With 75% of its turning centres bought from Dugard, it is safe to say that C&K Precision Engineers is reaping the rewards of working with the south coast machine tool specialist. The Stoke-based manufacturer is a subcontract machining, assembly and fabrication business serving the medical, aerospace, surveillance and general manufacturing sectors. Working in these segments, C&K Precision demands machine tools capable of delivering high-quality, tight-tolerance workpieces from the most challenging material grades. 

Matthew Kelsall, Director at C&K Precision, says: “We moved to a larger facility in 2017 and seen continual grown ever since. There’s a skills shortage and we’re lucky to have a good team around us, but we have to maximise that with the most productive machines.”

That is why six of the company’s eight turning centres have been purchased from Dugard Machine Tools. Alluding to why the second-generation business founded in 1969 keeps returning to Dugard, Kelsall says: “One of the main things is reliability. The first Dugard machine we bought has been with us for six years and it’s been very reliable. It’s a very robust and rigid machine with box guideways, and we need that as we cut many exotic materials.”

As a turner operating four machines at C&K Precision, Matthew Gerrard adds: “The machines are built extremely well, and they perform brilliantly on materials like Inconel 625 and titanium. You can make massive cuts on the Dugard SMEC machines, whereas others might stall. This is due to their high-specification motors and box-way construction. Furthermore, if we’re making parts from titanium with less than 1 mm wall thickness, the Dugard SMEC machines ensure we don’t get any vibration.”

More information www.dugard.com