The three machines supplied to Penta Precision Engineering – all Doosan DNM 4500 models – were installed at Penta’s 4,000ft² facility during February and are being used to machine a wide range of precision components, in a diverse range of materials aluminium, plastics, stainless, tool and carbon steels together with yellow metals), for the company’s rapidly growing customer base.
Since 2014 Penta Precision has experienced significant growth and, in the last 12 months alone, sales turnover increased by over 40%.
Edward Moss, Penta’s technical account manager explains: “Our customers and UK manufacturers in general, no doubt helped by the decline in value of Sterling, have become more competitive in the markets where they operate and, as a consequence, are very busy.
“Many have managed to win back work and contracts previously lost to overseas competitors and have needed access to reliable and experienced machining partners capable of meeting their quality, lead-time fulfilment and cost requirements.”
Penta Precision, with a reputation for providing technical excellence and a value-added design-to-manufacture consultancy, as well as a comprehensive range of precision machining and secondary finishing services, needed to expand to handle the increase in demand from its existing customers and to also secure business from new clients.
The demand for Penta Precision’s machining services is clearly great news for the company but it did create some issues and put pressure on existing in-house manufacturing capacity and capabilities.
Mr Moss continues: “We constantly audit and review our operational efficiency and effectiveness as part of a companywide continuous improvement programme. As part of this process we identified that some of our older machine tools were experiencing reliability issues and causing production bottlenecks. It became clear that, to help alleviate these problems, we needed to invest in new, high-performance machine tools.”
As part of its continuous improvement programme the company has already significantly revamped its turning section and has invested in three new 8”/10” chuck Fanuc controlled CNC lathes with twin-spindle and Y-axis capabilities and integrated bar-feeders.
The company has now, through its investment in three new Doosan DNM vertical machining centres, similarly improved its milling section.
Reliable replacements
Penta Precision’s decision to opt for Doosan milling machines from Mills CNC is multi-faceted.
“We manufacture small-to-medium sized precision components for the aerospace, defence, electronics, pharmaceutical, medical and marine sectors in small-to-medium batch sizes. And the materials we machine are equally diverse – metal through to plastics,” Mr Moss says.
“Prior to investing in the new Doosan machines our milling capacity comprised nine machining centres with Heidenhain controls. Whilst performing satisfactorily, some of these machines, because of their age, were prone to the occasional breakdown resulting in machine downtime – something we could ill-afford.
“To address our immediate and future machining requirements, we needed to replace our unreliable machines with ones that were more versatile and capable of delivering improved accuracy, repeatability, surface finishe and cycle times.”
Practical partnership
Looking to further upgrade to multi-axis CNC milling operations in the future, Penta Precision recognised the need to take time to investigate and select a long-term milling technology partner that could supply high-performance machines and exemplary application support.
Although not a Mills CNC/Doosan customer at that time, Penta Precision cast a wide net researching the entire machine tool market to identify the most suitable machines and machine tool supplier.
The company also had other key considerations. Firstly, the technical capabilities of the machine. This included critical issues such as build quality, durability and reliability.
Secondly service support. As well as the machines being able to deliver the performance required from day one, Penta Precision clearly needed the machines to be reliable and for the machine tool supplier to have in place proven and responsive aftersales services.
Thirdly, with space at a premium at Penta’s facility, the company needed high functioning, compact machines with small footprints. Cost as always, was also an important consideration especially as the company was in the market for three new machines.
Penta also wanted to use Fanuc controls to ensure turning and milling operations were compatible with each other and to enable part programs to be transferred easily.
Lastly, machine availability was important as Penta Precision had an immediate need to improve its milling capabilities.
“Doosan’s DNM-series of vertical machining centres are popular, proven and have a good reputation in the market,” says Mr Moss. “Having contacted Mills, we visited the facility in Leamington to see the DNM machines, and to discuss our requirements in more detail.
“We were impressed with their approach and by the aftersales service and support they provide to customers. These, in addition to the machines’ performance, technical specifications, competitive price and rapid delivery all helped us to select Mills CNC as the preferred machine tool supplier.”
The three Doosan DNM 4500 machines supplied to Penta Precision are all equipped with a 10.4” console, the Fanuc 0iMF control (with 200 block look-ahead), a BT 40 direct-coupled 18.5kW/12,000rpm spindle (117.8 Nm), a 30-position ATC and high-rigidity linear guides on all axes.
In addition to the standard specification, Penta Precision also requested Renishaw spindle probes and Filtermist oil/mist extraction units on all three machines, and a Nikken rotary table on one of the machines.
“Since being installed the three DNM 4500 machines have been working flat out. Our investment in Doosan machine tools from Mills CNC is having a positive impact on our productivity, performance and profitability,” Mr Moss concludes.
Penta Precision Engineering www.pentaprecision.co.uk
Mills CNC www.millscnc.co.uk
