Subcontractor Capabilities Beyond Engineering (CBE+) has installed its first five-axis vertical machining centre (VMC), a German-built Spinner U630 supplied by Whitehouse Machine Tools, The aim is to overcome the complex manufacturing challenges of an R&D space component project ahead of high-volume production.

Based in Chesterfield, CBE+ operates from a 100,000 sq ft facility, providing precision CNC machining, electroless nickel plating and complementary manufacturing services. Its integrated approach allows customers to streamline supply chains through a single manufacturing partner.

The investment was driven by the need to produce a complex, high-tolerance aluminium component that would otherwise have required multiple operations on three- and four-axis machines.

“While we had the engineering expertise to produce the part, we needed the right machine tool to enable cost-effective component production,” says Marie Cooper, CEO of CBE+. “The quality and versatility of the Spinner VMC, coupled with Whitehouse’s technical capabilities when configuring the machine for our requirements, proved an ideal combination.”

The Spinner U630 features a 650 mm-diameter tilting rotary table, with a removable outer ring reducing the interference profile to 500 mm when machining at angles of 90° and beyond. This capability provides improved tool access and allows the use of shorter, more stable cutters for high-accuracy features.

“The success of this project has resulted in our becoming a strategic partner to the space industry customer,” adds Cooper. “They were impressed with how we machine the high-value component accurately in a single clamping.”

The investment also supports the ambition of CBE+ to triple revenue over the next 3 to 5 years, while strengthening its ability to offer advanced machining services to customers worldwide.

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