that reflects the active nature of the partnership. Rather than simply taking orders, he works alongside machinists to identify specific tooling challenges and opportunities. This hands-on approach has become a defining characteristic of the relationship, with Ceratizit engineers actively participating in process optimisation rather than passively supplying products.

"Having Iain and Vinny on the shop floor regularly makes a real difference," emphasises Ben Hale. "They're genuinely invested in helping us improve productivity and reduce costs. That collaborative approach has transformed how we think about cutting tool management."

Building for the Future
The success of the tooling review and ongoing optimisation work has led Atkinson Equipment to consider a significant step forward in cutting tool management. The company is now in discussions with Ceratizit UK & Ireland to install a TOM 80 tool vending solution, which would revolutionise how cutting tools are stored, tracked, and replenished.

The TOM 80 offers 60 tool positions with the flexibility to add extensions as requirements grow. More importantly, it provides 24-hour access for machinists whilst automatically managing inventory levels and triggering replenishment orders. Every tool withdrawal is tracked by user, machine, and job, creating visibility into consumption patterns and highlighting potential issues before they impact production.

"The vending machine concept represents a major evolution in how we manage cutting tools," explains Ben Hale. "Our previous supplier visited periodically with a printed spreadsheet, counting what's been used, and placing replacement orders. There's no real engagement with how we're using the tools or whether we could be doing things better. The TOM 80 approach is completely different. It gives us real-time inventory visibility, eliminates stockouts, and most importantly, keeps Ceratizit engaged with what's actually happening on the shop floor."

The discussions around which products to include in the vending machine are ongoing. Rather than simply replicating existing inventory, Ceratizit is taking a strategic approach. They're focusing first on high-usage items where extending tool life delivers immediate cost savings, then expanding to cover the broader range of standard tools used across the workshop. Each product is being evaluated not just on a like-for-like cost basis, but on total cost of ownership, considering tool life, performance, and the reduction in downtime from improved reliability.

The consolidation process has already identified opportunities to reduce the overall number of tool types in inventory through strategic product selection. Rather than stocking multiple variations of similar tools, Ceratizit is recommending versatile products from their performance range that can handle multiple applications effectively. For high-volume production runs, however, the focus remains on application-specific tools that deliver the longest tool life and fastest cycle times.

Technical Excellence Meets Service Quality
Beyond the technical attributes of the cutting tools themselves, Atkinson Equipment has been impressed by Ceratizit's service levels. Lead times, particularly on products delivered from Germany, have exceeded expectations. When urgent requirements arise, Ceratizit's next-day delivery capability ensures production isn't compromised.

The broader technical support offered by Ceratizit has also proved valuable. It runs regular training days at its Sheffield Headquarters, which Atkinson's machinists are keen to attend. These sessions provide insights into the latest cutting tool technologies, optimal application techniques, and troubleshooting strategies that can be applied back on the shop floor. This investment in customer education reflects Ceratizit's commitment to long-term partnerships rather than transactional relationships.

Atkinson Equipment's diverse workload, spanning everything from bespoke pump components in stainless steel to high-volume aluminium parts for the fitness industry, demands adaptability from their tooling supplier. Ceratizit's comprehensive product range, from standard geometries through to high-performance solutions, provides the flexibility to match tools precisely to each application.

"The combination of product quality, competitive pricing, excellent service, and genuinely responsive technical support is what makes Ceratizit special," reflects Ben Hale. "They've worked closely with us to understand our requirements and provide solutions that maximise efficiency and output. That's exactly the kind of long-term partner we need to support the continued growth of our subcontract engineering services."