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