Doughty Engineering Ltd, a long-established company based in Hampshire, undertook the manufacture of trailers to carry dry food for supermarkets in the 1970s, and construction equipment in the 1980s. In the 1990s, the company began making stage-lighting brackets after being approached by a theatre; and after finding other venues with similar requirements, Doughty made 100,000 units for theatres in the first year of this new venture.
Doughty director Stephen Wright said: “We manufacture everything ourselves in our comprehensive facility, which includes a foundry, powder coating and polishing operations, aluminium welding, and a CNC workshop. This integrated approach gives us the ability to diversify and adapt as our needs evolve.
“Prior to 2010, our turning section relied exclusively on manual lathes, but wanting to enhance our capabilities, we sought the advice of a machining expert who recommended Haas. We made the decision to invest in three Haas CNC turning centres, a decision that has defined Doughty Engineering’s machining journey ever since. We firmly believe in staying at the forefront of technology, and Haas has helped us achieve that — particularly as its equipment is both forward and backward compatible, sparing us the need for new tool holders and live tooling with every upgrade.”
Today, Doughty Engineering predominantly serves the television and entertainment industries, with the company’s off-the-shelf product range covering 90% of orders; the remaining 10% of its work comprises bespoke parts that are designed and machined in-house.
Mr Wright added: “Doughty Engineering’s turning section now has three Haas lathes; these comprise a DS-30 dual-spindle turning centre, and an ST-20Y and ST-15Y Y-axis turning centres. Labour is often the most-costly part of machining, and the twin-spindle design allows us to handle parts with half the effort. With one operator overseeing all three lathes simultaneously, we can complete jobs in a single operation and reduce cycle times by as much as 40%.
“The addition of two Y-axis lathes has been instrumental in meeting the increasing demands for faster turnround times. Haas’s improvements in spindle speeds and the Next Gen control have made a real difference. We now program at the machine screen instead of a PC, saving time and ensuring our machines stay productive. Haas also recommended its ‘Auto Tool Presetter’ option, which we wouldn’t want to be without now.”