SUBCONTRACTING NEWS

Energy Efficiency Drives Swissmatic’s Sliding-Head Purchases 

Citizen Machinery UK has supplied six of the sliding-head CNC lathes currently operating at turned parts subcontractor Swissmatic’s Wishaw factory near Glasgow. According to Ian Corbally, son of founder Jim, the Japanese-built, bar-fed turn-milling centres combine reliable unattended productivity with low power consumption. 

A key enabler of lights-out machining is Citizen’s low frequency vibration (LFV) chip-breaking technology. Integrated into the Mitsubishi control, LFV breaks stringy swarf into manageable chips, reducing the risk of workpiece and tooling damage and eliminating the need for operators to periodically clear accumulated swarf. 

Energy efficiency is equally important to Swissmatic, with Corbally confirming it is ‘100%’ at the forefront of purchasing decisions. In October 2023, the company installed 319 solar panels, reducing grid electricity consumption by approximately 25% over 12 months. 

The latest arrival is a Citizen Cincom Series 2 L32-XII B5 LFV, the first of its type installed in the UK. Featuring a swivelling B-axis tool carrier and upgraded four-axis LFV capability, the nine-axis machine enables full five-axis simultaneous machining and superimposed machining to reduce cycle times. 

It replaces an older 32 mm capacity sliding-head lathe and joins previous Cincom M32-VIII and M16-VIII LFV models, alongside two L12-VII LFV machines acquired for medical component production. 

Swissmatic processes materials including plastic, stainless steel, aluminium and copper, producing everything from prototypes to batches exceeding two million components. 

“We manufacture components ranging from one-off prototypes to production runs of more than two million and the versatility of the Cincoms suits this activity perfectly,” says Corbally. 

Operating 24/7 with minimal attendance, the machines achieve a scrap rate below 0.25% while maintaining tolerances down to four microns total. 

More information www.citizenmachinery.co.uk 

17D Grows Turning Capacity with DN Solutions Lynx 2600M

17D, a precision subcontractor specialising in machining rolling stock replacement and spare parts, has increased its in-house turning capabilities with a new DN Solutions Lynx 2600M lathe from Mills CNC. 

The investment addresses growing demand from main-line, heritage and miniature and narrow-gauge rail customers for small, high-precision, quick-turnaround machined parts. 

Installed in February 2026 at 17D’s 2500 sq ft machine shop in Matlock, the three-axis, 10” chuck Lynx 2600M features a C axis, driven tooling and FANUC i Plus control.  

“Since Covid, we’ve experienced strong growth year-on-year,” says owner and managing director Tristan Dengate. “Our sales turnover increased 35% in 2025 from what it was in 2024 and we’ve doubled our headcount in just a couple of years.”  

With main-line rail customers now accounting for 80% of annual turnover, compared with 20% in 2020, 17D’s two older CNC lathes were creating production bottlenecks and putting pressure on customer lead times. 

Having researched the market and created a detailed machine checklist, 17D initially considered a smaller Lynx 2100M. However, when Mills CNC offered a larger, more powerful Lynx 2600M from stock for immediate delivery, the company placed its order. 

The new machine features an 18.5 kW spindle, 460 mm maximum turning diameter, 658 mm maximum turning length and BMT 55P turret with driven tooling. Supplied with a swarf conveyor, auto tool setter and Filtermist extraction unit, it has already machined shafts, housings, cylinders, couplings and other components in batches from one-offs to 200-off. 

“Opting for the Lynx 2600M with driven tooling enables us to machine larger parts in a single set-up,” concludes Dengate. “The investment has helped us significantly improve productivity and process efficiencies and, more importantly, meet our production schedules and hit customer lead times.” 

More information www.millscnc.co.uk 

DAS Engineering Goes from One XYZ Machine to 25

The installation of an XYZ TC 400 turning centre at DAS Engineering represents the 25th machine purchased from XYZ Machine Tools by this successful subcontract machining business. Dave Stone, owner of DAS, purchased an XYZ Vulcan turning centre back in 2002, marking the start of a relationship that has helped the Yorkshire-based company outgrow two industrial units. 

That original purchase was a story of desire, as Dave recounts: “We visited the MACH 2002 exhibition to see the latest XYZ machines. As soon as I saw the Vulcan, I needed to have it. Within a couple of weeks, one arrived at our facility and, 24 years later, the machine is still running 45 hours a week and holds tolerances the same as it did on day one.” 

In the years since that original purchase, DAS has purchased a range of XYZ products. The most recent acquisitions include a TC 400 two-axis turning centre.  

“We needed a turning centre with greater metal removal capability,” states Dave. “The TC 400 fitted the bill perfectly. With its 32 kW spindle motor and 40 VDI 12-station turret, we knew it would be robust enough to increase material removal rates and reduce cycle times.” 

He continues: “The maximum turned diameter capacity of 400 mm and maximum turned length of 600 mm are more than we already had. In addition, with its 78 mm bar capacity, it opened up the opportunity to put bigger stock down the spindle drawtube. Within an hour of commissioning we were producing parts. That’s testament to the ease of use of the Siemens 828D control and its 15-inch touchscreen.” 

More information www.xyzmachinetools.com 

DN SOLUTIONS DNM 6700XL BOOSTS LARGE-COMPONENT MACHINING AT COMPLETE ENGINEERING SERVICES 

Complete Engineering Services’ recent investment in a DN Solutions DNM 6700XL vertical machining centre from Mills CNC is helping the Carlisle-based precision subcontract specialist meet growing demand for large, complex and high-precision components. 

Mills CNC, the exclusive distributor of DN Solutions and Zayer machine tools in the UK and Ireland, supplied the extra-long-bed DNM 6700XL equipped with a Detron fourth-axis rotary table and Siemens 828D control with ShopMill conversational programming software. 

Installed at Complete Engineering Services’ 12,000 sq ft machine shop in June 2026, the machine is already being put through its paces machining components for customers in motorsport, timber processing, power generation, renewables, fluid sealing systems, packaging and rail. These include prototypes and one-offs through to pre-production parts and small-to-medium batches, manufactured from materials including stainless steel, aluminium, mild steel, titanium and exotic alloys. Components are machined to tight geometric tolerances and high surface finishes. 

Complete Engineering Services provides customers with three- and four-axis milling and multi-axis turning, complemented by two simultaneous five-axis machining centres and two advanced wire EDM machines. The company also has 3D printing and light fabrication capabilities, in-house inspection and access to secondary services including heat treatment, anodising and plating. 

This broad capability supports the company’s aim of providing an integrated design, machining, finishing and assembly service from a single source. 

“We provide customers with a one-stop engineering service that, through a range of integrated advanced technologies and the skill and experience of our staff, can deliver high-quality prototypes, pre-production and production parts from concept through to completion,” says managing director Andrew Monkhouse. 

Continuous improvement is central to the company’s approach, with regular investment in people, plant, equipment, systems and processes. Its machining capacity is routinely upgraded by replacing older machine tools with newer, more efficient multi-axis and multi-tasking models. 

The DNM 6700XL is the second CNC machine tool Complete Engineering Services has acquired from Mills CNC in its 28-year history. The first was a Lynx 2600Y multi-tasking lathe, installed in June 2024. 

The Siemens 828D-controlled Lynx 2600Y features an 18.5 kW/3500 rpm high-torque spindle, a servo-driven 12-station BMT-65 turret with 24-position indexing, a ±52.5 mm Y axis and 5000 rpm driven tooling. These capabilities allow turning, milling, drilling and tapping operations to be completed in a single set up. 

To increase productivity and overcome floorspace limitations that prevented the installation of a bar feeder, Complete Engineering Services equipped the lathe with a bar puller.  

Mounted on the turret, the mechanical gripper automatically draws bar stock forward through the spindle to predetermined lengths, allowing front- and back-end operations to be completed in one setup and enabling unattended running. 

“Our Lynx 2600Y is inherently flexible and delivers excellent cutting performance. The machine has been a great addition to our machine shop,” says Monkhouse. “Prior to acquiring the lathe, we were on numerous jobs having to perform first operations on an older lathe and then transfer parts to a machining centre for milling, drilling and tapping. Such labour-intensive processes were inefficient, created production bottlenecks and affected our productivity.” 

He adds: “We needed to change things, and with the arrival of the Lynx 2600Y, with its integrated Y axis, C axis and driven tooling, we were able to transform our small-parts processing operations.” 

The company’s positive experience with both the Lynx 2600Y and Mills CNC subsequently influenced its decision to turn to Mills again when the need arose to replace an older large-capacity machining centre. In late 2025, Complete Engineering Services decided to replace the 15-year-old machine, which was used to process large, complex components, with a faster and more powerful model. 

“The older machine was getting a bit long in the tooth, was more prone to breakdown and the operator dedicated to run it was about to retire,” he recalls. “This set of circumstances provided the ideal opportunity to improve and increase our large-machining capacity and capabilities by investing in a new machine.” 

Rather than conducting a wider search, the company made Mills CNC its first, and ultimately only, point of contact for its requirements. 

A key requirement was Siemens control, as most machines in the company’s machine shop use Siemens controls and ShopMill or ShopTurn conversational software. This provides operator familiarity and makes it easier to transfer work between machines. 

The new machine also needed a larger worktable and greater X-, Y- and Z-axis travels than its predecessor, together with a powerful, fast spindle with through-spindle coolant to reduce cycle times and increase material removal rates during roughing. 

A generous-capacity automatic tool changer was another priority, particularly for long machining runs and jobs requiring numerous tools or sister tooling. Finally, a fourth-axis rotary table was required to increase flexibility, reduce the number of setups and improve overall process efficiency. 

“The DN Solutions DNM 6700XL is an impressive machine and its technical specifications fitted the bill,” says Monkhouse. 

The DNM 6700XL is a rigidly designed vertical machining centre from DN Solutions’ DNM range. The machine supplied to Complete Engineering Services features an 18.5 kW/12,000 rpm spindle delivering 117.8 Nm, with 20 bar coolant capability. 

Its 2100 x 670 x 625 mm X/Y/Z-axis travels and 2200 x 670 mm worktable, with a maximum table load of 1300 kg, provide the capacity required for larger components. Linear-axis rapid rates of 30 m/min and a 40-tool automatic tool changer further support productivity. 

The machine is equipped with the Siemens 828D control, a Detron GXA-255H rotary table with a 10-inch chuck, Renishaw tool and workpiece probing systems and a Filtermist extraction unit. 

Since installation, the DNM 6700XL has been used to machine a variety of long, shaft-type components. It is currently machining 30 stainless steel dead-plates – flat, stable transfer plates used in industrial, food and beverage processing and packaging lines. 

Approximately 1.5 m long, the dead-plates are secured using bespoke fixturing and machined incrementally using multi-pass cuts to produce a mirror finish across their surfaces. Other operations include high-accuracy chamfers, holes and counterbores. 

The investments in the Lynx 2600Y and DNM 6700XL are already helping Complete Engineering Services improve productivity and process efficiency while expanding its capacity for demanding work. 

For a company committed to continuous improvement, the machines also demonstrate the value of maintaining a close relationship with a technology partner able to support its changing requirements. 

With the DNM 6700XL now established in its machine shop, Complete Engineering Services looks well placed to build further on the capabilities that have helped drive its growth – with Mills CNC playing an important role in that ongoing development. 

More information www.millscnc.co.uk 

Manufacturing Champion Named CBM Ambassador for SMEs

The Confederation of British Metalforming (CBM) has appointed one of the industry’s most passionate advocates as its new ambassador for SMEs. Andrea Wilson, who recently left manufacturing business Hone-All Precision after the sale and successful completion of her five-year earn out, will work with CBM members, industry stakeholders and policymakers to ensure the challenges of manufacturing SMEs are represented at the highest levels. 

“Andrea brings unparalleled passion, credibility and commitment to this important role,” states Geraldine Bolton, CEO of the CBM. “She has consistently demonstrated her dedication to supporting manufacturing SMEs and ensuring their voices are heard. Her tireless advocacy, particularly her campaign for a Minister for Manufacturing, reflects the determination and vision our sector needs.” 

More information www.thecbm.co.uk