Standard components built on 100 years of manufacturing expertise

For the engineer tasked with specifying standard machine components, there might not seem much between the different products on the market. But discussing the project with an expert can uncover opportunities to optimise the end project design, as the experts at Rencol explain.

They might not enjoy the glamorous perceptions of other aspects of machine design or panel building, but standard components such as enclosure hardware, knobs, latches, levers, feet, indexing plungers, hinges and handwheels are important nonetheless. They make a vital contribution not simply to the functional success of the project as delivered, but also to its longevity and its overall impression of quality.

A desire for high quality and exceptional ergonomics, combined with a wide range of sizes, shapes and materials, and all at highly competitive prices, are frequently what bring design engineers to Rencol’s door. But it’s interesting how often the company identifies opportunities to optimise the final project by offering a slightly different product than the customer might have enquired about, or through customisation or modification of a standard component.

This capability for modifications and customisation sets Rencol apart from many other standard parts companies – even more so when the affordability of its products are taken into consideration. This comes by virtue of Rencol’s global manufacturing base, combined with a wealth of engineering knowledge in the UK built up over the course of the company’s 100-year history.

Proud of its UK heritage, Rencol’s story is one of survival, reinvention and innovation. Celebrating its centenary in 2023, the company started out in Bristol as a small engineering business, formed from the merger of two companies whose roots went even further back into the heyday of British manufacturing. Among its milestones, it lays claim to the development of the world’s first battery charger, and it owned only the second ever plastic moulding press in the UK.

Surviving the Great Depression, it was trusted by the military through World War II to develop mission-critical components, and trust has been defining characteristic of its relationship with its customers throughout its history. Indeed, 100 years of production tells its own story of how the company is regarded by its customers, and provides an assurance of support and longevity in the years to come. Today, it builds on its core strengths while being nimble, adaptive and able to respond rapidly to customers’ changing needs.

That capability is witnessed by the range of industries and applications in which its products are used. Indeed, it is frequently said that Rencol is a barometer for the strength of the UK’s manufacturing economy at any given time.

The depth of its expertise, combined with its extensive range of products, is what continues to bring customers to Rencol’s doors, and while many of those customers know exactly what they need, one of the company’s strengths is to guide engineers not simply to the correct product, but also to the optimised solution. That might include finding a more suitable component, suggesting a more cost-effective option, finding a better way of achieving the desired goal or helping customers evolve a better, design-for-manufacture solution.

Where there is a need for something non-standard, perhaps in terms of material, shape, functionality or colour, Rencol is readily able to manufacture customised or modified components. It builds on a diverse range of manufacturing capabilities including plastic injection moulding, metal injection moulding, CNC machining, die casting, stamping and pressing, and hot and cold forging.

Beyond that, by working with select worldwide manufacturing partners, chosen for their expertise, quality and affordability, Rencol can also offer capabilities for the manufacture of complete subassemblies. With Rencol having already overcome the key challenges of finding manufacturing partners across the globe, the company can effectively de-risk projects for companies who would effectively be starting from scratch looking for a manufacturing partner.

Whether it’s a standard component, a modification, a custom part or a complete subassembly, Rencol draws on its 100 years of manufacturing experience to offer customers the optimised solution for any project, all with a focus on the highest quality at affordable prices. The company’s Bristol warehouse holds huge stocks of standard components across the complete product range, while non-standard products can be supplied in as little as six weeks.