Refurb service for Addison tube benders

Unison Ltd, a UK manufacturer of tube bending machines and the inventor of all-electric tube manipulation, is introducing a ‘refurbish and re-control’ service specifically for Addison tube bending machines.The service will provide owners of Addison tube benders with a cost-effective, quality-assured means of upgrading their older machines with the latest operating technologies.

It involves the use of Unison’s latest servo-drive platform, new control and drive chassis plates, a replacement machine controller, an updated safety PLC, and a new Windows 11 PC running the latest version of Unison’s Unibend CNC. A comprehensive warranty covers all replacement parts, while the service also includes a full machine inspection and condition report.

For further information www.unisonltd.com

£3.25m investment drive at Brandauer

One of Birmingham’s most respected manufacturers has completed a £3.25m investment drive to celebrate a King’s Award for Enterprise achievement.Brandauer, which employs 64 people, has commissioned its fifth high-speed Yamada press that will help it deliver quick-changeover subcontract stamping capabilities. The installation follows the purchase of a state-of-the-art laser micro-cutting machine, a purchase that was made possible by a 40% grant from the ‘Aerospace Up’ programme, giving the business this technology for the first time.Brandauer is promising to deliver up to £6m of sales over the next two years.

For further information www.brandauer.co.uk

MACH hailed as roaring success

The UK’s national event for inspiring and connecting the manufacturing industry has once again been hailed as a triumph, with thousands of visitors filling the five halls at the NEC in Birmingham over the week-long show in April. The 2024 edition of the exhibition saw a 6% increase in the number of visitors meaning the full attendance of the event is rapidly approaching 30,000 people.

A highlight of the seminar programme was the launch of the MTA’s latest ‘True Impact of Manufacturing Report’. The report reveals the significant positive impact that manufacturing has on the UK economy, which is far greater than many think. Key findings of the report include: manufacturing accounts for £518bn of UK GDP and supports 7.3m jobs; ‘making things’ accounts for 34.5% of all UK goods and services exports; and themedian wage in manufacturing is 11% above the national average.

For further information www.machexhibition.com

Driven-tool CNC turning centre launched

Hurco introduced a new range of four driven-tool CNC turning centres at the MACH 2022 exhibition, during which the 8-inch chuck version was exhibited. At the 2024 show last month it was the turn of the 10-inch chuck variant to appear: the TMX10MYSi. All models include a programmable Waxis to position the tailstock or sub-spindle.

The turning centres offer higher specification and performance than the established TMi and TMMi models. Among the major differences are higher power and speed plus a larger, heavier machine frame and the addition of a Yaxis to allow more versatile machining.

Notably, the servo-driven turret carries 12 VDI 40 radial tools rather than axial tools (as on the/TM Mi range). Each station offers a maximum rotational speed of 5000 rpm and a peak output of 6.3 kW at 2190 rpm. Hurco’s control software allows users to take advantage of the manufacturer’s proprietary conversational routines for milling operations, making the package attractive for small-volume production requirements.

Two smaller capacity Hurco CNC lathes with 8-inch chuck capacity were also on show, the TM8i and the TM8Mi with axial driven tools. These latest models have a larger spindle bore than their predecessors, as well as roller guideways and a more compact footprint. As a further point of note, the improved control features concurrent programming, estimated runtime, error check and recovery restart, and enhanced performance during rigid tapping.

For further information www.hurco.co.uk

High-specification lathe at competitive price

At the MACH exhibition in Birmingham, UK, last month, NCMT showcased a number of Okuma turning centres, including the competitively priced Genos L3000-e-MYW. The display saw the machine fed automatically with shaft-type parts by a Cellro CoMate collaborative robot (cobot). The maximum turning diameter of the Genos L3000-e-MYWis 300 mm while speed of the 22 kW spindle is up to 3800 rpm, all in a compact footprint of 2.5 x 1.9 m.

This 6-tonne turning centre featuring sub-spindle and a 12-station turret with Yaxis and live tooling offers robust construction. An integral spindle motor and rigid guideways make it suitable for the precision machining of many materials, including exotic alloys. User-friendly features include a separate coolant tank for quick servicing, and easy spindle access to speed maintenance and machine set-up, and reduced chip accumulation for less machine downtime during removal.

Okuma’s One-Touch IGF is an option in the OSP control. The One-Touch IGF allows users to describe part geometry including diameter, length, grooves and threads using simple commands, from which the system draws the defined shape and then develops the part program automatically.

Also on the stand was an Okuma MultusU3000 multi-tasking lathe with a 240° swivelling B-axis head and HSK-A63 (optionally Capto C6) 12,000 rpm/22 kW spindle for turning or milling components up to 1500 mm between centres. The tool magazine has 40 stations as standard, but is optionally available with a capacity of 80 tools.

Okuma’s MultusU3000 features Okuma’s own linear scales for high-accuracy positional feedback. Servo motors deliver feed rates of up to 50 m/min in the X and Z axes, and up to 40 m/min in the 250 mm Yaxis. Together with the Caxis on the main spindle, the machine is capable of fully interpolative five-axis (X,Y,Z,B,C) machining of freeform surfaces.
For further information www.ncmt.co.uk