Located close to the world-famous Silverstone racetrack in Northamptonshire, it comes as no surprise that EDM Precision Technologies Ltd plays a major role in servicing the Formula One and wider motorsport industries. Since its inception, the company has been machining precision components for a host of sectors that include aerospace, defence, medical and toolmaking.

To carve a niche in the highly-competitive subcontract market segment, the business has a specialisation in EDM technology; it is here that Mitsubishi wire EDM technology from the Engineering Technology Group (ETG) has helped set this company apart from its rivals. Extending the gap between itself and the competition, EDM Precision has invested in four additional Mitsubishi machines in the past four years.

Now approaching 30 years in business, the company has a range of turning and machining centres, but with EDM drilling, spark erosion and 10 Mitsubishi wire EDM machines – it is evident where the expertise of EDM Precision lies. The company now has a Mitsubishi FX10K, QA10, FA20, FA20-S, two FA10-S, MV1200R, MV1200S, an MV1200S II plus an MV2400R, so it is safe to say that EDM Precision implicitly trusts the productivity, technology, reliability, service and support of the Mitsubishi brand.

Discussing the journey, company director Paul Waldron says: “We started as a small general subcontract and toolmaking machine shop in 1992, and quickly noticed our EDM work becoming more prominent. In 1994, we changed the company name to EDM Precision Technologies and bought our first Mitsubishi wire EDM machine, a CX20. Over the years we’ve had numerous CX20 machines. Our philosophy has been to replace old machines with new technology, so we’ve probably had over 30 Mitsubishi EDM machines in the past 30 years.”

Conforming to both ISO9001 and AS9100 Rev D, EDM Precision pays particular attention to the quality of the components it manufactures, which is why the company is trusted by more than five Formula One teams with more than 150 Formula One orders in the past 12 months. Some components for the suspension, gearboxes, wind tunnel and test components are ideal for production by EDM techniques.

Looking at the current machine, which has more than 20 machine tools on-site, Waldron says: “We have a range of machining and metrology technologies on-site and, at present, we have 14 Mitsubishi machines – 10 Wire EDMs, three spark eroders and a Mitsubishi EDM hole drilling machine.”

He adds: “When we bought our first one or two machines, we were impressed with the quality, productivity and service – the complete package. This gave us no reason to look elsewhere. There are three very good reasons for buying the Mitsubishi machines from ETG. Firstly, we now have enough experience to service and carry out repairs on the machines ourselves. But when we do need external service and support, ETG provides us with service engineers that we’ve worked with for almost 30 years. This level of expertise is unparalleled.”

Another factor is quality, as Waldron outlines: “There are only three or four high-quality EDM brands in the industry, and Mitsubishi sits at the top of that tree in our opinion. We’ve got some Mitsubishi machines that have been here 20 years and still work perfectly fine, which is a great testament to their build quality and longevity. Of course, we’ve received calls from other brands with some ridiculously attractive offers, but a different brand would now disrupt our shop-floor synergy.”

The first two reasons for investing dovetail perfectly with the third reason, which Waldron sets out: “Our operators are all very familiar with the Mitsubishi machines. With EDM being the perfect technology for having one operator to run three or four machines, our shop-floor team can easily interchange between the various Mitsubishi models. Although the control systems have evolved incredibly over the years, they retain a familiarity that allows our operators to get the best out of the machines. This experience also positions the team well for undertaking maintenance tasks.”

In the past four years, the 12-employee company has installed an MV1200S wire EDM, an EA12S spark erosion machine, an MV2400R and an MV1200S wire EDM machine – all arriving between August 2019 and May 2022. The MV2400R is a perfect example of the investment strategy.

“Our MV2400R was installed in August 2021 and it replaced a 15-year-old machine,” states Waldron. “With the old machine, the automatic thread system had become unreliable, resulting in downtime. Additionally, the precision we require for Formula One customers can be within microns, and with worn parts after years of service the machine was still precise to within 25 µm – but this is not precise enough for a lot of our work. The new MV2400R is also 60% faster than the old machine and the efficiency is exceptional. From wire consumption through to power consumption and extended running hours, there is a major difference.”

The latest machine installed was the MV1200S, which landed in May.

“This wasn’t a swap-out machine; we went from nine to 10 wire EDMs with the MV1200S,” says Waldron. “We recently won a contract for producing parts for the power-generation industry and the customer started to ramp up production, so we needed extra capacity. With an EDM cycle time of 4 hours per part and 60 parts required each month, we acquired the MV1200S. The MV1200S and another EDM machine are producing four parts each day. If this was an older machine, the cycle times would be extended to the point that it would be a challenge to fulfil the order without introducing shift work. Moreover, we are noticing efficiencies in our consumable purchasing. We’re using significantly less linear metres and kilograms of wire on the new machines, while reducing our cycle times by up to 60%.

“Having a business model developed to suit the fast-paced, short-turnaround, high-quality demands of industry is something that our other customers benefit from,” he continues. “With components ranging from 1-offs to small batches, turnaround time is essential. We use Esprit CAM software from ETG and we program all of our machines offline. A lot of our customers now send us 3D models that we can rapidly convert into CAM files. With large touchscreen monitors offering step-by-step dialogue guidance, work scheduling, 3D depiction and collision detection, the machines are very user-friendly and intuitive.”

In conclusion, Waldron says: “The Mitsubishi brand is everything you could ever want from a machine tool supplier. The machines are high in quality, reliable, productive, user-friendly, and fast to set up and change over, and the technology in the new machines minimises costs, energy and consumable consumption. The service and support have been exemplary and the staff love working on the new machines. In an era where there is a skill shortage and staff retention can be a challenge, the user interface and level of technology in the Mitsubishi machines keep our team engaged and happy, and it makes other engineers want to work in our business.”
For further information www.engtechgroup.com

Mills CNC, the exclusive distributor of DN Solutions’ (previously Doosan) machine tools in the UK and Ireland, has supplied leading precision subcontract specialist MJ Engineering with three high-performance machine. Equipped with the latest Fanuc controls and all ordered at the same time in February 2022, the machines comprise two 6” chuck Lynx 2100LYA compact lathes and a large-capacity DNM 6700 three-axis vertical machining centre.

The machines were installed at MJ Engineering’s 7500 sq ft manufacturing facility in Market Harborough between April and August 2022, and are being used to machine complex, high-precision components for a number of UK and international customers operating in the motorsport, oil and gas and aerospace sectors, to name but a few.

This latest investment is significant and totally in keeping with family-owned MJ Engineering’s commitment to continuous improvement which, according to managing director, David Simpkin, “enables us to provide customers with high-quality, competitively-priced machined components delivered on time, every time”. It also is proof positive that the company’s progressive and strategically-led capex investment programme, in place for over 10 years but interrupted by the pandemic, is now back in full swing.

Says Simpkin: “Prior to the Covid-19 outbreak, we regularly invested in new, advanced machine tools and ancillary technologies. On average, since 2012, we acquired two new machines every year as a route to increasing our machining capacity and improving our machining capabilities.”

Since 2012, when MJ Engineering relocated to its current premises, the company has invested in 12 new Doosan machines – some to replace older machines – others to provide additional capacity. A common theme running through the company’s most recent investments is a focus on multi-tasking machine tools that has enabled the company to improve its productivity and process efficiencies by machining precision parts to completion in fewer set-ups with reduced labour and fixturing costs.

“Our most recently acquired lathes are equipped with integrated Y axes,” says Simpkin. “This, in addition to many of our lathes with bar feeders, has resulted in us becoming more productive and better able to meet the stringent lead-time requirements demanded by our motorsport and oil and gas customers.”

The same emphasis on multi-tasking capabilities is evident with its machining centres. MJ Engineering’s new DNM 6700 and a DNM 650 II, purchased back in 2015, both have multi-axis capabilities achieved via the use and interchange of a 4th-axis unit. Indeed, the company is a firm advocate of Doosan machine tools, having invested in 12 machines since 2009.

Explains Simpkin: “Doosan lathes and machining centres are technically-excellent, high-performance machines. They are reliable and represent good value. Our experience with Doosan machines supplied by Mills CNC meant that when we decided to invest in new machines at the start of the year, we naturally approached Mills to discuss our requirements.”

Like many UK component manufacturers, the outbreak of the pandemic in 2020 and subsequent lockdown restrictions, had an impact on MJ Engineering and, in particular, on its Formula One customers: the upshot being the postponement and cancellation of a number of races plus a significant scaling back of motorsport teams’ research and development activities and their subcontract machining requirements.

“It did have an impact on us as we work with many Formula One team,” recalls Simpkin. “However, owing to a number of factors, the pandemic didn’t hit us as hard as it did many other manufacturers.”

Like many companies, MJ Engineering responded positively to the national Ventilator Challenge which was announced by the Government in March 2020. During an eight-week period (April – June), the company was contracted to machine, in large volumes, high-precision ventilator components made primarily from PTFE and aluminium. To achieve the volumes required, MJ Engineering’s four Lynx lathes, integrated with bar feeders, were running 24/7 for eight weeks.

“It was a tall order but we, and our Lynx lathes, were up to the task,” says Simpkin. “The temporary postponement of our motorsport business meant we had the capacity available, and our in-house turning technology and unrivalled machining expertise of our staff enabled us to complete the contract.”

In response to Covid-19, an existing MJ Engineering customer involved in the manufacture and supply of oxygen cylinders, significantly ramped up its production requirements from 2000 to 12,000 parts per month.

“The increase in demand from this long-established customer was unexpected but, with the additional capacity freed-up by the disruption to our motorsport business, we were able to machine the parts, in the volumes required, on one of our Lynx 220LM (chucking) lathes,” explains Simpkin.

Being declared ‘essential and protected’, the oil and gas industry was not subject to the same restrictions as many other sectors. As a recognised ‘specialist’ precision subcontractor with years of experience in the sector, and with proven expertise in machining tough and difficult-to-machine materials to tight geometric tolerances and super-fine surface finishes, MJ Engineering’s oil and gas business suffered no serious decline during the pandemic.

With business getting back to normal, and the motorsport sector in particular returning to pre-Covid levels, MJ Engineering is on the investment trail once more. The company’s most recent three-machine-tool order is testament to that.

Says Simpkin: “Two of the new machines we acquired replace older models; the third machine was purchased to give us extra capacity.”

The first 6” chuck Lynx 2100LYA, equipped with a 15 kW/6000 rpm spindle and a 12-station servo-driven turret, has a ±52.5 mm Y axis and driven tooling capability (5000 rpm).
This machine provides MJ Engineering with additional turning capacity and is finding use as a second-operation chucking lathe, machining the back-end of parts.

MJ Engineering’s DNM 6700 is a large-capacity vertical machining centre that has significantly strengthened the company’s milling capabilities. The machine is equipped with an 18.5 kW/12,000 rpm spindle, a 30-position ATC and a 1500 x 670 mm worktable. Notably, the machine has replaced a smaller DNM 400 machining centre acquired by MJ Engineering in 2010 and joins the previously mentioned DNM 650 II vertical machine to provide the company with an impressive milling resource.

With its large worktable, the DNM 6700 is able to machine multiple smaller parts in a single set-up, as well as processing larger components: a recent job involved the machining of a 1000 x 600 mm forged titanium component in a cycle time of 5 hours.

Similar to the Lynx 2100LYA installed in April (except with a 16-station turret), the latest machine has replaced a Lynx 220LM lathe purchased by the company in 2015. This machine has been integrated with a bar feeder to enable continuous production and the ability to run unattended overnight.

Being committed to continuous improvement involves more than investing in new machine tools – important as that is. To improve its performance even further, MJ Engineering has recently invested in a new ERP system to manage day-to-day business operations in real time and is actively considering developing its own apprenticeship programme to help train and develop new talent.

Future upgrades to MJ Engineering’s existing machine tool portfolio are already well underway.
For further information www.millscnc.co.uk