A 1-Day Event Built Around One-Hit Machining

The agenda is unambiguous. The event aims to provide visitors with insights into how they can increase productivity, improve process efficiencies, and maintain a competitive edge — three outcomes that, taken together, amount to a practical roadmap for shops under margin and capacity pressure.

The Headline Machine

The centrepiece of the show will be the formal introduction of the Heller HF 5500 FLEX horizontal simultaneous 5-axis mill-turn machine. Mills CNC will introduce the machine at the event, using the show as a hi-tech venue for its first formal presentation to UK and Irish component manufacturers.

The event, focused on innovation and best-practice, provides the ideal hi-tech venue for showcasing the capabilities of the Heller HF 5500 FLEX. This simultaneous 5-axis mill-turn platform aligns with the show's focus on one-hit machining, as it embodies the principle of completing complex components in a single setup, which is key to achieving the process efficiencies promised by the event.

Why It Matters

One-hit machining is not a slogan; it is a direct approach to reducing work-in-progress, fixture costs, and accumulated tolerance stack-up. By anchoring the event to this principle — and showcasing the Heller HF 5500 FLEX — Mills CNC is positioning the show as a working demonstration of advanced machining capabilities. For UK and Irish component manufacturers, the 1-day format ensures a low time cost while providing valuable technical content.

The Heller HF 5500 FLEX, equipped with the new Siemens (SINUMERIK) ONE control and a 24” multi-touch screen, is a heavy-duty machine designed for simultaneous 5-axis machining and complex mill-turn operations. At the event, the machine will demonstrate its capabilities by machining a high-precision aerospace blisk component made from a heat-resistant super alloy.

Other Highlights

While the Heller HF 5500 FLEX will be a major focus, ten DN Solutions’ machine tools will also be showcased at the event. These include two DVF 4000 simultaneous 5-axis centres, two DN Solutions mill-turn machines (an SMX 3100 and a DNX 2100S), a large-capacity V8300M vertical turning lathe with driven tooling capabilities, and a NHP 5000 horizontal machine integrated with a (12-pallet) linear pallet system (LPS).

Mills is also using the event to showcase its latest automation systems. The company's innovative T-series, designed for High-Mix/Low-Volume production, can be integrated with CNC lathes, machining centres, and mill-turn machines to create flexible, high-productivity automated manufacturing cells capable of lights-out, unattended operation.

“Our Innovation Day, best-practice event is focused on one-hit machining and is aimed at UK and Irish component manufacturers who, owing to older and less capable machine tools and/or outdated and labour intensive processes, may be struggling to improve their productivity and maintain their competitive edge.

“Although one-hit machining is not a new concept, the continuous development of new machine tools capable of delivering single set-up machining means that the one-hit machining landscape is constantly changing and improving.

“Our Innovation Day event provides a unique opportunity for visitors to check out the very latest DN Solutions and Heller multi-tasking machines, and to see how they can revolutionise their productivity and help them realise their true potential.”

Tony Dale, Group CEO at Mills CNC

[You can register for Mills CNC’s Innovation Day on Thursday 8th October 2026 here.](https://www.millscnc.co.uk/registration-form/)