Precision machining and fabrication one-stop shop, DC Developments began its working relationship with Mazak in the late 1990s.
Tucked away in the Norfolk countryside, is DC Developments, a company that has taken a circuitous route to its current destination of being a true precision machining and fabrication one-stop shop.
“The business was set up by my father and started out doing precision fabrication in the 1980s,” says Matthew Campbell, Director at DC Developments. “We were doing a lot of production car work and prototyping, mainly for Lotus as well as the likes of McLaren, Jaguar, Rolls Royce and Bentley – all through my father’s contacts.”
Laser processing capability was added to fabrication in the late 1990s which was when the relationship with Mazak started. “The lasers were an add-on to the fabrication side and then the machining side was an add-on to help support with all the other components we needed. With all of our capabilities we’ve been able to move into new sectors and we’re now strong in oil and gas, agriculture, automotive, pharmaceuticals and defence work.”
The relationship with Mazak started with an STX laser in 1997 with a further two machines purchased over the next few years. At the same time, the company increased its CNC machining capability with a Mazak lathe in 2000, followed quickly by a twin-spindle lathe and milling machine in 2003.
Matthew says his optimum machine footprint is eight machine tools and four laser machines. “We have eight machine tools, including one VTC-800/20SR and some QUICK TURN lathes at the moment and we’ve still got six lasers, but two of them will be going as we move over to the high-power fibre machines.”
The move to fibre is down to productivity, as Matthew explains: “It’s all about speed really, they’re so much faster and that brings our cost per part down. Allied to that is the electricity cost, which is much lower. If you were running a CO2 machine at 3m/min and you’ve upgraded to a fibre machine running at 30m/min, and it consumes far less power, then the saving is there for all to see straight away.”
The upgrade to fibre has led to further expansion. “We took the decision to build another building which meant we could move fabrication and fit in the new laser machines. We’ve gone for a twin table with all three of the new OPTIPLEX 3015 NEO 10 kW, the OPTIPLEX 3015 FIBER III 10 kW and the OPTIPLEX 3015 NEO 12 kW machines. This means a larger footprint but they are much more efficient as we can load and unload the second pallet while the laser is working,” Matthew continues.
“We’re not scared to change the layout of the factory. Some people don’t like to move machines, but if something is not right, you’ve got to move it. There is short-term pain, but it’s long-term gain. With the fibres and the new layout, we have a far more efficient machine shop.”
And with efficiency comes productivity. “The laser market has become ultra-competitive in the last year. If we didn’t have the OPTIPLEX lasers we wouldn’t be getting any work as we couldn’t compete. We’ve basically been able to win more jobs because we’re faster.”
What’s more, the relationship between lasers and CNC machines also gives DC Developments a competitive advantage. “We laser cut out a blank, and it goes straight to the CNCs and gets machined. We have an ultra-quick turnaround because we don’t have to rely on other subcontractors and can keep everything in-house. We have stocks of sheet that we can cut out and then we’re machining straight away. The lasers and the CNCs work well together. Most people don’t realise it, but they do.”
Matthew says the real value in the Mazak relationship lies in the advice he gets. “It was Mazak who persuaded us to go for the HCN-5000 horizontal machining centre and it was a good job they did. The machine has probably made the biggest difference to us in changing our mindset due to the tooling and workholding as it works in such a different way. It encourages us to think outside the box. We keep having light bulb moments of ‘Oh, we can do that now’.
“We’re not just laser cutting. We’ve got a way of adding a lot of value to a product. For example, many of our parts are laser cut first and then moved onto our machine tools for secondary operations. That way the customer gets a one-stop shop for complex components.”
Matthew also added a Mazak FJV 60/120 high-rigidity, double column machining centre that has had a major impact on DC Development’s work and has opened up new markets. “We can get 3m by 1.5m workpieces in the FJV where competitors can only go up to 1m wide. It’s a big machine that has allowed us to get the whole job done rather than having to send the component off elsewhere.”
Like the OPTIPLEX lasers and the Mazak CNCs, Matthew says the FJV works closely in tandem with the water jet machine. “The water jet works brilliantly with the FJV because we’re able to rough-cut the part on the water jet which means it is on the big machine for less time.”
Ian White, General Sales Manager – Laser Products for UK, Eire & National Distributors at Yamazaki Mazak, says: “DC Developments’ all-round capabilities are not so common in the subcontracting world. It is fantastic to see DC Developments investing in the latest high-power Mazak laser technology and combining this enhanced capability with their extensive range of Mazak machine tools. So many parts start their manufacturing journey on a laser and then move to machine tools to add precision features.”
So, what’s next for DC Developments? Matthew concludes: “The plan is to further expand the machine shop and maybe look at Multi-Tasking machines such as the INTEGREX range. It’s a real learning curve but I know we have the right partner in Mazak to help us make the move when we are ready.”
Contact: Ian White