CNF Precision Engineering

High Precision Multi-Axis CNC Machining

About CNF Precision Engineering

Established in 1967, CNF is a privately owned and run precision engineering company based in Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire, in the heart of England. The same family has run the business the entire time, passing down the highest standards of engineering excellence and customer service from generation to generation.

CNF is a leader in precision machining for a wide variety of industry sectors. These include aerospace, defence, medical, electronic, analytical, scientific, oil and gas, motorsport and automotive, and many more besides.

Our reputation is built on our ability to continually provide high quality components and offer a broad range of capabilities, and our quality control systems operating in strict compliance with ISO 9001 and the aerospace AS9100 standard. Together, these have made us the first choice for many companies requiring everything from one-off, high precision prototypes to volume manufactured finished parts ready for assembly.

To enable this, our policy is to continually reinvest in the latest machining technologies, continually train our staff and employ specialist equipment for final inspections, operated by our dedicated, full-time inspection department. In addition, we offer DFM (design for manufacture) as a value added service to aid our clients in designing components that are fit for cost-effective manufacturing.

CNF’s size is also critical to our success. We are small enough to respond to individual requirements quickly, but large enough to provide the highest levels of technical support and quality control. Our aim is to provide quotes fast, deliver on time, every time, and provide every customer with 100% quality assurance.

Neil C Fearnley – Director

Robert J Fearnley – Quality Director

Working With Us

24/7 operation enables us to deliver your parts as fast as possible. Our robot-fed machines keep production running overnight and during weekends, utilising as many unmanned, ‘lights out’ hours as possible.
Lean manufacturing processes reduce waste – maximising our productivity, improving product quality and making us more cost efficient. We are committed to a policy of continual improvement across the company.
Highly trained staff are vital in precision engineering. We provide staff with regular opportunities to upgrade their skill sets, resulting a motivated workforce who can provide the best services to our customers.
Our ultra-clean workshop environment ensures safe and accurate production of components for all our customers, especially for medical, scientific and aerospace applications. We have adopted the 5S mentality (Sort, Set in order, Shine, Standardise, Sustain) as a key driver within the business.
We are renowned for our flexibility. We can do everything from one-off prototyping and small volume production up to large batch manufacturing and call-off orders. All secondary processing we cannot do in house is handled via our established third party supply chain.
Quality is key. We are AS9100 (aerospace) and ISO 9001 accredited. All our manufacturing processes are controlled and managed using our bespoke software system ‘Informake’, which is designed and developed in house and handles everything from quotation and initial order entry to inspections, invoicing and gauge maintenance, with full traceability throughout. We are now aiming for a near paperless environment as soon as possible.
We are a one-stop shop. We can be your single approved supplier for multiple components and services. See ‘Our Capabilities’ for details.
Over 50 years’ experience as a family-run business doesn’t happen by accident. Precision engineering is our passion. We have developed our own project management software to perfectly match our operating procedures and capabilities, and invested in new premises with full quality control, including temperature control and dedicated inspection areas.
Recognised scheduling services include Kanban, ship-to-line and inventory stocking to minimise supply chain logistics and handling costs. We can provide scheduled despatch of kits or single components via Kanban, ‘direct to stock’ or ‘direct to assembly line’. Customers benefit from volume pricing, but receive invoices and delivery of smaller batches over a period of time to match their requirements.

A steel arrowhead framing rows of machined tool holders, with a blue anodised part, a bearing and two turned pins in front

A blue-toned close-up of a multi-axis machine cutting a large gear ring

Our Sectors

CNF works for clients in numerous sectors. Those on the following pages represent just a sample of our work and we can apply the services and capabilities described in these examples to any other sector and to any general engineering requirements. Our Agile methods and our comprehensive machine shop enable us to manufacture almost any component up to the physical capacity of our machines. Whether you need straight 2-axis turned parts or highly complex 5-axis surfaced components, we will have a solution to suit.

A polished titanium prosthetic component

Medical

Our processes are fully aligned with the requirements presented by the medical sector’s critical safety and regulatory standards, and we have extensive experience of working with the specialised materials that are safe to enter the human body for all applications. We have comprehensive knowledge of the prosthetic limb sector, helping clients with development and offering Design For Manufacturing advice where possible. The manufacture of equipment for life support, critical care and anaesthesia is also high on our list of capabilities. We provide CNC machined components in all metal types, with full traceability for every part.

Aerospace and Defence

We manufacture many different parts for aircraft, including parts for landing gear systems, jet engines, avionics, machined housings, aircraft seating and galleys, along with various other connectors and machined components from a variety of specialist aerospace alloys. For the defence sector, we have manufactured items as varied as communication devices and parts for defence systems, military vehicles and military aircraft. Quality is essential in everything we do. We are AS9100 accredited and provide First Article Inspection Reports to AS9102 for every part where required. Every process is managed from beginning to end to ensure we meet our clients’ detailed instructions and strict quality requirements.

A precision machined round housing with a ring of bolts

Electronic

We manufacture everything from electronic connectors to specialist electronic housings for the commercial, medical, aerospace, electronics and defence industries. Parts range from turned electronic connectors to prismatic machined electronics housings, complete with all surface finishing undertaken by CNF.

Scientific and Analytical

We regularly work on projects within the scientific sector, applying our engineering knowledge of over 50 years alongside the latest project management techniques. The items we machine are often integral to the design and R&D stages of new developments, and we can work closely with design engineers to support them through to the production stage. We can then manufacture anything from critical, high value one-off parts through to small or high-volume quantities. We have manufactured a wide range of components for research and laboratory equipment, including electron microscopes where the utmost precision is required.

An X-ray style render of a Formula 1 car

Motorsport

We are a leading supplier to many well-known motorsport teams, supporting categories including F1, British Touring Cars and Superbikes. With our broad range of multi-axis machinery, we can produce complex parts in exotic materials, from components for suspensions, engines, trim and drive trains to full 5-axis machined complex 3D components. Every part is manufactured perfectly first time – and often ahead of schedule, thanks to our meticulous project management service.

Automotive

We regularly manufacture suspension parts such as knuckles, wishbones, tension arms and control arms. We machine ‘trim and final’ components from solid, including internal trim, bezels, air vents, paddles and pedals, and switch housings for the latest super and hyper cars.

Oil and Gas

The services we supply to the oil and gas sectors range from flanges and outlets to valves, pump bases, valve blocks, casings and connectors. Our experience of materials used in subsea environments make us a first choice for many. We can develop bespoke processes for manufacture of special products or ongoing customer requirements.

Optical and Lighting

CNF has a wealth of experience in the optical and lighting sectors. Our components, ranging from full camera lens assemblies to optical enclosures and lighting housings, have gone into industrial cameras, military vision equipment, architectural lighting and the latest vision scanning systems. We undertake all optically required finishing processes to supply finished components or assemblies to our customers.

A blue-toned photo of a five-axis machine milling an impeller

Our Capabilities

At CNF Precision Engineering, we employ the latest multi-axis and multi-pallet machining technologies to provide a broad range of services in our modern, clean factory environment and temperature-controlled inspection, all of which can be used for anything from high precision prototypes and one-off parts through to high volume runs and sub-assemblies. We also utilise 3D printing technologies to create bespoke fixtures and clamping for our machines and inspection CMMs.

We can manufacture parts and components from a wide range of materials, including: aluminium, brass, stainless steel, mild steel, speciality alloys, Inconel, tantalum, titanium, plastics, carbon steels and tungsten. We manufacture components for customers in a plethora of key industry sectors including but not limited to Aerospace, Medical, Defence, Motorsport, Automotive, Electronics and Scientific. We can offer scheduled despatch of kits or single components via Kanban, direct to stock or direct to the assembly line, reducing lead times from weeks to hours in some cases.

Temperature-Controlled Inspection

Inspection is key to total quality assurance. To achieve this, we provide a temperature-controlled inspection area utilising multiple CMMs, including a 2 x CNC Mitutoyo CRYSTA-Apex CMMs, with multi-axis scanning heads and touch probe functionality, 2 x Manual CMMs running 3DinspectPro, and non-contact vision systems for both turned components and flat milled components. Our systems comply with the aerospace AS9100 standard and we can offer First Article Inspection Reports to AS9102. All our measuring equipment is calibrated to a UKAS traceable national standard where possible.

Ultrasonic Cleaning/Spray Wash

Our 3-stage ultrasonic cleaning unit and spray washer ensure parts are completely clean, ready for onward processing or shipping to customer.

Laser Engraving (including 4th Axis)

Our Macsa ID machine enables us to keep all laser marking and simple laser cutting in house. We can laser mark text, logos and bar codes across most materials.

3D Printing

Dual Nozzle, multi material, multi colour 3D printing, used for small batch runs or printing of our own machine and CMM jigs and fixtures utilising materials from plastics through to carbon fibre impregnated materials for added strength.

Sliding Head CNC (up to 13-Axis)

Our sliding head lathes offer production of complex turn/mill parts up to 13-axis. These machines are known for high speed production and the ability to turn/mill long shaft type components with incredible accuracy working on multiple faces at the same time. The newer machines also adopt LFV – Low Frequency Vibration, which is a chip control technology easing the machining of difficult materials.

CNC Milling (3, 4 & 5-Axis)

Our milling capacity ranges from standard 3-axis vertical machining centres through to multi-axis, multi-pallet, robot-fed machining centres that can run ‘lights out’ – where required they can work unmanned from 7pm to 7am weekdays and all weekend, giving customers the cost advantage of unmanned production. Our machines are fitted with laser tool breakage detection and Renishaw probing for total quality assurance during these hours.

Superfinishing/Vibratory Deburring

Our computer controlled Garant finishing machine utilises various types of media that enable finishing from as simple as fine deburring through to highly polished surfaces and super finishing down to less than 0.1Ra surface finish.

CNC Turning & Multi-Axis Mill/Turn

We provide high precision CNC turning and CNC mill/turn, ranging from standard 2-axis CNC lathes through to 13-axis sliding head CNC and full 5-axis twin spindle and twin turret turn/mill centres.

Bar feed capacity ranges from 3mm to 81mm diameter and billet capacity up to 200mm diameter. Our maximum turning length is 600mm. All components are manufactured to aerospace AS9100 and ISO 9001 standards, ensuring consistently high quality.

Product Finishing

We can undertake all finishing processes, supplying Certificates of Conformity for all finishing processes where required. Where we cannot carry out a specific finishing process in house, we use our established, reliable network of third party suppliers. Processes available include: anodising, electro plating, electro polishing, painting, polishing, graining, wet and powder painting, explosive/thermal deburring, vibratory deburring and bead blasting.

CAD/CAM

We use the OpenMind hyperMILL programming system to create complex 2D and 3D CNC code for all our machinery. To ensure accuracy and avoid errors, we can fully simulate the machining process in a virtual environment before the program gets anywhere near the machine tool, allowing us to check CNC programs for collisions or missing features by comparing the machined model with the customer supplied nominal model.

Laser engraving
3D Printing
Product finishing
CAD/CAM

A grey-toned photo of the CNF machine shop floor

Our Machine Technologies

CNF Precision Engineering Ltd are a subcontract machining company manufacturing components for our wide customer base in industry sectors ranging from Aerospace, Defence, Medical, Automotive, Subsea, Electronics, Communications and many more. We are able to offer petrolatum tape and the precision machining of prototype 1 off parts, through to multi thousand, high volume batch runs.

We can offer scheduled despatch of kits or single components via Kanban, direct to stock or direct to the assembly line. We operate from a modern, temperature controlled and continually updated, plant of CNC machines. Our machines range from simple 2 axis CNC lathes and 3 axis CNC Mills all the way through to multi pallet full simultaneous 5-Axis machining centres, multi pallet horizontal machining centres, multi axis mill/turn centres and 13 Axis sliding head lathes.

4 x Matsuura MAM72-35V: 32-pallet simultaneous 5-axis machining centre
Doosan DNM 6700XL: 3-Axis Vertical Machining centre with 2.3metre bed
Doosan Puma 2600 SYII: Multi Axis Twin Spinde ‘Y’ Axis Mill/Turn
2 x Matsuura H.Plus 300-PC15: 15-pallet horizontal machining centre
Doosan SMX2100ST: Full 5-Axis Mill/Turn machine with 80 tool changer plus 81mm Bar Capacity
Citizen A20: 7-axis CNC sliding head machining centre with LFV technology
Matsuura MX-520: Simultaneous 5-axis machining centre
Doosan Lynx2100LSY: Mill/Turn lathe with driven tools and ‘Y’ Axis 52mm Bar Capavity / 6” Chuck Capacity
Citizen M32: 13-axis CNC sliding head machining centre
Matsuura MX-520-PC4: Simultaneous multi pallet 5-axis machining centre
Nakamura Super-NTJ: Multi-axis mill/turn machining centre
Bambu Labs 3D Printer: Small Volume 3D printing in various materials/colours
Matsuura MX-330-PC10: Simultaneous multi pallet 5-axis machining centre
CMZ TX66 Y2: Quattro twin spindle/twin turret (both Y-axis) CNC mill/turn centre
Emco 320: Precision CNC Swiss type lathe
Microtap II: CNC tapping machine
Mitutoyo CRYSTA-Apex 574: CNC CMM with MCOSMOS/CAT1000/MeasurLink
Trimos V5 Height Gauge: Digital Multi Function Inspection Height Gauge
Brown & Sharpe Gage 2000: 3-dimensional CMM
Fette thread rolling
Kerry CRD 250: 3-stage ultrasonic cleaning bath
Macsa iD Cube 100: Laser marking machine with 4th Axis capabilities
Quantum 4: Manual CMM with Inspect2Cad Software
Open Mind hyperMILL: Multi-axis CAD/CAM programming software suite
Garant Vibratory Finishing Machine: Superfinishing of products or deburr/polish to make them tactile and burr free
Vici Vision 309 Prima Optical Measuring Machine: Non Contact Vision Measuring System for round turned components
Mitutoyo Apex Crysta 7106 CMM: CNC CMM with SP25 Scanning, MCOSMOC and CAT1000
ViciVicivision Metrios Cross: Non Contact Vision Measuring System for flat and milled components
Other Technologies
Manual centre lathes
More information on our current Plant ListView the Plant List

An aerial view of the CNF factory at Hamilton House, with solar panels on the roof

Our Factory & Location

32,000 sq ft of Excellence

Our extensive freehold facility gives us significant room to expand in the future. Purchasing the unit in 2020, and renting out parts we did not need on short term leases, enabling us to take over and utilise the space as and when required in the future. This future proofs our business and prevents the need and upheaval of moving. Upto 32,000 sq ft in total is at our disposal.

Strategically Located in Aylesbury

CNF Precision Engineering Limited benefits from a prime location at Hamilton House. Aylesbury offers excellent connectivity and a strong business environment, ensuring efficient operations and easy access for clients and partners alike. Our position in the heart of Buckinghamshire provides a perfect blend of accessibility and a skilled local workforce, making it an ideal base for precision engineering.

How to Find Us

By Car

From the A41 (Bicester Road): Hamilton House is situated within the Broadfields industrial/retail area, directly accessible from the A41. Follow signs for Broadfields.

From the A418 (Oxford Road/Wing Road): Depending on your direction, you will connect to the A41 (Bicester Road) to reach Broadfields.

Parking: Ample on-site parking is available for visitors at Hamilton House.

By Train

Aylesbury Train Station: This is the main station in Aylesbury, served by Chiltern Railways with direct links to London Marylebone. From Aylesbury Station, you can take a short taxi ride (approximately 5-10 minutes) or a local bus service to Broadfields.

Aylesbury Vale Parkway Station: Also served by Chiltern Railways, this station is on the outskirts of Aylesbury and may be a closer option for some, but typically requires a taxi or bus connection to Broadfields.

For GPS/Sat Nav Users

Please use our full postcode: HP19 8BU. This should direct you accurately to the Broadfields area. Look for Hamilton House within the complex.

If you have any difficulty finding us, please don’t hesitate to call us on 01296 481727 and we will be happy to assist with directions.

Map of the UK made of dots with Aylesbury marked, above a road map of Aylesbury showing CNF on the A41 Bicester Road at Broadfields, the ring road and both railway stations. What3words: Flats, Flight, Lawn.