A significant increase in demand for small high-precision turned parts from a number of existing customers, primarily from an industrial laser machine tool manufacturer, has resulted in Monard Precision Engineering, a leading precision subcontract specialist, based in Rugby, investing in a new DN Solutions’ Lynx 2100LSYB multi-tasking lathe from Mills CNC.
To fully capitalise on the lathe’s fast and reliable part processing capabilities the investment package agreed with Mills also included the simultaneous supply, and subsequent on-site integration, of a high-performance bar loader and a rotary parts accumulator.
Mills CNC, the exclusive distributor of DN Solutions’ and Zayer machine tools in the UK and Ireland, has recently supplied Monard Precision Engineering with a new 8”chuck/65mm bar capacity Fanuc-controlled Lynx 2100LSYB sub-spindle, Y-axis lathe with driven tooling capabilities, a Hydrafeed Multifeed 65 short magazine bar loader and a Hydrafeed Rotary-Pro parts accumulator to create a flexible automated manufacturing cell capable of achieving unattended, lights-out operations.
The new lathe, bar loader and parts accumulator were all delivered and installed at Monard Precision’s machine shop facility in Rugby in June 2026 and, as intended, have significantly increased and improved the company’s in-house machining capacity and capabilities which, prior to the investment, and owing to a steady increase in demand for small, high-precision machined components from a number of its existing customers, had been put under pressure, resulting in backlogs and difficulties in achieving customers’ lead times.
“Towards the end of 2025, an existing customer notified us of their intention to ramp up their production requirements for the forthcoming year.
“Previously, we had been supplying this customer, a leading industrial laser machine tool manufacturer, with small batches (i.e.,100 – 200-off) of high-precision fine adjustment screws with milled hexagon features machined from 9mm diameter phosphor bronze bar.
These parts were effectively being machined one at a time, with first ops taking place on one of our lathes and milling operations being performed on one of our vertical machining centres.
“The customer’s plan to increase its batch size requirements, in the first instance, to 4000-off was great news, but we realised that to fulfil an order of this magnitude our existing in-house machining methods and processes, as well as our work scheduling resources, would be pushed to their limits.”
Kevin Hotchkiss, Managing Director at Monard Precision
The situation was compounded by similar increases in demand for high-quality, fast turnaround machined components from a number of Monard Precision’s other customers serving the F1, motorsport and pharmaceutical and brewing industries, to name but a few.
“It was crunch time for us. We needed to acquire additional machining capacity, and we needed to do it fast.
“However, to make sure that we weren’t ‘shooting from the hip’ and that we would be making a strategically sound and future-proofed investment, we audited our in-house machining capacity and capabilities to help identify immediate and future machining ‘pinch points’ and production bottlenecks.
“We also used the audit to highlight inefficient machining processes that were negatively affecting our productivity and our ability to meet customers’ lead times.”
Kevin Hotchkiss, Managing Director at Monard Precision
These legacy processes which often involved transferring parts between different machines and, as a consequence, required significant labour intervention, additional re-fixturing and extra job set ups were both time-consuming and expensive.
“It was fair to say that some of our existing processes were not as efficient as they could be owing to our reliance on older, less sophisticated machines.
“These processes were satisfactory when machining small batches but, when larger volumes were required, they did create real scheduling headaches and could lead to inefficient asset (machine tool) utilisation.”
Kevin Hotchkiss, Managing Director at Monard Precision
As a result of the audit, the company determined that it needed to strengthen its in-house turning resource sooner rather than later and that investing, in the future, in multi-tasking machine tools, embracing one-hit machining and achieving lights-out, unattended operations would be the future direction of travel.
The company then approached Mills CNC, its preferred machine tool supplier, with its requirements who recommended an investment package comprising a new multi-tasking Lynx 2100LSYB and an integrated bar loader and parts accumulator.
With speed being of the essence, Monard Precision made the decision in early 2026 to:
- acquire a used multi-tasking Lynx 220L lathe with a bar loader and dedicate this resource, initially, to the machining of the (4000) phosphor bronze fine adjustment screws.
- invest in the new Lynx 2100LSYB lathe, bar loader and parts accumulator to help clear, in the first instance, the backlog of work that had built up from its motorsport (F1/ GT and Rally), pharmaceutical and brewing, and medical equipment customers
“The acquisition of a used multi-tasking Lynx 220L lathe and bar loader in February 2026 got us out of a hole.
“Because the machine could be delivered, installed and commissioned quickly, it enabled us to hit the ground running giving us immediate additional turning capacity and the ability to develop and prove out a transferable one hit machining process to machine the high-precision nuts for our laser machine tool manufacturing customer.
“The investment in the new Lynx 2100LSYB, bar loader and parts accumulator, owing to its later delivery in June 2026, would be used, initially, to help clear the backlog of work and put us back on an even keel.”
Kevin Hotchkiss, Managing Director at Monard Precision
A significant percentage of this (backlog) work is for Monard Precision’s pharmaceutical and brewing customer, and involves the machining, in one hit, of a range of different sized, high-precision scientific instruments and annular probing system parts made from Stainless Steel 316 tube or solid bar which are machined to tight tolerances and exacting surface finishes.
Monard Precision and Mills CNC
Monard Precision is no stranger to machine tool technologies from Mills CNC.
Since 2017, when Kevin Hotchkiss and business partner, Martin Holloway, acquired the company, Monard Precision has regularly invested in a number of new CNC machine tools (lathes and machining centres) from Mills CNC.
Prior to the latest Lynx 2100LSYB acquisition, the company had previously invested in two new Lynx 2100 lathes in 2017 and 2021 respectively, and a new DNM 4500 vertical machining centre in 2021.
These machines, and the recently acquired Lynx 220L lathe, are addition to a couple of Doosan DNM 400 II machining centres which were also new purchases from Mills CNC, have been instrumental in helping the company grow, diversify its customer base, secure higher value machining contracts and build a solid reputation for delivering high-quality machined components, delivered on time and on budget.
“Our new and used Doosan and DN Solutions’ machines are reliable, flexible and deliver excellent cutting performance.
“Furthermore, the new machines we have acquired from Mills are backed by the company’s first-class pre- and after-sales service and support which is widely regarded as being the best in the business.
“Whenever we are in the market for a new machine, we invariably make Mills CNC our first port of call.
“We now have eight CNC machines at our disposal. Seven of these machines are DN Solutions or Doosan models, and seven of these have been acquired directly from Mills.”
Kevin Hotchkiss, Managing Director at Monard Precision
With the backlog of work (virtually) cleared and the machining and delivery of the 4000 nuts almost completed, Monard Precision is now looking to fully capitalise on the investment in its new automated manufacturing cell.
The investment package – a closer look
The Lynx 2100LSYB is an 8”chuck/65mm bar capacity multi-tasking lathe equipped with a 18.5kW/6,000rpm main spindle, a 5” chuck 7.5kW/6000rpm sub-spindle, a +/- 52.5mm Y-axis and driven tooling capabilities (6000rpm). The machine features a 12/24-station turret and the advanced Fanuc 0iT control with a 15” touchscreen iHMI.
The Hydrafeed Multifeed 65 is a robust, electro-pneumatic short magazine bar loader that handles bar diameters from 6mm to 65mm and is a flexible automation solution designed to optimise CNC turning processes.
The Hydrafeed Rotary Pro parts accumulator is a stand-alone automated parts handling system that safely collects, stores and protects finished delicate components from surface damage.
“Machining parts to completion in a single set up and achieving lights-out, unattended operations (where feasible) are where we want and need to be. We now have the expertise and technologies in place to begin to make this a reality.”
Kevin Hotchkiss, Managing Director at Monard Precision