HWM has been presented with the award for Manufacturing Excellence by their parent company Halma PLC. The prize was announced at Halma’s annual CEO conference in April. The award recognises companies where major changes in manufacturing have resulted in sustainable improved business performance.

HWM was recognised after several years of determined, focussed change driven by Continuous Improvement techniques (C.I.) in all aspects of the design, validation, manufacturing and test processes. This has brought a very positive change in culture where the root cause of any failure is established along with sustained corrective action - everyone plays a part in the improvement cycle. This has transformed their manufacturing capabilities into a real competitive advantage, which is now a key driver of growth.

HWM has improved design for manufacturing and has developed novel design validation tests and online test and calibration systems. The company has also standardised product design platforms to reduce costs and work in progress and increase throughput. ‘Right First Time’ pass rates are above 98% and on-time delivery is now above 95%. “The whole operation is engaged with C.I. – it is now embedded in our daily routine” said Mick Bolton, Operations Director. “C.I. creates a virtuous circle – the more time you spend on improving things, the more time you have to spend on improving things as you eliminate the problems. We are all very proud of what we have achieved and being given the Manufacturing Excellence Award is the icing on the cake!”