Mills CNC, the UK’s exclusive distributor of DN Solutions and Zayer machine tools, has
recently supplied Macro Manufacturing, a progressive precision subcontract specialist start-
up based in Aberdeen, with a new high-performance multi-tasking lathe. The FANUC-
controlled DN Solutions Lynx 2600SY lathe with sub-spindle and Y axis was installed at the
company’s 89 m² facility in April 2024, where it machines a range of components for a
growing number of customers in the oil and gas, renewables, and agriculture industries, to
list but a few.
The parts, which Macro Manufacturing typically machines in medium batch sizes, are made
from a range of different materials. Prevalent among them are stainless steel grades 316,
316L and 17-4, duplex and super-duplex stainless steels, aluminium alloys, 4140 low-alloy
steel, exotic alloys such Inconel and Hastelloy, and certain engineering plastics that include
acetyl.
Components machined on site by Macro Manufacturing are also characterised by their
complexity, with tight geometric tolerances and exacting surface finish requirements
proving the norm rather than the exception. Although relatively small in size, these parts
frequently exhibit intricate and delicate features that can only be undergo efficient and
economic machining on a multi-tasking lathe.
Says Macro Manufacturing’s owner and director, Matthew Forbes: “The Lynx 2600SY is a
high-accuracy multi-tasking lathe that has significantly increased our in-house machining
capacity and capabilities. It enables us to machine complex parts quickly, in one set-up.
Since its arrival, we’ve been able to secure new machining contracts from both new and
existing customers, and have strengthened our position within several customer supply
chains.”
The Lynx 2600SY is the first machine tool Macro Manufacturing has acquired from DN
Solutions since the company’s incorporation in 2022. It is also the first new machine
acquired by the company in its two-year history. Like many new precision subcontract start-
ups, Macro Manufacturing had relatively humble beginnings, beginning life in what can only
be described a shed on a local farm. The company fulfilled its initial machining contracts
using little more than a couple of pre-owned CNC machine tools.
“The early days were a challenge,” recalls Forbes. “I was still employed full-time at my
previous company and was having to manage and run Macro Manufacturing in my spare
time – often during the night and through the weekends.”
This situation was always intended to be a stop-gap measure until the company was more
established. So, after a few months, Forbes decided to ‘bite the bullet’ and put all his time
and effort into making Macro Manufacturing a success.
As the driving force behind the company’s rise, Forbes is an apprentice-trained, time-served
engineer with significant machining (programming and operator) experience. He is
passionate about engineering and always had the desire and ambition to run his own
company. His vision, which he is now bringing to realisation, was (and is) to supply high-
quality, competitively-priced precision machined components to customers. The firm’s
ultimate ambition is to grow through the development of long-term partner relationships.
Part and parcel of these plans was to relocate the business to new premises and increase
the company’s in-house machining resources. Macro Manufacturing’s decision to invest in
the new Lynx 2600SY was made for a number of reasons.
“I knew that having access to a multi-tasking turning centre would enable us to expand our
customer base and take on more complex, and hopefully, more profitable work,” he
explains. “A lathe with integrated Y axis, sub-spindle and driven tooling capabilities would
allow us to machine precision parts to completion in one set-up and avoid the problem of
production bottlenecks that stem from transferring parts between machines. Furthermore,
the machine’s ability to run unattended, we believed, would make us more efficient and
productive.”
Having already experienced a Lynx 2100SY lathe in his previous employment, Forbes
approached Mills CNC to enquire about the availability of a larger capacity Lynx 2600SY.
“I liked Mills’ proactive approach from the outset,” he says. “They were interested in our
plans and made the investment process simple and straightforward.”
Mills CNC describes the 10” chuck/81 mm bar capacity Lynx 2600SY as a popular and proven
compact turning centre featuring a powerful, high-torque main spindle (18.5 kW/3500
rpm/403 Nm), a 6” chuck 4500 rpm sub-spindle and 6000 rpm driven tooling capabilities.
The lathe also features a ±52.5 mm Y axis, a 12-station/24-position servo-driven turret,
roller LM guideways and FANUC 0iTP control. In addition, the machine supplied to Macro
Manufacturing is equipped with an automatic tool setter, a Filtermist oil mist extraction unit
and 20 bar fixed coolant capability.
Says Forbes: “The Lynx 2600SY is a highly productive machine that’s ideal for fast and
accurate small parts processing. Since installation, our new lathe has been put through its
paces machining a range of complex parts and hasn’t missed a beat. The Lynx 2600SY has
made us more competitive. It’s proved more than instrumental in us acquiring new
customers and securing repeat business with many existing ones.”
Macro Manufacturing is not a company that rests on its laurels or leaves anything to chance.
In the not-too-distant future, the business will relocate again to larger premises, take on
additional staff and, as part of its commitment to continuous improvement, invest in more
advanced machine tools and ancillary technologies.
The company has ambitious growth plans for the future and, with Forbes at the helm, it is a
safe bet that Macro Manufacturing will bring these plans to fruition.
More information www.millscnc.co.uk
