The newly created manufacturing arm of engineering and training consultancy Cutting Blue has invested in its first vertical machining centre.
The new Doosan, large capacity, machine was delivered by Mills CNC to Cutting Blue’s 2,000 ft sq facility in Saltley.
It is being used to machine, in mainly small batch sizes at this moment in time, high-precision and high-value components for a range of customers operating in the motorsport and general engineering sectors - to name but a few.
The creation of the new venture is the brainchild of owner and managing director Piotr Parobczy.
Having started his working life, first as a machine tool setter and then as a CAD/CAM programmer, Mr. Parobczy used this knowledge and experience, gained from working in a number of different manufacturing environments, to develop and hone a range of specific engineering consultancy skills.
The acquisition of these skills ultimately enabled him to work as a contractor where he was responsible for the design and implementation of innovative and high-value projects for a number of UK- and internationally-based customers.
Following on from this success, in 2017 Mr Parobczy set up Cutting Blue Ltd - an engineering service company providing specialist training and consultancy services to blue-chip and progressive manufacturing companies.
He says: “Cutting Blue Ltd., began its life as an engineering consultancy. However, even back then it was always my ambition and intention to create a manufacturing company - when the time was right.”
That time, as it transpired, was in Spring 2020. “The pandemic outbreak had a detrimental effect on the availability of contract work and this proved to be the catalyst I was waiting for.
“Because the creation of a manufacturing company was a long-held ambition of mine I was not starting such an undertaking from scratch. To a large extent much of the spadework and planning had already been done.
“I chose Birmingham because of its central location and because I knew the area well.
“From my background and experience the company would not be a ‘jack of all trades’ operation but instead would offer specialist, high-precision machining services to customers typically operating in the high-end motorsport, automotive and aerospace sectors.”
To realise its ambitions and objectives Cutting Blue needed access to advanced machine tool technologies - and made the decision, from a reliability perspective and to provide a clear statement of intent, to invest in a new rather than a used machining centre.
The machine specification was based on the type and size of components to be machined. Typical materials would be aluminium, steel, stainless, titanium, and engineering plastics, as well as typical part accuracies, surface finishes and the volumes and batch sizes that would be produced.
The Doosan DNM 6700 is a large-capacity vertical machining centre with a 18.5kW/12,000rpm high speed spindle, a 1500mm x 670mm work table with a 1300kg maximum table load, a 30-position ATC, roller LM guideways (all axes) and thermal error compensation.
The machine was also supplied with a Blum TC50 workpiece touch probe and Blum ZX Speed IR tool setting probe.
Says Piotr Parobczy: “The DNM 6700, with its large work table, provides much needed capacity, capability and flexibility now and in the future, enabling us to machine large or multiple smaller parts in one set-up.
“Although still early days I am delighted with the DNM 6700 and am already looking at investing in second Doosan machine.”
cuttingblue.com