At DK Holdings, innovation and continuous improvement are at the heart of everything we do, especially in our Flexible Diamond Tooling Department. This month, we caught up with Chris Ninn, Manager of the Flexible Department, to talk about his journey, the department’s recent innovations, and what lies ahead for the team.
Hello Chris, thank you very much for taking the time to chat with us. Please start us off by telling us a little bit about your career path at Team DK.
“My journey at Team DK started way back in February 1998 at Diaforce Ltd, which is where our Flexible Diamond range as you know it now was born. It was a small outfit but rapidly growing. I became Workshop Supervisor in March 2002. Diaforce and DK Holdings merged in 2006 where I continued working alongside a great team and in January 2016 was promoted to Production Manager of the Flexible Department.“
How do you stay informed about the industries we supply into?
“That mostly comes from our amazing Sales & Marketing Team. They keep me in the loop with the latest trends and customer feedback through trade shows, for example Glasstec in Dusseldorf and JEC WORLD in Paris we recently exhibited at again.
I regularly catch up with the team to find out what our customers’ needs are. It’s a real team effort.“
Following on from this, how important would you say R&D is when it comes to Flexible Diamond products?
“It is central to what we do. Our team believes in the philosophy of LEAN manufacturing and we always look at our methods and processes to reduce production time and waste.
I really enjoy working closely with customers and our Sales Team to develop bespoke solutions. It’s incredibly satisfying when we create something unique that genuinely improves our partners’ process.
In a way, you could say it makes their process a bit LEANER too!“
The company is proud to be ISO 9001 certified. How do you ensure that the Flexible Department upholds these standards?
“We follow set procedures and undergo regular internal audits to make sure our quality remains high.
Training is a big part of that. But, at the end of the day, it’s the people on the shop floor that make the difference.
We have a skilled, conscientious team who have been with DK for many years alongside new talent who bring fresh ideas and who are committed to maintaining the standards we have been known for over 65 Years of manufacturing Diamond Products. “
What has been a recent development and what’s in store for the future?
“A recent success has been our ULTRAFLEX FORTIS belt range for the use on glass edge grinding and seaming machines.
It’s been a real leap forward and is delivering significantly longer life in production environments in comparison to competitors’ products. I am extremely proud of that development, but the team is not resting on its laurels.
We continue to work closely with our partners for ongoing improvements.
Currently the team is working with some major manufacturers of Porcelain tableware to develop a new longer longer-lasting diamond belt.”
Your work life is full on, what other passions besides Flexible Diamond do you have?
“Absolutely none! I live and breathe diamond tooling!
On a serious note, I enjoy painting and going to the gym in my spare time.
I’m also a lifelong Arsenal Football Club supporter – which, depending on the season, feels more like a punishment than a passion… but we still have the Champions League, and there is always hope!”