Abusy Southern Manufacturing for Hurco

In the opinion of Hurco Europe, one of the exhibitors at the Southern Manufacturing exhibition earlier this month, the show certainly delivered in terms of visitor footfall and customer enquiries.Celebrating its 25th anniversary this year, Southern Manufacturing was a record-breaker in terms of attendance, with 9144 visitors welcomed through the doors. This increase in footfall was reflected in people coming on the Hurco stand. More than 80 enquiries were booked over the three days, of which 20% were new contacts.

David Waghorn, managing director of Hurco Europe says: “In a non-MACH year especially, Southern Manufacturing is proving to be a significant event for UK manufacturing industry. Recent improvements to the road access and venue have guaranteed a better experience for exhibitors and visitors alike. We had no hesitation in rebooking the same space for 2024.”
For further information www.hurco.co.uk

EKC Group plans for future with big investment

With support from central government funds, EKC group is investing significantly to develop engineering centres of excellence across three of its six community colleges in East Kent. This investment includes 25 machines valued at around £500,000 from XYZ Machine Tools, covering CNC machining and turning centres, as well as an array of manual machines located at Dover Technical College, Canterbury College and Ashford College.

XYZ Machine Tools has a long history of working with the education sector through its ‘XYZ for Education’ initiative, which provides special pricing on the full range of XYZ machine tools, with ongoing training programmes. “We see it as vital to educate and inspire tomorrow’s engineers in order to maintain the UK’s position as a leader in engineering development and manufacturing,” states Nigel Atherton, managing director at XYZ Machine Tools.
For further information www.xyzmachinetools.com

New managing director for Vollmer UK

Vollmer has appointed Martyn Cross as its new managing director of the UK subsidiary. In the interim he will working alongside long-standing managing director Peter Allen.Since the end of 2012, Allen has filled two roles as both managing director atVollmer UK and president at Vollmer of America. With the recent construction of a new facility at Vollmer of America, Allen has made the conscious decision to focus his attention on the potential of the North American market. Following a handover period, the company will have in Cross a dedicated UK managing director with decades of expertise in the manufacturing sector.
For further information www.vollmer-group.com

Five-axis 30-taper VMC aimed at 40-taper market

30-taper vertical machining centre (VMC) manufacturer, Brother, has introduced a new five-axis model with a swivelling rotary table. Despite having a nominal footprint of just 1.5 x 2 m, the Brother Speedio U500Xd1 is capable of multi-face machining of components up to 500 mm diameter by 270 mm high, and weighing up to 100 kg.

Combined with a 28-position magazine for tools weighing up to 4 kg and either a 10,000 rpm/18.9 kW or 16,000 rpm/15 kW spindle with a face-and-taper interface option, Brother says that the production centre redefines machines in this class and is aimedsquarely at competing with 40-taper machining centres.

Sole sales and service agent in the UK, Whitehouse Machine Tools, points out that there is little competition to the machine on the market in terms of its operating speed. Rapid traverse is 50 m/min in X and Y, and even faster in Z, which accelerates at 2.2 g up to 56 m/min. Chip-to-chip time is 1.3 seconds, or faster still if a 14- or 21-tool magazine is fitted. Cutter exchange and axis motions take place simultaneously to minimise cycle times.

Trunnion swivel (A-axis) at 50 rpm is a -30/+120°and the table (C axis) rotates at 75 rpm. Roller gear cam mechanisms drive both rotary axes and 0-90° indexing times are 0.9 and 1.2 seconds respectively. Clamping torques are high at 610 and 500 Nm.

Lowering the power consumption of its machines has long been Brother’s aim. For a start, the electricity and air used by a 30-taper machine is only about 20% of that required by a 40-taper machine. The U500Xd1 is also equipped with a power regeneration system that reuses energy generated when the spindle motor decelerates.
For further information www.wmtcnc.com

New quality centre for Bentley

Bentley Motors has started building its new Launch Quality Centre and Engineering Technical Centre. The new facility at Bentley’s headquarters in Crewe, will be integral to the company’s preparations for future battery-powered electric vehicle (BEV) production and will set a new benchmark in next-generation, digital, flexible and high-value manufacturing operations. Taking a first step, the new buildings will include a replica BEV assembly line as preparation for the introduction of Bentley’s first BEV in 2026. The hub includes a software integration centre, prototype workshop and a metrology testing facility.
For further information www.bentleymotors.com