Rubicon Partners Acquires Erodex Graphite Systems, Marking Its 85th Industrial Investment - Erodex

Actualités & Blog

Retourner

Rubicon Partners Acquires Erodex Graphite Systems, Marking Its 85th Industrial Investment

Rubicon Partners has announced the acquisition of Erodex Graphite Systems Limited (Erodex) from its family shareholders, adding a specialist aerospace supplier to its growing industrial portfolio.

Headquartered in Halesowen, UK, Erodex is a leading global supplier of graphite and brass tube electrodes, EDM consumables, and carbon products, primarily used for the manufacturing of turbine blades and aerofoil structures for aircraft engines and industrial gas turbines. Erodex has in-house design, tooling and manufacturing capabilities through its state-of-the-art machine shops in both the UK and the USA. The business is best known for its manufactured premium graphite electrodes and brass tubes that support global OEM and Tier 1 manufacturers.

Erodex represents Rubicon’s 85th industrial investment and the second investment made through Rubicon Partners Fund VI SCSp. Rubicon’s experience includes seven previous investments in the Aerospace sector, including Farsound Aviation, Attewell (now part of Avantus Aerospace) and Invotec (now part of Amphenol).

Following Rubicon’s investment and the retirement of the family shareholders, the business will be led by James Kirk who will step up from Operations Director to CEO, and Raj Rainu (CFO). James and Raj, together with their team, will drive the next phase of Erodex’s international growth in partnership with Rubicon.

Looking Ahead

With a proven leadership team now in place and the backing of an experienced industrial investor, Erodex is well positioned to accelerate its growth trajectory in the years ahead — continuing to serve the aerospace and industrial gas turbine markets with the precision engineering its customers have come to depend on.

Notez cet article

Partager sur les réseaux sociaux :

Posted:
April 14, 2026

En rapport

Andy McFarlane (Erodex) discussing ComplexHPE's requirements with their team in front of their EDM Machines

ComplexaHPE gain leading edge with over £2 million investment and Erodex support

Precision injection molding, machining and tooling firm ComplexaHPE are celebrating a record order book thanks to investment of over £2m in new technology in recent years and a focus on developing strong partnerships with key suppliers including Erodex UK. The company, ComplexaHPE, an amalgamation of Glossop based ComplexaTools and High Precision Engineering (HPE) Ltd, counts new contract wins with high end medical companies among a very healthy order book. According to Group Managing Director Paul McHugh, this is a direct result of significant investment in new machinery, the dedication of an expert team and the support of key suppliers in order to ensure the firm is positioned to provide best-in-class levels of accuracy and efficiency. “ComplexaHPE was formed in January 2021 as a result of the amalgamation of High Precision Engineering (HPE) - specialists in lay up tools, press tools, high precision parts as well as special machining - and ComplexaTools, a small tool room in Glossop with an excellent reputation. “Our aim is to offer the full turnkey solution, taking the headaches away from the customer. This means offering more than just a tool or a mold; providing design for manufacture upfront, all the way to sign off, with end of arm tooling and inspection fixtures. Some customers may just want to give us different elements of this, but increasingly due to time pressures we are seeing more of our customers demanding the full package”. This was particularly the case with new business acquired overseas and in Ireland within the high-end medical industry, where premium quality is also a prerequisite. To deliver on this, Paul and his team had to ensure that they maximized cutting accuracies whilst at the same time investing in technology to optimize efficiency, such as robotics and palletisation. McHugh continues: “We have invested £2 million since 2021 in HSM 400 high speed milling machines, numerous 5 axis Hurco milling machines, Agie Charmilles spark erosion and wire erosion machines as well as our second Mazak Millturn. “But having the latest technology is not enough, we focused on utilising it in the best way possible including maximizing EDM performance, which is where the support of our supplier partner Erodex UK was invaluable”. Erodex conducted a full review of what ComplexaHPE were using and recommeded POCO EDM 200 and EDM1, with occasional use of EDM3 and EDMC3. Having a broad range of graphites catering for every specific application of mold making was important, but ensuring precision was paramount from every single grade used. Erodex Area Manager Andrew McFarlane emphasises: “Because ComplexaHPE are lights out machining with robotics, they need to know that the quality of the material will cut consistently. You don’t want to program a suite of electrodes on the weekend and come in on Monday morning to find that half of them are chipped and you need to cut them again - emphasising the importance of the consistency in the POCO material. “Over the course of our relationship, talking to their EDM engineers, they find that it does everything that they need it to do, has better machineability than the previous material in use and they get a better all round EDM performance whether that be from longer electrode life, reduced cycle time or better surface finish. Everything ComplexaHPE require from a graphite, is covered by Erodex” McHugh adds: “What has always been evident is the quality that Erodex are offering across all of the different grades, from EDM 200 right the way through to EDMC3, the copper impregnated graphite. “We have raised the bar with the support of Erodex, because of the definition and crispness that we can get on the detail with the Poco product. This is crucial when targeting high end molds for the medical industry. To increase efficiencies, we’ve also worked on consignments, where we have Erodex products on site and can therefore offer quick turnaround for a customer. We’ve heavily invested in robotics, palletisation and lights out machining and without Erodex supporting us with putting thousands of pounds worth of consignment stock on site, I would not have been able to do that. “I have been in tool making for 29 years and I have never seen the almost 24 months worth of work in the order book that we have now. That is the trust and level of commitment that our customers have in us because of our quality. “The quality that we are able to achieve is testament to the skill and dedication of our people. We have hit an all-time high, which is down to the ongoing efforts and of our highly skilled, motivated team, supported by strong partnerships with key suppliers such as Erodex and their experts such as Andrew. I have developed a great relationship with Andrew over the years and I trust that I or anyone in my team can contact him with a requirement and we don’t have to worry about it. It just gets done, to the usual consistent high standards that Erodex offer”. Senior tool room CNC Miller/ CAM Technician Dave Hill echoes the thoughts of Managing Director Paul: “From a machinability perspective, POCO graphite is totally reliable, and its consistency means I can confidently rely on it when machining the complex and intricate electrodes we require, running lights out 24/7. “From super fine blades to high-definition detail, POCO has never let me down. It is cost efficient too, as cutting tool life is vastly improved and its extremely low wear during the EDM process means fewer electrodes need to be manufactured”. In summing up, Paul concludes “The success of our business is down to the quality of our product, the skill and dedication of our staff and, the support of key suppliers such as Erodex. In a nutshell, we receive expert advice, a consistently high-quality product and service. I would have no hesitation in recommending Erodex and POCO graphite anyone”.

Temps de lecture : 4 minutes

Électrodes en laiton

Les électrodes en laiton d'Erodex offrent des performances exceptionnelles pour les applications d'électroérosion à trous rapides sur le marché américain

Halesowen, Angleterre, mercredi 22 octobre 2025 Erodex continue d'établir la norme industrielle mondiale pour les applications d'électrodes en laiton de haute performance dans les secteurs de l'aérospatiale et de la production d'énergie. Josh Bye, responsable du développement pour l'Europe et l'Amérique du Nord chez Erodex, a récemment expliqué ce qui distingue les tubes Erodex : "Les tubes en laiton Erodex offrent des performances exceptionnelles, combinant des réductions substantielles des temps de cycle avec une concentricité et une cohérence dimensionnelle supérieures. Ces qualités garantissent des taux d'usure et des durées de cycle prévisibles et stables d'un trou de refroidissement à l'autre. Il s'agit là d'un avantage essentiel pour nos clients qui s'orientent vers un processus d'électroérosion de plus en plus automatisé. Nos capacités de fabrication uniques permettent à nos clients de repousser les limites du possible, en obtenant des longueurs toujours plus grandes dans des diamètres plus petits, avec précision et fiabilité". "L'augmentation constante des exigences de production dans les secteurs de l'aérospatiale et de la production d'énergie signifie que la vitesse et la fiabilité du processus d'électroérosion à trous rapides sont primordiales", poursuit M. Bye. "En tant que fournisseur de tubes en laiton recommandé par un grand nombre des principaux fabricants de moteurs en Europe et aux États-Unis, et avec plus de 50 ans d'expérience dans l'industrie, nous comprenons parfaitement les exigences de nos clients en matière d'électroérosion. Lors d'une récente évaluation avec un équipementier moteur de premier plan, les tubes en laiton d'Erodex ont permis de réduire les temps de cycle de plus de 25 %. Ce résultat exceptionnel a permis à Erodex d'être reconnu comme le fournisseur recommandé pour d'autres installations de forage rapide au sein du groupe. Erodex s'engage à fournir à ses clients des tubes en laiton et en cuivre de haute qualité, conçus pour les applications exigeantes de l'électroérosion à percussion rapide. Sa capacité d'approvisionnement globale - avec des installations de distribution en Amérique du Nord et au Royaume-Uni - associée à une expertise technique approfondie et à des partenariats OEM de longue date, fait d'Erodex un partenaire de confiance pour les solutions de tubes de précision.

Temps de lecture : 4 minutes

Site d'usinage d'Erodex Midlands

Erodex va de succès en succès

Avec un nouveau mois de ventes fantastiques, Erodex UK Limited poursuit sa trajectoire de croissance en 2025. L'entreprise, l'un des principaux fournisseurs de graphite et de consommables pour l'électroérosion, continue d'enregistrer une hausse de la demande sur ses principaux marchés. James Kirk, directeur des opérations du groupe, a déclaré : "Notre succès continu en 2025 témoigne du travail acharné de toute l'équipe d'Erodex - que nous aimerions remercier à cette occasion - et de l'excellence de nos produits, qu'il s'agisse de graphite, de solutions d'outillage ou de notre gamme complète de produits consommables pour l'électroérosion. Nous sommes enthousiasmés par les opportunités que nous offre notre clientèle et nous nous réjouissons de poursuivre notre trajectoire ascendante au cours des 12 à 18 prochains mois". Cette performance record reflète l'importance accordée par Erodex à l'innovation, à la qualité et aux partenariats avec les clients, ce qui lui permet de se positionner pour une croissance soutenue et de nouvelles opportunités sur les marchés nationaux et internationaux. Site d'usinage des Midlands - Erodex (UK) Ltd

Temps de lecture : 4 minutes

Rejoignez notre liste de diffusion !

    Nouvelles & Blog "
    Conçu par Mooch Creative Studio. Un autre partenariat avec Digital Gap.