FEATURE ON CNC MILLS & MACHINING CENTRES

Precision machining at fast processing speeds

Mills CNC has recently supplied AEP Precision Engineering, a precision engineering specialist and the CNC machining subsidiary of parent company Smith Metal Fabrications, with a new vertical machining centre from DN Solutions. The fourth-generation DNM 5700 is one of Mills CNC’s most popular three-axis machining centres and was installed at AEP Precision’s Newhaven machine shop in May 2024.

The machine, supplied with a 4th-axis unit to increase its versatility and help realise its productivity potential, has been positioned adjacent to the company’s first DNM 5700 machine tool investment – a second-generation three-axis model acquired in 2020. Together, these machines provide the company with a flexible CNC milling resource that is capable of meeting AEP Precision’s immediate and future machining requirements.

Since installation, the latest DNM 5700 has been put through its paces machining a range of complex, high-precision components from materials that include mild steel, stainless steel, aluminium, brass, bronze, copper and engineering plastics. A specific job involved the machining of 20 decorative metal rosettes for a pair of replacement doors for Trafalgar House in London.

The rosettes, a number of which were missing or were damaged, were originally made in the 1800s from bronze castings. Using AEP Precision’s reverse engineering skills and expertise – as well as its 3D scanning technologies – the company was able to manufacture a series of cost-effective replacement rosettes machined on the new DNM 5700 from solid aluminium billets.

Says David Mayers, director at Smith Metal Fabrications: “The addition of the 4th-axis unit has been really beneficial and means we can now machine complex, high-precision components in a single set up. Reducing ‘stop-start’ production and the time and expense associated with re-fixturing jobs has improved our productivity and efficiency.”

More information www.millscnc.co.uk

CNC machine improves toolroom productivity

Sustainable injection moulding specialist Great Central Plastics (GCP), which is committed to continuous improvement, has strengthened its in-house toolroom’s machining capabilities by investing in a new three-axis vertical machining centre from MACH Machine Tools. The machine’s arrival has had a direct and immediate impact on the company’s toolroom productivity, improving floor-to-floor times and optimising process efficiencies.

The machine, a DynaPath-controlled MACH MDV 855-S, was installed at GCP’s facility in Northamptonshire in December 2024, and is the first production-oriented CNC machine tool acquired by the company in its 27-year history.

Post installation, the machine has been put through its paces producing a range of high-precision mould tool components that include bolsters, plates, cavities, core inserts and supporting fixtures for GCP’s custom-designed and built mould tools. The machine was selected after conducting cutting trials at MACH’s Bristol facility.

Says Phil Brown, GCP’s toolroom manager: “We were impressed with the machine’s ability to deliver the accuracies, surface finishes and processing speeds we need.”

MACH Machine Tools’ MACH MDV 855-S features the DynaPath CNC control with a 15.6” LCD touchscreen. It can be used for conversational and ISO programming, and has 8 GB of memory and a 10,000 block look-ahead capability for fast and smooth contouring and profiling. The control also enables customers to access MACH’s 24/7 (Wi-Fi) remote service and support facility for real-time diagnostics, troubleshooting and applications advice.

“The remote assistance function is really useful, and I’ve had occasion to use it when I had an issue with the machine’s tool changer,” says Brown. “I’d made a programming error but, after logging into our company’s account was able, via the ‘What’s App’ link, to talk directly with MACH’s technical support staff to solve the problem quickly.”

More information www.machmt.co.uk

Subcontractor takes control with XYZ bed mill

Manufacturing parts used in everything from bakeries and canning lines to subsea submersibles, betting shops and poodle parlours, Leeds-based Industrial Plastics Supplies makes products that are used in the unlikeliest of places and is now aided in its production with the acquisition of a new XYZ RMX 4000 bed mill.

“The need to invest in a CNC milling machine came after we looked at our costings and lead times,” reveals managing director Chris Luty. “Although we had two routers, there was a limitation on thickness of cut, which often left us with no choice but to outsource. Having done the sums, we decided to purchase a machine that could do thicker work in-house.”

Following a recommendation, Industrial Plastics Supplies contacted XYZ.

“XYZ came in to see us straight away, taking the time to look at our work and even provide some cycle time estimations using XYZ bed mills,” says Luty. “After a subsequent visit to the XYZ showroom in Huddersfield we decided to go for the RMX 4000. Delivering 5.75 kW to the ISO40 spindle through a two-speed head ensures the cutting capability is vastly superior to our routing machines.”

He adds: “The machine, moving at 10 m/min rapid traverse, has reduced our non-cutting times tremendously, while the defaults feature in the ProtoTRAK control allows us to set up the machine exactly the way we want to work. It fills in some of the prompts automatically during conversational programming and helps minimise any mistakes as we go. But still one of the greatest things on the ProtoTRAK control is the TRAKing feature. The ability to wind the handles, which in turn run the program, is so confidence inspiring.”

More information www.xyzmachinetools.com

Industry and education collaboration success

A partnership between SIGMA Clermont Engineering School and Fives Machining represents a model of collaboration between the worlds of education and industry that is crucial for training the engineers of tomorrow and ensuring the future of industry in France.

SIGMA Clermont Engineering School, born from the merger of the French Institute of Advanced Mechanics (established in 1991) and the National School of Chemistry of Clermont-Ferrand (founded in 1908), has rapidly established itself as a key player in training engineers in mechanical engineering and chemistry.

In the context of constant evolution, the school has developed a strategic partnership with Fives Machining, a specialist in the manufacture of large-scale machine tools. The partnership, initiated several years ago, is part of a shared commitment to maintaining high-quality industrial offerings in France, particularly in the aerospace, defence, rail, energy and general industry sectors, as well as in the manufacturing of complex, high-value-added parts.

Fives Machining regularly engages with students to enrich their education. Engineers from Fives share their technical know-how by teaching dedicated courses on the design and optimisation of industrial machines. Thanks to a machining centre installed in the school’s workshops, students gain a concrete, hands-on understanding of the challenges faced by industry, whether in complex machining processes, resource management or production optimisation.

“The Fives machining centre we integrated into our workshops is an indispensable tool for our students’ learning,” reports Professor Emmanuel Duc, researcher and professor at the school. “It allows them to machine complex parts each week, which is essential for their practical training and understanding of industrial processes in real-world conditions.”

More information www.fivesgroup.com

Productivity take-off with Starrag machine

By investing in machine tools from Starrag, Missouri-based Seyer Industries has become a major manufacturer of critical aerospace components, evolving a long way from its origins in a farmer’s garage back in 1957.

Today, Seyer is a third-generation family-owned aerospace company that offers four primary product groups. Its activities include supporting customers in the commercial aerospace, military aerospace, military support equipment and maritime industries. The company’s ongoing investment strategy is proving so successful, the AS9100D, ISO9001, ITAR-registered and NADCAP-certified company has grown 20% per annum for the past five years.

Mark Seyer, director of operations, says: “As price and lead time are everything in aerospace, adding the capability of large-capacity machining helps us offer a complete partner solution for more of our customers. To achieve this, we decided to invest in machine tools from Starrag.”

With the project requiring the machining of hard metal parts with dimensions of 1000 x 300 x 300 mm, the billets had to undergo high material removal machining with impeccable precision and surface finishes. The solution was the Starrag Heckert 800 X5 five-axis horizontal machining centre with trunnion design.

Such has been the success of this investment that the company has already committed to machine number two: a six-axis Starrag STC1800-170 set to arrive in autumn 2025. The machine will manufacture large titanium structural parts for the defence industry and, with its 3.3 x 2 x 2 m capacity, the Starrag STC1800-170 will add both capacity and capability to Seyer’s competitive advantage.

“We expect this machine to process stainless steel, titanium and Inconel structural aerospace components, typically in smaller batch sizes in the realm of 2 to 10 pieces,” says Seyer.

More information www.starrag.com