What Star Micronics GB does

Star Micronics GB Ltd is the wholly owned UK and Ireland subsidiary of Star Micronics Co., Ltd., a Japanese automatic lathe manufacturer headquartered in Shizuoka. Operating from a new 24,050 sq ft Technology Centre in Derby (relocating March 2026 from the prior Raynesway site), the company is the exclusive distributor of Star CNC sliding headstock (Swiss-type) and fixed headstock lathes across the UK and Ireland, with an active installed base of 1,700-2,000+ machines accumulated over 30+ years. The product portfolio spans ten lathe series (SR, SW, SB, SL, SP, SX, ST, SV, SD, SK) covering bar capacities from 7mm to 51mm, all equipped with FANUC CNC control systems (0i-TF Plus and iHMI).

The company operates a single-source supplier model bundling CNC machinery with proprietary software (Step Cycle Pro chip-breaking technology, NC Assist conversational programming, SMOOSS-i remote monitoring, HFT high frequency turning, ECO Mode energy saving), a curated accessories portfolio (FMB bar feeders, JBS guide bush systems, IBAG high-speed spindles, Filtermist/Absolent/Exomist mist extraction, Renishaw probing, Firetrace fire suppression, Star cutting oils), and a full services stack (turnkey engineering, programmer/operator/maintenance training, service contracts, spares dispatch, and Five Star Finance). Customers are primarily UK and Irish precision engineering subcontractors and OEMs serving medical, aerospace, automotive, hydraulics, fasteners, HVAC, oil and gas, and electrical manufacturing verticals.

Revenue is generated through a mix of capital equipment sales (high-ticket CNC lathes), accessories and consumables, managed service contracts, training, and finance intermediation. The go-to-market is sales-led, executed through a network of Area Sales Managers covering UK and Eire, supported by an annual Open House event at the Derby Technology Centre, a website with content marketing, and social media presence. The company employs 20+ specialized technical engineers and operates with an enterprise sales motion including on-site facility evaluations, machine demonstrations, and turnkey project delivery from application engineering through to production parts.

Name

Star Micronics GB

Legal name

Star Micronics GB Ltd

Website

https://stargb.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2001

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Star Micronics GB Ltd is the exclusive UK and Ireland distributor of Star CNC sliding head and fixed headstock lathes, supplying precision engineering manufacturers in medical, aerospace, and subcontract machining with machinery, proprietary software, accessories, and full turnkey support.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Derby

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Personnel, Supply Chain, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. CNC Machine Sales: Sale of Star CNC sliding head and fixed headstock lathes across multiple series (SL, SB, SW, SR, ST, SV, SP, SD, SX, SK) with bar capacity from 10mm to 51mm
2. Accessories and Consumables: Bar feeders (FMB), guide bush systems (JBS), cutting oils, spare parts, work holding solutions, high pressure coolants, mist extraction systems
3. Service and Maintenance: Annual servicing of machines and bar feeds, technical support, spare parts dispatch. Service contracts offered.
4. Training: Operator, programmer and maintenance training delivered at dedicated training facilities. Programmer classes lasting 3-5 days structured to include customer parts.
5. Finance Services: Five Star Finance providing flexible finance packages with options for Annual Investment Allowance and other initiatives
6. Turnkey Engineering Solutions: Complete project delivery including machine preparation, parts programming, tooling selection, process development and pass-off

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Star Micronics GB Ltd is the exclusive UK and Ireland distributor for Star Micronics Co., Ltd. (Japan), supplying CNC sliding headstock (Swiss-type) and fixed headstock lathes across multiple series (SR, SB, SW, SL, SP, SX, ST, SV, SD, SK) with bar capacities from 10mm to 51mm. The offering is delivered as a complete manufacturing platform integrating proprietary software (Step Cycle Pro, NC Assist, SMOOSS-i, HFT, ECO Mode), accessories (FMB bar feeders, JBS guide bushes, high speed spindles, mist extraction, fire suppression, probing, cutting oils), and services (turnkey engineering, training, spares, finance) as a single-source supplier.

Product overview

Star Micronics GB is a CNC machine tool distributor offering sliding headstock (Swiss-type) and fixed headstock lathes manufactured by Star Micronics Co., Ltd. Japan. The product portfolio spans multiple lathe series (SR, SW, SB, SL, SP, SX, ST, SV, SD, SK) covering bar capacities from 10mm to 51mm diameter. The offering is a unified platform of CNC machinery complemented by a comprehensive ecosystem of accessories (FMB bar feeders, workholding, high-speed spindles, mist extraction, fire suppression, probing systems, cutting oils), software solutions (Step Cycle Pro chip-breaking, NC Assist programming, SMOOSS-i monitoring, HFT high frequency turning, ECO Mode energy saving), and services (turnkey engineering, training, service/spares, finance). This integrated approach provides complete manufacturing solutions as a single-source supplier.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• CNC Sliding Headstock Lathes (SR, SB, SW, SL, SP, SX, ST, SV, SD Series) Multi-series range of CNC sliding headstock (Swiss-type) CNC lathes with bar capacities from 10mm to 42mm diameter, designed for precision turning of complex components with FANUC CNC controls and proprietary software. Models include SL-7, SL-10, SB-12R Type G, SB-16III, SB-20RII, SB-20R Type G, SR-10J, SR-20JII A/B, SR-20RIV A/B/E, SW-12RII, SW-20, SP-23, SP-32, SV-20R, SX-38 A/B, ST-20, ST-38, SR-32JIII A/B, SR-38 Type B, SD-26 Type E, SD-26 Type S.
• SK-51 Type A CNC Fixed Headstock Lathe 51mm bar capacity CNC fixed headstock (slant-bed) lathe with twin 12-station turrets and Fanuc iHMI control system with conversational programming. Designed for precision turning of larger diameter components.
• FMB Automatic Bar Feeders (MICROMAG, MINIMAG, TURBO) Automatic bar feeding systems from FMB Machinery for Star sliding head lathes. MICROMAG models handle small-diameter bar stock, MINIMAG covers mid-range diameters, and TURBO series (TURBO 2-20, TURBO 2-20 P, TURBO RS 2-20, TURBO 3-36 HD, TURBO RS 3-38, TURBO 5-65) cover extended bar ranges including heavy-duty and reduced-vibration RS Technology variants.
• CNC Lathe Accessories (Workholding, Coolants, Swarf Management, Spindles, Mist Extraction, Probing, Fire Suppression, Oils) Comprehensive accessory ecosystem for Star CNC lathes including JBS guide bush systems and collets for workholding, Hydrajet UB20-2000/TS20-2000 high pressure coolant units, HB/MH/MICROFINE swarf conveyors and spinners/vacuums, IBAG high speed spindles (6,000-80,000rpm, sub-micron runout), Filtermist S400F/S800F and Exomist HPM2000-VFD and Absolent mist extraction, Renishaw in-process/post-process probing and tool breakage detection, Firetrace and Reacton automatic fire suppression, STAR 12 and STAR 22 cutting oils, and Werma Andon light towers with SmartMONITOR wireless monitoring.
• Turnkey Engineering Solutions Complete project delivery including machine preparation, parts programming, tooling selection, process development, parts proving and installation pass-off. Provided by Star GB's applications engineering team to minimize customer risk and setup time from demonstration through to production-ready components.
• Training Services Operator, programmer and maintenance training delivered at Star GB's Technology Centre or on customer sites. Programmer classes last 3-5 days and are structured around customer's own parts to accelerate ramp-up.
• Service & Spares Comprehensive spare parts support with stock at Derby HQ plus access to sister companies in Germany, Switzerland, USA and Japan factories. Annual servicing of machines and bar feeds, technical support, and service contracts offered.
• Five Star Finance Flexible finance options for Star machinery purchases, with transparent packages tailored to business requirements and support for Annual Investment Allowance and other UK tax-relief initiatives. Delivered with support from finance specialists such as Compass Business Finance.

Quantifiable outcome

• Cycle times reduced by up to 50% on complex components through overlapping operations and simultaneous machining
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers14 records

Segments9 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration11 records

Feature8 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• FMB MachinerycoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorUK agent for FMB Machinery, a leading manufacturer of automation solutions including automatic bar feeding systems. FMB bar feeders include MICROMAG, MINIMAG, and TURBO series, all compatible with Star sliding head lathes. FMB RS Technology provides optimal support for bar stock with reduced vibration and easier maintenance.
• JBS Guide Bush SystemscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorUK supplier of JBS compensating guide bush systems from Germany. JBS is a leading provider of flexible guide bush units for long automatic lathes since 1982, complementing Star machine capabilities.
• FiltermistminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorTelford-based manufacturer supplying compact, quiet and efficient oil mist filters including S400F and S800F models. Ensures employee protection from hazardous mist particles and COSHH compliance.
• FanuccoreTechnology or IntegrationStar machines equipped with Fanuc CNC control systems including Fanuc 0i-TF Plus and Fanuc iHMI. Fanuc provides the control platform for Star lathe operations.
• Trent OilminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorIndependent family-owned business supplying quality oils and lubricants across the UK, including STAR 12 and STAR 22 cutting oils.
• HydrafeedminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorLeading supplier of barfeeds and advanced robotic automation equipment for CNC turning and milling applications.
• FiretraceminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSpecialists in designing and building automatic fire suppression systems to protect machine tool investments.
• Wieland NemcominorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorLeading suppliers of copper and copper alloys as well as other materials such as aluminum, titanium and steel.
• Swiss Steel GroupminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorOne of the largest producers of electrical steel in Europe offering customised solutions from its portfolio of steel products.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Citizen Machinery UK: UK subsidiary of Citizen Machinery (Japan), one of the leading global manufacturers of CNC sliding head lathes. Competes head-to-head with Star GB in the same UK subcontract precision engineering customer base, offering comparable Swiss-type lathes with similar FANUC-based controls.
• Tornos Technologies UK: Swiss-headquartered CNC sliding head lathe manufacturer with UK sales and service operations. Direct competitor in the subcontract and medical/aerospace precision turning segments, offering MultiSwiss and Delta series machines in overlapping bar capacity ranges.
• Tsugami (EMEA): Japanese manufacturer of precision CNC sliding head lathes with EMEA distribution. Competes directly in UK and Ireland with similar product positioning across small to mid-range bar capacities, targeting the same medical, aerospace, and subcontract precision engineering customer base.
• Nakamura-Tome Precision Engineering UK: Japanese multi-axis turning centre and sliding head manufacturer with UK presence. Direct competitor in the high-precision turning segment, particularly in multitasking and mill-turn applications where Star GB's SP-32, SD-26, and SR-20RIV Type E compete.
• Traub (INDEX Group): German manufacturer of sliding head and fixed head lathes owned by INDEX Group. Competes directly in the UK subcontract precision machining market with comparable Swiss-type machines, particularly in mid-to-large bar capacity segments.

Broad incumbents

• DMG MORI UK: Major global machine tool manufacturer with broad portfolio including turning centres, machining centres, and additive systems. Not specialised in sliding head lathes but competes for the same precision engineering capex budget in larger enterprises.
• Yamazaki Mazak UK: UK subsidiary of Japanese machine tool leader Mazak, offering a broad range of CNC lathes, machining centres, and multi-tasking machines. Competes with Star GB for precision engineering customers but with a wider product portfolio including larger fixed-head turning centres.
• Haas Automation UK: US-based CNC machine tool manufacturer with UK operations. Competes primarily in entry-level and mid-market CNC turning/milling, including sliding head and fixed head lathes, often at lower price points than Star Micronics.
• INDEX-Werke UK: German machine tool manufacturer with broad turning and milling portfolio, parent of Traub. Competes with Star GB in fixed head and sliding head turning, particularly in larger-bar and multi-axis precision applications.
• GF Machining Solutions UK: Swiss-headquartered machine tool manufacturer offering EDM, milling, and turning solutions. Competes for larger precision engineering and aerospace customers in the UK, though not specialised in sliding head lathes.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/StarMicronicsGB
• Instagraminstagram.com/starmicronicsgb

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Star Micronics GB