Mills CNC has supplied International Safety Components (ISC), a Bangor-based designer and manufacturer of height safety equipment, with two new DN Solutions machine tools to increase production capacity, improve process efficiencies and meet rising global demand for its products.
Installed at ISC’s vertically integrated manufacturing facility on the Llandygai Industrial Estate in Gwynedd in 2026, the machines comprise an NHP 4000 twin-pallet horizontal machining centre and a Lynx 2600SY sub-spindle, Y-axis multi-tasking lathe. The latter, equipped with a 10-inch chuck, 81 mm bar capacity and integrated bar feeder, replaces an older machine and forms part of an automated turning cell.
The investments followed a 2025 audit of ISC’s machine shop, undertaken as part of a company-wide continuous improvement programme.
“We regularly monitor and benchmark our machine tools’ performance and are always looking for ways to improve and upgrade our capabilities,” says Ricky Jones, ISC’s CNC supervisor. “The audit identified potential issues that, if not addressed, could detrimentally affect process efficiencies, floor-to-floor times and our ability to meet customer lead times.”
The review was particularly timely, with global demand for ISC’s height safety equipment reaching record levels, especially in the US. Its recently introduced Reflex mechanical hitch system, aimed at the arborist market, has also been generating considerable interest.
ISC operates a well-equipped machine shop incorporating horizontal and vertical machining centres, fixed-head turning machines and sliding-head lathes, including bar-fed equipment. These process materials ranging from high-strength 6082-T6 and 7075 aluminium alloys to 316, 17-4PH and 420S29 stainless steels, as well as engineering plastics.
Components are manufactured in batch sizes ranging from 10 or 20 to 5000, using near-net-shape castings and forgings, bar, billet and plate. With geometric tolerances as tight as 18 µm and surface finishes down to Ra 1.6 µm, precision and repeatability are essential.
“High accuracy, guaranteed repeatability and fast processing speeds are critical,” confirms Jones. “Where possible and feasible, our capital investment strategy has always focused on acquiring high-performance multi-axis and multi-tasking machines capable of producing complex, high-precision parts in a single set up.”
ISC has a long-standing relationship with Mills CNC. In the early 2000s, the company invested in a Doosan Puma 2500SY sub-spindle, Y-axis lathe and a Doosan TT800SY twin-turret, twin-spindle turning centre. A Lynx 2100LB two-axis lathe followed in 2017 to strengthen its small turned-parts operation.
“Mills has a good reputation for the machines it sells and supports, so whenever we are looking for a new machine, we make sure to see what it can offer,” says Jones.
In 2025, ISC began looking for a horizontal machining centre to increase its milling capacity. Requirements included a powerful spindle with through-spindle coolant, a large, fast tool changer, touch probes for in-process measurement and an efficient swarf management system.
After discussing its requirements with Mills CNC, ISC visited the supplier’s Leamington Spa facility, where the NHP 4000 was demonstrated. Impressed by its capabilities, ISC agreed the specification and placed an order.
Equipped with a 30 kW, 15,000 rpm high-torque spindle, a 60-tool automatic tool changer and two 400 x 400 mm pallets, the NHP 4000 is designed for demanding production work. Its 360° B-axis rotary table provides indexing in increments of 0.001° or standard 90° positioning.
Installed in January 2026, the machine is now producing a range of complex, high-precision components in single set ups. ISC uses high-density tombstone work holding alongside its own fixtures to maximise capacity.
“Using two of the four faces on a tombstone, we can fixture multiple identical parts – 10, 20 or 30, for example – and machine them in one go,” he explains. “While the machine is running, operators can load and set up the second pallet with another tombstone and a fresh batch of workpieces. This keeps the spindle productive while the next job is prepared, helping us maintain continuous production.”
The second investment, the Lynx 2600SY, replaces the Doosan Puma 2500SY acquired in 2004. Although the older machine had served ISC well, changing production requirements prompted a reassessment of its turning capabilities.
“Given the types of components we machine and the volumes required, we decided we no longer needed a box-guideway machine. However, full multi-tasking capabilities and a bar feeder remained essential. Mills recommended the Lynx 2600SY. It’s similar in size and capability to the Puma it replaces, but its linear roller guides, integrated thermal compensation, greater turning capacity and Y-axis travel, together with the more advanced FANUC iPlus control, offer distinct advantages.”
The Lynx 2600SY features an 18.5 kW, 3500 rpm main spindle, a 12-station, 24-position servo-driven turret, a maximum turning diameter of 380 mm and a maximum turning length of 610 mm. Its 6-inch chuck sub-spindle, which runs at up to 4500 rpm, works alongside a ±52.5 mm Y axis and driven tooling capable of reaching 5000 rpm. This combination allows the turning, milling and drilling of complex components drilled in a single set up.
Since its installation in March 2026, the machine has been producing pulley wheels in various sizes and diameters from bar stock. Operations include machining external profiles, centre bores and V-belt grooves.
To increase throughput and enable unattended production, ISC specified the Lynx 2600SY with a Hydrafeed Multifeed 80 bar feeder, automatic tool setter, Renishaw RLP40 workpiece inspection and set-up probe, and Hainbuch 80 mm quick-change dead-length power chuck system. A parts accumulator from J&S Engineering completes the automated turning cell.
“The Lynx 2600SY, with its integrated bar feeder and parts accumulator, is a sophisticated solution that has significantly increased the efficiency and productivity of our small turned-parts operation,” says Jones.
Established in 1966, family-owned ISC employs 75 people and controls its supply chain from product design and development through manufacture, assembly, inspection, testing and distribution. Continuous improvement underpins its investment in people, equipment, systems and processes.
Alongside developing products such as the Reflex mechanical hitch series, the company is evolving its customer service and distribution model, placing greater emphasis on direct relationships with retailers and end users to improve responsiveness, operational control and distribution margins.
“Our future success depends on developing and maintaining long-term, mutually beneficial customer relationships,” he concludes. “Achieving our growth ambitions requires a world-class manufacturing facility capable of producing high-quality, competitively priced products quickly and at the increased volumes we need. Our investment in these two new DN Solutions machines demonstrates our commitment to continuous improvement and growth.”
More information www.millscnc.co.uk
