A means to an end

Mills Unilathe
Mills Unilathe

A new Doosan vertical lathe investment is proving more than instrumental in helping a precision subcontract specialist consolidate and grow its aerospace business.

Mills CNC, the exclusive distributor of Doosan machine tools in the UK and Ireland, has supplied a new, large-capacity vertical turning lathe to Stoke-on-Trent based precision subcontract specialist, Unilathe.

The machine, a Fanuc controlled Doosan VT1100, was installed at Unilathe in August 2019 and has been positioned adjacent to another Doosan VT1100 machine to create a flexible, high-productivity vertical turning cell.

The VT1100 is being used to machine a range of complex, high-precision and performance-critical components, typically in small batches that are large, heavy and awkward-shaped. Unilathe says that the primary objective behind the new VT1100 investment was its desire and determination, to secure new aerospace business.

Andrew Sims, Unilathe’s managing director explains: “We have been active in the aerospace sector for a number of years and have an international reputation in the sector for quality, lead-time fulfilment and cost competitiveness. Our ambition is to significantly grow this side of our business and to strengthen our position in the supply chain.”

To do this Unilathe has implemented a number of strategies, including: becoming a member of the North West Aerospace Alliance; achieving quality management accreditations (i.e. AS9100) and working towards gaining others (i.e. SC21 certification); using and leveraging the skills, experience and knowledge acquired from working in other sectors to help raise its profile and, as a consequence, win new business in the aerospace sector.

Sims continues: “Our efforts have been focused on repositioning Unilathe in the sector. We want to move away from being perceived as a company that only offers first and second stage machining of castings and forgings to one that can machine and deliver high integrity components from start to finish to aerospace customers - similar to what we provide for customers in other sectors and industries.”

A strategic audit undertaken by Unilathe examined its internal machining capabilities which revealed its future aerospace ambitions would be well served by strengthening its vertical turning capacity and, in particular, by acquiring an additional vertical lathe adept at undertaking roughing, semi-finishing and finishing operations on aerospace components like rings, seals, rotor shafts, etc.

Sims explains: “We pride ourselves on machining high-quality components within budget that are delivered on time - every time. To do this we rely on proven machine tools that are fast, accurate and flexible.”

<Making the decision>

Unilathe is no stranger to Doosan machine tools supplied by Mills CNC. In addition to its first Doosan VT1100 vertical lathe, the company has also invested in a large-capacity Puma 480 lathe and a DBC 130 horizontal borer.

“We are an advocate of Doosan machine tools,” comments Sims. “They perform well, are reliable and represent good value. The fact that they are backed by Mills CNC’s applications and after-sales service and support, makes them even more of an attractive proposition. Our first VT1100 machine has proved to be a good investment, so when we were looking to increase our vertical turning capacity it was natural that we contacted Mills and enquired about acquiring a second machine.”

Having two almost identical vertical lathes at its disposal made sense and provided Unilathe with a couple of advantages: There would be no learning curve involved for operators and programmers to become proficient in operating/programming the new machine; Having the same technology platform enables jobs to be transferred between machines as and when required.

“We needed the new machine to be delivered and installed quickly and Mills did not disappoint,” Sims concludes. “Eight weeks after order confirmation the new VT1100 was delivered to our facility. Since its installation, the machine has been working virtually around the clock.

“Our VT1100 vertical turning cell has dramatically improved our capacity, productivity and machining flexibility, and is a critical resource in helping us leverage new business opportunities in the aerospace sector.”

www.millscnc.co.uk

Company

MIlls CNC

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