Bristol-based MACH Machine Tools, a leading supplier of CNC and manual machine tools and machine shop equipment to UK, Irish and European component manufacturers, and part of the Vigilance Group, will celebrate its 10-year anniversary next month.

The milestone represents a considerable achievement for the privately-owned company and ‘is testament to the depth and breadth of its unique and constantly-evolving product portfolio’, its commitment to providing quality machine tools backed by excellent after-sales service and support, as well as its ability to anticipate and respond quickly to the changing needs of UK manufacturers.

Established in 2013 by current sales director, Matt Andrew, and business partner, Marc Bowers, the family-owned company was definitely the ‘new kid on the block’ in the machine tool sector and began life supplying MACH-branded manual milling, grinding and sawing machines to UK manufacturers.

At that time the company’s best-selling and most popular machine tool in its portfolio was the iconic MACH VS-1 turret-type milling machine. Available at a competitive price and equipped, as standard, with a range of impressive features, including variable-speed R8 spindles, Acu-Rite DROs and glass scales, VS-1 milling machines soon became a mainstay manual machine tool solution for many component manufacturers’ toolrooms and machine shops as well as a staple for a large number of schools, colleges and universities looking to revamp their respective engineering departments with accurate, reliable, versatile and cost-effective manual mills.

Mr Andrew said: “It is no exaggeration to say that our VS-1 machines took the market by storm. By early 2015 we had sold 50 x VS-1 machines into the market from what was, in effect, a standing start. Our intention was to become a ‘one-stop-shop’ for manufacturers and education establishments looking to improve their machining capacity and capabilities.”

With the company becoming more established and its reputation growing, MACH Machine Tools soon enhanced its product portfolio with the introduction of a series of four manual lathes and belt linishers. The company also ‘beefed up’ its machine shop equipment range with the inclusion of high-quality double-ended grinders, guillotines, garage presses and bandsaws.

Watershed moment
It was at this time that the company also relocated its operations to a larger facility in Bristol – its current home. The move, calculated to meet its future growth objectives, enabled MACH Machine Tools to hold more machines in stock as well as comfortably accommodating its expanding workforce.
While manual machines and machine shop equipment were the company’s primary focus for the first few years, 2017-18 proved to be a real watershed moment for MACH Machine Tools and saw it introduce a new range of CNC machines into the market.

Mr Andrew added: “To meet market demand for high-quality, technically-excellent and competitively-priced CNC machine tools, we introduced MACH-branded ranges of CNC lathes and vertical machining centres into the market. They complemented our manual machine tool ranges and enabled us to provide a more comprehensive offering to customers.

“We introduced the CNC machines to UK audiences, for the first time, on our stand at MACH 2018 and the interest from visitors was phenomenal. The machines, backed by our proactive after-sales service and support, provided manufacturers with a ‘real alternative’ and helped solidify our position as a provider of choice with many of them.”

Never standing still, 2019 saw MACH Machine Tools introduce a number of new machine tool ranges into the market, including the MACH MDT knee mills and MACH MDM bed-type toolroom milling machines, both equipped with the advanced WinDelta, DynaPath control. The powerful, versatile and easy-to-use control with simple-to-understand menus, on-screen graphics and conversational and ISO/G-code programming capabilities significantly differentiated MACH machines from the competition.

Mr Andrew explained: “Right from the off, we could see the huge potential of the DynaPath control system and made the decision to focus all our efforts into supplying and supporting DynaPath-controlled machines into the market.”

DynaPath-controlled machines
Over the last four years the company’s range of DynaPath-controlled machines has grown exponentially. Through working closely with DynaPath, MACH Machine Tools now offers a comprehensive range of machines to customers. From toolroom mills, MACH MDT, MDM and MDS series of machines, through to its MDL range of lathes, and from its MDHS-65S high-speed machining centres to its recently introduced MDV 800 and MDV 1100 rigidly-designed and built, production-orientated vertical milling machine series, the company’s range of DynaPath-controlled machines is expanding with new models constantly being added.

Moreover, the performance and functionality of the Dynapath control is constantly evolving with developments and improvements, performance and functionality of the machines equipped with it, making them even more of an attractive proposition and investment.

As well as its 8Gb on-board program storage facility and 1,000 block look-ahead capability — 10,000 block look ahead on the MACH MDHS high-speed series — that ensure fast processing speeds resulting in improved contour accuracies and superior surface finishes, the DynaPath control also provides customers with fast Wi-Fi enabled, remote 24/7 diagnostic, applications and monitoring help and support.

Mr Andrew said: “This is a real game-changer. This level of support is unique in the industry and means we can respond to customers’ queries within 20min.”

With quick and reliable machine tool servicing being high on every manufacturers’ agenda, the guaranteed level of support provided to MACH Machine Tools’ DynaPath customers will spearhead the company’s future growth ambitions. The company’s product portfolio has increased and improved significantly, and its range of CNC machines provided to customers is now exclusively DynaPath focused. MACH Machine Tools’ manual machine tool ranges have also undergone similar upgrades and improvements and, in 2022, a new Trainer Lathe series aimed primarily at the education sector was introduced.

Having successfully negotiated its way through the pandemic and now having a well-resourced service and applications infrastructure in place, means that the company is well placed to meet its future sales growth objectives.