The client’s need
An expanding parts manufacturer could no longer meet its order book: existing machine count and utilisation were not enough. It needed a full batch of new machining centres at once, to build capacity in time for a new delivery window.
Scope of supply
| Model | Type | Qty | Assigned work |
| FEELER VMP Series | VMC | 6 | Plates, brackets, flanges and fittings — general milling, drilling and boring |
| FEELER VMX Series (large travel) | VMC | 2 | Larger housings and cover parts |
| FEELER NHX-800 | HMC | 2 | Valve bodies, pump housings and gearbox housings — multi-face machining in one setup |
| Total | 10 |
All machines were specified with Fanuc controls, so operators and spare parts are common across the fleet.
Our role
- Factory layout planning
- Shipping coordination — main units, tool magazines, electrical cabinets and accessories packed separately for container efficiency
- Installation supervision: positioning, precision levelling, electrical, pneumatic and coolant connections
- A bilingual applications engineer on site throughout commissioning
- Russian-language operation and inspection manuals
- Four-stage training: daily operation → tool setting and programming → first-level maintenance → independent alarm troubleshooting
- Three of the client’s staff trained as in-house trainers
- Remote diagnostic support after handover
Challenges and how we solved them
| Challenge | How we solved it |
| A fixed six-month window, with compliance work inside it | Compliance and documentation were started in parallel with factory production scheduling, not after it, so none of it delayed dispatch. |
| Long overland transport and a −20 to −30 °C site in winter | Rail and road transport with border transfer points. Before dispatch, way oil and hydraulic oil were changed to low-temperature grades; machines were nitrogen-purged with desiccant, and spindles and guideways were fixed for transit. Machines arrived and were cleared in stages. |
| A new building not yet ready for precision machines: foundations, unstable voltage, wet compressed air, no dedicated earthing | Foundation drawings (anchor bolt pockets, load, vibration isolation) issued at contract signing, with remote guidance during pouring and curing. Machines levelled with shims on arrival. Voltage stabilisers and isolation transformers supplied; a refrigerated air dryer with three-stage filtration and receiver added; an earthing electrode installed and its resistance measured on site. |
| Operators new to Fanuc controls, with Russian as the working language | Bilingual applications engineer on site, Russian manuals, four-stage training, three in-house trainers, and remote diagnostics to shorten fault response. |
Results
- All 10 machines delivered, installed, commissioned and through first-article acceptance within 6 months of contract — production started on schedule
- Output reached 50,000+ parts/month after ramp-up
- The client now runs two shifts with its own operators and first-level maintenance staff
- Key housing parts are now machined locally, replacing part of the client’s imports
- The client has discussed a second expansion phase with us