Six new DN Solutions CNC machines have been purchased.

Matthew And Son Engineering’s recent impressive growth can mostly be attributed to its success in the rail transport industry. “We have had clients in this sector for a number of years and they have been very good to us. However, we are also machining components for some large corporates that are involved in the mining, automotive, water and paper industries and we have some very decent contracts with these clients. The number of components that we machine has now more than trebled as compared to five years ago. However, the new projects that we are getting involved in are what really interest us,” said Matt Mayhew (Matthew Mayhew Jnr.).

“The resultant increase in component machining forced us to take a serious look at our capabilities, capacity, services and operational systems and equipment.”

“At the time we purchased a DN Solutions (Doosan) Puma 5100 XLMB CNC turning center that can accommodate components up to 3 000mm in length and 650mm turning diameter. The machine also has a milling function and a bigger motor than what is normally supplied with this machine. Besides other components we are machining components that make up the new contract from solid bar. When the bar arrives on the floor, they weigh 205 kilograms and once we have finished machining, the component has been reduced to 47 kilograms.”

Opportunities are never guaranteed. However, specific strategies and technology investments can help you to capitalise on them when they do present themselves. Matthew And Son have recently invested in a DN Solutions Puma 2100 LSY and a barfeeder

The company subsequently purchased another four new DN Solutions CNC machines, which included a new Doosan DNM 750 II machining centre, a Lynx 2100 LSY II horizontal turning machine with a sub-spindle and Y axis, which joined an existing Lynx 2100 SY that the company had just acquired.

What is remarkable is that these purchases were made during Covid as was the development and manufacture of a range of soft jaws for use on lathe chucks and a range of hand tap wrenches. The South African designed and manufactured products are marketed by sister company King Bull Industrial Supplies and Sales, an importer and distributor of threading tools (taps and forming taps) manufactured by German specialist manufacturer Schumacher Precision Tools GmbH.

“The South African manufactured range of soft jaws for use on lathe chucks come in sizes from 5″ to 24″. As far as we know we are the only manufacturer of these jaws in South Africa and what makes us stick out from the importers is that we carry a full range of sizes and don’t just have the popular sizes on the shelf. We will also manufacture any specials that are required. All we need is the drawing.”

Replacing existing CNC equipment
“Opportunities are never guaranteed. However, specific strategies and technology investments can help you to capitalise on them when they do present themselves.”

Another new investment is the DN Solutions Puma 4100

“Breathing new life into tired metalcutting equipment already on the shop floor is one way of doing it. Savvy shops endeavour to upgrade their processes during an economic ebb so they’re primed and ready for the flow. Restoring machine tools to OEM performance levels in the ‘off season’ is a good example of prepping for prosperity. For the right piece of equipment, it offers new-machine performance at a fraction of new-machine cost.”

“But there comes a time when your existing equipment, even though they are CNCs and they have been faithful to the business, cannot keep up with the demand and capacity. The discerning desired performance and accuracy levels are just not there for the new wave of high-tech components that you are throwing at them.”

“Decision made. We began the exercise a year ago and in the last 12 months we have installed a further three DN Solutions machines and there are a further three that will be installed later this year.”

“The machines have been chosen for their versatility and their ability to perform more than one machining process. In other words, they complete our required operations on one machine by combining the functionality of two or more traditional standalone machine tools to form one multitasking machine. In their most common form, multitasking machines combine one or two lathes with a machining center. They offer you 5-axis cutting conditions.”

There comes a time when you have to replace your existing equipment. A new DN Solutions Puma 2100 SY2 has recently been installed

“Of course we also took into account the capacity, size and lengths offered and they give us a bigger machining footprint whereas our existing range of machines were from a few generations back. All of them are in very good condition and when we put the word out that we were selling them we had to fight with the new owners just to allow us to build up stock before they removed them.”

“The three latest machines are a Puma 4100, a Puma 2100 SY and a Puma 2100 LSY which gives us extra length. Arriving soon are a Puma 3100 XLY, a Puma 2600 LM and a Lynx 2100 LMA. All of them supplied by Puma Machine Tools.”

“We have standardised on the DN Solutions brand as we did before with the Hyundai brand before it became Hyundai Wia. Choosing a single brand of machine tools enables our operators to be self-sufficient. They can quickly learn to set up and programme virtually any machine in the shop. Another benefit of this strategy is that the shop can quickly get new machinists up to speed not only running machines but also setting them up and programming them.”

The company celebrated its 40th anniversary as a company after being established by Matthew Mayhew Snr in 1981. Mayhew is one of five brothers, all of them involved in engineering manufacturing or distribution of engineering products. Mayhew’s son, who also goes by the name of Matthew, joined the company in 2009 and is now managing the company.

The family-run company that is in its fifth decade in business has seen change in more ways over the last 24 months other than just on the operational side. Matthew Mayhew Jnr’s vision of taking the company to new levels of efficiency and the resulting quality improvements, has seen the company grow substantially with investment in new equipment and alterations to its factory space so as to improve the flow of material handling and product despatch. As a result, the whole factory needed some attention, from the floors to the workflow.

For further details contact Matthew And Son on TEL: 011 609 5603 or visit www.matthewandson.net