‘Loads better’ automation performance at Bindon Engineering

Mills CNC recently supplied Poole-based precision subcontract specialist Bindon Engineering with a bespoke SYNERGi Sprint automation system. The system, designed by Mills CNC’s automation application engineers, arrived at Bindon’s 36,000 ft² facility in July 2025. It has improved an existing process developed by the company some years earlier to machine high-precision centre column (activator) parts, which were produced in small-to-medium batch sizes on one of Bindon’s existing multi-tasking centres.

The SYNERGi Sprint automation system is integrated with a Doosan Puma TT 2500SY twin-turret, twin-spindle turning centre supplied by Mills CNC in 2019. The result is a new, more efficient automated machining process that is far less labour intensive and geared to continuous production.

Since installation, the SYNERGi Sprint automated manufacturing cell has been operating to full capacity, helping Bindon Engineering improve productivity, increase process efficiency and achieve faster turnaround times.

About Bindon
Established in 1966 and employing 50 people, Bindon Engineering is a family-owned precision subcontractor renowned for the quality and reliability of its machining and inspection services. The company, committed to continuous improvement, regularly invests in new CNC machine tools to increase its capacity and capabilities. Many of the machines on site have some element of built-in automation.

According to Bindon’s Managing Director Ian Lawrence, “improvement is the name of the game. We’re always looking at ways to increase our productivity and reduce inefficiencies. Machines with integral automation and multi-tasking capabilities characterise many, if not most, of the machine tool investments made here over the past 25-30 years.”

Bindon Engineering has developed a strong relationship with Mills CNC and, since the late 1990s, has acquired over 25 machines (machining centres and lathes) from the company. In 2022, Bindon also made its first robot acquisition when it invested in a Doosan M0617 collaborative robot (cobot) from Mills, integrating it with an existing Doosan milling machine.

“Machines supplied by Mills CNC deliver excellent cutting performance, backed by reliability and competitive pricing,” reports Ian. “Furthermore, machines are often available from stock, facilitating immediate delivery. Mills’ technical, applications and aftersales service is also worthy of special mention and cannot be faulted.”

Investment rationale
Bindon Engineering machines high-precision valve and actuator parts for customers across a range of industries, including oil and gas, petrochemical, water/wastewater treatment, and pharmaceutical. The parts, made from materials such as steel, stainless steel, aluminium and exotic alloys, are machined to tight tolerances (±0.02 mm) and high surface finishes (Ra 0.4 μm). Machining typically takes place in small-to-medium batches: up to 7,000-off at the top end.

“We regularly monitor and benchmark the performance of our machine shop in order to identify production bottlenecks. So, at the tail end of 2024, when a long-term customer announced it would be ramping up its requirements for high-precision centre columns, we reviewed our existing machining capacity and capabilities to make sure we could meet the increase in demand.”

Bindon determined that its existing machining process, using the full multi-tasking capabilities of its twin-turret, twin-spindle TT 2500SY machine, could be made more efficient by automating part loading and unloading.

“Owing to our long-standing relationship with Mills CNC, and the fact that the TT 2500SY was acquired from them in the first place, we contacted Mills in January 2025,” reveals Ian. “Following several discussions, it was agreed they would design and develop a robot load/unload solution based on their SYNERGi Sprint system – and integrate it with our TT 2500SY.”

The old process
Centre columns machined on the TT 2500SY are made from pre-cut EN 8 steel tube and, using the multi-tasking lathe, are machined to completion in one hit. Component cycle times are typically around 10 minutes, with accuracies hitting 0.03 mm on selected features. But there was a problem.

“Our previous process was repetitive and labour intensive. It required operator availability to load individual steel tube blanks into the machine’s left spindle at the start of the process and, when machining operations were complete, to unload finished parts from the machine’s right spindle. As part cycle times are short, the operator was virtually tied-up all day tending the machine.”

The new process
The new process centres around the recently acquired SYNERGi Sprint system, which comprises a FANUC industrial robot with 25 kg payload capacity and two-jaw pneumatic gripper positioned in front of the TT 2500SY. Industrial safety guarding and SICK light curtains/barriers enclose the cell and provide a reliable, non-intrusive safety solution. The system also includes two separate input (load) and output (unload) stations, with a 20-socket zinc-coated grid plate sitting on top of each. Mills’ proprietary SYNERGi software powers a 17-inch touchscreen HMI.

Bindon’s new automated machining process begins with the operator loading the left grid plate with 20 steel tube workpieces. The robot picks up each one in a programmed sequence and, taking advantage of the TT 2500SY’s auto door opening facility, loads individual parts in the machine’s left spindle. The door closes automatically to prompt the commencement of all machining operations in one hit.

Once complete, the robot takes the finished machined component from the machine’s right spindle and places it in a predetermined, designated position on the output grid plate. The sequence then begins again until the 20-part batch finishes.

Cell benefits
Bindon Engineering’s SYNERGi Sprint automated manufacturing cell is fast, productive and efficient, enabling virtually continuous centre column production to take place with reduced labour involvement.

“The investment in automation is really paying dividends,” notes Ian. “Turnaround times have improved and we’ve optimised the production capacity of our TT 2500SY lathe. Furthermore, the SYNERGi Sprint cell is backed by Mills CNC’s remote assistance, which provides us with expert advice and diagnostic support should we need it.”

He concludes: “With labour costs currently so high, UK component manufacturers must embrace automation and unmanned machining operations to improve productivity and maintain their competitive edge. Our investment in the SYNERGi Sprint system provides further evidence that this is the direction of travel for Bindon Engineering.”