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Autosport machining

From Car Enthusiast to Skilled Machinist: My Story

By Aaron English
Programmer / Setter / Operator at Shear XL

Growing up, motorsport was always a passion and hobby of mine. After leaving school, I pursued a career in building and mechanical work on race cars. However, a year in, I felt my passion for working on and building my own cars waning. It was then I realised I wanted to shift gears from building cars to manufacturing the parts that went into them.

I decided to test the waters with a two-month contract at Shearline, specifically at Shear XL (SXL), renowned for their vast catalogue of manufacturing parts for championship-winning race cars. From day one, I was mesmerised by the machinery, the skill, and the knowledge of the people there. Witnessing the intricate processes of making the parts I used to fit was a revelation. It ignited my passion for machining.

Two months flew by, and I knew I wanted to stay longer. I requested an extension of my contract until I could start an apprenticeship, and Shearline, demonstrating their flexibility and support, agreed.

The Shearline Group offers a four-year apprenticeship. For the first three years, you split your time between college and work. In the fourth year, you choose either to continue your education with a Higher National Certificate (HNC) or work full-time on site. Shearline fully supports either path.

The first year involves rotating through various departments—Sheet Metal, Hybrid Laser Tech, Inspection, Stores, Milling, Turning, Assembly, and Maintenance. This “Round Robin” approach gave me a comprehensive understanding of the different processes at Shearline and how a part might traverse multiple departments.

Aaron English
Witnessing the intricate processes of making the parts I used to fit was a revelation. It ignited my passion for machining.

Aaron English

In my second year, I moved to SXL and was tasked with helping run the Haas area, which comprised four Haas milling machines (VFO, VF1, VM3, and MINI-MILL). My main job was to learn to set and operate all four machines. A few months in, a staffing issue left me running the Haas machines by myself. Being a second-year apprentice, this responsibility weighed heavily on my shoulders, but with the support of my manager, I rose to the challenge. This trial by fire accelerated my learning curve, and before the end of my second year, I had programmed and completed my first 4th Axis job on a Matsuura 900-HG.

Towards the end of my third year, I faced a crucial decision: continue my education or work full-time at Shearline. The timing was perfect as SXL was about to acquire a new 5th Axis machine, the Matsuura MX-520. Seeing an opportunity to further hone my skills, I chose to stay. Within a month of the machine’s arrival, I had already programmed and run my first 5th Axis part, earning me the Employee of the Month award. This recognition helped me understand the achievement I had made as I really struggle to give myself any praise.

In my fourth year, with the continuing support of my colleagues and manager, I was given the responsibility to run and start new jobs on the MX-520 by myself. It was a very rewarding feeling to have this responsibility, as I had been wanting this position from the day I started. Throughout my fourth year I was continuing to operate the machine while still receiving various training programs to further help me improve my skills.

Today, I am very happy with both the decisions I made and the support I received from Shearline. There wouldn’t be many other places I would recommend, especially starting an apprentice role. I look forward to Shearline investing in some more cutting-edge machinery and processes in the future, fostering the need for more skilled machinists to advance through their apprenticeship program.

First 4th Axis Part
I had programmed and completed my first 4th Axis job on a Matsuura 900-HG.

Find out more about our Apprenticeship program and current vacancies within The Shearline Group.