Founded in 2005, DGF Engineering has been on a continuous growth trajectory and, at every step of the way, the Hertfordshire manufacturer has turned to Dugard for its CNC machine tools. The company started its investment in Dugard machines with the Dugard 1000 three-axis vertical machining centre, since been followed by a SMEC SL 2000M turning centre and now a smaller Dugard 550 machining centre.

The acquisition of the SMEC SL 2000M turning centre in 2022 was due to the turned components at DGF Engineering Ltd increasingly needing secondary milling operations on machining centres. To free-up milling capacity, the Royston-based subcontractor, which produces a diverse range of components for a variety of sectors, believed the Dugard SMEC would make a major difference – and it has.

Recalling why the company invested in a live turning centre, Liam Fernard, workshop manager at DGF Engineering,says: “Turning work with milled features was tying up our CNC milling department for too long and we needed a solution with live tooling. As we were happy with the service that we’d received from Dugard on our Dugard 1000 three-axis vertical machining centre, we naturally looked at their lathes.The SMEC SL 2000M turning centre ticked all the boxes.”

The SMEC SL 2000M CNC lathe comes with FANUC 0iTF or Siemens 828D control options, mill/drill option (M model), 570 mm swing over bed, 460 mm swing over cross slide and an 8″ chuck. It can handle parts measuring up 360 mm diameter and 540/520 mm in length.

With the service, support and reliability of Dugard being as robust as the machines, the company turned to Dugardonce again when it needed additional milling capacity.

Discussing the latest acquisition, Fernard says: “We bought the Dugard 550 for several reasons, one being its small footprint. We didn’t have a huge amount of room and the machine that the Dugard 550 replaced was only a small machine. A lot of the work we do is quite small components, so we didn’t need a large bed and big footprint machine like our Dugard 1000. So, the specification of this machine met all our needs and it fits exactly where we wanted it.”

As a subcontractor, DGF Engineering will typically machine anything, but its main industry focus is the scientific, liquid and gas testing industries – but then this diverse company could also be undertaking work for a farmer down the road.

“We machine a wide range of materials that include aluminium and stainless steel, and for a small machine the Dugard 550 handles stainless very well,” reports Fernard.“The machine has a 10,000 rpm spindle; the horsepower is very good and it will cut all day long.”

Referring to why the company has purchased yet another Dugard machine, Fernard adds: “We’ve been really impressed with the first two Dugard machines we bought and the service has been great. The machine it replaced was getting a little bit old and the spindle speed was only 6000rpm, so it just wasn’t machining how we really wanted. From experience, the first place for us to go was Dugard,to see what they had available.The Dugard 550 stood out; it seemed perfect for our needs.”

The Dugard 550 is a cost-effective vertical machining centre with FANUC, Siemens and Mitsubishi control options. Travel in the X, Y and Z-axis is 550, 440 and 460 mm respectively, with the machine offering a 16-station automatic tool changer (ATC). From order to delivery, the machine was on the shop floor in a matter of weeks.

“The machine was a stock model in the Dugard showroom and, as soon as we were interested, we paid a deposit and it was just a case of sorting things out here to make sure we could get the machine placed,” explains Fernard.“Dugard delivered the machine and took the old one away.They also re-sited another machine for us and completed everything in just 90 minutes. As a company, Dugard understands we have to make money and downtime is expensive, so they do everything in their power to get us up and running as quickly as they can.”

The company is programming its machines with an offline CAM system, alluding to which, Fernard says: “The latest machine fits in easily, just like the other machines. There is a post-processor for the machines, so you don’t have to make any changes. Additionally, we have a mist filtration system on the latest machine. We were debating whether we needed a filtration system, but to make sure we were compliant with legislation, we installed a Dugard filtration unit on the Dugard 550.”

In conclusion, Fernard says: “The machine was delivered with the filtration system already fitted and, as we were very happy with immediate results, we asked Dugard to retrofit filtration systems to our other machines. This was done a day after the Dugard 550 machine was delivered and installed. The service has been fantastic and whenever I speak to anyone who is looking for a machine, I always recommend Dugard because they haven’t put a foot wrong. There’s nothing that is too much trouble for them and they will help you out as much as they can.”
For further information www.dugard.com

Mills CNChas supplied leading precision subcontract specialist Dalloway Precision Engineeringwith two new high-performance machine tools.The machines, both DN Solutions models, comprise a DVF 5000 simultaneous five-axis machining centre and a DNT 2100 8” chuck box-guideway lathe. Both FANUC-controlled modelsarrived at the company’s 3600sq ft facility in Lye, near Stourbridge, this summer, significantly increasing the company’s in-house machining capacity and capabilities.

These new acquisitions took place in conjunction with Dalloway Precision’s recent relocation to larger premises, completed at the end of June 2023, doubling the floor space available. This move provides ample and incontrovertible evidence that the family-owned Black Country company’s investment plans and programmes, somewhat curtailed by the outbreak of the pandemic, are now back with a vengeance.

Current owner and managing director, Gary Dalloway, establishedDalloway Precision in January 2002 by.In the early days the company was based in Bilston, Wolverhampton, where it operated from a small ‘shared’ premises.The company has grown exponentially since then, developing and honing its machining expertise, investing in new technologies and increasing its headcount.

Dalloway Precision is no stranger to investing in machine tools from Mills CNC. From 2017 to 2019, the company purchased three Doosan machines in quick succession: a Lynx 2100 lathe in 2017, a DNM 5700 vertical machining centre equipped with a 4th-axis in 2018, and a Puma GT 2600 lathe in 2019.

Says Dalloway: “We’re always looking to improve and regularly invest in new, advanced machine tool technologies to improve our productivity and process efficiencies.”

Investment in the new DVF 5000, a simultaneous five-axis machining centre and, to a lesser extent, the 8” chuck DNT 2100 box-guideway lathe, helps the company meet a substantial increase in demand from one of its existing UK customers. This contract requires the machining of complex, high-precision and safety-critical rail track piston arrangements – ultimately destined for the Swedish rail sector.A long-standing job that, since 2015, hasseen Dalloway Precision machine 500 piston parts per year was, was due to increase to 1000 parts per quarter in August 2023.

“The increase in demand, notified to us at the start of 2023, meant that we needed to re-evaluate our existing machining methods and processes in order to fulfil the new contract,” remembers Dalloway.“We simply couldn’t rely on the previous process to machine the increased number of parts, as that would seriously tie-up a significant percentage of our existing machining capacity and have a negative impact on our ability to meet the lead times of other customers.As a consequence, we decided to increase our machining capacity and develop a new, high-efficiency process with five-axis machining at its heart to cope with the new contract.”

The rail track piston arrangements are made from EN 19 high-quality alloy steel, near-net forgings supplied by a local metal forgings company. They have a number of intricate and high-precision milled and turned features that include bores and thread forms.With the previous process, Dalloway Precision was not able to machine a series of small-angled holes positioned around one end of each piston, so they were sent back to the UK customer for it to complete along with a number of specific grinding operations.

Says Dalloway:“The new process we developed, using a five-axis machining centre, provided the customer with a real ‘added-value’ solution, enabling us to machine all features, including the angled holes.”

Although Dalloway Precision is no stranger to multi-axis milling, having previously invested in machining centres with 4th-axis units, the acquisition of a full, simultaneous five-axis machining centre was something new.

“As well as being used to machine the pistons, we believed that the investment in a five-axis machine would improve our productivity and process efficiencies across the board,” he says. “It would also be instrumental in us being able to secure more complex work from new and existing customers in the future.”

To strengthen its turning operations, the company, at the same time, looked at investing in a versatile two-axis box-guideway lathe to handle the turned features of the pistons and, more generally, increase and improve its machining resource.With this in mind, Dalloway Precision approached the market with its plans and requirements. The existing relationship it had with Mills CNC meant that the Leamington Spa outfit was one of its first ports of call.

“We have a good relationship with Mills CNC and the three machines we acquired from them in the past, since 2017, are accurate, reliable and perform well,” states Dalloway. “Furthermore, we like the business approach of Mills CNC. They are always helpful and accommodating, and their progressive, customer-focused stocking policy means that when we have placed orders with them in the past – they are fulfilled, almost immediately.As a consequence, it was only natural for us to discuss our future investment plans with them.”

Dalloway Precision placed an order with Mills CNC for a DVF 5000 machining centre and a DNT 2100 lathe in April 2023.The DVF 5000 supplied to Dalloway precision was equipped with a 17kW/12,000 rpm direct-drive spindle and 60-position ATC. It features integrated thermal compensation to ensure high accuracies, even during long machining runs, and boasts 40m/min rapids that help ensure fast part processing and reduced cycle times.
To improve productivity still further, Mills CNC supplied machine with through-spindle-coolant capability (20bar) and a Renishaw RMP 60 compact spindle probe.

The DNT 2100 is one model in a new lathe series. This 8” chuck box-guideway lathe has a rigid design and build, and features a high-torque 4500rpm spindle, a servo-driven, fast indexing 12-station turret, and a programmable tailstock.

“The DVF 5000 and DNT 2100 were installed in the new facility in June and July respectively, and a ‘big shout out’ needs to go to Mills CNC for the quick and seamless relocation of all of our other machines [eight in total] to our new site,” says Dalloway. “The DVF 5000 is currently machining complex fixtures for the piston arrangement and we hope to be in full production in the next week or so.”

Dalloway Precision estimates that the piston contract will take up 50% of its new milling (DVF 5000) and turning (DNT 2100) capacity.Recent contract wins have involved the machining of high-precision, stainless steel rod ends for a number of automotive and motorsport customers; the machining of complex, modular welding fixtures for a luxury car manufacturer; and the machining of intricate packaging solutions for a food and beverage (whisky distillery) customer.

The company, through its commitment to continuous improvement, always has one eye on the future. For instance, to ensure growth and overcome skills shortages, Dalloway Precision operates an in-house apprenticeship programme run in conjunction with local colleges. Furthermore, to help improve business efficiencies, the company is looking to invest in an ERP system in the near future and is exploring specific industry accreditations and certifications to facilitate its entry into the aerospace and medical sectors.

Concludes Dalloway:“The latest investment in two DN Solutions machines from Mills CNC is proof positive that our growth intentions and ambitions, somewhat disrupted by the pandemic, are now back on track.”
For further information www.millscnc.co.uk