In 2017, Mick Catherine opened CNC Subcon Services in Holmfirth, where two early lathe purchases were a Genos L400 and an LB25-II, followed more recently by an MU-6300V-L five-axis mill-turn centre, all manufactured by Okuma. These purchase decisions emanate from 1989, when Mr Catherine started as an apprentice at a subcontract machinist that later started using Okuma turn-cut technology.

The firm operates seven days a week, often responding to urgent requests for replacement pump and impeller parts to repair customer equipment that has broken down.
Paul Neville, sales and operations manager at CNC Subcon, says: “For this and most of our subcontract work we need to machine to very close tolerances, for which top-quality equipment like the Okuma MU-6300 mill-turn centre is essential. The rigidity of its bridge-type construction suits the machining of difficult materials. With an Okuma you know there won’t be any trouble.”
The MU-6300V-L fitted with Okuma’s OSP-P300SA control at CNC Subcon has a +90°/-120° trunnion carrying a 630 mm diameter table that can turn rotational parts up to 830 mm diameter by 550 mm tall, at up to 800 rpm. Furthermore, the machine, which was supplied by UK agent NCMT, is able to mill and drill components within a 925 x 1050 x 600 mm working envelope using fully interpolative five-axis cycles. The HSK-A100 spindle is served by a 64-station tool magazine and is rated at 11/7.5 kW, with a maximum speed of 8000 rpm.
Okuma’s Thermo-Friendly Concept built into the machine, which applies to both the structure and the spindle, feeds data back from temperature sensors to the control. Continual compensation in the part program for thermal drift delivers high-accuracy metal cutting in a shop-floor environment, even if the ambient temperature varies by as much as 8°C, says the company.
For further information www.ncmt.co.uk