Ray is our longest serving team member he just completed 40 years of working in Engineering and machining plastics.
Ray first started working with our Chairman, Bruce McAllister, when he was 16 years old and worked with him at that company for the next 30 years. Then he moved with Bruce to join AFT Fluorotec at its inception 10 years ago and has just passed a huge milestone of 40 years.
I could not even imagine how many tubes of material Ray has machined, and how many seals and components he has produced over the years, he just completed a batch of spring energised seals, which were as ever completed with precision, skill, and care as is Ray’s way.
Ray currently works on one of our larger CNC lathes, producing components up to 800mm diameter, in all types of materials and batch sizes, often presented with some of our more challenging projects, his day to day machining is not always straightforward.
With so many years experience in machining of larger diameter PTFE parts, he approaches every new challenge in a calm methodical manner, and I have yet to see him defeated by any challenge.
Of course at AFT Fluorotec we recognise that it is vital that these new skills are passed on to the new generation, and pictured with Ray is James our newest apprentice. James has completed an NVQ level 2 in Engineering and Manufacturing and is now considering his next challenge of either an NVQ level 3 specialising in milling or turning, or even a level 3 BTEC in advanced engineering.
