Balls Grinding Ltd - More than Just Grinding

Welcome To Balls Grinding

About Us
Under Balls Grinding we have two other companys. Balls Paints: 01242 243136, Powder Coating, Stove Enamelling, Grit/Shot Blasting. Balls Fasteners: 01242 522244 Supplying Fasteners to trade and public. Socket (Allen) Screws, High Tensile Bolts and Set Screws, Self Tapping Screws, Shoulder bolts, Nuts and bolts can be supplied in metric and imperial sizes. www.ballsfasteners.co.uk After 15 years at the coalface of tool making & general engineering, Rod Ball started Balls Grinding as tool & cutter grinding in 1983. Using the next 20 years to continually develop services. These days, however, we take on a wide range of precision machining work, in small or large batches, and in virtually any material, from High Speed Steel through to tungsten carbide, brass, aluminium and synthetics. “In all my years in business I have never let anybody down and any of my customers will verify that fact. It may be last thing on a Friday afternoon but if a customer needs a job doing, perhaps because one of his own machines has gone down, we will do it. I can ask any one of my employees to stay on and work through the night and they will…because they are loyal.” Rod Ball, Managing Director, Ball’s Grinding Ltd However, as customers began asking us to take on more and more machining work, the business began outstripping its production resource…and its floor space. Our response has been to instigate an on-going programme of machine tool acquisition and factory relocation. “When we first started machining I was occupying 1000 sq. ft. and buying manual machines. I had no plans at that time to move into CNC, as I knew nothing about the technology. But I was introduced to a particular range of computer-controlled machines and discovered that their conversational programming routines are very easy to understand. So I bought my first CNC machine, and then another, and four moves later I have 12 CNC machines housed in new 10 000 sq ft premises.” Rod Ball, Managing Director, Ball’s Grinding Services Today, Ball’s Grinding Services has around 60 regular customers who between them represent a broad cross-section of industry – from petrochemicals to telecommunications, marine and food manufacture. But we believe that price is not the sole arbiter of customer loyalty: quality, delivery and commitment to customer satisfaction are at least as important as is a determination and willingness to invest in the equipment necessary to provide a competitive edge. From manual/CNC turret mills and lathes, Ball’s Grinding Services has progressed to two 15 hp machining centres and a 9/12 kW turning centre. These additions have attracted additional high volume work from customers at a time when outsourcing abroad is being widely touted as the only viable option for UK manufacturers.

About Us

Under Balls Grinding we have two other companys.

Balls Paints: 01242 243136, Powder Coating, Stove Enamelling, Grit/Shot Blasting.

Balls Fasteners: 01242 522244 Supplying Fasteners to trade and public. Socket (Allen) Screws, High Tensile Bolts and Set Screws, Self Tapping Screws, Shoulder bolts, Nuts and bolts can be supplied in metric and imperial sizes. www.ballsfasteners.co.uk

After 15 years at the coalface of tool making & general engineering, Rod Ball started Balls Grinding as tool & cutter grinding in 1983. Using the next 20 years to continually develop services. These days, however, we take on a wide range of precision machining work, in small or large batches, and in virtually any material, from High Speed Steel through to tungsten carbide, brass, aluminium and synthetics.

“In all my years in business I have never let anybody down and any of my customers will verify that fact. It may be last thing on a Friday afternoon but if a customer needs a job doing, perhaps because one of his own machines has gone down, we will do it. I can ask any one of my employees to stay on and work through the night and they will…because they are loyal.”
Rod Ball, Managing Director, Ball’s Grinding Ltd

However, as customers began asking us to take on more and more machining work, the business began outstripping its production resource…and its floor space. Our response has been to instigate an on-going programme of machine tool acquisition and factory relocation.

“When we first started machining I was occupying 1000 sq. ft. and buying manual machines. I had no plans at that time to move into CNC, as I knew nothing about the technology. But I was introduced to a particular range of computer-controlled machines and discovered that their conversational programming routines are very easy to understand. So I bought my first CNC machine, and then another, and four moves later I have 12 CNC machines housed in new 10 000 sq ft premises.”
Rod Ball, Managing Director, Ball’s Grinding Services

Today, Ball’s Grinding Services has around 60 regular customers who between them represent a broad cross-section of industry – from petrochemicals to telecommunications, marine and food manufacture. But we believe that price is not the sole arbiter of customer loyalty: quality, delivery and commitment to customer satisfaction are at least as important as is a determination and willingness to invest in the equipment necessary to provide a competitive edge.

From manual/CNC turret mills and lathes, Ball’s Grinding Services has progressed to two 15 hp machining centres and a 9/12 kW turning centre. These additions have attracted additional high volume work from customers at a time when outsourcing abroad is being widely touted as the only viable option for UK manufacturers.


We know our business. We know our limits. We understand our culture. We understand our People. We know what is expected. The objective: For the past year the focus has been on improving quality and production management while taking care not to compromise the service provided to our customers. Ball’s Grinding Services is working towards ISO 9000 accreditation and, by implementing in-house designed systems, we have increased the flexibility of the company’s operations, thereby boosting productivity across the board and avoiding additional costs to the business and its customers. The initiatives: The decision to relocate to a larger 10,000 sq. ft. factory in January 2003 provided an opportunity to plan the shopfloor layout in order to achieve the most efficient and productive use of the available floor space. This, combined with the subsequent installation of two machining centres and a turning centre to complement existing manual/CNC mills, has enabled us to compete with the machining costs of overseas competitors, including those in the Far East. The investment: Training operators in the techniques of CNC programming ensures that our machining centres are optimised for set-up. Setting jigs have been designed for flexible and time-saving changeovers on manual/CNC mills. Implementation of a Kanban system has reduced inventory held on individual customers’ behalf and ensures delivery dates are met. Introduction of CAM has provided maximum flexibility within the workplace. In-house design and implementation of a Production Management Database has eliminated the requirement for additional management staff. This system allows data to be entered at secretarial level and generates machine times, due dates, material requirements and stock control – saving many hours per week of management time. It has the added benefit of allowing the existing management team to concentrate on the “REAL” production issues rather than paperwork.

We know our business.
We know our limits.
We understand our culture.
We understand our People.
We know what is expected.

The objective:

For the past year the focus has been on improving quality and production management while taking care not to compromise the service provided to our customers. Ball’s Grinding Services is working towards ISO 9000 accreditation and, by implementing in-house designed systems, we have increased the flexibility of the company’s operations, thereby boosting productivity across the board and avoiding additional costs to the business and its customers.

The initiatives:

The decision to relocate to a larger 10,000 sq. ft. factory in January 2003 provided an opportunity to plan the shopfloor layout in order to achieve the most efficient and productive use of the available floor space. This, combined with the subsequent installation of two machining centres and a turning centre to complement existing manual/CNC mills, has enabled us to compete with the machining costs of overseas competitors, including those in the Far East.

The investment:

Training operators in the techniques of CNC programming ensures that our machining centres are optimised for set-up.

Setting jigs have been designed for flexible and time-saving changeovers on manual/CNC mills.

Implementation of a Kanban system has reduced inventory held on individual customers’ behalf and ensures delivery dates are met.

Introduction of CAM has provided maximum flexibility within the workplace.

In-house design and implementation of a Production Management Database has eliminated the requirement for additional management staff. This system allows data to be entered at secretarial level and generates machine times, due dates, material requirements and stock control – saving many hours per week of management time. It has the added benefit of allowing the existing management team to concentrate on the “REAL” production issues rather than paperwork.