Large lathes designed for heavy duty machining applications deliver exceptional performance (even during interrupted cutting operations) - and provide unrivalled accuracy.

Large CNC lathes boost machining capabilities Large lathes designed for heavy duty machining applications deliver exceptional performance (even during interrupted cutting operations) - and provide unrivalled accuracy. West Lothian-based precision engineering specialist - Nexus Precision Engineering (Broxburn) - has built its reputation on delivering high quality manufacturing solutions to the oil/gas (off-shore), electronics and medical sectors - and by providing world-class services and support to its growing portfolio of UK customers. The company, first established in 1993 as TMD and then in 1997 as Nexus, now employs over 50 people and has 2 manufacturing locations in Broxburn (near Edinburgh) and in Portlethen, Aberdeen and a surface treatment facility - also based in Aberdeen.

The Nexus Group of companies provides its customers with a total systems solutions service.

For some customers this can include component design and material procurement assistance as well as a complete manufacturing capability that also includes surface coating treatments (phosphate, Molycote, Xylan, etc).

Nexus derives a significant proportion of its sales revenue (over 90%) from the oil/gas sector - and, in order to do this, has differentiated itself from many precision engineering subcontractors operating within the sector, by focusing its considerable resources on the manufacture of large, complex precision components.

To maintain its competitive advantage in this sub-sector - Nexus has invested heavily, in recent years, in advanced CNC machine tool technologies (lathes, milling machines, horizontal borers) and associated inspection equipment - coordinate measuring machines (CMMs), etc These technologies provide Nexus not only with increased manufacturing capacity - but also greater production flexibility and improved quality (part accuracy, surface finish, surface integrity, etc).

The components manufactured by Nexus are mainly made from hard metals, duplex, stainless steels, alloys, Inconel.

They are also generally required in small batches (typically 5-10 off).

These production realities have driven Nexus to invest in high-performance CNC machine tools - machines that not only deliver (and can be relied upon to deliver day in - day out) - but that can also handle and make economically viable - diverse, low-volume part production.

Over the last few years - Nexus has made significant investment in Doosan Daewoo machine tool technologies supplied by machine tool specialist - Mills Manufacturing Technology, Leamington, UK.

The Doosan Daewoo machines now installed at Nexus' Broxburn facility include the following.

* Two Puma 400LM (long bed) lathes.

* Puma 600L (long bed) lathe.

* Puma 400 lathe.

* V500 Vertical Machining Centre.

* H500 horizontal machining centre (just installed July 2006).

The large Doosan Daewoo Puma lathes have been designed for heavy duty machining applications.

They deliver exceptional performance (even during interrupted cutting operations) - and provide Nexus with unrivalled accuracy and repeatability - and, surface finish.

Nexus machines complex parts to close tolerances - often +/-0.005in but, in many instances, +/-0.001in is required.

Similarly exacting standards for surface finish are also demanded with 0.8 micron Ra often being the rule - not the exception.

For tough roughing out operations - both the Puma 400 and 600 machines provide fast and high material removal capability - and this - plus their rapid and responsive positioning and high-speed turret indexing - ensure that Nexus benefits from unmatched machine cycle times, faster work throughput and increased productivity.

The 'long beds' and programmable tailstocks on the Puma lathes extend Nexus' machining capability still further - enabling the company to handle even larger workpieces (Z-axis = 3235mm on the 600 and 2155mm on the 400).

To become successful and maintain a dominant position within the oil/gas sector supply chain - precision manufacturers need to ensure that their manufacturing systems drive down costs; consistently hit stringent delivery times and improve part quality.

Said Fraser Leggat, workshop manager at Nexus: 'We achieve 100% on time delivery here at Nexus - and have zero scrap/waste rates too.

Investing in advanced, highly capable CNC machine tools has helped to maintain our competitive advantage.' He added: 'We face tough and demanding production challenges here at Nexus - but the Doosan Daewoo machines are always able to rise to them.

The machines' capabilities - plus the excellent service and technical back-up we can access from Mills - means that we're well placed to take advantage of the opportunities that exist within the oil/gas sector and other high precision sectors as well.'