In-house manufacturing of precision gearboxes and drive systems

Aside from being one of the UK’s largest suppliers of micro drive systems, we’re also a leading precision gearbox manufacturer with expertise to deliver custom gearbox solutions in-house. This capability gives us full control and complete autonomy over how we manufacture our products and the quality standards we uphold.

Why choose EMS as your custom manufacturer of precision gearboxes?

Advanced milling and turning capability

Turning — including fixed head, sliding head and multi access head

Milling — including 3, 4 and 5 axis with automation including robot loading and lights out operation

Gear cutting — advent of new Affolter CNC machines with automation

Precision gear cutting

Our Class 2 spur and helical gear production is carried out using high-performance Mikron manual machines, alongside state-of-the-art CNC gear cutting systems — including the Affolter AF90 and AF160. These newer machines enhance part consistency, allow for lights-out operation and significantly increases overall production capacity.

In-house tooling and gear manufacturing ensures complete control over the supply chain, ensuring tight tolerances and high repeatability, as well as the ability to match components for optimal system efficiency and performance. Using driven tool CNC lathes means that complex parts with a variety of features, such as worms, can be manufactured in a single operation, reducing machining time and improving component integrity.

While all of our solutions are manufactured at our facility in Poole, we also work with a small, trusted network of UK based subcontractors to produce specific components. This could include high-volume gear blanks and parts that require specialised processes outside of our in-house scope. This blended approach ensures both flexibility and quality while maintaining tight control over lead times and part traceability.

Die casting

Design decisions and manufacturing techniques are often influenced by projected production volume, and these considerations are explored early during the concept phase. EMS supports a wide range of application volumes, including low-to-medium runs starting in the low hundreds.

For large volume applications, metal die casting is frequently employed to produce customised gearbox housings. This process involves injecting molten metal under high pressure into precision moulds, enabling the creation of high-quality, complex components with excellent dimensional accuracy. Its efficiency, long tool life and compatibility with precision gear design makes die casting a reliable choice for production runs exceeding 50,000 units annually.

Automation and optimisation

EMS has made significant investments in factory automation and robotics to advance the precision, consistency and scalability of our manufacturing processes. As an early adopter of automated solutions, we have integrated robotics and smart tooling into both assembly and testing stages, ensuring highly reliable build quality for our custom drive systems and miniature motor solutions.

We rely on a range of automation tools that improve product consistency and quality. We have taken advantage of automation in three key areas:

Bar fed/ high speed fixed/ sliding head lathes — for the production of complex turned parts
Robot loaded 5 axis machining centres — for manufacturing milled items for our bespoke mechanisms
Automated high speed CNC gear cutting capabilities

These key areas are also supported by the use of enhanced metrology equipment, including CNC CMM, non-contact optical shaft scanner and CNC vision system.

With the capability to run overnight operations, our facility maximises machine uptime while allowing skilled technicians to focus on high-value peripheral tasks such as prototype development, tooling optimisation and process validation. This shift not only increases throughput but also supports agile manufacturing and faster response to drive system design changes or short lead-time orders.

Assembly of drive systems

The assembly process is a critical stage in delivering high-performance motion systems. Our dedicated assembly team is responsible for integrating precision manufactured components into tested final products for customers across demanding sectors including medical, aerospace and automation.

To ensure the highest standards of build quality and performance, our Electrostatic Discharge (ESD) protected area is designed for the safe handling of ESD-sensitive components, such as micromotors and encoders. This stringent control of electrostatic conditions ensures that delicate components are not compromised during the final assembly and test phases.

End of line testing capability

As part of our commitment to quality and precision manufacturing, EMS provides bespoke end-of-line (EOL) testing as the final quality assurance step. Our EOL testing capability means we minimise errors, reducing the cost of rework and returns, ensures regulatory compliance and guarantees customer satisfaction.

EOL testing is fully integrated into customer-specific assembly cells and is tailored to meet the precise performance and compliance requirements of each application. To ensure the optimal solution without any defects, our EOL testing enables us to:

Verify mechanical and electrical performance
Monitor noise levels
Validate component assembly
Optimise flow benches
Test unique requirements to level of control and quality

By implementing high-precision, application-specific testing protocols, we ensure all products meet stringent regulatory requirements — a particularly critical aspect for medical, aerospace and mission-critical applications.