Nice send-off for Bystronic UK MD

David Larcombe, who recently retired after 40 years’ service at Bystronic UK, latterly as managing director, was invited with his wife Alison to say goodbye to his colleagues at the Swiss company’s headquarters in Niederönz. After the event, the couple were treated to a weekend in the Swiss Alps beside Lake Lugano.

“I feel extremely privileged to have had the career that I’ve enjoyed within the engineering industry,” says Larcombe. “I have a number of very special memories, especially the many years working for Bystronic. It has been a wonderful company to serve, as I always felt I was a friend rather than an employee. I’ve made many great friendships, both within Bystronic worldwide and the UK sheet metalworking industry. I wish everyone the very best for the future.”
For further information www.bystronic.co.uk

Trained to a turn

A series of seemingly unrelated events came together to create a win-win situation for a Mills CNC machine user and a CNC Training Academy customer.

Earlier this year when Kettering-based hydrant flow meter manufacturing specialist, Langham Industrial Controls, was seeking a new member of staff to operate its recently acquired FANUC-controlled Doosan Lynx 220 LSYC lathe, the company approached Mills CNC, who supplied the machine, as well as members of staff at the CNC Training Academy (a division of Mills CNC), to see if they knew, or had trained, someone who might be interested in taking advantage of such an opportunity.
It just so happened that, just a few weeks earlier, the CNC Training Academy had trained Krzysztof Zasadzki, a man who, for many different reasons, had made a positive and favourable impression on academy staff. Zasadzki was offered the position and started work at Langham Industrial Controls in May 2019.
Says director Nigel Langham: “I contacted the CNC Training Academy to see if they knew anyone who could be suitable for the setter/operator position. Krzysztof was mentioned in glowing terms.”
Since May 2019, Zasadzki has attended further courses (Fanuc Manual Guide i) at the CNC Training Academy. In only a few months he is now setting up, operating and programming the Lynx 220 lathe.
The 8” chuck Lynx 220 lathe at Langham Industrial Control is equipped with a sub-spindle and driven tools, and has Y-axis capability. Since being installed back in 2016 the lathe has been busy machining high accuracy components in small volumes from a range of different materials that include aluminium, steel and plastics.
For further information www.millscnc.co.uk

Rebuilds from J&S Hardinge

A grinding machine rebuilding and upgrading service is now being offered by Jones & Shipman Hardinge, including machines produced by sister companies in the Hardinge Group – Kellenberger, Hauser, Voumard, Tschudin and Usach.

“The service is designed to maximise the lifespan of a machine which, while perfectly sound in structure and capability, could benefit from upgrading,” explains Jones & Shipman Hardinge UK managing director Mike Duignan. “If you take a universal Kellenberger Varia for example, a refurbishment and upgrade to include the latest Fanuc 0i control with the new Kellenberger menu-based programming software, could be as much as 25% cheaper than buying a new machine.”
Furthermore, through the company’s UK and European headquarters, Jones & Shipman Hardinge has the facility to supply a loan machine for some Kellenberger products, so that production is not interrupted.
For further information www.jonesshipman.com

Investment in rollers

After completing a comprehensive programme of investments in new technology and machinery, as well as process and layout improvements, Pronexos is now able to offer significantly increased capacity and capabilities for the manufacture of large carbon-fibre rollers.

Pronexos is now able to offer significantly increased capacity and capabilities for the manufacture of large carbon fibre rollers

“We’re already supplying CFRP rollers up to 6 m in length,” explains Philipp Kroschner, sales engineer. “There are many potential applications for rollers of this size, including plastic film applications and the non-woven textile industry. There are very few manufacturers worldwide capable of producing CFRP rollers of such length.”
For further information www.pronexos.com

DMG Mori acquires stake in up2parts

By taking a strategic stake in the Bavarian software company up2parts, which specialises in artificial intelligence (AI), DMG Mori plans to acquire important know-how in the field of digitised manufacturing processes.

up2parts’ AI-based geometric workpiece analysis makes it easy and quick to generate work plans and price calculations for individual components. AI is at
the core of the solution, analysing the geometry of each component within seconds on the basis of machine-learning algorithms and human know-how. The result is a concrete work plan and the accurate cost of manufacturing the component.
For further information www.dmgmori.com