Twenty-first CNC machine from Mills is cause for celebration.

Date: 11 November 2008

Gear pump and Precision component manufacturer Slack & Parr Ltd has recently invested in its twenty-first CNC machine tool from Mills Manufacturing Technology Ltd.

The machine - a Doosan NM 410 3-axis vertical machining centre - was installed at Slack & Parr's Kegworth facility (Derbyshire), in October 2008 and is being used to manufacture complex high value aerospace and motor sport components from barstock, castings and forgings of exotic and Super Alloy materials.

The machine was selected by Slack & Parr for its high cutting capability, machining flexibility, reliability and cost-competitiveness. Another key consideration that affected the purchase decision was the after-sales service and support provided by Mills.

Says Richard Hallsworth, Slack & Parr's managing director:

'We are clearly no stranger to Doosan machine tools or to Mills for that matter. In recent years we have made significant investment in a number of CNC milling machines, lathes and multi-axis mill-turn centres from Mills - and have always been impressed by the performance of the machines and the level of support we receive.

'When we were on the look-out for additional milling capability - after-sales service was an important factor in the decision making process, and Mills' commitment and capability in this area are second to none.'

Says Nick Frampton, Mills' managing director:

'Our relationship with Slack & Parr goes back 10 years and continues to go from strength to strength. We are delighted that Slack & Parr have invested in their 21st machine from us.'

The NM 410

The Doosan NM 410 is a rigidly-constructed, high-performance 3-axis vertical machining centre. The machine was supplied to Slack & Parr with a 15kW 8,000rpm (BT 40) spindle, spindle probe, 24-tool ATC, high-efficiency swarf management system and, for increased manufacturing productivity and flexibility, a 4th-axis rotary table.

The integration of the 4th- axis unit increases the manufacturing and productivity capabilities of the machine by reducing cycle times and by enabling parts to be machined in fewer set-ups. This is viewed as almost essential for CNC milling of complex parts by Slack and Parr.

Slack & Parr

Slack & Parr was established in 1917 and was first involved in the manufacture of parts for the growing UK motorcycle industry. Over the last 90 years the company has re-invented itself and diversified its business activities considerably. Today Slack & Parr has 3 core business and manufacturing areas of concern:

1. The design, manufacture, assembly, sales/distribution and service of its own high precision gear metering pumps primarily used in the man-made fibre industry;
2. The manufacture of high-precision components for the aerospace and motorsport sectors;
3. The design and manufacture of precision hydraulic rotary flow dividers used extensively in agricultural, construction, materials handling equipment etc.

Today the company employs 200 people at its Kegworth facility.

In addition to its CNC lathes, milling machines and mill-turn centres machines the company also has extensive (and comprehensive) grinding machine tool capability - gear grinding, jig grinding, cylindrical grinding, ceramic grinding etc.

Grinding technology is used by Slack & Parr to produce exceptionally close tolerances on heat treated parts and components (typically +/- 0.0025), and to deliver surface finishes of Ra 0.1µm - Ra 0.2µm.

Slack & Parr has impressive quality and inspection capabilities featuring CMMs in temperature controlled environments. The company has also invested in the latest CAD/CAM technology using Pro/ENGINEER 3D packages that integrate design-to-manufacture processes. Data transfer from CAD stations to an individual machine tool occurs quickly and seamlessly via DNC links.