SteelFab celebrates 16 years of excellence

It has been 16 years since the Gulf region’s steel fabrication and metalworking industry changed the way it did business – when SteelFab made its debut.

A lot has changed in the intervening years, and the event continues to steer the industry through the ups and downs of the economy, and the market. Over the past 16 years SteelFab has grown with the industry and, along the way, expanded its geographical footprint far and wide.
At SteelFab 2020 (Sharjah, 13-16 January), nearly 300 exhibitors from over 20 countries are expected to fill six halls across 11,000 sq m of space. Over the course of the three days, the organiser is expecting close to 7000 visitors from around 70 different countries to attend the show. Special focus areas will include welding and cutting, machine tools, tube and pipe, and wear resistance. SteelFab will also host seminars, technical presentations and live displays.
For further information https://steelfabme.com/

Less noise on the shop floor

An engineering firm providing equipment to many of the UK’s heaviest industries has reported a dramatic improvement in noise levels on the shop floor following the introduction of air compressors from Vert Rotors.

East Lothian based DMI Precision installed 10 Vert A100 compressors to run equipment throughout its shop. Says DMI managing director David Black: “As well as making it easier to communicate, a quieter workplace also makes it easier to concentrate, which is an important consideration for the highly skilled work that we undertake.”
For further information www.vertrotors.com

AMRC Cymru up and running

The £20m Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre Cymru (AMRC Cymru) has opened for business in Broughton, north Wales.

This state-of-the-art centre will be a catalyst for growth and jobs in Deeside, north Wales and the wider cross-border and ‘Northern Powerhouse’ region. AMRC Cymru will provide businesses with a new level of research and development opportunities and support. The facility was officially opened by First Minister Mark Drakeford and Economy and North Wales Minister Ken Skates.
AMRC Cymru will enable businesses to access advanced technologies, helping them to drive improvements in productivity, performance and quality. Situated in the Deeside Enterprise Zone, the facility will focus on advanced manufacturing sectors, including aerospace, automotive, nuclear and food. It is predicted that the new centre could increase GVA to the Welsh economy by as much as £4bn over the next 20 years.
For further information https://is.gd/beyura

Contract win

Reaction Engines and Nammo UK have signed an agreement for the supply of a rocket plume heat exchanger for the UK’s new National Space Propulsion Test Facility.

Steve Gill, chief commercial officer at Reaction Engines, says: “Reaction Engines is delighted to supply Nammo UK with a world-class heat exchanger that will cool extreme temperatures in a very compact envelope, and which will be one of the first large-scale commercial applications of the knowledge and technology we’ve developed. This project
shows Reaction Engines has world-leading thermal management capability.”
For further information www.reactionengines.co.uk

Latest Doosan turning centres

A range of multi-tasking twin-spindle, twin-turret turning centres with Y-axis capability on their upper and lower turrets, has been launched into the UK marketplace by Mills CNC: the TT1300SYY (42/51 mm bar diameter capacity) and larger TT2100SYY (65/81 mm).

The Doosan TT1300SYY and TT2100SYY are flexible machines and can be employed in a number of ways. For instance, twin-turret capability allows simultaneous OD and ID cutting to occur on a part located in the machine’s main spindle. Alternatively, the simultaneous milling and turning of components in the machine’s main and sub-spindle enables multiple finished parts to be completed in one cycle, while a further option is to combine operations by machining one side of a part in the main spindle before being finished in (transferred to) the sub-spindle.
Mills CNC’s technical director Tony Dale says: “Doosan TT machines have a reputation in the market for their accuracy, speed and reliability. The new machines, with their dual Y-axis capability, build on this legacy and take these strengths, along with productivity and efficiency, to a whole new dimension.”
As well as having Y-axis capability on their upper and lower turrets, the new machines also feature LM roller-type guides on the axes, up to 40 m/min rapid rates, and 11 kW/6000 rpm/93 Nm spindle performance on the TT1300SYY (15 kW/6000 rpm/ 116 Nm on the TT2100SYY).
Also featured are high capability sub-spindles – 11 kW/6000 rpm for both models – while a low-friction ballscrew design mitigates the effects of thermal drift. Furthermore, both machines feature the Doosan Easy Operation Package for programming, and a Doosan grease lubrication system.
For further information www.millscnc.co.uk