Portsmouth-based Penta Precision has achieved significant growth since 1014, with sales increasing by over 40% in the last year alone.

Edward Moss, the company’s technical account manager, said: “Our customers — no doubt helped by the fall in the value of sterling — have become more competitive and are extremely busy.

"Many have managed to win back work and contracts previously lost to overseas competitors and need access to a reliable and experienced machining partner capable of meeting their quality, cost and lead-time requirements.”

While the demand for Penta Precision’s machining services was great news for the company, it did put pressure on its in-house manufacturing capacity and capabilities, as Mr Moss confirms: “We constantly audit and review our operational efficiency and effectiveness, and some of our older machine tools were experiencing reliability issues and causing production bottlenecks.”

To help alleviate these problems, Penta Precision bought three new Doosan DNM machining centres from Leamington Spa-based Mills CNC Ltd (www.millscnc.co.uk); the sub-contractor had already revamped its turning section with three twin-spindle CNC lathes with Y-axis capabilities and integrated bar-feeders.

Explaining the reason for the Doosan machines, Mr Moss said: “We manufacture small to medium-size precision components for the aerospace, defence, electronics, pharmaceutical, medical and marine sectors in small to medium-size batches — and in a variety of materials, ranging from metals through to plastics.

“To address our immediate and future machining requirements, we needed to replace our older and ‘unreliable’ machines with ones that were more versatile and capable of delivering improved accuracy, repeatability and surface finishes — and shorter cycle times.”

Although not a Mills CNC/Doosan customer at the time, Penta Precision made a comprehensive assessment of the machine tool market.

“Having contacted Mills CNC, we visited its Technology Campus to see the DNM machines, and to discuss our requirements in more detail.

"We were impressed by Mills’ approach and by the after-sales service and support. This — together with technical specifications, price and rapid delivery — swayed our decision in favour of Mills.”

The three Doosan DNM 4500 machines supplied to Penta Precision are equipped with high-rigidity linear guides on all axes, a 10.4in console, a Fanuc 0iMF control (with 200-block look-ahead), a BT 40 direct-coupled 18.5kW 12,000rev/min spindle, and a 30-position ATC.

In addition to these machines’ standard specification, Penta Precision also specified Renishaw spindle probes and Filtermist oil/mist extraction units on all three machines — and a Nikken rotary table on one of the machines.