CompoTech Invests in New Purpose-Built Machining Centre for Advanced Composite Component Finishing
29 / 04 / 26CompoTech has commissioned a new combined CNC milling and machining centre with what is described as 5.5-axis capability. The COMAGRAV NOTUS 3000X ATC VACUUM ROTARY was developed in partnership over two years, specifically for in-house precision wound tube machining and composite beam finishing. The machine represents a significant capability investment, bringing previously outsourced precision operations fully under CompoTech’s roof in Sušice, Czech Republic.
CompoTech has operated CNC turning and milling capabilities since 2010. The existing fleet centred on a Hyundai L3000LY CNC turning centre has served the company’s growing programme of precision composite component manufacturing. However, as the scope of CompoTech’s work has expanded into more complex structural tube assemblies, aerospace precision and larger marine tube finishing, and components requiring complex multi-axis operations, the limitations of the legacy machining platform became the bottleneck.
The existing flat-bed milling machine, a Comagrav ZONDA, provided a useful secondary capacity; its stepper motor drive system, limited clamping options for rotating parts, and absence of probing capability made it unsuitable for the accuracy demands of aerospace, precision industrial and marine applications. A structured decision was made to invest in a purpose-designed replacement.
The New Machine: COMAGRAV NOTUS 3000X ATC VACUUM ROTARY
The COMAGRAV NOTUS 3000X was developed in partnership with Czech machine builder Comagrav, applying two years of collaborative engineering, drawing on CompoTech’s FEM/FEA expertise and machining experience, to specify a machine tailored to the exact requirements of composite component manufacturing.
After careful analysis of crossbar material options, steel was selected over carbon fibre for the machine structure, a technically interesting choice for a composites company, and one that reflects the low cutting feed rates and specific stiffness demands of composite machining, where steel’s properties are more suitable than CF for this specific application.
Key Technical Specifications
The NOTUS 3000X combines a large-format vacuum table machining centre with an integrated rotary axis giving CompoTech the ability to machine both flat composite panels and cylindrical structures (tubes, masts, beams) in a single setup:
| Specification | Detail |
| Working Table | 1,920 × 3,150 mm aluminium table with 9 programmable vacuum zones for secure composite panel clamping without mechanical fixturing |
| Spindle | Water-cooled, 15 kW, 24,000 RPM — suitable for carbon fibre milling with appropriate dust extraction |
| Tool Change | Automatic tool change magazine for 8 positions (6 active tools for machining operations) |
| Rotary B Axis | Integrated rotary axis for tubes: max diameter 500 mm or 400×400 mm square cross-section; max length 2,500 mm to tailstock (theoretically unlimited with lathe chuck) |
| Rotary C Axis | Optional Z-axis rotary adapter for C-axis milling — enables side machining of beams in a single setup, essential for aerospace parts |
| Control System | Fanuc 0i with iPendant — consistent with the existing Hyundai turning centre; 4-axis continuous control including B and C axes |
| Probing | Full Renishaw probing suite: multi-touch workpiece probe with automatic calibration and automatic tool probe; measurement protocol generation via CAM |
| CAM Integration | Postprocessor for Fusion 360 CAM with fully animated machine kinematics; BestFit function for product alignment and axis rotation compensation |
| Environment | IP65 protection for dusty environments, automatic lubrication system, programme-controlled dust extraction and tool cooling (air or alcohol) |
| Weight / Footprint | Under 4 tonnes — compact for its envelope, with a working space of 350 mm under the tool |
Capability Step Change
The COMAGRAV NOTUS 3000X delivers capabilities that were not possible with CompoTech’s previous milling platform:
- In-house aerospace part machining — precision multi-axis finishing of structural tubes and aerospace structural components without outsourcing to external machine shops.
- Mast tube machining in a single clamping — the rotary B axis allows a full-length composite mast tube to be machined, probed, and measured in one fixture setup, eliminating repositioning errors and improving dimensional consistency.
- Probing and measurement — for the first time CompoTech can generate formal dimensional measurement reports on machined composite components, a requirement for aerospace and precision marine customers.
- Composite panel routing — the large vacuum table allows full-size composite panels to be held without adhesive or mechanical fixturing, protecting the component surface and enabling precise trimming and drilling.
Looking Ahead
The new machining centre is operational and has already been deployed on production programmes. The addition of the NOTUS 3000X is part of CompoTech’s wider investment in its Sušice manufacturing facility, building on the in-house capability to take composite structural components from fibre layup and winding through to fully finished, inspection-ready parts.
For customers working on aerospace structural tubes, precision marine mast components, or machine structure beams requiring complex multi-axis finishing, the new machining capability is available as part of CompoTech’s integrated design and manufacture service.