Billions of plastic bags are thrown away in Britain every year, most of which are used only once before being disposed of and according to government estimates, taking up to 500 years to decompose. Paper bags on the other hand can be composted. With businesses becoming increasingly eco-minded, demand for paper bags is increasing, as is the business of Mills & Coombs.

Although primarily a subcontract machining business with a strong toolmaking ethos – particularly with regard to the manufacture and modification of press tooling – the five man company of Mills & Coombs services a worldwide customer demand for the replacement parts and specialist paper cutting knives needed to keep otherwise obsolete paper bag making machines up and running. The Hanham, Bristol-based company currently exports these vital components to Australia, France, Germany, South Africa, New Zealand, USA and China, where one of its latest customers has switched completely from plastic to paper.

Owner and director Tim Cousins is understandably reluctant to explain how he makes the actual knives that in appearance resemble saw blades, although he says that cutting the required tooth profile in knife steel ‘is a lot more difficult and complicated than it looks.’ However, he is less reticent when explaining why Mills & Coombs now has three CNC/manual bed mills supplied by XYZ Machine Tools.

“I’m a very happy owner of three XYZ machines,” he says, “and it’s all down to the simplicity of the ProtoTRAK control. Back in 2002 I was facing redundancy and realised that I needed to update my practical skills. With my then employer’s backing, I signed on to a CNC milling and turning course at a local college, where I gained a City & Guilds qualification despite struggling with G and M codes.

“I subsequently invested my redundancy money in a partnership bid for the established subcontract business of Mills & Coombs and, having successfully relocated to our current premises, eventually decided it was time to invest in a CNC mill. The choice of an XYZ VM 3500 CNC/manual bed mill was based on the ease with which its ProtoTRAK CNC could be programmed simply by following plain English prompts, and being able to use the TRAKing facility to manually wind the machine though the entire program to check if there were any problems before beginning the machining process.”

The three bed mills have been installed at two yearly intervals, with XYZ helping to arrange the appropriate financial package on each occasion. “I bought out my partner two years ago and, having previously concentrated on the production side, have since had to become much more of a businessman,” adds Mr Cousins. “XYZ’s aftersales support and training has been very helpful throughout, not least because if I need technical advice it is readily available free of charge over the phone. However, XYZ is also very helpful with regard to the financial side of running a small business.”

The variable speed VM 3500 bed mill has a 1,372mm by 355mm table with travels of 762mm x 508mm x 508mm in X, Y, Z, while the two larger 7.5hp/5,000rpm SMX 5000 bed mills have a 1,930mm by 356mm table with travels of 1,524mm x 596mm x 540mm, providing a cutting length of over five feet for larger components. “I have also bought a right angle head attachment from XYZ,” Mr Cousins adds, “as it is relevant to another part of our business. This is making the stringer needles and other spares needed for the machines that punch a hole through each batch of 100 paper bags and thread through the cord by which the bags can then be hung up.”

Mills & Coombes
www.millsandcoombs.co.uk

XYZ Machine Tools
www.xyzmachinetools.com