Willenhall-based NDB Engineering, a specialist subcontract fastener machining business, has spent £500,000 in the past 12 months on the latest turn-milling technology from Citizen Machinery UK.

This budgeted spend, funded through Citizen’s tailored finance package, covered two Citizen Cincom L20-VIIILFV sliding-head turn-mill centres and a Miyano BNE-51MSY fixed-head turn-mill centre (pictured), plus Citizen’s Alkart CNC Wizard programming aid, all of which now form a critical part of the future business strategy. As a result, opportunities are being created to gain higher productivity and spindle utilisation, with ever greater confidence in quality being maintained.
Managing director Andy Williams says: “These machine installations have also saved us having to seek outside help to satisfy our growing order book, as we were very concerned about loss of direct control, especially over quality if we used outside subcontractors.”
Joint director Rebecca Dainter adds that over the previous 15 years the company had installed sliding-head machines but swarf control was a constant attention-seeking headache. “It restricted output and, without care, could easily degrade quality and decimate our productivity targets,” she says.
She follows on to reveal that when Low Frequency Vibration (LFV) technology became available from Citizen, the company immediately saw the potential to achieve greater security and control during the machining of difficult materials. “Swarf nesting problems have disappeared. In addition, we have improved our productivity by having the confidence to run unmanned, and on many parts can go through the night, giving us a massive leap in capacity with the added bonus of one setter/operator tending three machines.”
For further information www.citizenmachinery.co.uk