A perfect ten!
Published: | CNC machining, Machine Tools
MACH Machine Tools celebrates its ten year anniversary proving that the key to longevity and success is down to providing high-quality, technically-excellent machine tools backed by best-in-class, value-added after-sales service and support.
MACH Machine Tools, a leading supplier of CNC and manual machine tools and machine shop equipment to UK, Irish and European component manufacturers, and part of the Vigilance Group, will celebrate its 10-year anniversary this September (2023).
The milestone represents a considerable achievement for the privately-owned, Bristol-based company, and is testament to the depth and breadth of its unique and constantly-evolving product portfolio, its commitment to providing technically-excellent machine tools backed by best-in-class after-sales service and support, and its ability to anticipate and respond quickly to the changing needs of UK manufacturers.
Ten years ago, MACH Machine Tools was a very different entity to what it is now.
Established in 2013 by current sales director, Matt Andrew, and business partner, Marc Bowers, the family-owned company was definitely the ‘new kid on the block’ in the machine tool sector and began life supplying MACH-branded manual milling, grinding and sawing machines to UK manufacturers.
At that time and, incidentally, for a couple of years afterwards, the company’s best-selling and most popular machine tool in its portfolio was its iconic MACH VS-1 turret-type milling machine.
Available at a competitive price and equipped, as standard, with a range of impressive, high-quality features (i.e., variable-speed R8 spindles, Acu-Rite DRO’s and glass scales etc.), VS-1 milling machines soon became a mainstay manual machine tool solution for many component manufacturers’ toolrooms and machine shops: they also became a staple for a considerable number of schools, colleges and universities looking to revamp their respective engineering departments with accurate, reliable, versatile and economically-priced manual mills.
(Providing competitively-priced, high-specification machines with many features supplied as standard (as opposed to being optional extras) has become a hallmark of MACH Machine Tools ever since its incorporation).
“It’s no exaggeration to say”, explains Matt Andrew, “that our VS-1 machines took the market by storm.
“By early 2015 we had sold 50 x VS-1 machines into the market from what was, in effect, a standing start”.
With the company becoming more established and its reputation growing, MACH Machine Tools soon augmented its product portfolio with the introduction of a series of (four) manual lathes (L-1340/L-1550 and L1860/1880) and belt linishers. It also strengthened its machine shop equipment range with the inclusion of high-quality double-ended grinders, guillotines, garage presses and band saws.
“Our intention was to become a one-stop-shop for manufacturers and education establishments looking to improve their machining capacity and capabilities”, remembers Matt Andrew.
It was at this time that the company also relocated its operations to a larger facility in Bristol – its current home. The move, calculated to meet its future growth objectives, enabled MACH Machine Tools to hold more machines in stock as well as comfortably accommodating its growing workforce.
Whilst manual machines and machine shop equipment were the company’s primary focus for the first few years, 2017-18 was a real watershed for MACH Machine Tools and saw it begin to supply a range of CNC machines into the market.
Says Matt Andrew: “To meet market demand for high-quality, technically-excellent and competitively-priced CNC machine tools, we introduced MACH-branded ranges of CNC lathes and vertical machining centres into the market. The CNC machines complemented our manual machine tool ranges and enabled us to provide a more comprehensive offering to customers.”
Initially the company’s CNC machines comprised Fanuc- and Siemens-controlled MACH 510MM, MACH 710MM and MACH 1062-HD machining centres, and MACH S-202 and MACH SL-203B lathes.
Continues Matt Andrew: “We introduced many of these new machines to UK audiences, for the first time, on our stand at MACH 2018 and the interest from visitors was phenomenal. The machines, backed by our proactive after-sales service and support, provided manufacturers with a ‘real alternative’ and helped solidify our position as a technology-provider-of-choice with many of them.”
If 2017-18 was a watershed moment for the company, then 2019 was truly ground-breaking with a number of new machine tool ranges being introduced into the market: these included MACH MDT knee mills and MACH MDM bed-type toolroom milling machines, both equipped with the advanced WinDelta, DynaPath control.
The powerful, versatile and easy-to-use DynaPath control system with its simple-to-understand menus, on-screen graphics and conversational and ISO/G-code programming capabilities significantly differentiated MACH machines from the competition.
Continues Matt Andrew: “Right from the off, we could see the huge potential of the DynaPath control system and made the decision to focus all our efforts into supplying (and supporting) DynaPath-controlled machines into the market.”
From efficiency, logistics and economies of scale perspectives – this made perfect sense and enabled MACH Machine Tools to really push its DynaPath range of CNC controlled machines into the market and concentrate its sales and service resources into making this a success.
The rest, so they say, is history.
Over the last four years the company’s range of DynaPath-controlled machines has grown exponentially.
Through working closely with DynaPath, MACH Machine Tools now offers a comprehensive range of machines to customers.
From toolroom mills (i.e., MACH MDT, MDM and MDS series of machines) through to its MDL range of lathes, and from its MDHS- 65S high-speed machining centres to its recently introduced MDV 800 and MDV 1100 rigidly-designed and built, production-orientated vertical milling machine series, the company’s range of DynaPath-controlled machines is impressive and new models are constantly being added to it.
Similar developments and improvements have been made to the DynaPath control itself over the same period, increasing the performance and functionality of the machines equipped with it, making them even more of an attractive proposition and investment.
As well as its 8Gb on-board program storage facility and 1000 block look-ahead capability (10,000 block look ahead on the MACH MDHS high-speed series), that ensure fast processing speeds resulting in improved contour accuracies and superior surface finishes, the DynaPath control (today) provides customers with fast Wi-Fi enabled, remote 24/7 diagnostic, applications and monitoring help and support.
“This is a real game-changer,” says Matt Andrew.
“This level of support is unique in the industry and means we can respond to customers’ queries within 20 minutes.”
With quick and reliable machine tool servicing being high on every manufacturers’ agenda, the guaranteed level of support provided to MACH Machine Tools’ DynaPath customers will spearhead the company’s future growth ambitions.
Summary
The last ten years have been exciting and eventful for MACH Machine Tools.
The company’s product portfolio has increased and improved significantly, and its range of CNC machines provided to customers is now exclusively DynaPath focused. MACH Machine Tools’ manual machine tool ranges have also undergone similar upgrades and improvements and, in 2022, a new Trainer Lathe series aimed primarily at the education sector was introduced.
Having successfully negotiated its way through the pandemic and now having a well-resourced service and applications infrastructure in place, means that the company is well positioned to meet its future sales growth objectives.
New sales positions created in the North of England and in the Midlands will increase market coverage and market share, and the company is actively exploring opening a sales office and showroom in the US to meet anticipated demand from the North American market. (Watch this space for more news on the MACH USA development in the coming months).
Never a company to rest on its laurels, MACH Machine Tools is now looking forward to the next ten years starting off with the MACH 2024 Show in April where the company will be introducing a new range of 6”, 8’ and10” chuck slant-bed DynaPath-controlled lathes.
With the company’s constantly evolving and improving product range combined with its unswerving commitment to customer care and satisfaction, no-one in their right mind would bet against MACH Machine Tools being a huge success in the decade ahead.
