Versatility and new models revealed at EMO 2025

Several principals of Sheffield, UK-based machine tool dealer Ward Hi-Tech exhibited at Europe’s largest machine tool exhibition, EMO, in Hanover last week.  

For instance, Korean-based machine tool builder, Hwacheon exhibited the new i2-2SP turn-mill machine. A high-specification model capable of machining complex parts in one set-up, the i2-2SP was equipped with the latest Hwacheon-developed Harmony user-friend control with the FANUC system at its heart.

Also on show was the best-selling Hi-Tech 750ALYMC heavy-duty turning centre with driven tools and Y axis. Specifically designed for large workpieces and materials that are difficult to machine, the Hi-Tech 750ALYMC comes with up to 24” chuck size as standard and the Hwacheon extra-wide 12-station turret, benefitting the application of extra-long boring bars.

Elsewhere on the Hwacheon stand was the AF-4 horizontal, high-speed multi-pallet machining centre. As standard all models have a rapid traverse of 60 m/min in X, Y and Z, and up to 34 rpm on the B axis coupled with a high-speed tool changer and a 37 kW spindle motor.

Finally, the MEGA 72 is high powered flat-bed CNC lathe with a maximum swing of 720 mm and a turning diameter of 480 mm over the saddle through a heavy-duty spindle. Options include various turret types, steady sizes and heavy-duty tailstock and large-capacity side-mounted boring holder of up to 150 mm diameter.

Another Ward Hi-Tech principal at EMO was SFM of Taiwan, which has been building heavy-duty flat-bed lathes for over 60 years. At the exhibition, the company exhibited a CST46200 long-bed CNC lathe with a swing of 1170 mm, bed length of 5 m between centres, twin-chuck headstock with 255 mm diameter spindle bore, and 50 hp heavy-duty main motor.

More information www.wardhitech.co.uk

Vertical Turning Centres Bridge Gap in Market

Mills CNC has introduced a new range of heavy-duty vertical turning centres into the market. The PV 6300 series, comprising two different models, bridges a gap in the market, slotting between DN Solutions’ smaller Puma PV 400 series of vertical turning centres and the company’s large PV 8300 and PV 9300 ranges. It is aimed at component manufacturers machining mid-sized parts – such as discs, rings, wheels, hubs and housings – for heavy-duty aerospace, automotive, oil and gas, and power generation applications.

The two-axis PV 6300 and the PV 6300M, a vertical turning centre with driven tooling capabilities (5000 rpm), have a box guideway design and reinforced spindle motors. This design ensures high-precision and reduced vibration when machining hard and difficult-to-machine materials that include heat-treated stainless steels and corrosion-resistant super alloys.

With up to 18” chuck sizes, PV 6300 and PV 6300M vertical turning centres are supplied with 26 kW/2000 rpm/1116 Nm spindles as standard, allowing end users to ramp up speeds and feeds and take more aggressive depths of cut as a route to boosting their productivity. Higher spindle power (up to 37 kW) and higher spindle torque (1638 Nm) options are also available.

Both machine models have a maximum turning diameter of 630 mm and a maximum turning length/height of 600 mm. Linear scales are available as an option, ensuring that high precision and positional accuracies are achieved and maintained.

In addition to their fast and accurate servo-driven 12-station turrets, PV 6300/6300M machines can be equipped, as an option, with an additional eight-tool position (CAPTO C6) ATC to help improve productivity and process efficiencies.

More information www.millscnc.co.uk

Sliding-head Lathe Cuts Tungsten 12 Hours a Day

Achieving 10% year-on-year growth in global sales since the start of the decade has prompted First Light Lamps to replace some of the 1980s- and 1990s-built turning machines at its Ely, Cambridgeshire factory with two new models that are more reliable, capable, productive and accurate.

Two legacy Miyano fixed-head lathes and a Cincom sliding-head turning centre have been removed to make room for two modern Cincoms, which were delivered in May this year by Citizen Machinery UK. The lathes will not only machine all the electrodes and connectors previously produced by the three old Citizen lathes but, when they are fully on-stream, will also allow the 10% of components currently outsourced to be manufactured in-house.

The smaller of the two new Cincoms, a 12 mm bar capacity L12-VIILFV, is devoted to machining lamp electrodes from lanthanated tungsten bar, 1.5 to 2 m long, of various diameters between 2.8 and 9.5 mm. The job was previously performed by two of the old Miyano fixed-head lathes, which were purchased second-hand in 2004 when First Light Lamps was founded. It is notable that, being of 34 mm bar capacity, they were deliberately over-specified in terms of size to gain the rigidity of a bigger production platform for machining the tough material.


There are 500 designs of electrode and a similar number for connectors, which underlines the need for machining to be wholly controlled in-house, as well as lamp assembly.


Says company director Paul Walker: “Our new, highly capable Citizen lathes, despite being fewer in number than previously, produce four times more connectors during our day shift, as well as all of our electrodes, many of which we were previously having to buy in.”

More information www.citizenmachinery.co.uk

Islander Milestone

Britten-Norman, manufacturer of the iconic Islander aircraft, has reached a major milestone in the company’s programme to bring full aircraft production to its Bembridge facility on the Isle of Wight. Supported by new investment and a wide-ranging transformation initiative, Britten-Norman has completed more than 50% of the first new UK-built Islander’s assembly while expanding its workforce and modernising the company’s facilities. Wing assembly of the first UK-built Islander is expected to be finished later this year, with final assembly scheduled for early 2026 ahead of first delivery in spring 2026.

More information www.britten-norman.com

ModuleWorks Names GPU Simulation Partners

ModuleWorks is announcing the upcoming market launch of its GPU Simulation technology. As part of the company’s strategic partnership with Sandvik, the CADCAM software brands Cimatron and Mastercam will be the first to make the technology available in a commercial CAM solution. ModuleWorks GPU Simulation uses GPU-accelerated processing to increase simulation speed. Benchmark tests indicate performance improvements of up to 10 times compared with CPU-based approaches. Roll-out is scheduled for the next releases of both Cimatron and Mastercam.

More information www.moduleworks.com