Strategic and prudent investment in advanced Doosan machine tools is helping market-leading contract manufacturing specialist, Oxford Engineering Ltd., achieve significant organic growth, secure new business wins and deliver high-quality manufacturing solutions congruent with its aspirational and motivational Vision Statement.
Mills CNC, the exclusive distributor of Doosan machine tools in the UK and Ireland, has recently supplied Oxford Engineering Ltd., a successful and progressive contract manufacturing specialist, and part of the Oxford Engineering Group, with three new high-performance, ultra-productive multi-tasking machines.
The machines, all DNC linked and equipped with the latest Fanuc controls, comprise a DNM 6700 vertical machining centre, a 10/12” chuck SMX 2600S mill-turn machine, and a 21” chuck (large-capacity) Puma 5100MB lathe.
Says Karim Sekkat, CEO, Oxford Engineering Group:
“Doosan machine tools, supplied and supported by Mills CNC, are technically excellent machines. They are flexible and reliable, deliver outstanding accuracies and repeatability’s and help us keep our quality, delivery and cost promises to our customers.
“We now have four Doosan machines installed at Oxford Engineering Ltd.’s facility in Abingdon but, across the whole Group, the number is considerably higher, with our two Hutton Engineering facilities, in Bicester and Abingdon, having a total of over 20 Doosan machines between them.”
However, it is not just the technical capacity and capabilities of Doosan machine tools that have made, and continue to make, them so attractive to Oxford Engineering: it’s the service and support provided by Mills CNC that adds to their appeal.
Continues Karim Sekkat:
“Doosan machines are reliable but, if and when, any issues arise that affect their performance or cause downtime, we know that Mills’ after-sales and support services will help keep any disruption to our and our customers’ production schedules to a minimum.”
About Oxford Engineering Ltd.
Oxford Engineering Ltd., is a vertically integrated contract manufacturing specialist that provides a range of high integrity services and solutions, that includes technical consultancy, precision machining, welding and fabrication, assembly, testing etc., to a growing number of global, market-leading customers operating in the medical, nuclear, semi-conductor, aerospace, defence and scientific instrumentation sectors and industries.
As such, this approach, focused on the collection, processing and interpretation of real time data (gained from a variety of sources that include the company’s shop floor equipment and MRP/ERP systems), enables senior managers to continuously monitor and benchmark performance against KPIs… identify issues and factors that affect/impact upon productivity…spot emerging trends and opportunities… and make strategic and timely interventions to ensure process optimisation.
Continues Karim Sekkat:
“We operate in highly-regulated markets where there is an emphasis on continuous improvement, innovation, traceability, process reliability and cost reduction.
“To ensure we are able to always provide our customers with the best possible service and solutions, we adopt a holistic approach that covers all aspects of production including their supply chain management and logistics issues, lean manufacturing methods and imperatives etc.
“In this way we are able to build, and cutomise, our manufacturing operations and processes around individual customer’s needs and requirements. As such, our customers have come to expect, and now rely on us, to have advanced manufacturing technologies and optimised processes in place to help them outperform their competitors and delight their customers.”
Investment in new technology
To ensure that this can occur Oxford Engineering has implemented a companywide continuous improvement programme and, as such, makes regular investment in its people, in its plant and equipment, and in it processes and systems.
For example, in addition to the recent investment made in the three new Doosan machine tools, the company has significantly strengthened it metrology/inspection credentials with the acquisition of an advanced, state-of-the-art laser-driven Global S Chrome Coordinate Measuring Machine (CMM).
“It’s all about being the best we can possibly be”, says Karim Sekkat.
The new Doosan machines: a closer look
The three new Doosan machines acquired by Oxford Engineering comprise an advanced vertical machining centre with a 4th-axis unit, a multi-axis mill-turn machine with an integrated bar feeder and a large-capacity turning centre with large bore capabilities and driven tooling.
The latest machine tool investments also highlight and encapsulate Oxford Engineering’s technology preferences and imperatives – namely to invest in Fanuc-controlled Doosan multi-axis and multi-tasking machines with integrated automation.
Says Karim Sekkat:
“We know from our Group experience that multi-tasking Doosan machines from Mills CNC supplied with integrated automation are proven performers and help us reduce job set up and part cycle times, avoid production bottlenecks, ensure improved asset utilisation and meet ever-stringent customer delivery deadlines.
“We work in partnership with customers to create strong, mutually-profitable and long-term strategic alliances with them. Our investment in Doosan machines tools from Mills CNC represent an important cornerstone in establishing and maintaining these relationships.”