When an ageing horizontal boring centre was on its last legs and the world was entering the pandemic, Rockingham Manufacturing found a suitable cure with a Quaser horizontal machining centre from the Engineering Technology Group (ETG).

Founded in 2004 out of the ashes of a previously failed business, Rockingham Manufacturing is a subcontract manufacturer that supports a diverse client base in the food machinery, diesel engine, earthmoving, factory spares and general manufacturing sectors. To cater for its diverse customer base, managing director Martin Scott believes it is imperative to have a horizontal borer or HMC to complement its four VMCs. So, when the Corby-based subcontractor found its horizontal boring machine unreliable and in need of replacing, the company turned to ETG and its Quaser HX504BPF twin-pallet HMC.

“The Quaser has a similar weight to its predecessor, but in a footprint that is 20% smaller. Despite the smaller footprint, the XYZ axis travel of 762 x 640 x 800 mm is considerably larger than the previous machine. Combining this larger work envelope with high-precision indexing of the B axis, we’ve reduced secondary operations as the Quaser can complete more jobs in one hit.”

He adds: “The Z and Y axes are much larger than the previous machine, and this allows us to machine bigger parts. However, it’s not just about large axis travels, but having the stability to machine larger components. For example, we wanted to U-drill some holes at 50 mm diameter in steel with the holes positioned beyond 500 mm high on the Z axis. The rigidity of the Quaser ensured this was no problem for us.”
For further information www.engtechgroup.com