Ashbourne-based Thermoform Ltd, a manufacturer of bespoke vacuum and pressure formed plastic packaging solutions, has invested in a large-capacity Doosan three-axis VMC supplied by Mills CNC. The machine, a DNM 6700, was installed in the company’s toolroom facility in July 2017 and, just a couple of days following its delivery, was being put through its paces machining complex, precision prototype and production-ready aluminium mould tool parts.
These mould tools, when complete, are used by Thermoform to manufacture (at its adjacent 24/7 production facility) bespoke and often high-volume ‘thin-gauge’ plastic trays, clamshells, blisters and hinged containers for customers operating in the confectionary and bakery, meat, fruit and vegetable, pharmaceutical, toiletries, electronics, and DIY sectors.

Thermoform manufactures some 70 million plastic parts annually, and demand for its products, fuelled by organic growth and new contract wins, has grown exponentially in recent years. This upsurge in demand was putting pressure on the company’s toolroom: in particular the in-house CNC machining capacity and capabilities.
“The investment in the DNM 6700 enables us to machine large, as well as multiple smaller parts, in one set-up,” says managing director Matthew Perks. “As a consequence, cycle times have improved and bottlenecks have been eased considerably.”
Although still early days, Thermoform’s investment in a new Doosan DNM 6700 vertical machining centre is already paying dividends. A recent example of the power and performance of the DNM 6700 has seen a reduction in cycle time when machining a specific mould tool component from 8 hours to just 48 minutes.
For further information www.millscnc.co.uk

In order to meet demand for quick turnaround on low volume parts, and with the company’s original mill coming to the end of its life and now obsolete, Alstonefield-based Tractor Spare Parts Ltd placed an order for a two-axis XYZ SMX 2000 turret mill, specifying the optional DXF converter.

“For many of the parts we make I have to create new CAD files as drawings either never existed or the originals are long gone,” says co-owner Andrew Griffin. “The ability to then export the DXF file straight to the ProtoTrak control is a sizable advantage. The support available from XYZ is also a big plus. When the machine first arrived I struggled to get to grips with the DXF side of things, so XYZ sent an applications engineer to us here in the middle of the Peak District who spent time explaining the system. Everything fell into place and now it is second nature.”
Co-owner Joanna Griffin adds: “The tractor spares side of the business is all mail order via our website, but due to the nature of the parts we are producing and the age of the vehicles they are being fitted to, there may have been modifications along the way. Therefore, we tend to contact customers directly and discuss what they actually want. These conversations ensure that they get exactly the part they need and Andrew can tailor the manufacture of that component easily with the XYZ SMX mill. We are then confident to ship it halfway around the world in the knowledge that it will fit.”
For further information www.xyzmachinetools.com