Vigilance Group expands UK operations

The Vigilance Group has announced a significant expansion of its operations in Bristol and the opening of a new showroom facility in the East Midlands.

Vigilance, the engineering specialist holding company that incorporates under its corporate banner – Machine Tool Sales Online (MTSO); MACH Machine Tools; and Vigilance Engineering Safety Products – says the move will ensure the group’s long-term growth and future prosperity by providing customers with more choice and improved access to its technologies and solutions.
With regard to the Bristol facility, premises adjacent to the site recently became available and so Vigilance grabbed the opportunity to virtually double its floor space to 21,000 sq ft. The move will see the company create a new and larger customer showroom and demonstration facility, and enable more new and used machine tools to be held in stock. The group has also acquired 5000 sq ft premises previously leased by DRMT Solutions Ltd in Leicester, which has closed following the retirement of one of its directors.
For further information www.machmt.co.uk

Studer S41 ticks Magellan’s boxes

The Bournemouth facility of Magellan Aerospace manufactures items such as pintle pins, undercarriage pins and split chrome halves, all of which need high-precision grinding to achieve the required standards of accuracy and surface finish.

Here, the company has recently installed a Studer S41 CNC universal cylindrical grinding machine from Advanced Grinding Supplies.
“Having been enthusiastic users of Studer S30 and S21 grinders, purchased from Advanced Grinding Supplies Ltd, not only have we been delighted with the performance of these machines, we have also been impressed by the support and advice received from the supplier,” says Keith Summers, engineering manager, special projects European operations.
“I was able to visit the Studer factory in Switzerland and witness in-depth grinding trials that confirmed the performance of the S41 on our parts, and its ability to deliver improvements in cycle times. As a result of the S41’s suitability, and given the guarantee of continued support from Advanced Grinding Supplies, we were happy to place an order.
“The help of Advanced Grinding Supplies was invaluable when we were specifying the machine and its accessories and consumables, such as dressing tools, grinding wheels and coolant,” continues Summers. “We believe that these important add-ons will help us to realise the full productive potential of our new grinder.
“The speed and flexibility of our Studer S41 is already helping in our ongoing quest for productivity improvements. As well as increasing our current component grinding capacity, the S41’s between centres and centre height capacities, in addition to its large weight bearing capability, will ensure that it is able to undertake the precision grinding of all future components.”
For further information www.adgrind.co.uk

Master launches ceramic discs for angle grinders

Master Abrasives has introduced a range of ceramic abrasive discs for angle grinders. Unlike conventional discs, the grain in Master Ultra Ceramic discs fractures to form new points that are sharp and precise.

This functionality maintains a cooler cutting action and long product life, making the discs suitable for aggressive grinding and blending applications. The discs also require less pressure, resulting in reduced operator fatigue.
Initially available from stock in 36 and 60 grit for 50 and 75 mm diameter discs, additional options for the Ultra Ceramic range are set to follow. The discs from stock have the MRD threaded screw-type mounting system, which makes them suitable for high-volume, high-production operations. Ultra Ceramic discs are packaged in the trademark Master branded blue boxes, and will also be available from distributors of the Master brand.
Andy Wright, national sales manager, says: “We’ve already experienced exceptional results in various customer applications when using ZIPP high-power angle grinders with Master Ultra Ceramic discs, and are now finding new opportunities to improve productivity in aerospace, fabrication and foundry markets.”
The ZDG-302 air angle die grinder by ZIPP, which is suitable for many high-speed grinding and finishing applications, is compatible with Master quick-change holders and discs. The grinder can be used on finishing dies, metal moulds and cast-iron workpieces.
For further information www.master-abrasives.co.uk

Precision required for rotor grinding

Thanks to the technologies of Holroyd Precision, a major industrial group in northern China will soon embark on the production of its own range of air ends, helical rotors and screw compressors.

A £1.4m order was secured recently that requires Holroyd Precision to supply one of its helical rotor and thread grinding machines to the customer. The machine, a Holroyd TG 350E, is set for delivery in early 2019, when it will be used to precision-grind helical components of up to 350 mm in diameter and 1795 mm in length.
“We are delighted to have secured this significant order,” comments Holroyd regional sales director, Steven Benn. “Although for commercially sensitive reasons we cannot name the customer, it is particularly rewarding to know that in their quest to achieve the highest levels of precision in rotor manufacture, they recognised the uncompromising levels of accuracy that our technologies offer.
“As we are members of the Manchester-China Forum,” he continues, “securing this significant order also underpins our ongoing drive to strengthen ties between the city and China.”
Equally suited to prototyping, batch and volume production, TG series machines are designed primarily for the finish-grinding of helical screw components such as worm screws and rotors after they have been milled to a rough or semi-finished state. Fully automated on-machine probing provides closed-loop feedback of corrections to the dresser wheel and does not require a high level of operator skill.
For further information www.holroyd.com

Complete machining of spherical components

The compact, high-precision machine tool Sphero, designed for machining workpieces with spherical forms, has been further developed by Thielenhaus Microfinish into a hybrid solution capable of handling the entire superfinishing process in just one set up.

Thielenhaus has designed an innovative trial machine that can machine spherical workpieces, with the highest demands in terms of fine dimensional accuracy and surface quality.
The workpiece is mounted vertically and is therefore easily accessible for fast changeovers. Thanks to the integrated tool changer with a capacity for up to 10 tools, even complex machining processes can be carried out in a single set up.
The trial machine is based on one that was previously used for the manufacturer’s subcontracting work, and is also equipped with QuattroClean CO2 snow-jet technology that enables workpieces to be cleaned using an environmentally friendly, dry and residue-free method. After cleaning, the machined component is subjected to a scattered light measurement procedure that allows, for example, the shape or the gloss value to be determined.
Workpieces with diameters of up to 75 mm can be machined on the Sphero. The machine is used in the automotive industry for machining the joint heads of wheel suspension and steering components that require a high level of freedom and movement for the associated assembly units. Sphero is also used to produce metallically-sealing valve balls and seating rings for valves in the chemical industry, through which aggressive or very hot media travel. Another application is the axial piston pump found in all fields of hydraulics.
For further information www.thielenhaus.com