Northamptonshire-based
EDM Precision Technologies Ltd, a leading precision sub-contract specialist has invested in a second vertical machining centre (VMC) supplied by
Mills CNC, the exclusive distributor of DN Solutions’ (formerly Doosan) and Zayer machine tools in the UK and Ireland.
The machine, a compact DN Solutions’ three-axis DNM 4500 equipped with the Siemens 828D control, was installed at the company’s 6,500ft
2 facility in Towcester in February 2023 and has been positioned adjacent to the company’s first DNM 4500 VMC, acquired back in 2018, to create a flexible, high-productivity milling cell.
The two machines, together with a Lynx 2100B, an 8in chuck, two-axis lathe also purchased in 2018, now form part of an impressive machining resource that also includes 17 advanced EDM wire, die-sink and hole-drill machines the company has at its disposal. The new DNM machine has the same technical specification as the first and is equipped with a 12,000rev/min BT40 spindle with though-spindle coolant capability, a 30-position ATC and a 1,000 x 450mm worktable, with a 600kg table load. The latest DNM 4500 was also supplied with Renishaw tool and workpiece probing systems for fast and efficient set ups.
‘Like for like’Paul Waldron, owner and managing director, said: “Our first DNM 4500 has proved to be a huge success. The machine is fast, accurate and reliable so, when we were looking to upgrade our in-house milling capability further in 2022, we decided to go ‘like for like’ and order a second one.”
As a result, parts can be machined, and programs can be used, on either machine and there is no ‘learning curve’ involved for operators regarding the new machine’s control or layout. Since its arrival, the new VMC has been put through its paces machining high-precision details and features on what are complex, high added-value EDM-machined parts for the company’s diverse and growing customer base.
Parts machined by EDM Precision Technologies vary in terms of batch size, from one-offs through to larger volumes, and materials used include aluminium, titanium, stainless steels and exotics. The company’s customers are equally diverse and operate in the motorsport sector including Formula One, aerospace, medical, automotive, defence, and scientific equipment and instrumentation sectors. They also include a significant number of universities and research institutions.
Part accuracies of +/-5µm and surface finishes down to Ra 0.8um are tight and are non-negotiable: turnround times are equally demanding. The new DNM 4500 is also being used to machine high-precision copper and copper tungsten electrodes for its in-house die-sink machines, as well as innovative jigs and fixtures.
Paul Waldron continued: “Our focus, as our name implies, is EDM. As well as providing many component manufacturers with a specialist, high-quality sub-contract EDM machining service, EDM machining intricate features and details on customers’ machined components, we also provide a growing number of customers with a complete ‘one-stop’ manufacturing service too.
“This includes raw material procurement at the beginning of the process through to a comprehensive range of machining services, milling, turning and EDM, heat treatment and surface treatments, testing, part marking and labelling. We are not involved in just milling and turning components — it is just not our bag.”
EDM Precision Technologies is a progressive, forward-thinking and privately-owned company with its focus firmly set on the future. As such, it is committed to continuous improvement and regularly invests in advanced machine tools to improve its productivity, strengthen its position within customers’ supply chains and maintain its competitive edge. Over the last five years the company has invested in seven new machines – a majority of which have replaced existing, older machines. The acquisition of the new DNM 4500, which replaced an old machining centre, is a case in point.
The company also invests in its processes and systems and has developed its own, customised, ERP system. This, together with its high-performance machine tools and associated technologies, has helped the company improve productivity by removing shopfloor bottlenecks and pinch-points, and increase production output. In 2011, the company first achieved AS 9100 certification, now at Rev D, to enable it to initially break into the aerospace and defence sectors, and thereby lessen its dependence on the motorsport sector.
Strategic decisionMr Waldron explained: “We made the strategic decision not to become over-reliant on one sector. Motorsport and F1 are somewhat seasonal in nature and, as such, could not be the entire focus of the business.”
AS 9100 (Rev D) accreditation, which incorporates ISO 9001:2015, is the single, internationally-recognised Quality Management System (QMS) for the aerospace, space and defence sectors. The robust, repeatable and best-practice processes have enabled EDM Precision Technologies to attain the required certifications to enter new markets, such as medical and scientific instrumentation, in addition to securing new machining contracts with aerospace and defence customers.
The company is a Tier One supplier to many of its customers and has cultivated ‘preferred partner’ status with a growing number of them. This hasn’t happened by chance and is testament to the skill and expertise of the company’s staff and the advanced technologies it has at its disposal that enables it to deliver ‘right first time components, delivered on time at an agreed price’. The new DNM 4500, as is the case with all the company’s machine tools, is important and integral to the company’s ability to meet its promises to customers.
Mr Waldron concluded: “Our new DNM 4500 is a great performer and, since being installed, hasn’t missed a beat. The machine was delivered and installed quickly and with minimum disruption and, as intended, has fast become a valuable asset that will facilitate significant growth in the future.”