Pallet-changing horizontals are bought to run lights-out, and the funding needs to account for the cell around the machine, not just the machine.
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Yes. Horizontal machining centres are funded as hard assets, usually on hire purchase. Used examples are fundable and often good value, because fewer UK shops buy horizontals than verticals. What catches people out is scope. An HMC rarely arrives alone: there may be additional pallets, a pallet pool or linear system, fixtures, a coolant plant and a serious rigging and foundation bill. Fixtures built for your parts have almost no resale value to anyone else, so funders separate them from the machine. Get the quote itemised early so you know which lines are being advanced against.
Used kit: Yes — second-hand horizontals fund well, with machines up to around fifteen years old routine where the control is supported and the pallet system is complete.
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Business asset finance is quoted on a flat rate, so that is what this shows — with the equivalent APR underneath, because the two are not the same number. A quick guide only; your actual rate depends on the asset, term, deposit and lender.
Representative example: on Hire Purchase, borrowing £25,000 over 48 months at a 6.0% flat rate (equivalent to 11.5% APR representative), you would repay around £646 a month; total amount repayable approximately £31,000, of which £6,000 is the cost of finance. This calculator is for illustration only — it is not a quote or an offer of finance, and the rate and repayments you are offered will depend on the asset, term, deposit and your circumstances. CW Asset Finance is a credit broker, not a lender, and may receive a commission from the lender that funds your agreement. All finance is subject to status, affordability and lender approval. CW Asset Finance is an Appointed Representative of Rural Finance Limited, which is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FRN 630701).
A funder will treat the horizontal itself as good security but a narrower one than a VMC. The resale pool is smaller, the machines are heavy, and moving one out of a building can cost real money, all of which is priced into how much of the purchase they will advance. Control support and spindle condition carry more weight than the year on the plate. Where the deal includes a pallet pool or robot, the integration labour is soft cost and normally excluded. Customer concentration is scrutinised harder here than on general machining kit, because the business case for the machine usually rests on one contract; funders will ask what happens to the payment if that contract moves. Bespoke fixtures, in-house software and site works are the lines most often struck out.
Examples of the machines we are asked to fund. This is not an exhaustive list — if what you are buying is not here, it does not mean we cannot fund it. Your supplier quote is what the agreement is written against.
| Machine | What it is |
|---|---|
| Mazak HCN-5000 | Horizontal centre with pallet changer |
| Mazak HCN-4000 | Compact horizontal centre for cast components |
| Makino a51nx | High accuracy horizontal machine for volume parts |
| Makino a61nx | Larger horizontal centre for demanding cutting |
| DN Solutions NHP 4000 | Horizontal centre for unattended running |
| DMG Mori NHX 4000 | Horizontal machine with fast pallet change |
| DMG Mori NHX 5000 | Bigger horizontal centre for heavier castings |
| Kitamura Mycenter HX250G | Compact horizontal machine for precision work |
| Okuma MA-500HIII | Horizontal centre with thermal compensation |
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Usually a shop that has proved a part on a vertical and now needs it running unattended overnight — a volume automotive, hydraulics or valve body component where the fixturing is stable and the order book is visible for years. Also bought by larger subcontractors consolidating several older machines into one cell to cut labour. The trigger is almost always a long-term schedule from a named customer, not speculative capacity.
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Bought on hire purchase, business plant and machinery normally qualifies for capital allowances on the full cost even though you pay for it monthly, which is a large part of why hire purchase is the common structure. On a finance lease you generally set the rentals against profit instead. The rules change between budgets and your position depends on how you trade, so treat this as the direction of travel and get your accountant to confirm the detail before you commit.
Usually yes when it is supplied by the machine builder on the same invoice and has its own serial number, because it is identifiable equipment rather than labour. A pool integrated by a third party with a lot of on-site engineering time is harder, since a funder cannot easily recover engineering hours. Split the quote so the hardware and the integration are visible separately.
Rarely in full. Groundworks, ducting and electrical supply upgrades are improvements to a building rather than to an asset a funder can repossess, so most exclude them. Some funders will allow a modest installation allowance within the overall advance. Budget on the basis that the civils come out of working capital unless you are told otherwise in writing.
It can be very good buying, and funders will look at it. They will want the serial number, evidence of ownership free of charge, and ideally a power-on inspection. Machines that have run three shifts for a decade need a spindle and way check before anyone advances against them. A dealer refurbishment with a warranty makes the funding considerably easier.
No, but be ready to talk about it honestly. Funders in this sector see concentration constantly and do not expect a subcontractor to have fifty customers. What helps is showing the length of the relationship, any schedule or framework in place, and what other work the machine could take if that customer stepped back.
Yes, and quite often that is the neater route. Funding the machine first and the tooling separately can widen the number of funders willing to look, because the machine on its own is a cleaner piece of security. Some funders offer a separate facility for tooling and consumables. We will tell you which way round produces the better answer.
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Tell us what you’re looking to fund and Conor will come back to you personally — usually the same day.
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