All roads lead south

Southern Manufacturing 2019 will open its doors this week (5-7 February) in Farnborough, Hampshire.
Last year, the event entered its third decade with a move into its new permanent home, the £35m Farnborough International Exhibition and Conference Centre, a 20,000 sq m complex offering world-class facilities, easy access and free on-site parking. Around 7700 visitors attended the 2018 event. As always, MTI will be among the exhibitors at Southern Manufacturing. All visitors are invited to stand D275 for an informal chat with the friendly MTI team about the industry’s most expedient way to buy or sell machine tools and associated equipment.

The free seminar programme at Southern Manufacturing has been extended with further sessions addressing the latest advances in Industry 4.0, advanced manufacturing and materials. Some 41 sessions will run in two lecture theatres over the three days of the show, all of which are free to attend.
For further information www.industrysouth.co.uk

Latest tooling

ITC will use the show to demonstrate its latest line up of solid-carbide micro tools on stand H250.

Significant investments in the latest technology enable ITC to manufacture micro cutting tools from 0.2 to 2.0 mm in diameter, with concentricity tolerances below 0.001 mm. Alongside the micro-tooling portfolio will be the company’s latest thread mill line. Manufactured with through-coolant, helical flutes and TiAlN coatings, the thread milling series is available in a variety of shank diameters, lengths, flute numbers and thread pitches. From the Widia portfolio, ITC will be giving a show debut to the latest Top Drill.
For further information www.itc-ltd.co.uk

Kasto to showcase compact bandsaw

On stand J275, Kasto will exhibit the smallest model in its range of eight KASTOwin automatic bandsaws.

The KASTOwin 3.3 has a maximum cutting capacity of 330 mm, which rises to over 1 m for the largest model. KASTOwin bandsaws feature a frequency-controlled drive that enables cutting speeds of 12 to 150 m/min. The saw band is hydraulically tightened and looped around hydraulic band guides that have interchangeable carbide inserts, saving the cost of replacing an entire carbide guide. Kasto’s touch-screen SmartControl monitors and controls all relevant order requirements and sawing parameters.
For further information www.kasto.com

Finance supports investment at AD

At the Kent facility of AD Engineering, a five-figure funding injection from NatWest has seen the company invest in a Muratec MT100i/T2 twin-spindle turning centre to manufacture essential metalwork components that form part of wider engineering structures.

Investment in the CNC machine will enable AD Engineering to meet existing client demands, and help the business operate more effectively and efficiently.
AD Engineering specialises in precision, multi-axis CNC machining for the subsea, aerospace, space and transport sectors. Founded in 1993, the company has consistently adapted its business model to ensure growth and sustainability, including investment in sophisticated CNC technologies. Under the stewardship of owner and managing director Carlos Forlese, the business has plans to grow its workforce to meet increasing demand for international orders.
“Agility has been key to the success of our business, and regular investment in the latest CNC technologies helps ensure we stay ahead of the game,” he says. “NatWest has been invaluable both in its support and the funding it has provided. They had a unique understanding of our business needs and the whole process was smooth from start to finish. Over the next 12 months we plan to grow our business even further, increasing capacities and investing in our workforce.”
Lucas Douch, relationship manager at NatWest, adds: “AD Engineering is a perfect example of a firm which is willing to invest and diversify in order to ensure business longevity. The funding we have provided will not only enable the business to meet current demand, but develop new opportunities and support job creation in the local area.”
For further information www.business.natwest.com

Maverick looks to the future with XYZ

Having worked for several years at two of Scotland’s leading bagpipe manufacturers, Geordie Hunter decided in 2014 that the time was right for him to become his own boss.

Hunter duly started his business, Maverick Ltd, in a small industrial unit with a manual lathe producing practice chanters, an essential accessory for any budding or experienced bagpipe player.
As the only manufacturer of coloured chanters, Maverick’s reputation grew and sales both in the home market and overseas – to countries such as the USA, Canada, New Zealand, Germany and Denmark – quickly developed. With the increase in business it became obvious that further investment would have to be made to keep up with demand, a notion which saw the arrival in May 2018 of an XYZ SLX 1630 ProTURN lathe.
The immediate impact of the SLX lathe was that much of the subcontracted work could be brought back in-house, with lead times now virtually non-existent for machining parts. With the arrival of this XYZ lathe, Hunter was able to expand further by taking on his first employee to help with some of the initial manufacturing processes, such as blocking out the laminate for turning.
“One major advantage of the XYZ SLX lathe is the time it gives back to me; it is the equivalent of having another full-time member of staff, but at half the cost,” he says. “Without the SLX lathe I couldn’t have developed the business in the way I have. The subcontract turning we are now taking on is growing to such an extent that it almost matches the turnover from the chanter work, which is great from a business sense as we are no longer reliant on a single market.”
For further information www.xyzmachinetools.com