Lipco

What Lipco does

Lipco Engineering Limited is a UK-headquartered precision engineering manufacturer founded in 1980, operating from a 15,000 sq ft facility in Three Legged Cross, Wimborne, Dorset, with additional manufacturing capacity in Lancashire. The company provides custom CNC-machined parts and assemblies to Tier One buyers across six verticals — aerospace, automotive, defence, motorsport, oil and gas, and rail — with named programme involvement in the Boeing 787 Dreamliner, Airbus A380/A350/A320neo, Eurofighter, and Formula 1 engagements for Lotus and Mercedes F1. The firm holds a stacked regulatory credential set including AS9100 Revision D, EN 9100:2018, ISO 9001:2015, NADCAP, JOSCAR, Cyber Essentials, and Pall Aerospace approval.

Core capabilities span CNC milling (3, 4, and full 5-axis), CNC turning with 5-axis mill-turn capability, CNC grinding, and wire erosion EDM achieving tolerances down to 5 microns and precision between 0.004 mm and 0.040 mm. Programming is delivered through Delcam and Mastercam CAD/CAM offline workflows. A proprietary Fast Track Process, built on Quick Response Manufacturing principles, supports reduced lead times via dedicated project managers, while a separate New Product Introduction (NPI) facility handles prototyping and ramp-up as a discrete unit. Exotic alloy machining capability (titanium, Inconel, Hastelloy) and complementary services — surface treatments, in-house CMM inspection, and Statistical Process Control — round out the technical offering. Historic production capacity figures indicate multi-shift utilisation with turning operating up to 720 hours per day and milling up to 550 hours per day across the equipment fleet.

Revenue is generated through project-based, custom manufacturing services sold via direct enterprise field sales to OEM and Tier One customers. Pricing is quote-driven based on material, complexity, tolerance, and volume rather than published list pricing. Go-to-market is delivered through dedicated account and project managers, including sector specialists for motorsport, new business, and quality. The customer roster spans Boeing, Airbus, Thales, the UK Ministry of Defence, Pall Aerospace, Mercedes F1, Lotus, Aston Martin, GE Oil & Gas, Baker Hughes, Knorr Bremse, Honeywell, GKN, Turbomeca/Safran, Cobham, Eaton, and University College London (COVID ventilator partnership). Lipco is privately held; private investors have committed over £2.5 million to equipment capital since 2011, and detailed cap-table information is not disclosed.

Name

Lipco

Legal name

Lipco Engineering Limited

Website

https://lipco.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1980

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Lipco Engineering Limited is a UK precision engineering manufacturer founded in 1980, providing CNC milling, turning, grinding, and wire-EDM components to Tier One customers across aerospace, defence, motorsport, automotive, oil & gas, and rail sectors.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Wimborne

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Precision Engineering Manufacturing Services: One-off custom precision machined parts and components for aerospace, automotive, defence, motorsport, oil and gas, and rail industries. Revenue generated from CNC milling, turning, grinding, and wire erosion services. Also includes assembly and test services.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Lipco provides precision engineering manufacturing services including CNC milling (3, 4, and 5-axis), CNC turning, CNC grinding, and wire erosion EDM for Tier One companies in aerospace, defence, automotive, motorsport, oil and gas, and rail sectors. Services are complemented by CAD/CAM offline programming, CMM inspection, surface treatments, and a proprietary Fast Track Process for rapid turnaround. Lipco operates from 15,000 sq. ft. facilities in Dorset, UK with additional manufacturing capacity in Lancashire.

Product overview

Lipco is a precision engineering service provider founded in 1980, offering a unified suite of manufacturing capabilities to Tier One companies. The core portfolio includes CNC Milling (3/4/5-axis), CNC Turning (including 5-axis mill-turn), CNC Grinding, and Wire Erosion/EDM services, complemented by CAD/CAM offline programming (using Delcam and Mastercam), comprehensive Inspection/CMM services, and Surface Treatment options. A key differentiator is the Fast Track Process — a bespoke expedited service based on QRM principles that reduces lead times while maintaining quality. Lipco also operates a dedicated New Product Introduction (NPI) facility as a separate unit for prototyping and new product development. Services are delivered across multiple industry sectors including Aerospace, Automotive, Defence, Motorsport, Oil & Gas, and Rail.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• CNC Milling Services Precision CNC milling services offering 3, 4, and 5-axis machining capabilities with maximum size up to 1000mm x 600mm x 500mm, operating up to 550 hours per day. Designed for Tier One companies in aerospace, defence, automotive, motorsport, oil and gas, and rail sectors requiring complex precision components.
• CNC Turning Services Precision CNC turning services including full 5-axis mill/turn capability for workpieces up to 650mm diameter and up to 3m long, operating up to 720 hours per day. Capabilities include gear cutting and complex turned parts for aerospace, defence, and industrial customers.
• CNC Grinding Services CNC precision grinding services including center and internal grinding for workpieces up to 250mm diameter and 1000mm length, operating up to 120 hours per day. Suited to high-precision finishing of precision components.
• Wire Erosion / EDM Services Spark/Wire Erosion (EDM) services providing precision between 0.004mm and 0.040mm with up to 5-micron tolerance, operating 72 hours per day. Non-contact process prevents work-piece distortion or stress, suited to hardened materials and complex geometries.
• Inspection Services Comprehensive inspection and quality control services including CMM (Coordinate Measuring Machine) inspection up to 750mm cubed, First Article Inspection (FAIR), and Statistical Process Control (SPC). Supports aerospace, defence, and other regulated industry quality requirements.
• CAD/CAM Offline Programming Offline programming services using Delcam and Mastercam CAD/CAM software, enabling manufacture of complex parts including 5-axis impellers and highly complex geometries. Supports customers from prototype through production.
• Surface Treatments Metal surface treatment services including Sulphuric Anodise (with various seal options including black dye), Chromate Conversion Coating, and Passivation treatments. Used in conjunction with precision machined components.
• Fast Track Process A bespoke expedited manufacturing service based on Quick Response Manufacturing (QRM) principles, providing shorter lead times with same quality and reduced costs, with dedicated Project Managers. Particularly valued by motorsport and time-sensitive Tier One customers.
• New Product Introduction (NPI) State-of-the-art manufacturing facility providing new product introduction services, operated as a separate entity from established regular work. Supports prototyping and new product development for customers across Lipco's served industries.

Quantifiable outcome

• Wire erosion tolerance of up to 5 microns
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers9 records

Segments7 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

14 partnerships are on record, tiered flagship and core.

• Mercedes F1flagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 23 April 2020COVID-19 ventilator CPAP device partnership with Mercedes F1 and UCL. Lipco manufactured 33,000 knobs, 2,000 valve bodies, and 1,000 air covers for ventilator devices. Parts for initial 100 units delivered in under 24 hours.
• University College LondonflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 23 April 2020Healthcare ventilator partnership with UCL for COVID-19 response. Lipco part of supply chain for continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) device production.
• Knorr BremsecoreOthersRail industry partnership with world-class rail company Knorr Bremse, supplying precision components and maintaining long-term supplier relationships with focus on continuous improvement programs.
• GE Oil & GascoreOthersOil and Gas sector partnership with GE Oil & Gas for precision machining of components.
• BIS (Baker Hughes)coreOthersOil and Gas industry partnership with BIS (Baker Hughes) for precision machined components.
• HoneywellcoreOthersCommercial sector partnership with Honeywell for precision engineering components.
• GKNcoreOthersCommercial sector partnership with GKN for precision components.
• Turbomeca (Safran)coreOthersAerospace propulsion partnership with Turbomeca (now part of Safran) for precision aerospace components.
• ThalescoreOthersDefence sector partnership with Thales for precision engineering components for defence applications.
• MOD (UK Ministry of Defence)coreOthersUK Ministry of Defence defence industry partnership for precision components.
• CobhamcoreOthersAerospace sector partnership with Cobham for precision aerospace components.
• EatoncoreOthersAerospace sector partnership with Eaton for precision aerospace components.
• Aston MartincoreOthersAutomotive sector partnership with Aston Martin for precision automotive components.
• LotuscoreOthersAutomotive sector partnership with Lotus for precision automotive and motorsport components.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Avingtrans: UK-listed precision engineering group serving aerospace, scientific, and industrial markets. Comparable on UK manufacturing footprint and multi-sector contract machining strategy.
• Wallwork Group: UK precision engineering services provider offering heat treatment, surface treatments, and subcontract machining. Comparable on UK precision-services footprint and aerospace certifications.
• Senior plc: UK-listed precision engineering subcontractor serving aerospace, defence, and land-vehicle OEMs. Closest publicly comparable peer given UK footprint, multi-sector strategy, and aerospace supplier certifications.
• Doncasters Group: UK-based precision castings and machined components supplier serving aerospace, defence, and industrial markets. Comparable on aerospace subcontract manufacturing and exotic-material capability.
• Magellan Aerospace: Canadian aerospace components manufacturer producing precision machined parts and assemblies for Boeing, Airbus, and defence primes. Comparable on aerospace precision components and exotic-material machining.
• Sigma Components: Specialist UK precision engineering supplier to aerospace and industrial OEMs. Comparable on aerospace precision machining and subcontract model to Tier 1 customers.

Broad incumbents

• Hexcel: US-listed advanced composites supplier to aerospace and defence primes including Boeing and Airbus. Comparable as a qualified supplier to the same Tier 1 customers, though focused on composites rather than metals.
• Meggitt (Parker Hannifin): Large aerospace components and systems supplier owned by Parker Hannifin. Comparable as broader aerospace supplier exposure but operates at meaningfully larger scale across full sub-systems rather than subcontract parts.

Emerging players

• Fictiv: Digital manufacturing marketplace offering on-demand CNC machining and related services. Comparable on precision-parts on-demand model serving industrial customers including aerospace-adjacent demand.
• Xometry: US-listed digital manufacturing marketplace aggregating CNC machining capacity for on-demand parts. Comparable on precision CNC services targeting aerospace and industrial buyers but operates as a platform rather than a captive shop.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/lipco-engineering
• Xx.com/lipcoeng

Compliance5 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Lipco