Tooling helps maximise five-axis investment

An East Sussex manufacturer of precision components that help universities and government laboratories complete ground-breaking experiments, has enjoyed a major production boost. UHV Design, which employs 50 people at its facility in Laughton, has tapped into the expertise of Hyfore to equip its new five-axis Quaser MF500UH with a dedicated tooling system.

Working closely together, the two companies identified a £30,000 Acrow tool-holding package. The Hyfore solution focuses on interchangeable NR collets that can be used exclusively on the Quaser machine. NR collets tend to be smaller in diameter, offering greater contact with components, improved tool life and the ability to move freely around tight clearance spaces.
David Heward, machine shop manager at UHV Design, which is part of AIM-listed Judges Scientific, says: “The Quaser MF500UH was equipped with a 15,000 rpm ‘face and taper’ spindle and a 48-station carousel that allows us to store 80% of all our tools in one machine – ideal for reducing changeover times and reducing secondary operations. However, to make the most of it we needed to find the right tooling system, and that is where Hyfore came into its own. Their engineers spent a lot of time at our facility looking at the components we were planning to machine, before identifying the best package.”
Oli Riley, product specialist at Hyfore, adds: “This is the largest single order placed for an Acrow package to date. Importantly, it also shows how we can work with specialist manufacturers like UHV to understand its production challenges and come up with flexible solutions.”
For further information www.hyfore.com

CECIMO creates AM committee

CECIMO has created an additive manufacturing (AM) committee that will be the association’s pre-eminent platform to discuss EU policy challenges and opportunities in this rapidly evolving technology field.

The committee will act as an umbrella for all of CECIMO’s current activities (technical, statistical, economic, business and communication) as the voice of AM technologies at European level. CECIMO’s AM committee will focus on broad subjects vital for the industrialisation of AM in Europe, such as the right EU regulatory framework, workforce development, trade and AM-related statistics.
For further information www.cecimo.eu

Royal visitor at sheet metal specialist

The Harlow Group, a specialist in precision sheet metalwork, last month received His Royal Highness the Duke of Kent to its 100,000 sq ft Essex facility.

As the first cousin of Queen Elizabeth II, Prince Edward the Duke of Kent carries out engagements on behalf of Her Majesty. He received a tour of the facility from Alan Pearce, managing director; Michelle Madell, financial controller; and
HM Lord-Lieutenant of Essex, Jennifer Tolhurst.
At the end of the tour, Prince Edward was invited to unveil a plaque commemorating his visit to Harlow before being presented with a model aircraft to
mark the occasion.
For further information www.harlowgroup.co.uk

XYZ clearance events generate sales

The three recent clearance events held at XYZ Machine Tools’ Blackburn, Sheffield and Nuneaton showrooms have generated significant business, with order values across the three days reaching £1.8m. In addition to deals being made on existing showroom stock, visitors to the events took the opportunity to place orders for a variety of machines from XYZ’s range.

“The early bird really does catch the worm at one of our clearance events,” says managing director Nigel Atherton. “However, those arriving throughout the day also had the opportunity to receive some incredible deals on anything from a manual lathe through to a UMC-5X five-axis machining centre.” The level of orders and additional enquiries taken at the events confirms the positive 2018 already reported by XYZ Machine Tools, which has seen growth in excess of 25% compared with 2017.
For further information www.xyzmachinetools.com

SteelFab marks 15 years as major showcase

SteelFab 2019, which takes place on 14-17 January at the Expo Centre in Sharjah, United Arab Emirates, will mark 15 years as a major technology showcase in the Middle East.

Today, SteelFab has emerged as the region’s premier trade show for metalworking, metal manufacturing and steel fabrication. This time around, strong macro-economic tailwinds are set to propel the growth of Middle East industry. Prominent among them is the rise in oil prices, which coupled with easier fiscal consolidation and tax reforms, will help the UAE, the most diversified economy in the GCC, to register growth of 3.8% in 2018.
At the event, first time machine tool exhibitors will include Haas and BLM, while a new UK pavilion will showcase companies such as Chester Machine Tools (pictured at the 2018 event), Kingsbury, Kitchen & Walker and Brierley. Dedicated pavilions will also be present for Germany and Taiwan. In total, around 300 exhibitors from 23 different countries will take part. Spanning six halls, over 7000 visitors are expected.
For further information www.steelfabme.com