High value machine order for GFMS

GF Machining Solutions (GFMS) has won an order to supply an AgieCharmilles FORM 300 EDM die-sink machine and an AgieCharmilles CUT E600 wire EDM machine to Bridgend-based Nemein Ltd. The machines will be delivered and installed at Nemein’s 11,000 sq ft facility later this year via a staged process.

Nemein’s new machines will be used, in the first instance, to manufacture components for self-powered tools used in the global oil and gas downhole sector. These tools, which incorporate energy harvesting technology from heat and vibration, are designed to effectively eliminate the sector’s (over) reliance on ‘potentially’ unreliable and unsafe primary lithium batteries, while removing run time limitations and increasing temperature ratings.
Commenting on placing the order with GF Machining Solutions, Nemeins’ CEO Suzannah Bourne says: “To better control our manufacturing processes we made the decision to develop and strengthen in our in-house machining capacity and capabilities by investing in high-performance machine tools. We undertook a comprehensive research programme to identify and select the machine tools we required, and were particularly impressed, not only with GF Machining Solutions’ technologies, but also by their customer-focused and partnership-based business approach. These are exciting times for Nemein and this investment in the machine tools will be instrumental in helping us achieve our ambitious business growth and expansion objectives.”
The importance of the order is also acknowledged by GF Machining Solutions’ area sales manager, Roger Mullard, who says: “Nemein is a company that’s going places. Their innovation, engineering and technical prowess are highly regarded and respected worldwide.”
For further information www.gfms.com

Wire EDM duo unveiled

Sodick used last month’s EMO exhibition in Germany to unveil two new wire-erosion machines, the Sodick ALC800G and VL600QH. The newly announced ALC800G incorporates all the features and benefits of Sodick’s Premium wire range, as well as offering
a three-sided automatic door and 1500 x 1040 mm work tank. A high-column (optional) version of the machine provides an extended Z-axis stoke of 800 mm.

Meanwhile, the new VL600QH, which incorporates an extended Z-axis stroke of 500 mm – making it suitable for tackling tall workpieces – is a development of the VL600Q linear motor driven wire-cut EDM. The latest machine retains all the features and benefits of the earlier model, including the FJ-type automatic wire threader with ‘pop-up’ functionality for increased reliability.
Other machines on the stand included a Sodick Premium ALC600L wire EDM, an AG60L die-sink EDM equipped with a robot and the entry-level AD55L die-sink EDM. The latter incorporates a plethora of Sodick innovations, including linear motors on X, Y, and Z axes, as well as the K-SMC Sodick Motion controller, 1 Gbit/sec communication technology, SGF nano-wear generator and ceramic work-zone.In addition, the symmetrical structure of the AD55L has been specifically designed to provide improved rigidity in order to help maximise machine performance. Sodick is represented in the UK by Sodi-Tech EDM.
For further information www.sodi-techedm.co.uk

Schulman opens Turkish manufacturing plant

A Schulman Inc, an international supplier of high-performance plastic compounds and powders, has opened a manufacturing facility in Turkey.

At the new plant, which is located in the greater Istanbul area, A Schulman will produce approximately 18 million kg of premium additive, white and natural master batches for food and industrial packaging customers. Previously, the company supplied customers in Turkey, the Middle East and North Africa from plants in Northern Europe. The new facility will help A Schulman to service customers in the region in a more efficient manner. A stronger local presence will also help deliver greater market share, says the company.
For further information www.aschulman.com

Citizen plans additional UK facility

Citizen Machinery UK is to open a new regional office, applications engineering and machine showroom in the West Midlands to enhance its customer service offer and “provide users with a significant machine preparation service to support the growing number of high-value, automated turnkey solutions” being handled by the company.

The circa £2m investment on a 1.1-acre site at the Hurst Business Park in Brierley Hill, near Birmingham, will include a 600 sq m showroom. Construction is scheduled to start in early 2018 and the new facility is expected to be officially opened late next year.
The existing headquarters/showroom, where the majority of office-based staff are located, was designed for the traditional Citizen sliding-head business, but now additional showroom space is required to support increasing demand for the company’s 51 and 64 mm bar capacity turning centres.
For further information www.citizenmachinery.co.uk

Refurb centre chooses Turbex

One of the world’s largest papermaking machinery manufacturers has installed a Turbex aqueous cleaning machine to remove grease and oil from more than 30 different components during refurbishment.

The machine is also assisting the renovation of selected parts from rolling mills. With the company’s previous aqueous washer, it was awkward to load components as they had to be lowered in from the top. Additionally, larger parts were arriving to be processed which did not fit in the washing machine at all, so it was time for a replacement. The refurbishment centre eventually decided in favour of a Turbex AC 1.7 two-stage industrial cleaning machine, which is able to support parts weighing up to 2 tonnes.
For further information www.turbex.co.uk