JATCO UK Established In Sunderland

Global automotive automatic transmission manufacturer JATCO Ltd has provided a boost to the UK automotive industry by officially opening a new factory, creating up to 183 jobs.Situated on the International Advanced Manufacturing Park, Sunderland, the factory will produce electrified powertrains for the nearby Nissanplant (NMUK).

The 138,840 ft² facility represents a £48.7m investment into the UK. JATCO UK hopes to reach a production capacity of 340,000 units from its Sunderland plant.Localisation to NMUK models will begin from 2026, when the facility is scheduled for completion. The new facility was supported by a grant from the UK Government.

More information www.nissan-europe.com

Crowds Head For Southern Manufacturing

On 4-6 February 2025 at the Farnborough International Exhibition Centre, Southern Manufacturing & Electronics will once again show why it has become a major pan-European showcase for the latestadvances in machinery, production equipment, electronics production, tooling and components, as well as subcontract services. Over 9000 visitors are expected to attend.

Southern Manufacturing & Electronics is a dynamic hub where industry leaders, innovators and experts converge to share ideas, discover new technologies, and forge long-lasting partnerships. Visitors will gain valuable insights through technical seminars, the potential to connect with over 500 leading suppliers, and hands-on demonstration of solutions that can transform operations at manufacturing businesses.

More information www.southern-manufacturing-electronics.com

Colchester reports open house success

November saw Colchester Machine Tool Solutions host its annual open house, an event that showcasedthe company’s latest products and innovations, including the all-new Tornado sub-spindle turning centre with Y-axis machining capability.

Taking place at Colchester’s European Technology Centre in Elland, West Yorkshire, the open house carried the strapline of ‘multi-axis machining event’. The company reports “overwhelmingly positive” feedback, with many visitors coming away feeling particularly impressed with the number and quality of machines on display. They were also pleased with the amount of machine demonstrations taking place, with Colchester staff on hand to provide additional information.

Taking centre stage was the all-new Colchester Tornado SL25 MSY turning centre. With its integrated sub-spindle and Yaxis, the machine provedpopular at the open house. Its five-axis single-hit machining allows manufacturers to complete complex components with high levels of efficiency. By automatically transferring the workpiece from the main spindle to the sub-spindle, the machine ensures seamless turning, milling and drilling on both sides of the component, reducing cycle times.The addition of Y-axis machining further enhances its capabilities, enabling precise off-centre milling for keyways, flats and contoured surfaces.

Also catching the eye of visitors was the UK debut of Bridgeport five-axis VMCs, a miniature Formula 1 car showpiece, manual centre lathes, Storm VMCs, Student CNC lathes and turret mills. Furthermore, Siemens, LNS, Zerocob and Cutwel were present throughout the event as trusted Colchester partners.

Throughout the open house, Colchester ran a ‘golf darts’ chipping competition where the participant with the highest score over a certain number of shots took away a £500 tooling voucher courtesy of open house partner and cutting tool specialist Cutwel. A first-year apprentice from Tees Components was the deserved winner.

More information www.colchester.co.uk

Emag unveils VST 50 multi-spindle auto

Whether in the steering system or chassis, ball joints are indispensable in cars. They not only act as a kind of pivot point between different elements but are also usually in constant motion and exposed to high physical loads. In this context, ball pins and ball sleeves are among the safety-critical car components that must leave production with high surface quality and micron precision without exception – despite high quantities and general cost pressure. How is it possible to achieve these outcomes efficiently and with minimal chip-to-chip times? Emag says it has the answer with a new machine: using the VST 50, a finished ball pin leaves the machine every 7 seconds with each component undergoing comprehensive measurement.

The VST 50 has highly automated processes, including the use of three robots. It is also easy to operate using EDNA apps. For actual turning of the ball and neck of the ball pin (only these areas are involved here), two suspended workpiece spindles can move irrespective of each other. As a result, one spindle is always loading and unloading while the other is in use during the machining process. The associated tool compound slides are split in two: the tools on the left-hand side are mounted on a rotary Baxis, enabling the ball to undergo precision turning and finishing.

The solution ensures that a finished workpiece leaves the machine every 7 seconds, while the chip-to-chip time is less than 2 seconds.

Components must leave production without any error tolerance. Here, Emag relies on a 100% solution: each component passes through a light-band micrometer, which determines the required measured values in fractions of a second.

More information www.emag.com

Emco machines reduce production times

GF Casting Solutions relies on the Hyperturn 65 Powermill G2 and the EmcoTurn E65 CNC turning centre. Thomas Klade, team leader of contract manufacturing, reports on the effectiveness of the two Emco machines at this Altenmarkt-based specialist in magnesium and aluminium die casting solutions for the international automotive industry.

The two CNC turning machines from Emco manufacture the spare parts required for the die casting tools

“From the first technical discussions to the sales process and delivery, our collaboration with Emco went extremely well,” says Klade.“Besides, I’ve been familiar with Emco machines since my training days, and we know that we’re buying machines that deliver what they promise and perform very well in terms of precision.”


He continues: “Both machines are perfectly tailored to our requirements and run excellently. The support from Emco is also really good.”

The EmcoTurn E65 turning centre is used primarily to produce screw cores. With this machine, GF Casting Solutions has been able to reduce its machining times significantly. The
machine features a 65 mm spindle bore, counter spindle, radial turret with 12 driven tools, as well as a Yaxis with 80 mm stroke. Parts are collected in a pot and unloaded via the partial conveyor belt, which also eliminates the need to open the door.One of the biggest advantages is definitely the time saved.

“For example, if the system receives the order to produce 15 pieces, these are produced fully automatically within a certain period and engraved according to requirements,” says Klade.“They’re then ejected to a conveyor belt. No further manual intervention is required, and we’ve been able to reduce production time by two-thirds.”More information www.emco-world.com