The importance of tool & equipment control for Precision SIM Engineering
Precision SIM Engineering designs and manufactures high-end control systems for motorsport simulators. Their steering wheel products and data display systems are used in professional-grade racing simulators. These are demanding environments where accuracy, performance, durability and reliability are critical. To maintain these standards during production, the team needed a system that went beyond basic tool storage; one that would support quality control, calibration, and accountability across the workshop.
That requirement led them to KIT by Coplan.
The Challenge
As a manufacturer of top-tier simulator steering wheels, Precision SIM Engineering operates to extremely high standards. Production involves calibrated tools, tight tolerances, and clean, organised workspaces.
Before adopting KIT, the team faced familiar workshop challenges:
- Ensuring tools were consistently returned and available
- Maintaining calibration records across multiple tools
- Running effective tooling audits without unnecessary manual effort
- Avoiding time lost searching for tools during production
- Reordering damaged or missing tooling efficiently
They knew they wanted a visual tooling system, but they also needed something that would actively support quality and efficiency rather than just improve appearance.
The Solution
Precision Sim Engineering was introduced to Coplan during the design phase of their new workshop. While visual tooling was the initial requirement, those early discussions quickly revealed that KIT could deliver far more.
KIT was implemented as a complete visual tooling and asset management system, enabling the team to:
- Lay out tools in a clear, intuitive visual format
- Track tool calibration status directly within the system
- Carry out tooling audits digitally
- Log missing or damaged tools
- Access tool data sheets through a single interface
- Maintain a live, accurate inventory of all workshop tooling
Rather than acting as a passive storage solution, KIT became an active part of the production workflow.
The Results
Since installing KIT in their workshop, Precision SIM Engineering has seen clear operational benefits.
Production speed has improved as engineers no longer waste time searching through toolboxes. Tools are returned quickly, discrepancies are immediately visible, and changeovers between tasks are faster.
Accountability has also improved. With clear visibility of every tool, the team can easily identify missing or damaged items and take action immediately. Reordering tools is simpler and more controlled, reducing downtime and disruption.
Crucially, KIT supports the company’s quality standards. By ensuring the correct tools are used with the correct calibration values, Precision Sim Engineering can consistently deliver the level of product their customers expect.
What I would say to anyone considering KIT for their workshop is that it will make your workshop more efficient, it will keep your workforce accountable for their tooling and I can access a complete list of my tool inventory in just a few clicks, so for us it was completely worth the investment.
Simon Hodgson, Managing Director
Precision SIM Engineering
Watch how Precision SIM Engineering used KIT to improve their management of tools and calibrated items using KIT and a Coplan visual tool management solution.
