Faringdon Precision Engineering has become the first UK manufacturer to invest in a Doosan lathe equipped with a Siemens control. The company has acquired a new Doosan 10” chuck/81mm bar capacity Puma GT 2600 lathe, with Siemens Sinumerik 828D control, from Mills CNC. Since being installed at Faringdon Precision’s facility in March 2017, the lathe has been used to machine a range of parts for the US semiconductor market.
Comprising different diameters and different lengths, these stainless steel (304) components are machined to high tolerances and surface finishes, before being assembled to create cylindrical-shaped ‘chambers’ that collect, filter and ultimately incinerate hazardous gases used in the manufacture of silicon chips and integrated circuits.
The Puma GT 2600 is a versatile and rigidly-designed box guideway two-axis lathe equipped with a 22 kW/3500 rpm spindle (622 Nm torque).

“Doosan machines are reliable and represent great value, and the GT 2600 lathe delivers excellent cutting performance
as well as providing us with greater process security,” explains Trevor Timpson, director at Faringdon Precision. “We invest in CNC machines with Siemens controls because, from both a programming and operating perspective, our staff find these CNCs easier
to understand and use.”
The preference for, and investment in, Siemens-controlled machines has also helped Faringdon Precision address the thorny issue of skills shortages.
“The intuitive and conversational nature of Siemens controls, combined with their ShopTurn and ShopMill icon-driven software, means that our apprentices do not need to know all the ‘ins and outs’ of G-code programming before they can become productive and set-up the machines to start cutting metal,” says Timpson.
For further information
www.millscnc.co.uk