Meet the team | CNC

Our CNC team comprises of three. The team fulfil all CNC requirements.

Read on as we introduce you to our small but highly skilled and efficient CNC team:

• Les Mott, CNC Manager
• Ian Reinemann, CNC Programmer / Operator
• Jason Fullwood, CNC Programmer / Operator

Les Mott, CNC Manager

The beginning

Fresh out of school, Les explored a few career avenues (including a trip to California) to find the dream job but nothing he tried was right. He decided to undertake metal work training at the Skill Centre and it was from there that he was recommended to Marconi.

Les started his career 22-year career with Marconi within the modelling shop before moving into the CNC team. By the time he moved on to Prototype Projects (in 2008), Les had gained a wealth of CNC experience and was running the machine shop.

From quote to build

As the CNC expert within Prototype Projects, Les is responsible for quoting on all requests. Once a quote is approved he will work with Martin Lansbury, Project and Workshop Co-ordinator, to source the materials.

Les then manages the work of the team. Along with the two CNC Operators in the team, Les loads the CAD files for an order onto the system. He will then programme one of the six CNC machines while setting up and checking tools.

Once the parts have been built and cleaned up, they are passed over to Martin for checking and sending to the client.

Job satisfaction

For Les, working at Prototype Projects brings him a much welcomed sense of responsibility and achievement. He enjoys the friendly environment where teamwork is central.

The greatest satisfaction for him is at the end of a project when he has built a prototype that, in the beginning, he had no idea how to build it which is very typical in prototyping.

Iron Man

When away from work, Les replaces the aluminium, plastics, brass and stainless steel with iron…

In other words, Les enjoys a few rounds on the golf course!

 

Ian Reinemann, CNC Programmer / Operator

The beginning

After studying physics and maths at college, Ian spent a brief period of time working as a general labourer on a building site before deciding what career path to follow.

Ian went to Huntingdon Regional College in 2011 to help shape his future and it was through the college that he began his apprenticeship with Prototype Projects.

Home and away

Ian splits his working week between the bureau and college.

When he is away at college, Ian focusses on the theory behind prototyping. He studies the materials and their properties as well as the tools and machining methods. Ian’s previous college training in maths and physics are also being further developed at college.

Back at the bureau Ian is loading CAD files into MasterCAM and setting up machines to build the prototypes in the same way that Les and Jason (Ian’s other CNC colleague) do.

Variety

When asked what Ian likes the most about his job, he is very quick to say ‘variety’. Although the processes are the same for building prototypes, each job is unique and brings with it a fresh challenge which is where the variety comes in.

Down tools

When Ian puts his tools down at the end of his working day, he enjoys keeping fit. He is a keen footballer and cyclist, although he needs to make more time to hit the roads on his bike as he hasn’t managed even one ride this year!

 

Jason Fullwood, CNC Programmer / Operator

The beginning

Jason is a natural fixer. Since his teens he has been fixing bicycles and then, more latterly, mopeds and motorbikes. He has always been intrigued by machines and began his career as a CNC operator with Thermal Engineering, a manufacturing company.

Jason moved to Prototype Projects in 2013 and is a CNC Operator who also crosses over into the Rapid Prototyping team.

Different approaches

Jason welcomes a challenge his work brings him. He likes how he and his colleagues could be given the same prototype to build but how they might approach it in three different ways and still achieve the same result.

Not just CNC

Jason enjoys the fact that his role, which is predominantly CNC focussed, also gives him the opportunity to work within the rapid prototyping team so he has developed skills in SLS and laser cutting… Remember the 2014 Christmas trees? Jason was the laser cutter behind those!

A keen designer, Jason is working on a top secret project at Prototype Projects right now. We hope to be able to share more details with you at some point this year!

Mischievous wrestler

Jason is known for his mischief in the bureau. Prototype Projects’ general manager, Gary Turner, can often be found grumbling about how his chair has yet again been adjusted by joker-Jason.

Outside of work Jason enjoys cycling, sailing and arm wrestling. He is a member of the Cambridge Arm Wrestling Team!

Find out more

To find out more about our prototyping services, please look around our website or contact us on 01763 249760. Click here to request a quote.

Enjoyed meeting our CNC Team? Why not meet our Rapid Prototyping team and our Office team.