STATS Group, a market-leading global supplier of highly-engineered pipeline isolation, hot tapping and plugging products and services, has recently invested in two new advanced machine tools from Mills CNC.
The two new machines, both installed at STATS’ machine shop facility in September 2025, have significantly upgraded the company’s in-house machining capacity and capabilities and have already made their mark – improving process and operational efficiencies, and increasing overall productivity levels in what is a period of significant growth for the company.
Mills CNC, the exclusive distributor of DN Solutions and Zayer machine tools in the UK and Ireland, has recently supplied STATS, a market-leading specialist supplier of pressurised pipeline isolation, hot tapping and plugging services to the global energy industry, with a new, compact high-performance multi-tasking lathe and a new large-capacity simultaneous 5-axis machining centre.
The two DN Solutions’ Fanuc-controlled machines, both installed at STATS’ machine shop facility in Kintore, Aberdeenshire in September this year, comprise a 10” chuck Lynx 2600LY lathe with integrated Y-axis and driven tooling capabilities, and a 3500mm-bed length VCF 850LSR II 5-axis machining centre.
The acquisition of both machines has significantly increased and improved the company’s in-house machining capacity and capabilities, and the investment, as intended, is already enabling STATS to not only reduce its reliance on external third-party machining suppliers, but is also helping the company eliminate production bottlenecks and pinch-points, increase process and operational efficiencies, reduce costs and improve productivity.
About the STATS Group
Established in 1998 and headquartered in Aberdeenshire, Scotland, STATS Group has a growing international presence with operational facilities, including manufacturing, workshop and engineering capabilities in the US, Canada, Australia, UAE, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and Malaysia.
STATS, recently acquired by Japanese conglomerate, Mitsui & Co, in 2023, is a major player in the global energy sector designing, manufacturing and supplying a range of innovative, patented pipeline isolation, intervention and repair products and services. STATS’ best-in-class engineering and client-centred approach has earned the company a large and expanding customer base of national and international oil, gas, and petrochemical companies, as well as pipeline operators.
STATS excels in the servicing of large-diameter, high-pressure pipelines and with demand for extending the life of aging infrastructure through planned and preventive maintenance set to increase, the company is well positioned for growth. Demand for STATS’ proven, patented solutions including the BISEP®, fail-safe double-block and bleed line stopping tool and the Tecno Plug® a piggable inline isolation tool, is expected to rise significantly.
STATS’ extensive product range, that includes pipework and pipeline isolation and intervention tools, hot tapping machines, mechanical clamps and connectors, are all designed and manufactured in-house, with the company’s machine shop playing a pivotal role machining the many different high-quality (metal) components that go into each and every product.
Investment decision – overview
Facing increasing demand and the need to support customers’ maintenance schedules under tight deadlines, STATS undertook a comprehensive strategic audit of its in-house machine shop. Driven by its commitment to continuous improvement, the company reviewed operations to pinpoint current and emerging challenges related to quality, lead-time delivery, and cost efficiency.
“Because we manufacture all of our products in-house, and because we operate to such tight, non-negotiable, deadlines, it is vitally important that we have access to advanced technologies and efficient processes that improve our machining performance, reduce lead times and make us more competitive.
“Although we have a range of CNC and manual tools at our disposal, some of them are ‘legacy’ machines whose processing speeds, accuracies and flexibility have been superseded by more advanced machine tool models now available on the market.”
Krzysztof Wozniak, Manufacturing Manager at STATS Group
Due to substantial business growth and a rapidly expanding order book, STATS recognised that its existing machining capacity was no longer sufficient to meet demand. Ageing equipment was also underperforming, creating bottlenecks and inefficiencies that required urgent attention.
Without investment in state-of-the-art machinery, a significant proportion of work would need to be outsourced to third-party machining suppliers, increasing costs and lead times and ultimately putting critical turnaround times at risk.
The audit also highlighted inefficiencies experienced by STATS’ previous ‘mix and match’ approach to acquiring machine tools with different CNC control systems, and the difficulties this presented in being able to transfer programs, seamlessly, between machines.
Investment decision – Lynx 2600LY
STATS made the decision to take pressure off its small turned part processing operation by investing in a new multi-tasking lathe.
“We had previously acquired a used 2-axis Fanuc-controlled Lynx lathe a couple of years ago and were impressed with its cutting capabilities, fast processing speeds, high precision and reliability.
“The machine had been in constant use since being installed but, owing to the increase in demand for small, high-quality turned components, could not keep up with the volume of work now coming its way.
“Only having one small lathe at our disposal had created a serious bottleneck that could only be alleviated by subcontracting the work out or by strengthening our in-house machining capacity by investing in a new, high-performance machine.
“We opted for the latter.”
Michael Forbes, Operations Manager at STATS Group
However, rather than invest in another 2-axis lathe to help clear the backlog and attempt to put its small turned part operation back on an even keel, the company made the decision to acquire a new Fanuc-controlled multi-tasking machine with integrated Y-axis and driven tooling capabilities instead.
“Having access to a lathe with full mill-drill capabilities, we believed, would not only enable us to process small turned parts quickly and more efficiently in one set up, and eliminate the need to transfer parts to a milling machine for completion, but would also free-up time on the small milling machine too – a win-win situation.”
Michael Forbes, Operations Manager at STATS Group
The company’s positive experience with its first Lynx lathe led STATS to approach Mills CNC to discuss its new turning requirements, and it was through these discussions where the specification of the Lynx 2600LY and its availability were outlined to STATS’ representatives.
“The Lynx 2600LY ticked all the right boxes.”
Michael Forbes, Operations Manager at STATS Group
Investment decision – VCF 850LSR II
As previously mentioned, STATS had a number of different machine tools at its disposal, one of these being a relatively large-bed milling machine that was proving to be unreliable and prone to downtime.
Not having access to a large and reliable milling machine had resulted in STATS subcontracting this work out which was particularly frustrating as most of it was not complex or particularly time consuming.
“Subcontracting the work out was expensive and meant that we were no longer in control of our own production schedules. It was clear that we needed to resolve the situation quickly and that investing in a new large-capacity mill would be the right move.”
Krzysztof Wozniak, Manufacturing Manager at STATS Group
With so many different potential machine tools being available, STATS, prior to approaching the market, did its homework and, following internal discussions, created a new machine checklist identifying ‘must have’ technologies, capabilities and features to help narrow down its choice.
“We were trying to future proof this investment as much as possible so, in addition to the machine having a large worktable and long X-axis stroke for processing long and/or multiple smaller workpieces in one set up, we also needed the new machine to have full simultaneous 5-axis capabilities, a powerful, high-torque spindle, fast rapids, an integrated rotary table, an automatic tool changer (ATC), the latest Fanuc control, and in-process tool and workpiece measurement.”
Krzysztof Wozniak, Manufacturing Manager at STATS Group
Armed with its requirements and needing the machine to be available quickly, STATS went to market asking for quotes from a refined number of machine tools suppliers.
“It was the VCF 850LSR II’s technical specification that put Mills CNC in the box seat, and having the machine in stock, ready for immediate delivery, effectively helped seal the deal.”
Michael Forbes, Operations Manager at STATS Group
Machines in operation
Since being installed, and following operator training, both machines have been put through their paces machining a range of components that are typically made from carbon steel, stainless, duplex, aluminium and some exotics including inconels.
Although the machines are not being pushed to their limits in terms of positional and repeatable accuracies, it is their fast-processing speeds, inherent flexibility and reliability that enables them to machine a wide range of components, in varying batch sizes, from different materials in double-quick time, where they have been particularly successful.
“Our investment in two new DN Solutions’ machines have had a dramatic impact on our productivity and process efficiencies. The backlog of work has already been significantly reduced and, because we are no longer having to subcontract out work to external suppliers in the volumes previously required, we are now back in control of our production processes and better able to meet our customers’ delivery schedules and deadlines.”
Michael Forbes, Operations Manager at STATS Group