Mills CNC has recently supplied AEP Precision Engineering, a precision engineering specialist and the CNC machining subsidiary of parent company Smith Metal Fabrications, with a new vertical machining centre from DN Solutions. The fourth-generation DNM 5700 is one of Mills CNC’s most popular three-axis machining centres and was installed at AEP Precision’s Newhaven machine shop in May 2024.

The machine, supplied with a 4th-axis unit to increase its versatility and help realise its productivity potential, has been positioned adjacent to the company’s first DNM 5700 machine tool investment – a second-generation three-axis model acquired in 2020. Together, these machines provide the company with a flexible CNC milling resource that is capable of meeting AEP Precision’s immediate and future machining requirements.

Since installation, the latest DNM 5700 has been put through its paces machining a range of complex, high-precision components from materials that include mild steel, stainless steel, aluminium, brass, bronze, copper and engineering plastics. A specific job involved the machining of 20 decorative metal rosettes for a pair of replacement doors for Trafalgar House in London.

The rosettes, a number of which were missing or were damaged, were originally made in the 1800s from bronze castings. Using AEP Precision’s reverse engineering skills and expertise – as well as its 3D scanning technologies – the company was able to manufacture a series of cost-effective replacement rosettes machined on the new DNM 5700 from solid aluminium billets.

Says David Mayers, director at Smith Metal Fabrications: “The addition of the 4th-axis unit has been really beneficial and means we can now machine complex, high-precision components in a single set up. Reducing ‘stop-start’ production and the time and expense associated with re-fixturing jobs has improved our productivity and efficiency.”

More information www.millscnc.co.uk