Leamington Spa-based Mills CNC Ltd, an exclusive distributor of Doosan machine tools in the UK and Ireland, has supplied the Cheltenham-based sub-contract machining specialist Ferrositi Ltd, with a new mill-turn machine.

The twin-spindle Doosan SMX 2600S, which features a 13in chuck, B-axis milling spindle and Y-axis capability, was installed at Ferrositi’s 18,000ft² facility in May 2020 — a time when many companies were ‘battening down the hatches’ as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Ferrositi’s managing director Nick Furno said: “Ever since the company was formed in 2012 we have invested in multi-axis machine tools as a means of improving our productivity, operational efficiencies and competitiveness.

“We serve a number of global and highly competitive industries, including aerospace and oil and gas, as well as automated and special-purpose machinery. Central to our success has been our ability to machine high-quality components and deliver them on time and within budget — every time.

“The multi-axis machines we have allow us to be more efficient and make complex high-precision parts with fewer machining operations — and often in one set up. That said, we are always on the lookout to add to and strengthen our machining capabilities.”

Despite the lockdown, an opportunity arose in April that needed a mill-turn capability and resulted in Ferrositi making the its first investment in a Doosan (coincidentally, this was also the company’s first mill-turn machine).

Mr Furno said: “When I heard that a Doosan SMX 2600S was available from Mills CNC’s range of stock machines I was immediately interested; and after seeing it at the company’s Technology Campus the decision to purchase was easily made.

“Although the machine has only been running for a matter of weeks, we can already appreciate its power, speed, flexibility and accuracy, as well as its rigidity and thermal stability.

“Moreover, because the SMX 2600S can undertake multiple machining processes in a single set-up we can minimise production bottlenecks and look at venturing into new sectors — such as food processing and medical.”