In 2006, entrepreneur David Swaffield started his own contract machining firm, DWS Engineering, in Crewkerne, after gaining a mechanical engineering apprenticeship at a nearby packaging machinery manufacturer. He started out using manual machine tools, progressing to CNC prismatic machining in 2009 and fixed-head CNC turning the year after.

Frustrated at not being able to find pre-war British Standard Whitworth threaded nuts, bolts and other components for the family-owned 1923 Aveling and Porter 8 tonne steamroller he was refurbishing, he decided to make them himself, leading to the inauguration in 2017 of another company, Historic Threads. It was then that Swaffield discovered the capabilities and production potential of CNC sliding-head lathes from Citizen Machinery.

In 2017, the first Cincom L32 purchased second-hand from Citizen Machinery was delivered to Crewkerne, while a second-hand Cincom M32 of a similar age (with live tools) arrived in March 2021. Then in March 2022, due to the steep rise in demand worldwide for legacy threaded components, a third sliding-head lathe took its place on the shop floor, this time a new Cincom L32-VIII LFV.

Shortly after the machine arrived, Swaffield received DWS Engineering’s biggest ever single order for the supply of brass, aluminium and stainless steel parts from 10 to 20 mm in diameter for use in the assembly of make-up brushes and pencils.

The latest Cincom is said to be ideal for fulfilling this contract. For example, the low frequency vibration (LFV) chip-breaking software built in to the control is able to avoid stringy swarf when drilling a 100 mm long, 8.5 mm diameter hole down the centre of a 10 mm diameter stainless steel pencil, even though the machine is not fitted with optional high-pressure coolant.
For further information www.citizenmachinery.co.uk