Pre-Met plans to produce 500,000 brake plates as it expands component supply for rolling stock, infrastructure companies and train manufacturers. The acquisition of Quality Springs & Pressings has increased production capacity and supports higher volume work. The company manufactures up to 18 brake plate variants, including left- and right-hand sets. Growth in rail demand is also driving workforce expansion, with new hires in welding, press setting, quality and tooling.
“Diversification was a big priority this year for the business, and we wanted to look at ways where we could maximize our core expertise in automotive, aerospace and advanced engineering and take it into complementary areas,” explained James Leng, managing director of Pre-Met.
“Rail was a natural target. We had started to deliver a couple of projects on time and to budget and this has accelerated this year, with the one back plate now passing 500,000 of units in 2025 – with a 20% rise in production expected next year.”
He continued: “This is just the start. All the recent investment has given us a platform to offer rail customers a one-source solution for tool transfers and new products. We can do everything from initial prototyping and small batch work, through to developing the tooling, producing in medium and high volumes and completing value added assembly.”
“We have recently been working with another rail client to help reverse engineer one of its existing products to improve the base design and simplify the production process. In turn, this will improve finished quality, whilst extending longevity of the component lifecycle.”
Pre-Met holds ISO 9001, AS9100 and TS16949 quality certifications for its manufacturing work. The company has also obtained a Cyber Essentials security certificate to support its digital operations.
James concluded: “2025 has been a pivotal year for us, with the Quality Springs & Pressings acquisition and subsequent consolidation of its operations at our existing site on Studley Road. Over £500k has been invested in the integration and this has given us an extra 30% boost in production and access to new robotic technology.”
“This is making a real difference to us in rail and there are also new doors opening in aerospace and defense, with our membership of JOSCAR pushing Pre-Met’s expertise into new supply chains.”
Source: Pre-Met
About Pre-Met
Pre-Met, based in Redditch, UK, has been operating since 1973, originally producing high-value pens, cufflinks, and telecommunications parts. Over time, the company has transitioned into a specialized supplier of precision metal pressings, spring components, and assemblies for sectors such as aerospace, automotive, medical technology, electrical, construction, and transport. It offers a complete production lifecycle – from concept and design through prototyping to full-scale manufacturing across low, medium, and high volumes. The company is certified to ISO 9001 and IATF 16949 standards and is listed on the JOSCAR supplier accreditation system, which is used in defense and aerospace. In 2023, Pre-Met acquired Quality Springs & Pressings, expanding its capabilities in wire form and spring manufacturing and increasing its workforce to 60. The acquisition also adds new press capacity and introduces both robotic and manual welding. The combined operation aims to scale revenue toward £10 million through expanded production capacity and technical capability.