Toolmaker SJ Dimmock has upgraded its manufacturing capabilities with the purchase of the company’s first UK-made Yamazaki Mazak VCN 530C vertical machining centre.The family-owned firm, based in Dunstable, was set up in 1985, since building a reputation for manufacturing high-specification injection moulding tools for the aerospace, medical, food and drink, automotive, and Formula One industries.

Company director Jamie Dimmock says: “Following the retirement of one of our long-serving employees, I found myself in the position of having three machines that I’d need to train myself to operate. As they were older machines, I thought it would be more effective to sell the machines to finance a new, larger vertical machining centre.After a lot of careful consideration and time spent evaluating the performance of comparable machines, I chose the VCN 530C vertical machining centre from Mazak. Each day that goes by confirms it was a fantastic decision.”

The VCN 530C is a high productivity vertical machining centre made at Mazak’s European manufacturing facility in Worcester. Equipped with a 40-taper spindle, Mazak says the machine excels at delivering high-speed machining with maximum stability and rigidity thanks to its heavy-duty casting.

Typically, SJ Dimmock is working to exceptionally tight tolerances of ±0.005 mm to meet the surface finish requirements of its customers. Here,Dimmock says the VCN has transformed the company’s machining operations. “We’ve replaced three machines with one and vastly improved the surface quality of the moulds, while reducing the volume of second operation work. The processing speeds are exceptional with the Mazak, which has not only helped with the quality of work, but has also doubled our capacity.”
For further information www.mazakeu.co.uk