“The real challenge is balancing technical precision and impeccable aesthetics.” – Ennio De Guio, Head of the Mechanical Processing Department, shares how experience, collaboration, and technological innovation help overcome the challenges of product customization.
What was your professional journey before becoming the head of the mechanical processing department at MCS? What skills do you consider essential for this role?
Before joining MCS in 2005, I gained various experiences in the manufacturing sector. I worked for a company producing accessories for compressed air, such as air guns and pressure reducers, and later for a company specializing in the production of cardboard boxes, as well as holding other roles within production environments.
My first five years at MCS were spent as an apprentice, and I was fortunate to learn from Cristian, a colleague who still works with us and played a key role in my training.
As for the essential skills for this role, I believe manual dexterity and precision are absolutely vital, especially in our department, where we work with third-party materials.
Equally important is the ability to anticipate potential issues: being able to identify where problems might arise in advance allows us to manage every project effectively.
How is the mechanical processing department structured, and what are the main technologies and machines you use?
Currently, I manage a team of 2–3 colleagues, which will become four as soon as one of them returns from shoulder surgery. So, in total, we’ll be five people including myself.
In addition to mechanical processing, I also oversee sandblasting, shot peening, and assembly operations that take place on the ground floor of the company, where the department is located.
My journey at MCS was briefly interrupted in 2018, but I returned in 2023. Upon my return, I was pleased to find that all the previous machines had been replaced with more advanced models—especially the milling machines, which had been completely renewed. This technological upgrade was a great incentive to start fresh.
Today we have five new-generation 3-axis milling machines that ensure maximum precision in processing. Moreover, since they are all equipped with full enclosures, they offer a very high safety standard for operators.
Can you describe the complete process of custom milling an electronic enclosure, from customer specifications to the finished product?
The process always starts with receiving the technical specifications and drawings provided by the customer, which are our fundamental point of reference. These drawings may arrive as executable files from the client, which are always verified and, if needed, corrected by our technical office.
In other cases, they are files generated from projects initiated within MCS, in which case the company creates a product specification on behalf of the client. If we don’t already have specific tooling for that product type, the first challenge is to design a clamping system that allows us to securely fix the enclosure during the milling process.
From the technical drawing, I then create the CNC file needed for milling, rigorously following the client’s specifications. The level of collaboration with the Technical Office depends on the complexity of the customization: for standard operations I work independently, while for projects that require special attention to specific tolerances, I always coordinate with my colleagues in the Technical Office.
In some cases, the client provides the components that will later be installed inside the enclosure. This allows us to verify compatibility during the milling phase itself, ensuring a perfect final assembly.
In other cases, the components (circuit boards, glass inserts, labels, keypads, etc.) are produced internally by MCS, and in those cases internal communication between departments is vital. We follow strict internal communication procedures for this reason.
What are the most common challenges your department faces in customizing electronic enclosures, and how do you overcome them?
The main challenge, I believe, lies in the optimal balance between technical precision and aesthetics. It’s not enough for the machining to be functionally precise—electronic enclosures also need to look impeccable, and that’s not always easy due to the high variability in materials and geometries.
This is the real difficulty: ensuring the highest precision in machining without compromising the visual appearance of the enclosure or risking damage during the process.
Another frequent challenge is designing specific equipment for each product type. In some cases, I use innovative solutions like 3D printing to create custom tools, or I seek collaboration with colleagues in other departments.
How does your department collaborate with other areas of MCS to ensure that the enclosures meet both the technical and aesthetic requirements set by clients?
My main point of contact is, of course, the Technical Office, with whom I’m in constant communication. However, collaboration also extends to other departments.
When an enclosure, keypad, or other product moves on to the assembly department, I work with my colleagues there to ensure everything functions properly—for example, we check that the keypad fits perfectly or that there are no protruding screws in the enclosure that could cause issues.
We take the same approach with the painting department: I make sure that each piece leaves my department in optimal condition, free from burrs or defects that could compromise the painting process.
Overall, the goal is to deliver a perfect product to the next department, so it can continue through the production process without delays.
What are the most important quality parameters you monitor during production, and what control processes have you implemented?
First and foremost, we conduct strict dimensional checks using precision callipers. In mechanical machining, we aim to maintain a tolerance within two-tenths of a millimetre, though sometimes even tighter tolerances are required and we strive to meet them whenever possible.
This standard is quite stringent, especially considering ISO parameters allow for wider margins, but we prefer this approach to ensure the highest precision.
The precision isn’t limited by our machinery, but rather by the inherent variability of the items we process, which often show physiological differences in shape, flatness, and dimensions.
There is also a visual quality inspection focused on the aesthetic aspect of the product. We don’t just ensure that the product is functionally correct—we also make sure it looks flawless. As mentioned earlier, appearance is a key factor in customer satisfaction.
Can you share an example of a particularly complex project you’ve completed, highlighting how you overcame technical difficulties?
When I returned to MCS, I faced a completely new product. It was an enclosure that required the bonding of several components to create a complete structure using plastic carpentry techniques.
This project was a major challenge because colleagues warned me it had always been problematic and the pieces often turned out inaccurate.
I tackled the situation by designing an innovative piece of equipment: a pneumatic pressure wise that allowed all components to be assembled and clamped simultaneously, enabling optimal conditions for bonding.
It was one of the many small daily challenges we face in our department. In these cases, experience is essential and provides valuable support. The right approach is not to be intimidated by difficulties, but to face them with determination and a touch of creativity.
Which aspects of mechanical customization do your customers appreciate the most?
Working on electronic enclosures is our daily bread—it’s our core market and what we’ve been doing for decades.
Often, customers turn to general mechanical workshops for enclosure customization, but working with moulded plastic parts, or with aluminium or zinc alloy die-cast enclosures, requires very different skills from standard metal milling.
Another limitation of traditional workshops is the need for complete execution files, whereas we offer a more integrated service: we can finish the product with complementary operations such as painting, screen printing, digital printing, laser marking, membrane keypad integration, or adhesive labels—all handled internally.
Another highly appreciated advantage is that, in many cases, we can skip the preliminary sampling phase. This is possible thanks to the experience and cross-functional skills of our team.
If the customer provides the electronic components (boards, connectors, etc.), we can verify the integration directly and deliver a finished, ready-to-use product.
One final question: what are MCS’s key strengths compared to its competitors?
I believe MCS’s real competitive advantage lies in its extraordinary flexibility—the ability to quickly adapt to any production challenge. This trait is supported by a diversified customer portfolio spanning multiple industrial sectors.
Our adaptability is tested daily: it’s not unusual for us to work on completely new products from one day to the next, each with different technical specifications and features.
In my opinion, this versatility has always been MCS’s defining strength in the market and allows us to effectively respond to the diverse needs of our clients.