FAQs

How long has Dawson Shanahan been operating?

We can trace our beginnings back to 1920, when Edward Dawson opened an engine rebuilding business on one side of town and Fred Shanahan started his own engine rebuilding business on the other. The two joined forces in 1943 to create Dawson Shanahan.

What services do you offer?

Our core services include cold forming, copper machining and CNC machining. However, we don’t stop there. We also offer assembly and sub assembly, as well as a range of value added services, such as laser marking. Offering this combination of services – in addition to providing subcontract heat treatment and surface finishing processes – enables us to deliver the total solution under one roof.

What materials do you use?

We manufacture our components using a wide variety of ferrous and non-ferrous materials, from copper and brass to mild steel and stainless steel. Our high quality materials are sourced from reliable suppliers, with whom we work closely to deliver cost effectiveness to you.

Can you work with our design team to prepare component designs for manufacture?

Yes, we can provide advice on manufacturing capabilities and constraints to enable your component designs to be more efficient and cost effective to manufacture.

What tolerances can you work to?

We have an extensive selection of precision engineering equipment, which means we can achieve tolerances most others can’t. Our highly advanced production systems and techniques achieve dimensional tolerances that are within plus or minus two microns.

What are your average lead times?

Lead times vary from project to project and are influenced by many factors. At the start of any project we calculate lead times based on these factors and agree this with you prior to project commencement. In-house design and manufacture of tooling enables us to respond quickly and cut the average lead time.

What quality standards do you work in accordance with?

Quality is at the very heart of what we do, which is why we have so many processes in place to ensure we deliver it. These processes are carried out in accordance with a number of quality standards, including: ISO 9001, ISO 14001, TS 13485; APQP; and cGMP.

Can I visit your facilities?

Yes, you’re more than welcome to visit us and see our engineering facility for yourself. We’re based in Welshpool, Wales, with easy access to England’s major road networks in the Midlands.

If you have any specific questions not featured above, please get in touch and we can provide an answer.

What is engineering?

What is Precision engineering?

Precision engineering is the discipline of creating high precision products to an accuracy of 1×10-6. The production process includes the design, development and manufacture of components, and is capable of producing parts with exceptionally accurate, highly polished surface finishes, with tolerances of less than 1.0micron when measured over each square millimetre of surface area. Read more

What is Cold Forming?

Cold forming is a high speed manufacturing process whereby a component is formed using a press tool. A blank is placed within a die and a punch is pressed into the blank to form the desired part, while removing no material and producing significantly enhanced product characteristics. Read more

What is CNC Machining?

CNC Machining is a manufacturing process that uses computers to control machine tools. CNC machines automate, and therefore simplify, the manufacturing production process and make it possible to make hundreds or even thousands of the same item in a day. Read more

What is Milling?

Milling is a machining process in the metalwork industry used to shape solid metal workpieces by removing excess material. Often automated, milling machines are positioned in either vertical or horizontal orientation and carve out materials based on pre-existing designs. See video

What is Turning?

Turning is a machine operation that produces cylindrical parts by machining the external surface of a blank. In this process a part is rotated while a single point cutting tool is moved parallel to the axis of rotation to produce precise diameters and depths. See video

What is Grinding?

Grinding is a process used in the manufacturing process to finish workpieces that must show high surface quality. A surface grinder feeds a workpiece against a rotating abrasive wheel to change its shape or dimensions, making it flat or smooth. Read more

What is CAD?

CAD (Computer-Aided Design) is a computer technology used by the manufacturing industry to create and easily modify two-dimensional and three-dimensional product development plans and designs. CAD software replaces manual drafting with a simple, automated process.

What is CAM?

CAM (Computer-Aided Manufacturing) is a subsequent computer-aided process after CAD. Also used in the manufacturing industry, its primary purpose is to create a faster production process and produce components with greater raw material consistency and more precise tooling accuracy.