Beyond the machine: How NCMT service protects manufacturing investment

When investing in manufacturing technology, there are a lot of elements firms consider before greenlighting the purchase, such as improved production capacity, repeatable part quality, throughput and return on investment. However, the decision often goes beyond the machine itself, with manufacturers also considering long-term reliability, technical support, process capability and whether the investment will continue to meet their production requirements in the years ahead.

One of the less spoken about elements is the support around the equipment itself, the team whose job it is to troubleshoot problems, plan maintenance, ensure uptime, and, most importantly, react quickly to any issues.

At NCMT, service is treated as part of the investment from the outset, not as an afterthought once a machine has been installed. For Andy Hunter, Technical Service Director at NCMT, an engineering partnership is ultimately measured in action: preparing thoroughly, responding quickly and continuing to support customers throughout the working life of their machines.

He said: “Our service team becomes involved before the customer is even aware of it, reviewing the specification, planning the installation and making sure the right training and support are in place. That preparation means we are ready to support the machine from the moment it arrives and throughout its working life.”

The people and parts behind the promise

NCMT is committed to being an engineering partner for life and that promise is underpinned by its people and experience. Their service team consists of 44 people, including 24 field-service engineers working to support clients. The company has dedicated mechanical and electrical technical support specialists ready to make remote diagnoses, as well as be on site when required.

Andy says: “Within our core technical support group alone, we have hundreds of years of machine tool experience, backed by our strong field-service engineers on the road. That gives us the depth to support customers and act quickly when required.”

Beyond the people, being the UK and Ireland exclusive supplier of the highest quality Japanese technology in Makino and Okuma, NCMT also holds approximately £2.4m of spare parts stock. This means the team is ready to respond when a customer’s productivity is under pressure and time is of the essence.

“The reason we hold over 2 million in spares, including between 60 and 80 spindles across our supported machine range at any one time, is that customers can’t afford long delays and downtime. When a new machine or model is introduced, we review its critical spares list before it enters the field, assess the potential risks and listen to what customers need.”

Andy continued: “Both our principals make machines that last a long time. We’ve worked on major refurbishments of older equipment, and some of it is over 30 years old and still going strong. Our technical support team loves tackling a problem on something built in the 80s, and we still retain spare parts for machines over 40 years old.”

That long-standing trust is built on the strength of NCMT’s service support, helping customers keep their machines running reliably for decades.

Fast when it matters

The true value of NCMT’s investment in people and parts becomes most apparent when a customer’s machine stops and production is at risk.

In those moments, a fast response matters. Working toward a 24-hour response target, NCMT’s ability to diagnose the issue quickly and access highly specific components can make a decisive difference in each case.

Andy said: “Response time is always on our lips because we have a hard-earned reputation for it and that reputation is easy to lose. There are many cases where we reach a customer the same day or the next day. I won’t claim we get to everybody within 24 hours, but it is always the goal.”

The size of the customer does not change the urgency. For a large manufacturer, an idle machine can disrupt a production programme. For a small subcontractor, it may threaten the livelihood of the entire business.

“You might have a single-person operation where that machine is everything to them, it is their lifeblood,” Andy explained. “You have to give those people the best chance you can, so the faster we can get there, the better.”

One recent case involved a customer operating its first Okuma machine. Following some initial difficulties, the team experienced tool change stoppages that operators were not yet confident in resolving without additional support.

“This was not a straightforward case and there were challenges along the way,” Andy explained. “From a service perspective, we took ownership of the issues and continued to support the customer whenever they needed us. On the last three occasions they required assistance, we were on site either the same day or first thing the following morning. That level of responsiveness is an important part of the service we aim to provide.”

Crucially, NCMT looked beyond repeatedly recovering the immediate fault. Its engineers identified that the application would benefit from an auto-drum coolant filtration system, which would reduce the build-up of cutting chips and improve both coolant delivery and tool changing reliability.

Andy added: “The machine now has an auto-drum filter fitted, which made a big difference to its reliability. It has improved the tool change problems and the delivery of coolant to the machine.”

Fifty metres, ninety degrees and no room for delay

Another example demonstrates how NCMT’s responsibilities can extend far beyond a conventional service call. A long-standing customer had invested in a new machining cell and flexible manufacturing system, but did not have sufficient space available within its factory.

Before the new equipment could be installed, NCMT had to relocate the customer’s existing cell.

“The customer had reached the point where their existing machines were coming towards the end of their working life, but they simply could not afford to stop production. They need very high levels of uptime and, wherever possible, they are running lights out, so keeping production moving throughout the changeover was critical,” Andy explained.

“They built up stock ahead of the installation and we continued maintaining and supporting the old machines right up to the point of changeover. When they had breakdowns during that period, we were there with the service support and parts they needed to keep them running.”

He continued: “At the same time, there was not enough space in the factory for the new installation, so we helped relocate the entire existing cell around 50 metres across the factory and rotate it through 90 degrees to create the space required.”

“It was a huge effort and a very demanding project, but that is what supporting a customer properly sometimes involves. We were not simply supplying new machines. We were helping them manage the whole transition while protecting their production throughout.”

Protecting performance for the long haul

Going the extra mile also means reducing the risk of breakdowns before they happen. From the start of each customer relationship, NCMT recommends preventative maintenance and supports it through a dedicated team focused on planned service interventions.

Andy said: “We strongly recommend preventative maintenance from the get-go. We have a dedicated team working on it, and it accounts for around 30 per cent of our service labour. The aim is to identify the best way to care for each machine and keep it operating reliably.”

During service visits, NCMT can also carry out recommended software updates and maintain detailed machine records, including backups that support faster recovery if future issues arise.

“We keep thousands and thousands of machine backups and constantly update them every year for our regular customers,” Andy continued.

That long-term capability depends on NCMT continually investing in its engineers. Team members attend structured manufacturer training throughout their careers, ensuring they can support both the latest technology and the large population of legacy machines already in operation.

“Pretty much every month, we have at least one or two engineers training with Okuma in Germany,” Andy said. “New engineers will usually go at least twice during their first 12 months, while our apprentices, senior engineers and technical support staff also attend regularly. We also send people to Makino Japan for specialist training, typically once or twice a year.”

A partnership measured in decades

For Andy, customer support is not managed solely through systems, reports or service tickets. He regularly visits established customers on a monthly basis and, in some cases, fortnightly to hear directly about their experiences.

“The best way to get feedback is to go and visit, speak to the customers and be the face of the company,” he said. “Sometimes it is the negative comments you need to hear because they can be worth ten positive comments.”

NCMT’s commitment is evident in the breadth of support it gives to customers, from planning installations before customers see the service team’s involvement, holding millions of pounds in spares, responding quickly to breakdowns, relocating production cells and maintaining machines built decades ago.

As Andy concluded: “We are far from perfect, and when we find something, we can improve, we will try our best to do so. But one thing is for sure – we really do care because we love what we do.”