Quaser from ETG offers the right solution

It is often the impulsive decisions in life that create an impact, which was certainly the case for Chris Smedley of Malvern Engineering. When he was made redundant over 15 years ago, he walked out of his employment and 45 minutes later signed a contract for an industrial unit and started Malvern Engineering. This entrepreneurial spirit and level of determination have served the company well since its inception and are still imbued in the ethos of the small business to this very day. So, when Smedley’s regular machine tool dealer could not offer the solution required, he approached the Engineering Technology Group (ETG) and bought his first 4th-axis machining centre: a Quaser MV184 EV. It arrived in autumn 2023.

“We looked at a couple of machines, but when we visited the ETG technical centre and demonstration facility in Wellesbourne, we were flabbergasted by the quality, service and the set-up of the company,” says Smedley. “The Quaser MV184 EV offers us greater flexibility than our existing machine tools and we can reduce the number of required set-ups on complex parts. This capability is subsequently improving our quality, our throughput and creating greater efficiencies throughout the business.”

As a subcontract manufacturer with four three-axis machining centres and two turning centres, the latest Quaser addition opens the door to new types of work previously out of reach.

“The Quaser has a much more compact footprint than our existing machines, which is invaluable to a small business where space is at a premium,” explains Smedley. “Like our existing machines, the Quaser was supplied with a Heidenhain CNC system that creates familiarity for our team to interchange between machines.”

For further information www.engtechgroup.com

DMG Mori launches travelling-column VMC

DMG Mori has added a four/five-axis travelling-column machining centre with a working volume of more than 4.6 m³ to the upper end of its swivelling-spindle-head DMF range. The machine is suitable for integration into a user’s digital infrastructure and is compatible with the manufacturer’s exclusive technology cycles, such as in-cycle gear skiving or grinding.

Compared with the previous model (superseded), the DMF 400|11 is nearly one-third larger in capacity and 20% stiffer to enable more precise, vibration-free operation. An optional partition wall creates two separate workspaces for pendulum machining, allowing set-up of the next workpiece while the previous part is in production.

Stable machining performance is largely a result of a massive cast-iron bed and three cooled linear guideways in the X axis over which the column moves. In a double ballbar test, the DMF 400|11 achieves an accuracy of 5 µm, making the machine suitable for producing large moulds, dies and tools, as well as precision structural parts within the machine’s 4000 x 1100 x 1050 mm working envelope.

The fixed table accepts components weighing up to 8 tonne for the three- or four-axis machining of large components. Users can opt to integrate one or two flush rotary C-axis tables for fully interpolative five-axis machining, each capable of supporting components weighing 1200 kg, while a torque table option is available for demanding mill-turn applications. An add-on table as an A axis with a load capacity of 500 kg is a further option.

The ±120° B axis houses an integrated 15,000 rpm SpeedMaster spindle as standard but is available in a 20,000 rpm version or as a 12,000 rpm PowerMaster spindle having higher torque at 288 Nm.

For further information www.dmgmori.com

Crossen invests in another Hurco machine

Based in Newtownards, Northern Ireland, Crossen Engineering produces precision mould tools mainly, but not exclusively, for the medical industry. Prismatic machining on-site is via numerous vertical machining centres (VMCs) from Hurco Europe, predominantly its own machines but also an RXP500 VMC supplied under Hurco’s sole agency agreement with German manufacturer, Roeders.

As a long-term user of Hurco machine tools, Crossen is aware of the capabilities of the supplier’s range and sometimes needs to produce parts to slightly higher accuracy and surface finish. That notion was behind its recent investment in a Hurco BX40i, which is of bridge-type design and has an HSK63A 18,000 rpm motor spindle. Direct drives and linear scales in all axes provide dynamic motion and accurate positional feedback.

Crossen toolmaker Colin Morrow says: “We require a super-fine finish for shut-off faces in moulds and the BX40i is able to produce them with little or no subsequent hand finishing.
We’re also looking for accuracy throughout the whole job, as well as high feeds and speeds. With it being a double-column VMC, it’s very rigid and gives us the required productivity and precision.”

The Roeders RXP500 high-speed machining centre on site has a 42,000 rpm spindle, linear motors in the X, Y and Z axes, and travels of 550 x 450 x 240 mm. According to Hurco, the machine is able to achieve levels of accuracy and surface finish superior to almost any other machine on the market. Although often used to machine electrodes, the VMC also mills detailed cavities directly into hard metal, reducing the number of operations needed to produce a mould and shortening turnaround times.

For further information www.hurco.co.uk

New Machine Dimension for HACO

Haco A/S, has taken delivery of a huge Droop+Rein portal milling machine from Starrag to meet the needs of next-generation offshore turbines with rotor diameters that exceed 220 m. The special features of this 870 T colossus include its XXL size and unusually large basement section across two storeys.

“Never before have we built such an extensive tunnel system for a production plant; it’s reminiscent of ancient catacombs and even I’ve never seen anything like this anywhere else,” explains Starrag’s senior consultant sales/renewables Hubert Erz. “This expensive and elaborate investment for our customer facilitates service access and day-to-day collaboration.”

Laying the foundation involved processing 850 m³ of concrete and 100 T of steel.

“The foundation forms the base for the machine tool, and its stability and design help determine the level of precision that’s achievable with the machine,” says

Henning Albrechtsen, owner of Danish family-owned company. “In addition, the tunnel system within the foundation provides good access to all relevant machine assemblies and thereby ensures optimal ease of servicing.”

The company already owns five Dörries vertical turning lathes, helping it grow to become one of the leading Danish manufacturers of large components for the wind power and offshore industry. With the new machine, Haco and a Danish partner will machine front and stator sheets, and brake discs for wind turbines. The companies will also produce other, primarily welded, components and multiple steel rotor housings with weights of between 50 and 90 T and diameters of almost 11 m.

The machine has a clearance of 12.6 m between stands, while the gantry axis travels over a distance of 14 m and the tool slide allows a maximum stroke of 3.5 m.

For further information www.starrag.com

Celebrating excellence in manufacturing

Subcon has announced the winners of the inaugural Subcon Manufacturing Solutions Show
Awards. The awards celebrate and recognise outstanding achievements in the
manufacturing industry. Subcon sales manager Ben Watkins says: “This is just one of the
many initiatives we introduced to Subcon this year. Thank you to our judges for giving up
their time and expertise, and congratulations to our nominees and winners.”
Among numerous stand-out awards was UK Manufacturing Partner of the Year. The judges
declared WEC Group as the winner for the company’s significant investments in UK
manufacturing in recent months. WEC Group is planning to build Europe’s largest
subcontract heavy machining and nuclear fabrication facility in Blackburn.
More information www.subconshow.co.uk