As a manufacturer of everything from subcontract machined parts through to sheet metal fabrication, PCB assembly tooling and industrial services such as anodizing and product development, Ayrshire-based NPI Solutions Ltd (New Product Innovation) has recently installed two new Doosan vertical machining centres and a new Doosan cobot from Mills CNC.

The Doosan DNM 4000 and DNM 6700 were installed at the company’s 46,000sq/ft facility in July to replace two ageing machining centres for NPI to increase its productivity and output. To maximise these aims, the Scottish Company added a Doosan M1013 cobot; the company’s first investment in a robotic automation system.

At a time when many manufacturers may have understandably been ‘battening down the hatches’, NPI chose a different route; one entirely in keeping with the company’s business ethos and approach, investing in new machine tools and automation at the height of the pandemic in April.

NPI’s Managing Director Kevin Priestley says: “We are committed to continuous improvement and, as such, regularly monitor and review our performance. We had become aware that two of our older machining centres were creating a ‘pinch point’ in our operations and were affecting our productivity and efficiency. We decided that we wanted to replace the two older machines and approached Mills CNC to discuss a way forward.”

NPI has been purchasing machine tools from Mills CNC since 2011, so the company is no stranger to the Doosan brand with three Doosan turning centres and three Doosan machining centres already on-site. As Kevin Priestley continues: “Doosan machines are reliable and represent good value and we like Mills. They know our business and we believe the company’s after-sales service and support are hard to beat.”

The two new DNM machines acquired by NPI are proven performers and are best-selling models. The DNM 4000 is a compact machining centre equipped with an 18.5kW/12,000rpm direct-drive spindle, a 20-position quick-change ATC and, in line with NPI’s preference, the Fanuc 0iMF control. The machine boasts rapid rates (48m/min) and, like all newer DNM models, features an efficient grease lubrication system that eliminates the need for an oil skimmer and reduces lubrication costs by up to 60%. The DNM 4000 also delivers excellent cutting performance. It is fast and accurate and, in many respects, is similar to the larger Doosan DNM 6700 machine which is equipped with an 18.5kW/8,000rpm direct-coupled spindle, a larger ATC and thermal error compensation that ensures high-accuracy over long machining runs.

Kevin Priestley adds: “We machine high-precision components from prototypes and small batches through to larger volumes for a growing number of the UK and international customers. To meet their quality and lead time demands, we need access to reliable, high-performance machine tools. The new Doosan machining centres are a case in point.”

Referring to the Cobot installation, Kevin Priestley says: “We are always looking to improve and recognise the power and potential of automation. In discussions with Mills’ sales and technical consultants, we began exploring the benefits we could gain from integrating a cobot with our Doosan DNM 350-5AX (5-axis) machining centre acquired in 2016. The ability to run the machine and cobot unattended was particularly appealing and would help us take advantage and exploit the DNM 350-5AX’s one-hit machining capabilities. Lights-out operations are the desired state and the cobot investment is a first step in getting there.”

“The Doosan cobot was selected for its build quality and its safety, payload and reach radius characteristics. The fact that it was backed by Mills CNC made it an easy decision to make,” concludes Kevin Priestley.