DAS Engineering goes from one XYZ machine, to 25

The installation of an XYZ TC 400 turning centre at DAS Engineering represents the 25^th machine purchased from XYZ Machine Tools by this successful subcontract machining business. Dave Stone, owner of DAS, purchased an XYZ Vulcan turning centre back in 2002, marking the start of a relationship that has helped the Yorkshire-based company outgrow two industrial units.

That original purchase was a story of desire, as Dave recounts: “We visited the MACH 2002 exhibition to see the latest XYZ machines. As soon as I saw the Vulcan, I needed to have it. Within a couple of weeks, one arrived at our facility and, 24 years later, the machine is still running 45 hours a week and holds tolerances the same as it did on day one.”

Hungry for more

It was the reliability of this turning centre and the Siemens control fitted with ShopTurn conversational software that inspired Dave to start investing in more XYZ machines.

“Easy-to-use Siemens conversational controls have proven the cornerstone of our business,” he reveals. “We absolutely love the Siemens control and, in my opinion, it’s the most user-friendly control on the market.”

A turn for the better

In the years since that original purchase, DAS has purchased a range of XYZ products, including box section and linear rail constructed machining centres, various sizes of CNC lathes and even a surface grinder. The most recent acquisitions are an XYZ 800 HD machining centre and a TC 400 two-axis turning centre.

“We needed a turning centre with greater metal removal capability,” states Dave. “The TC 400 fitted the bill perfectly. With its 32 kW spindle motor and 40 VDI 12-station turret, we knew it would be robust enough to increase material removal rates and reduce cycle times.”

He continues: “The maximum turned diameter capacity of 400 mm and maximum turned length of 600 mm are more than we already had. In addition, with its 78 mm bar capacity, it opened up the opportunity to put bigger stock down the spindle drawtube. Within an hour of commissioning we were producing parts. That’s testament to the ease of use of the Siemens 828D control and its 15-inch touchscreen.”

The team of 22 machinists on the shop floor at DAS migrated to this latest incarnation of the control system with ease.

“There was a slight trepidation when moving to the touchscreen version of the control, but within hours the guys adapted and now say it’s a dream to use.”

Time after time

Dave closes by remarking: “Over the years, we’ve built a great relationship with the team at XYZ. They’ve supported us on our journey and the products and services are second to none. Whether that’s the area sales team providing sound advice, the programming support guys helping us out, the service team during visits or the occasional spare part we need, the backup has been fantastic. That’s why we keep going back to XYZ time after time.”