MACH 2014 was an excellent choice for Hove-based C Dugard Ltd (www.dugard.com), as managing director Eric Dugard confirms. “We couldn’t be more pleased with the results from the show, as orders this year have been exceptional. MACH is always a great show for us, not just for the orders we receive but also for the excellent contacts and leads that it generates for months after the event. The halls were full of exhibitors as well as visitors, and all anyone could say was that it was the best MACH for at least 10 years. Our stand was inundated with people, and the majority of them were making honest, solid enquiries; and it wasn’t just enquiries, as we sold
a total of 17 machines — three straight off the stand.”

The first machines to be sold were two of the new Dugard 500A VMCs; a third went later in the week. This compact sub-£20,000 machine attracted a lot of attention at the show; and even though its low-cost ‘turning partner’ — the Dugard 1955 multi-function CNC lathe — was not on show, Dugard still managed to sell one.

Also creating interest was the Dugard 1000E VMC — part of a range that has bed sizes from 760 up to 2,000mm, a twin-arm ATC and a swarf auger as standard. With the show machine selling at the beginning of the week, Dugard went on to sell a further two 1000Es (one in the last five minutes of the show) as well as two of the smaller Dugard 760E models.

The company also had success with the largest machine on the stand, the Dugard HD1886B; this features a reverse-axis table design that reduces its footprint by 30% compared to standard VMCs, a BT50 spindle and bi-directional twin-arm ATC options (up to 40 stations) on each model. Dugard sold the HD1886 that was on its stand — the same
customer also ordering an extra one — and the company sold two of the bigger HD2210 models at the show.

Other machines on the stand attracted customers but saw them opt for a capacity better suited to their production. A Dugard 65TTSY twin-turret twin-spindle CNC lathe with 8 and 10in chuck options and shareable Y axis was on show. However, one customer did not need a 65mm bar capacity and bought two of the 52mm-capacity versions. It was a similar story with the Samsung PL25MC CNC lathe on the stand; two customers wanted more capacity and each bought a Samsung PL45MC instead.