Open Mind expands UK team

Open Mind Technologies, which last year posted record sales figures, has employed three new staff to help underpin the CAM software specialist’s growth levels. Karl Oram has joined after spending 25 years as a CADCAM specialist in Canada. Appointed as an application engineer, he will apply his experience to conducting demonstrations, on-site support and training for end users. In support, Joshua Harper and Cory Jamieson have also joined Open Mind, as application engineer and junior application engineer respectively.

Adrian Smith, managing director at Open Mind Technologies UK, says: “To underpin our continual growth, we have a strategy in place to employ more sales engineers and application engineers. It is the application engineers that will support new customers beyond the post-sales process with assistance for all technical queries. Our new recruits will enhance customer experience and service while supporting the sales engineers.”
For further information www.openmind-tech.com

Micro-abrasive waterjet machines on show

On Stand L1 at Advanced Engineering 2017 (NEC, 1-2 November), micro-machining specialist Rainford Precision will premiere the new line of Finepart micro-abrasive waterjet machines.

Visitors to the stand will find an intriguing new method of cutting common aerospace materials such as CFRP, glass, ceramic and aluminium alloys.
In comparison to conventional methods such as milling, wire erosion or die sink EDM, the Sweden-built Finecut waterjet system eradicates the issue of heat generation through machining. By processing parts without generating high temperatures, the waterjet series eliminates any structural or metallurgical concerns. Finecut machines have a micro-fine jet of just 0.2 mm with a positional accuracy of ±2.5 µm and an adjustable jet pressure from 500 to 4000 bar.
For further information www.rainfordprecision.com

Ford Engineering partners Gateshead College

Ford Engineering Group has chosen Gateshead College to deliver apprenticeships, workforce development programmes and traineeships as part of plans to upskill its existing staff and create engineering career opportunities for young people.

The first apprentices have already started, splitting their time between Ford Engineering’s sites across the region and the college’s Team Valley-based Skills Academy for Automotive, Engineering, Manufacturing and Logistics – a £5.5m purpose built facility that has seen recent investment of more than £300,000 in machinery and tooling.
For further information www.gateshead.ac.uk

100+ attend Dugard open house

More than 100 people attended Dugard’s recent two-day open house at the company’s headquarters in Hove. Many came from subcontract firms specialising in sectors such as automotive, aerospace, medical and general engineering, although representatives from a several large OEMs were also in attendance. The company says that 11 orders for machines were placed at the event, with lots of strong leads collected.

Dugard vertical machining centres proved popular, including the company’s range of five-axis models. Indeed, two five-axis machines were officially unveiled at the event: the large-capacity Dugard X5-800 and the X5-320. A number of turning machines were also introduced, including the Dugard 52SY Swiss-type CNC lathe, Dugard i42U production CNC lathe and Samsung SL2500bSY CNC lathe with Siemens control.
For further information www.dugard.com

More Fanuc machines installed at Alan Spargo

Alan Spargo Ltd in High Wycombe has chosen to invest in two new Fanuc wire erosion machines. Established in 1975, the company offers two core services: a press tool service and a subcontract machining service, which includes grinding and EDM.

“Despite having 20 years’ experience of working with Fanuc machines, we fully investigated the marketplace when we began looking for new technology,” says director Peter Spargo. “However, the Fanuc machines remained on top, so we stuck with what we knew.”
The company purchased two Fanuc Robocut 600iA wire models, a decision that was heavily influenced by the service, longevity and overall performance of existing Fanuc machines at Alan Spargo. That said, there were additional factors that helped steer the decision.
“When comparing the Fanuc brand against other machines, one important factor was the level of accuracy that could be achieved,” says Spargo. “We do a lot of motorsport work and high-precision, multi-stage tooling, for which accuracy is critical. When operating the new Fanuc machines, we can achieve tolerances of ±3 µm. Another consideration was the reliability of the machines, which makes them ideal for unmanned operations.
“We can monitor the machines from a mobile phone or tablet when we aren’t on the premises,” he continues. “This has been particularly useful for the guys who come in and out over the weekend to keep the machines running. When we are busy, we are probably running the machines for 400-500 hours a week, so uptime is critical.”
For further information www.fanuc.eu