Toolmaking and subcontract CNC machining specialist DSM-NE, based in Newton Aycliffe, has increased its stock of Hurco machining centres to seven, including a large three-axis model and an even bigger five-axis machine, the company’s first.
One job in particular has benefited enormously from its arrival. A tool steel (P20) die nest, part of a progression moulding machine, initially took 75 hours to machine in six separate set-ups on a Hurco three-axis machining centre. According to DSM-NE’s technical director, Andrew Wilson, the cycle would have reduced to 50 hours after process optimisation.
However, the same job is completed on the Hurco VMX60SRTi five-axis machine in two operations, taking five hours and eight hours respectively. This is around one-quarter of the best possible time on a three-axis machine and has turned what was originally a loss-making contract into profit.
“We looked first at fitting a two-axis rotary table to a three-axis machine because nobody here had experience of operating a full five-axis machining centre,” says Wilson. “However, we saw the VMX60SRTi demonstrated at a Hurco open house in High Wycombe and were impressed at how easy it was to program.
“We were familiar with the 2D programming capability of Hurco’sWinMax conversational CNC system, but it can also create quite complex 3D/five-axis routines involving two positional axes, which takes only a few days to master,” he adds.
For fully interpolative five-axis cycles, DSM-NE employs two seats of Autodesk’s PowerMill CAM software, which are also used for producing more complex three-axis routines. However, half of all programs at Newton Aycliffe are generated on the shop floor at the HurcoWinMax controls.
The controls allow intuitive, menu-driven data input via a touch screen, with a second screen on the five-axis machine for simultaneously displaying a graphic of the part as it is built up. All controls accept DXF drawing files directly from the subcontractor’s CAD system, lightening the load on the CAM department. WinMax can easily take over programming of mould plates, for example. Wilson points out that with most other control systems, this would not be possible.
Technical manager Steven Guz highlights another benefit of the WinMax control, namely its Ultimotion software algorithm that optimises look-ahead throughout the cycle to speed and smooth the milling process, even around sharp corners.
“Identical programs on our older Hurco machining centres without Ultimotion take half as long again to finish, and the absence of chatter considerably improves the surface finish of machined components,” he says.
Today, DSM-NE’s business is divided into three parts: subcontract CNC machining; manufacture and repair of plastic injection moulds and compression moulds, particularly for the automotive industry; and injection moulding of plastic parts mainly for the automotive, medical and agricultural sectors.
The subcontract milling, turning and wire erosion side of the business has grown steadily since 2011 to account for one-third of turnover. It is largely down to the success of one of the subcontractor’s OEM customers specialising in LED lighting, for which DSM-NE is sole supplier of machined aluminium housings and heat sinks. Other contract machining on site involves producing ancillary parts for moulding machines. Offshore work normally accounts for a reasonable proportion of turnover, although this sector is subdued at present.
The broad base of the firm’s current activities stems from the outflow of toolmaking, mainly to the Far East during the last decade. It is true that significant income was retained by correcting poorly made imported tools, work that sometimes cost half as much as the originals, but it was clear that this could not be relied upon long-term.
Shortly after the company moved into its current premises on the Aycliffe Business Park 20 years ago, the first Hurco vertical machining centre (VMC) was purchased, a VM1, which replaced a manual tool-change milling machine from the same manufacturer. A larger BMC 4020 VMC followed shortly after.
The latter machine ran reliably for 22 years and was eventually replaced by a VM2 during 2008. In the same year, a Hurco TM8 turning machine was installed, the first CNC lathe on site, to streamline the manufacture of parts for compression moulds and to open up general subcontract machining opportunities. Subsequently, in the run-up to purchasing the two big VMX machines, DSM-NE added three Hurco VM20s in as many years to cope with increasing volumes of LED lighting components.
“We continue to buy Hurco machines not only because of the commonality of programming and operation, but also because they are reliable and competitively priced,” says Wilson. “The latest five-axis machine was half the price of a similar model from another supplier we benchmarked.”
Looking to the future, he sees growth opportunities in full five-axis machining. The VMX60SRTi has already taken over three-axis work from other vertical machining centres, which it completes more economically using 3+1 and 3+2-axis cycles in fewer set-ups.
Contracts are being sought that can exploit its simultaneous four- and five-axis machining capabilities, which is enhanced by the B-axis spindle head and rotary C-axis configuration, the latter being flush with the machine table. This arrangement offers a bigger machining envelope than an equivalent trunnion-type, five-axis model, especially for three- and four-axis work, and was the reason that this style of machine was purchased.
For further information
www.hurco.co.uk

With its core business being turning, the milling capability at Batchflow Engineering had taken something of a back seat. However, with the growth in low-volume production and prototype work, especially for the motorsport sector, managing director Steve Packwood recognised the need to bring machining centre capacity up to date.
Founded in 1986 by Packwood’s father David, with just a couple of capstan lathes, Batchflow Engineering has grown into a fully evolved CNC subcontractor by investing profits back into the business. While the focus remained on turning, the company had a small milling/machining centre capability to support existing customers. As demand grew for more milling capacity, particularly second operation work, Batchflow considered using its advanced mill-turn capacity as an option. However, for smaller batch quantities and prototype work this was not always the most efficient use of that capacity, so thoughts moved towards dedicated machining centres.
“We knew we had to replace our existing, ageing, machining centre and a visit to an exhibition introduced us to the XYZ 2-OP,” says Packwood. “As soon as I saw it, I realised that we could make full use of its capacity, while the small footprint would be perfect for us at the time. The decision to buy it was one of the easiest capital investments I’ve ever made, given the machine cost and the efficiency that it would bring to the business.”
The XYZ 2-OP had a number of features that particularly appealed to Batchflow; firstly its size, with a footprint of just 760 x 1220 mm it is compact enough to fit almost anywhere in any machine shop. The eight-position toolchanger adds to the machine’s versatility and the 3 hp, 6000 rpm spindle allows a variety of parts and materials to be machined efficiently, especially when combined with the machine’s rigid construction.
Another key element of the 2-OP was the machine table and its integral Jergens Ball Lock fixture location system.
“The Jergens system is perfect for us as we produce relatively small batches, so set-ups are frequent,” explains Packwood. “With the Ball Lock we can quickly position fixtures, knowing exactly where they are on the table, which reduces set-up time considerably.”
The success of the machine meant that Batchflow’s next investment in milling capacity would also come from XYZ Machine Tools. This time Packwood opted for an XYZ LPM (Lean Production Machine) due in part to the use of the Jergens system on this machine and the ProtoTrak control. The ability to switch jobs easily between the two XYZ machines, thanks to the Jergens Ball Lock system and the ability to transfer programs seamlessly between the two controllers, made perfect sense and once again made set-ups extremely short.
“The fact that the LPM machine has the same control and fixturing system as the 2-OP made the decision more straightforward,” says Packwood. “Among the work we do for the motorsport sector there is a significant element of small batch and prototype work, but lead times are always very short, so anything that helps to reduce downtime is a major benefit. It is ideal for a typical subcontractor like ourselves and allows us to provide a rapid response to our customers.”
The XYZ LPM machine expands on the machining capability of the 2-OP with a 15 hp, 8000 rpm BT40 spindle, and a 900 x 500 mm table featuring axis travels of 785 x 470 x 530 mm. An integral toolchanger has capacity for 16 tools, which can be pre-set using the supplied tool presetting system. Furthermore, the ProtoTrak PMX control allows users to carry out background editing of programs while the machine is running, providing further opportunities to reduce set-up time for the next job.
“When we ordered the 2-OP we’d never bought from XYZ, but it provided a low-risk entry into working with a new machine supplier,” says Packwood. “We shouldn’t have had any concerns as both the 2-OP and the LPM have run perfectly. Training on the ProtoTrak control was minimal, as that was all that was required. Overall it has been a very positive experience moving from our previous machines to the XYZs. Add to that the benefit that the interchangeability between the 2-OP and the LPM bring, such as knowing exactly where fixtures are located, reduced set-ups and the versatility of knowing we can do most jobs on either machine, and we have a big advantage with the type of work we undertake.”
For further information
www.xyzmachinetools.com

The triggering in March of Article 50, formalising the two-year process for the UK to leave the European Union, has led some economic experts to predict a slowdown in growth and a general contraction within the sector. Others, no doubt fuelled by the fall in value of Sterling and its positive impact (to date) on exports, are more bullish and confident that UK manufacturing is more resilient than was originally thought.
With so many competing, and often conflicting, views of what could happen in the future, numerous UK companies, rather than waiting and “hoping for the best”, are taking matters into their own hands. Many are investing in their manufacturing plant, equipment, processes, systems and people, and strengthening their supply chain relationships to make themselves better prepared for the future and better positioned to capitalise on opportunities in a post-Brexit world.
One such company is subcontract specialist Aerotech Precision Manufacturing. Based in Poole, the company recently invested in a Doosan VCF 850LSR five-axis machining centre supplied by Mills CNC.
Aerotech, established in 1990, manufactures and supplies high-precision complex components and assemblies for the aerospace, defence, medical and energy sectors, as well as parts for packaging equipment and machines. Components machined by the company vary considerably and include prototypes and one-offs through to small-medium batch production.
A significant proportion of Aerotech’s work is in highly regulated markets and the company, not surprisingly, has invested heavily in ensuring it has the correct accreditations and certifications to operate and grow within these sectors, such as AS9100 (Rev C), ISO 9001, ISO 14001 and Fit4Nuclear.
Aerotech prides itself on the quality of the parts it supplies and adopts a ‘right first time, every time’ approach. The company also invests significant resources into both achieving, and often exceeding, customers’ tight delivery deadlines.
The emphasis on quality, lead-time fulfilment and cost competitiveness explains, to a large extent, the company’s recent investment in the Doosan VCF 850LSR.
“We operate in highly competitive global markets and, as such, you simply cannot afford to stand still,” says business development manager Aaron Houston. “As a consequence, we regularly audit and review our engineering and technical capacity and capabilities, benchmarking where we are against where we need to be. If there’s any disconnect between the two, we make strategic investments in the latest technology to bridge the gap.”
As part of the company’s continuous improvement programme, Aerotech made the decision to replace one of its existing large-capacity three-axis machines with a new five-axis machining centre. The investment was intended to help the company reduce job set-up times and part cycle times via adopting a one-hit machining strategy and, in so doing, improve its productivity and process reliability.
Explains Aerotech director Allan Redfern: “Although we decided on the five-axis machine tool route, there are so many different types and models available that we made sure we gave ourselves sufficient time to investigate the market thoroughly and thus ensure we selected the right machine for our requirements.”
To a large extent, the sectors served, materials used and type and complexity of components machined by Aerotech, narrowed the choice down to a large-capacity five-axis machine equipped with a Heidenhain control and swarf evacuation/chip management system. However, the machine also needed to deliver excellent cutting performance by maintaining high volumetric accuracies in roughing operations and guaranteeing high surface finishes, while enabling the company to produce parts using three-axis, 4+1 and full five-axis simultaneous machining.
“We had previously invested in a Doosan Puma 480L lathe from Mills CNC in 2013, and were impressed with its reliability and performance, as well as Mills’ aftersales service and support,” says Redfern. “As part of our five-axis machine tool selection process we attended a Mills open house and visited the company’s stand at an exhibition. On both occasions we were able to see the VCF 850LSR in action, and to talk to Mills’ sales and engineering staff about the machine and our plans.”
The moving-column VCF 850LSR has X-, Y- and Z-axis travels of 3000 x 850 x 800 mm, a B-axis (±110°) built-in ‘swivelling head’ milling spindle (32 kW/12,000 rpm) and an 800 mm diameter rotary table integrated into the machine’s 3500 x 870 mm long bed.
Doosan’s VCF 850LSR also features roller LM linear guideways, a 60-position servo-driven chain-type ATC, the Big Plus face and taper tool shank configuration and on-board cooling systems that help minimise thermal displacement during long production runs.
“The VCF 850LSR represents a sound investment, and is being used to machine complex, high-precision components for aerospace, defence and nuclear sector customers,” says Redfern. “One of the components being machined is used in advanced, remotely operated underwater vehicles [ROVs] used in the detection, assessment and destruction of sea mines.
“The components are made from aerospace grade aluminium alloy and machined from solid, first on our lathes and then four-/five-axis machined on the VCF 850LSR,” he adds. “Components are rough-machined in the first instance, which requires significant high-accuracy stock removal, before being finish-machined to realise a Ra 0.4 surface finish. Since machining these parts on the new Doosan machine, cycle times have been reduced dramatically.”
Now, a few months after installation, the VCF 850LSR is, naturally enough, taking on more and more work as Aerotech directors and managers become increasingly familiar with the machine, its capabilities and potential. The VCF 850LSR has also become a focal point for customers and prospects visiting Aerotech’s 2500 sq m facility.
“When visitors see the machine up close and in action, they are impressed,” concludes Houston. “The VCF 850LSR provides them with confidence and the certainty that Aerotech can achieve the part quality and lead times they demand. With advanced machining technologies such as the Doosan five-axis machining centre, we are prepared for most, if not all, eventualities in these challenging times.”
For further information
www.millscnc.co.uk