Chester Hall Precision Engineering Limited

Chester Hall Precision Engineering Limited is a sub-contract machinist for aerospace and other industries. It uses multi-axis high-speed CNC machine tools. It machines a full range of aerospace alloys and exotic materials. The company says it has provided high end precision engineering since 1974.

The firm began in 1974 as the ambition of one engineer. It has since grown year on year by investing the profits it earns from serving customers. It works from large freehold, custom-built premises in Essex, about seven miles east of the M25 motorway. The site calls the company a supplier of complex aircraft components to customers worldwide.

Chester Hall offers full supply chain and project management. This covers design, concurrent engineering, manufacturing, treatments and assembly. The company manages the complete supply chain and has close alliances with specialist material suppliers. It can often group customer needs together to get better rates on large volumes of material, so customers do not have to free issue materials. Its order book is mostly strategic sub-contract work built around long-term contracts.

On the shop floor, the company uses off-line programming of its five-axis machining centres and machining simulation software. It also uses a lessons learnt method before any metal is cut. In-house CAD and CAM work lets engineers re-engineer parts so they can often be made at lower cost. The firm delivers exact original specifications on repeat orders. Product checks use PC-DMIS coordinate measuring machine inspection, monitoring and statistical process control. Its improvement program uses internal audits, data analysis, staff training and methods such as 8D, 5Y and Ishikawa.

The quality system is ISO 9001 registered and holds AS/EN9100 accreditation. The firm also lists individual customer approvals. In September 2024, it announced that it is Cyber Essentials certified. The site also publishes a carbon reduction plan.

Customers include buyers at aerospace companies. One testimonial from UTC Aerospace Systems praises the firm's work on the V2500 program, including its response to rate increases. Another comes from a former purchasing manager who praises its technical skill and on-time delivery.

The company says its people matter most. It trains staff, keeps turnover low and runs apprenticeship programs. A careers page and a news blog are on the website. The firm is based at Wickford Business Park in Wickford, Essex, in the United Kingdom.

Services

• Precision CNC machining
• Five-axis machining
• Aerospace alloy machining
• Supply chain management
• Project management
• Concurrent engineering
• CAD and CAM
• Surface treatments
• Assembly
• CMM inspection