Paragon supports Datum Tool Design with £1.6m funding

Paragon Bank has provided £1.6m of funding to Northern Ireland-based Datum Tool Design to support the purchase of a new five-axis CNC machining centre, helping the aerospace tooling specialist expand its manufacturing capabilities.

Founded in 1996 and based in Lisburn, Datum Tool designs and manufactures high-precision tooling for major aerospace programmes. The company works with leading manufacturers and supply chains, including Airbus, Bombardier and BAE Systems, delivering composite tooling, assembly fixtures, trimming and drill tooling, as well as build-to-print solutions.

The funding enabled Datum to acquire a Promac Sharav HGVT 4.0, a 22 m five-axis machining centre and the largest machine of its type in Ireland. The investment will allow the company to manufacture larger and more complex tooling in-house, increasing capacity while providing greater control over quality, scheduling and delivery.

Datum’s purchase forms part of a wider growth strategy that also includes a new facility and support from the Aerospace Technology Institute.

The deal was introduced to Paragon by Paul Close Finance and led by business development manager Joe Blanthorn, who says: “Datum Tool Design has built a strong reputation supporting technically demanding aerospace programmes. This investment enhances its ability to undertake larger, more complex projects while demonstrating how asset finance can help established manufacturers invest in productivity and long-term growth.”

Michael Maguire, director at Datum Tool Design, adds: “This new machining centre represents a major investment in the future of our business. It gives us greater capacity, increased flexibility and the ability to manufacture larger, more complex tooling in-house. Paragon and Paul Close Finance understood the importance of the project and collaborated closely with us to deliver the right funding solution.”

Paragon provides asset finance to SMEs across the UK, supporting investment in business-critical equipment, vehicles and machinery.

More information www.paragonbank.co.uk

The long-term partnership behind Notthoff’s success

California-based aerospace subcontractor Notthoff Engineering has strengthened its high-speed machining capacity with the purchase of a second Starrag Ecospeed horizontal machining centre, building on more than a decade of success with its original Ecospeed F 2060.

Founded in 1941 as a wartime job shop, Notthoff Engineering has evolved into a specialist manufacturer of structural aerospace components for major defence programmes, including the F-35, F-47 and F-16. Operating from a 65,000 ft² facility in Huntington Beach, the company machines predominantly aluminium components, often removing up to 95% of the original billet material.

The company’s first Ecospeed F 2060 was installed in 2013 following an extensive evaluation process. According to COO Arnie Juarez, the machine’s patented Sprint Z3 parallel-kinematic head proved decisive: “Most large horizontal machines have heavy rotating heads that limit speed and productivity. The Z3 head accelerates incredibly quickly, allowing us to machine parts much faster than other machines on the market.”

More than 13 years after installation, the original machine continues to hold tolerances within one-thousandth of an inch without major overhaul. The latest addition, an Ecospeed F 1540, provides complementary capacity for smaller components, enabling the more efficient utilisation of both machines.

Both feature dual-pallet configurations to maximise spindle uptime and support around-the-clock production. The Ecospeed platform also enables the completion of complex machining operations in a single set up, helping Notthoff meet increasingly demanding aerospace specifications.

Juarez also highlights Starrag’s aftersales support as a key factor behind the repeat investment: “They’ve always stood behind their product. When support is needed, they respond quickly and understand that machine uptime is critical to our business.”More information www.starrag.com

Holistic approach to gears on five-axis CNC machining centre

For decades, precision gear production has relied on highly specialised machines and dedicated tooling, limiting flexibility, increasing costs and restricting innovation. Dontyne Gears is challenging that model through a combination of advanced software and an Okuma Genos M460V-5AX machining centre supplied by NCMT.

The company’s objective was to develop software capable of generating machining strategies and NC code directly from gear design data, enabling complex gears to be produced on a standard five-axis machining centre using readily available tooling. The Okuma Genos M460V-5AX provided the platform required to turn that vision into reality.

“The machine gave Dontyne the flexibility and precision needed to validate its software,” says Andrew Skee, sales manager at NCMT. “It demonstrates that aerospace-level accuracy and repeatability can be achieved on a versatile machining platform rather than dedicated gear-cutting equipment.”

According to Dr Michael Fish, director of Dontyne Systems, the machine has transformed the company’s ability to prove and refine its technology: “Having the Okuma machine in-house allowed us to validate our software on real components. We can generate machining code for complex gear forms in seconds and, with integrated Renishaw Sprint measurement technology, verify results directly on the machine. After extensive development work, we are often achieving ISO 4-5 gear quality on the first attempt.”

Dontyne’s Gear Production Suite creates a digital twin of a gear design, automatically generating manufacturing and inspection data. The system has successfully produced a wide range of gear forms, including spiral bevels, hypoids, helicals and internal gears, all on a single five-axis platform.

Supported by research funded through the British Gear Association, the project is demonstrating that complex gears can be produced more quickly, economically and flexibly than traditional methods.

More information www.ncmt.co.uk

Subcontractor reinvests in automated five-axis machining

When Allan Carabine, owner and managing director of Milton Keynes subcontractor MK Precision, visited the MACH exhibition in Birmingham earlier this year, he had a clear objective: to invest in CNC machinery and automation that would further enhance manufacturing efficiency. On the final day of the show, he placed an order for a Hurco VMX42SRTi five-axis machining centre and a PC25 Kawasaki robot cell, the first machine tending cell based on a six-axis industrial robot exhibited by Hurco.

A strong advocate of advanced manufacturing technology, Carabine was also the first UK customer to install a Hurco ProCobot in 2021. His early feedback helped Hurco refine both the design and software of the automation system, contributing to the robust solution available today.

Supplying industries including motorsport, rail, defence, photography and cryogenics, MK Precision continually invests in new equipment to maintain a competitive advantage. The latest automated production cell will enable the company to undertake larger and more complex prismatic machining projects while maximising the benefits of lights-out production.

“All of our machinery has to offer flexibility,” says Carabine. “The VMX42SRTi allows us to manufacture large components in a single set up, while the PC25 robot ensures the next job can start automatically, even if the previous one finishes overnight or at a weekend.”

The VMX42SRTi is scheduled for delivery in July, with automation to be integrated later this year. Having already gained experience of Hurco’s five-axis machining and automation software, MK Precision expects a smooth transition.

Notably, the cell uses Hurco’s Job Manager software, which requires operators to simply select a work-holding location and program. With no specialist robot programming knowledge needed, training can be completed in as little as one day.

More information www.hurco.co.uk

£1.9 Million Investment

Northwest SME manufacturers are investing £1.9m in digital technologies to boost productivity, create jobs and accelerate growth, with support from Made Smarter. Some 30 manufacturers have secured a combined £604,000 of funding through the Government-backed technology adoption programme. Among them are businesses producing everything from industrial machinery to advanced engineering components. The latest tranche of projects includes investments in automation and robotics, digital inventory systems, production monitoring, cloud-based platforms, and advanced manufacturing technologies.

More information www.madesmarter.uk