Q1 2024

SME News Q1 2024 / 42 The Engineering Quest: Turning Brilliant Ideas into Reality With several decades of experience in its field, The Engineering Quest is a leading supplier of precisionmachined components and sub-assemblies. From miniature instruments for eye surgery to casing for satellites, the company specialises in the development of products and components that are notoriously difficult to design and make. For its continued excellence, The Engineering Quest has been named Leading Supplier of Precision-Machined Components in the Business Elite Awards 2024. Since its establishment in 1966, The Engineering Quest has been helping companies to develop new components and reinvent legacy products for new markets, aiming to improve the competitiveness of the overall supply chain. Over the years, its precision-machined components, subassemblies, and instruments have contributed significantly towards the success of several breakthrough projects. Operating across two sites in the South of England, The Engineering Quest is equipped with a large team of 112 staff members, 92 of which are actively engaged in engineering and production. Collectively, they possess an in-depth understanding of the challenges often faced in long-term development projects and are well-equipped to tackle them, with a wealth of experience utilising a vast range of processes and techniques. Working closely and proactively with their clients and suppliers throughout the development and prototype stages, The Engineering Quest’s team have helped to address some of the world’s biggest engineering challenges. As a result, whether a client’s goal is to dig deep underground or launch into space, the team are more than likely prepared to help them achieve it. Consistently delivering precision, quality, innovation, and efficiency, The Engineering Quest works with clients in a wide range of industries, including healthcare, oil and gas, electronics, and industrial, plus a unique involvement in aerospace and space. For example, within the aerospace sector, the company manufactures legacy aircraft parts. It has also made a key contribution towards the creation of a space-based optical telescope. Furthermore, in the medical field, The Engineering Quest is a global supplier of micro-machined ophthalmic instruments. Its creations have also helped to make life better for amputees around the world. Moreover, The Engineering Quest believes that engineering solutions are not solutions unless their costs are attainable to the client. For countless years, the business has gained experience working within price-sensitive environments, serving multiple industries. As a result, it possesses unparalleled expertise when it comes to creating new process routes and leveraging cost-reducing techniques. An example of a project carried out by The Engineering Quest is one that involved the development of a valve for an offshore drilling system. The company set out to push the boundaries of possibility in manufacturing, working with a UK-based oil and gas client to develop a valve for a rotary steerable system (RSS). The brief stated that the component should be created in two sizes to precise tolerances, which were tightened further as work progressed. The aim was to increase the lifespan of the valve, which would be installed within a hot, abrasive, and corrosive downhole environment, so that drilling could continue for longer periods. The Engineering Quest recognised that, even with full automation, processing or machining would always involve some degree of variation. As measurements get smaller, this variation becomes more significant. The company set out to solve this unique and demanding challenge by creating bespoke electrical discharge machining (EDM) technology, which involved writing code for the generator parameters. To develop the necessary machine tools, it partnered with Swiss manufacturer Charmilles Technology. By creating measurement systems to map the surface and profiles of the part, The Engineering Quest was able to achieve precise tolerance to within a few microns. These systems were coordinated between the company and the client in order to ensure consistent quality and validation throughout the supply chain. By the time the component was finalised, there was a high demand for the valve amongst the client’s exploration and production division. The results of this project delivered by The Engineering Quest continue to contribute towards complex and challenging projects throughout the world. For its remarkable work, The Engineering Quest has been named Leading Supplier of Precision-Machined Components in the Business Elite Awards 2024. Considering its overwhelming success thus far, there is no doubt that the company looks towards a bright future as it continues to tackle its clients’ challenges and support them throughout their most demanding development projects. We are delighted to congratulate The Engineering Quest on its success in this prestigious awards programme and look forward to seeing how its upcoming projects unfold. Contact: Nicola Matheron Company: The Engineering Quest Web Address: www.join-the-quest.co.uk

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