New CNC machining centre increases productivity and process efficiencies for leading Tier One automotive supplier – dramatically reducing set-up and part cycle times.

MACH Machine Tools, part of the Vigilance Group, and a supplier of high-quality CNC and manual machine tools and machine shop equipment to UK and Irish component manufacturers, has recently supplied Sanoh UK Manufacturing, a Tier One supplier and a leading manufacturer and distributor of metal and plastic tubing products (i.e., brake lines, fuel pipes etc.), to the UK automotive sector, with a new vertical machining centre.

The machine, a 3-axis MACH MDV 1160S equipped with the advanced DynaPath control, was installed at the company’s Engineering Centre facility in Avonmouth, Bristol in April 2025, and has replaced two older semi-automatic milling machines that were used in part-exchange to help fund the new investment.

The Engineering Centre is a fully integrated, ‘de facto’ in-house toolroom that serves Sanoh UK’s production operations which, themselves, are located in separate facilities on the same industrial site in Avonmouth, and is responsible for making innovative and specialist inspection gauges, assembly and testing fixtures and other tooling required to manufacture the company’s products.

Since being installed, which was only a few weeks ago, the MACH MDV 1160S has been put through its paces machining, at this moment in time, a range of different-sized base plates - essential components in the Engineering Centre’s pre-production and production gauges and assembly fixtures.

These plates are made from aluminium and are 12.7mm thick. They are supplied to the Engineering Centre pre-cut, in a range of sizes, from 200mm x 200mm through to 1400mm x 700mm and, after de-burring operations have been completed on the company’s semi-automatic 2-axis machines, are moved to the new MACH MDV 1160S for machining. 

These machining operations essentially comprise the drilling of a number of pre-fixing holes on the plates’ undersides allowing them to be securely clamped on the machine’s table before a series of pre-set, application-specific holes, used to hold a number of posts and blocks etc., in position, are drilled on the plates’ top sides.

Says Leyton Dunn, Engineering Centre Manager:

“Prior to investing in the new MACH machine, these drilling operations were performed on our semi-auto mills.

“However, the relatively small worktables on these machines meant that we were constantly having to stop drilling operations to unclamp the plates, move them to a different position and then re-clamp them before drilling operations could continue.

“For larger plates this sequence had to be repeated three or four times before drilling operations were completed.”

In addition to their limited (size) capacity, the semi-auto 2-axis machines also did not have a dedicated Z-axis control for drilling. Although this issue could be addressed during set-up operations, it wasn’t fast or seamless and increased part processing times.

Continues Leyton Dunn:

“It was clear that the machining processes we were using were not as efficient as they could have been, and that relying on our semi-auto machines was affecting our overall productivity and lead time fulfilment. 

“We believed that an investment in a new 3-axis CNC machining centre with a larger worktable would improve things but, to test our assumptions and justify the proposed increased expenditure, we needed to demonstrate the time and cost savings that could be realised from the new acquisition.”

Investment justification

A previous, real life gauge project, completed earlier on the company’s existing semi-automatic machines, was used for investigation.

The project, which involved machining a series of drill points in a number of different-sized plates (up to 1200mm x 450mm), was analysed with the respective times taken to complete all de-burring, set-up, plate movement, re-fixturing and drilling operations required to complete a total of 1248 holes, being added together.

These figures were then compared to the time taken, following the same machining processes (albeit with fewer plate movements and re-fixturing operations) to achieve the same number of holes drilled if a new, larger-capacity 3-axis machining centre was used.

The results were dramatic.

Using the company’s existing machine tool technology, a total of 82.5 hours was needed to complete the project whereas, using a larger capacity 3-axis CNC machine, the estimate, using downloaded simulation software, was reduced to just 11.65 hours – an anticipated time saving of 70.8 hours 

“These savings were just for this project.” says Leyton Dunn. “With similar savings likely to be made on different jobs combined with having access to a powerful and fast 3-axis machining centre with the capability to machine complex, high-precision 3D milled parts, it was clear that the new investment was the way forward.”

With senior management endorsement, a detailed machine tool specification checklist was drawn up, and a number of machine tool companies and suppliers were then approached.

Investment decision

MACH Machine Tools was one of three companies contacted and asked to provide machine recommendations and quotes.

A visit to MACH Machine Tools’ facility in Bristol provided the opportunity for the Engineering Centre staff to be introduced to the MACH MDV 1160S and familiarise themselves with the advanced DynaPath control.

Remembers Leyton Dunn:

“We liked the look of the MDV 1160S, the size of its working envelope, its advanced spindle technology and that it came supplied with many features as standard (i.e., oil mist extraction unit, through-spindle-coolant, swarf conveyor, air cooling etc.), which were optional extras on equivalent competitor machines.

“The machine was in-stock ready for immediate delivery and its competitive, ‘direct-from-the-factory’ price tag was also a major selling point. As a result, we placed the order for the MDV 1160S.”

As this was the Engineering Centre’s first investment in a CNC machine, the company wanted the control to be flexible, powerful and easy-to-use, and the innovative DynaPath CNC control, with its large 8GB memory, impressive block lookahead capabilities, integrated DXF reader/editor and its ability to be used for either ISO and/or conversational programming, fitted the bill.

Furthermore, the system’s fast, Wi-Fi enabled, 24/7 remote diagnostics and monitoring assistance and support facility, was also seen as a particular strength and differentiator, providing customers with confidence and peace of mind knowing that, should they need it, expert help and advice was only a phone call away.

The machine was installed at the Engineering centre in April and, after (three days) operator and programmer training, was ready for action.

Since being installed, the MDV 1160S has cut its teeth, so to speak, on a project involving the drilling of a series of holes in 10 different sized plates (ranging from 350mm x 700mm to 1400mm x 550mm). 

Owing to the size of the MDV 1160S’ worktable, the number of plate movements and the related re-fixturing operations required were reduced to just four instead of 24, and was completed in 70 hours less than if the project was handled on the Engineering Centre’s semi-auto machines.

The estimate, from a return on investment perspective, is that once the MDV 1160S has drilled 39,000 holes, payback will have been achieved.

Although the MDV 1160S has been used exclusively, to date, for machining plates, it is anticipated that it will also be used, in the near future, to machine a range of different high-precision parts in low volumes (i.e., one-off and two-offs) for a range of the Engineering Centre’s other jig and fixture products and solutions, and that the machine’s large working envelope will enable multiple parts to be machined in a single set-up.

This is being investigated as we speak.

MDV 1160S: a closer look

The MACH MDV 1160S is a high-performance, rigidly-designed and built 3-axis vertical machining centre equipped with a 15kW/12,000rpm direct-drive spindle, with through-spindle-coolant capability, and a large worktable (1200mm x 600mm).

The machine is fast, accurate and flexible and is ideal for heavy-duty roughing operations and super-fine finishing too.

Summary

The Engineering Centre’s first CNC machine tool investment has been successful and positive. Productivity and process efficiencies have been improved and, although early days, significant cost savings have already been realised.

For further information please contact:

Matt Andrew

matt@machmt.co.uk

Tel: 0117 965 2706