Mills CNC, the exclusive distributor of machine tools from DN Solutions and Zayer in the UK and Ireland, recently supplied Tufcot Engineering with a new, large-capacity multi-tasking lathe. The machine, a 24” chuck DN Solutions Puma 700LM II featuring driven tooling and FANUC 0iTP control with 15” touchscreen capability, is one of the largest CNC machine tools acquired by Sheffield-based Tufcot in its 43-year history.

Tufcot’s relationship with Mills CNC began in 2005 with the purchase of its first Doosan lathe, a Puma 240LC. Over the past 19 years, more investments with Mills followed and, in early 2024, the company placed an order for the Puma 700LM II and a new 21” chuck Puma 4100MC lathe (due in August 2024). These latest investments take the number of CNC lathes Tufcot has acquired from Mills CNC to 11.

Tufcot’s managing director Greg Majchrzak says: “The high-performance lathes from Mills are real workhorses; they are reliable and deliver the fast processing speeds and high accuracies we need to meet the quality and lead-time demands of customers.”

The Puma 700LM II is machining small batches of high-precision, large diameter Tufcot composite bushes and bearings for customers primarily in the UK and European marine sectors. These parts, machined to tight tolerances, often have long cycle times (hours as opposed to minutes) and a range of intricate milled features.

Says Justin Krebs, Tufcot’s operations manager: “Our own knowledge of composites and their application in the marine sector, combined with expert insight from our international distributor network and existing customers, helped highlight significant new business opportunities that we could exploit if we had larger and more sophisticated in-house turning capabilities.”

More information www.millscnc.co.uk