TURNKEY & AUTOMATION EXPANDING TO GROW
business that was already in existence - but
elevates it to re ect future market dynamics
and demand.
“At a time when many manufacturers were
battening down the hatches, waiting to seeout
the pandemic - we have been proactive.
We are con dent about its success and it will
soon become the ‘go-to’ place for
manufacturers looking to maintain their
competitive edge,” says Dale.
AUTOMATION IS THE FUTURE
In 2020, to help make automation more
accessible and attractive to component
manufacturers, Mills has launched its own
SYNERGi automated manufacturing cells into
the market.
The SYNERGi cells comprise three
different ‘types’ based on capacity and
complexity - SYNERGi Premier, Classic and
Sprint and the centre provides a dedicated
resource and environment for Mills’ industrial
and collaborative robot and cobot business.
(see more on page 16)
The cells can be customised to meet
customers’ speci c needs and requirements;
integrated with more than one (Doosan)
machine and, further customisation can
enable other process requirements to be
included in each cell’s design and build such
as inspection, parts’ washing station, as well
as addition of bespoke work loading/
unloading racking systems.
Turnkey and process improvement
solutions, often including and involving
automation like workpiece loading/unloading
systems involving robots; automated
manufacturing cells, are not new to Mills. The
company has a proven track record in their
design and delivery - especially, and most
recently, with OEM aerospace, defence,
automotive, power generation companies.
In these cases, Mills CNC, as the supplier
of Doosan machine tools adopts the project
leader role - interfacing with the customers at
all stages, designing the systems, managing
and coordinating all third-party involvement
and being responsible for proving out, signing
off, installation, training and providing
technical support.
Another key part of the automation side of
business for Mills, is as UK and Irish
distributor for global cobot manufacturer
Doosan Robotics, a contract it took on in
2018. The centre will house these cobots
and will be demonstrated to potential
customers.
The high performance cobots comprise of
A-, M- and H-series. Doosan cobots are
designed to perform a range of tasks from
machine tending, inspection and testing
through to packaging, assembly and pick and
place operations.
Dale explains interest and demand for
Doosan cobots has been “steadily
increasing” and this is the direction of travel
in the future, as manufacturers look to
improve their productivity, adopt lights-out
and unattended operations (overnight and
weekends), reduce labour costs, and redeploy
staff from doing repetitive tasks to
undertaking more value-adding ones.
However, he adds UK manufacturing is
still slow at investing in automation: “There is
still a big education programme required to
convince certain manufacturers about the
bene ts of automation. The UK still lags well
behind many of its European counterparts
(and competitors) in automation investment.
“Cobot investment by component
manufacturers where the emphasis is on
machine tending will grow in future but cobot
deployment in other areas like inspection,
polishing, assembly, palletisation and
packaging, in other industries and sectors is
where the big growth opportunities lie.”
LOOKING BACK AND FORWARD
2020 was a challenging year for all
manufacturers and Dale says the pandemic
did cause disruption to Mills’ business, due
to postponement of key exhibitions like
MACH 2020 and some expected customer
orders were delayed and cancelled.
In the rst lockdown, Mills implemented a
Covid-19 safe environment at the campus
and still in effect - to keep staff, suppliers
and visitors safe, strictly following
government guidelines on social distancing,
mandatory mask wearing, remote working for
certain staff, and limitations of number of
people visiting the Campus.
“Demand for new machine tools in certain
sectors, such as oil and gas and aerospace
saw a reduction but other sectors like
defence and nuclear proved resilient,”
explains Dale.
“Machine tool sales especially for Lynx
and Puma lathes and DNM machining centres
remained strong. And sales of Doosan DVF
5-axis and SMX mill-turn machines were also
worthy of mention.”
Dale believes the reasons behind this are
the good reputation of Doosan machines and
Mills CNC’s after-sales support in the market,
along with good levels of machines in-stock,
meaning customers could buy and get their
machines quickly and ef ciently, while the
depth and breadth of Mills’ Doosan machine
tool range is “always a strength”.
Repeat business from existing customers
is so vital for the likes of Mills and it has
continued to help meet their extra turning and
milling capacity needs quickly.
Dale says new business start-ups
investing in the rst CNC machines have also
selected Doosan lathes and/or machining
centres as their preferred technology choice,
while the SMART options rental scheme also
helped it secure business.
In 2020, demand for Mills’ turnkey
solutions remained high according to Dale, as
the company designed and delivered a
number of “innovative and sophisticated
solutions” in the UK and Ireland throughout
The centre
showcases a
range of turney and automation solutions
The Customer & Visitor
Centre
www.machinery.co.uk | MachineryMagazine | @MachineryTweets | February 2021 15
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