Machine shop cycle times reduced by up to 40%

A UK provider of industrial services has reduced cycle times in its machine shop by up to 40% following a switch to new tooling from MSC Industrial Supply Co UK. Wolverhampton-based engineering company Varlowe Industrial Services, founded in 2003 by owner Steve Varden and now employing more than 50 people, manufactures bespoke components including jigs and fixtures to support service and maintenance applications for the likes of JLR, BMW and Mondelez.

First unveiled earlier in 2025, MSC Edge was developed to meet growing demand within SME engineering firms for durable, high-quality and multipurpose cutting tools at an affordable price from a trusted source. Varlowe began trialling MSC Edge end mills in May 2025 before quickly introducing the range throughout its machine shop.

Brett Harries, Production Manager at Varlowe Industrial Services, says:“Given the nature of our work, we manufacture a lot of reactive parts with short deadlines. Our customers often need components back within 24 hours, so we must have confidence in our tooling. I’m always looking for ways we can gain an extra advantage, and one issue we’ve always struggled with is finding tools the same size as our shanks. When I first heard about the MSC Edge range and saw both the specification and the price, it was a no-brainer to trial it.”

After seeing a 20 mm two-flute solid carbide end mill in operation at MSC’s Tech Centre in Wednesbury, the Varlowe team trialled the tool against its existing three-flute high-feed cutter and saw an immediate reduction in cycle time.

“The MSC Edge cutter brought the cycle time down from 50 minutes to 28,” reports Brett. “I couldn’t believe it was both cheaper and faster than what we were using previously. Now, any time we need a new tool, our engineers are only asking for MSC Edge.”

Varlowe now uses MSC Edge cutting tools for the majority of its milling work, and the company is also trialling the range’s solid-carbide drills and soon-to-be-launched ISO inserts.

Brett concludes: “What I really like about the MSC Edge range is that it’s designed to be a general tool. We can use it on different materials for different jobs and still get the same level of performance. I also like the fact we’re close to MSC. If we get an urgent reactive job in and don’t have the right tool to hand, I know I can have it on site in half an hour, not the next day.”

Nicholas Turton, Business Development Manager at MSC Industrial Supply Co UK, adds: “We’ve been on a journey with Brett and the Varlowe team. We started with the end mills and then moved on to the hole-making range to support a specific job which the company’s previous drills couldn’t complete without wearing out.

“The varied nature of Varlowe’s work really showcases the versatility of the MSC Edge portfolio and reinforces what we set out to do when launching the products: provide high-quality, general-purpose tools that can complete 80% of machining operations with just 20% of the tools, all at a fair price. I’m excited to continue working with Brett and the team and see where this journey takes us.”