Tornos unveils Swiss DT models

Over the past few months, Tornos has been launching a number of products that form part of its entry-level portfolio of turning machines. Now, with the introduction of the Swiss DT13 and Swiss DT26 turning machines, a full product line-up is available.

Tornos’ entry-level segment comprises two product lines, namely the CT20 machine, the second version of the machine recently introduced, and the Swiss DT model. Both model variants are subject to constant evolution. Against this backdrop, the Swiss DT13 and Swiss DT26 models have undergone significant modifications that are aimed at improving their rigidity and axis feed rates.
The Swiss DT13 has been conceived for bar capacities of 13 mm (10 mm without bar preparation). In addition, the machine is provided with five linear axes and two C axes, while its kinematic system has been developed for high-productivity applications. Thanks to maximum feed rates that can reach 35 mm/min and L-type kinematics, the Swiss DT13 is said to be extremely fast, with ultra-short chip-to-chip times. Maximum spindle speed is 15,000 rpm.
Tornos’ Swiss DT26 features five linear axes. Given the bar capacity and performance of the machine, Tornos engineers have prioritised high chip removal by arranging the gang tool post above the guide bush and spindle. With its spindles offering power of more than 10.5 kW for both main and counter operations, in combination with a bar capacity of 25.4 mm, the Swiss DT26 enables large cutting depths. Against this backdrop, high chip removal is required to tap into the full potential of the machine. Just like the Swiss DT13 model, the machine is equipped with a motorised guide bush and, in less than 15 minutes, can be converted to enable collet operation.
For further information www.tornos.com

£10m investment in brake system production

Liberty, part of GFG Alliance, a global industrial, metals and energy group, has announced its investment in a £10m global technology centre in Leamington Spa.

By the beginning of 2020, in time for the 100th anniversary of the start of automotive production at the site, all of Liberty’s design and manufacturing for braking systems – currently in an adjacent plant – will be transferred to the modern facility, which will also become home to its wider research, design and product development activities.
Among the advanced manufacturing equipment will be £5m of new CNC lathes, machining centres and other equipment bought since the acquisition of 920E (originally Automotive Products). The investment includes two Traub turning centres built in Germany and supplied through Kingsbury, which have raised to eight the number of Traub turning machines on site.
First of the latest lathes to arrive in Leamington was a 32 mm bar capacity TNL 32, which has the notable ability to be changed over quickly from sliding-head to fixed-head operation. The second machine to arrive was a TNX 65, another twin-spindle, twin-turret turn-mill lathe but for fixed-head turning only, which is capable of producing parts from bar up to 65 mm diameter.
Production group leader, Bill Dhesi says: “The latest Traub machines produce parts more than 25% faster than the existing models due to their higher spindle speeds, faster axis movements, quicker turret indexing and higher power driven tooling.”
Many of the components find their way into brake systems, calipers and actuation products for marques such as JLR, Mini, Morgan and other major automotive brands. The parts are supplied to production lines mainly in the UK and to outlets for aftermarket sale.
For further information www.kingsburyuk.com

Record numbers at Citizen open house

A total of nine orders to the value of £2m were placed at Citizen Machinery UK’s first open house at its new Midlands turning centre of excellence in Brierley Hill.

The company reports that the order total is likely to double in the immediate aftermath of the event. Attendance over the three days exceeded 300, a record number. Visitors looking to upgrade their sliding- and fixed-head CNC turning capacity were welcomed from OEMs and subcontractors throughout the UK and Ireland, as well as from mainland Europe.
A quartet of new products were launched, all of which benefit from Citizen’s patented LFV chip-breaking software: the L32-X, L32-XII and D25-VIII Cincom sliding-head bar automatics on which the software is optional; and the Miyano BNA-42GTY, the first Citizen fixed-head lathe to have the addition of LFV in the operating system of the Mitsubishi control. A further 11 machines were on display cutting metal.
For further information www.citizenmachinery.co.uk

Rotec achieves lights-out manufacturing

A specialist supplier of components to the aerospace, automotive and oil and gas sectors has invested in the latest five-axis technology and CADCAM software to reduce set-up times and achieve lights-out manufacturing.

Rotec Engineering, which offers fixed-head and sliding-head capabilities from its facility in Evesham, has installed a Nakamura NTRX 300 from the Engineering Technology Group (ETG), building on a long-term relationship with the machine tool supplier.
“In our endeavour to move forward and expand, we wanted a machine with all of these attributes that we could also program directly from our CAM system with full five-axis turning,” says Paul Butler, managing director and owner of Rotec. “We found that just focusing on cycle time wasn’t the right way forward for our business. There is often a lot of downtime between jobs, so the whole idea of this investment is to apply the CAM system and machine flexibility to reduce our set-up times.
“Now, we can set-up complex jobs very quickly and, with a bar feed and auxiliary loader, we can run these challenging parts unmanned and they come off the machine complete,” he adds.
ETG, which is the UK’s exclusive supplier of Nakamura technology, worked with Rotec to source a machine that matched its exact requirements, with the NTRX 300’s milling head and two rotating spindles proving extremely attractive. The challenge was to get all the technology to work seamlessly for the company so that the machines could be trusted to run when employees are not on site.
For further information www.engtechgroup.com

Kasto celebrates 175th anniversary

Kasto Maschinenbau, which has its UK subsidiary in Milton Keynes, is this year celebrating 175 years of trading.

With headquarters in Achern, Baden-Württemberg, the firm has evolved from a one-man business into a globally successful company that remains in the hands of the founding family. With the assistance of numerous subsidiaries around the globe, Kasto has sold more than 140,000 bandsaws, circular saws and hacksaws, as well as 2200 storage systems for long stock such as bar and tube, and for sheet metal.
Among the oldest family owned and run companies in Europe, Kasto is using this anniversary year as an opportunity to offer an in-depth look into its history. Marking the occasion, the company is launching a contest to find the oldest Kasto saw still in use. Machines built in or before 1980 may be entered, and customers are invited to e-mail details, including a photo of the saw and of the nameplate, to 175@kasto.com. Every entry will be rewarded and the winner
will be announced later in the year.
For further information www.kasto.com