Team Penske invests in stereolithography

Team Penske, one of the most recognisable and successful teams in world motorsport, notably NASCAR and IndyCar series, has purchased a new Stratasys Neo 800 3D printer. The system is Team Penske’s first stereolithography-based 3D printer from Stratasys, and will perform the rapid 3D printing of scale model components for aerodynamic testing.

“As additive manufacturing’s applications continue to evolve in motorsport, Stratasys continues helping us improve race performance ahead of the competition so we can turn ideas into parts and get them on the track faster and with greater reliability than ever before,” says Matt Gimbel, production manager at Team Penske. “We can now make parts in ways not possible through traditional manufacturing.”
For further information www.stratasys.com

Ward CNC strengthens customer offer

TW Ward CNC Machinery (Ward CNC) has announced key appointments that will further enhance the customer-endorsed levels of service provided by the machine tool supplier.
Heading up the newly shaped department in the position of head of service and operations is new appointment Nigel Hudson (pictured second left). Other recent appointments include Steven Bridges as spares co-ordinator and Fiona Waite as customer service administrator, while Ellie Radford gains a promotion to customer service team leader.

The new structure will continue to provide high-level focus on customer demand and response times across Ward CNC’s customer base in the UK and Ireland. Managing director Simon Whitworth (far left) states. “Nigel will further improve what we believe is one of the strongest levels of engineering support available in the industry today. This customer support extends to the expertise we’re able to leverage from working so closely with the principals that we exclusively represent, notably Hyundai-Wia, Hartford, Soraluce, Takisawa and Hankook.”
For further information www.wardcnc.com

Toolmaker punches above its weight with Dugard

Since its inception in 1970, AW Precision has grown and evolved continuously to become one of the leading manufacturers of punch and die products in the UK and Europe. The Rugby-based company is undertaking a course of investment, with the latest capital asset to arrive being its second Chevalier SMART-B818 III surface grinding centre from Dugard.

Discussing the business and the reason for the Dugard investment, Andy Whitworth from AW Precision says: “We produce punches and dies for the automotive stamping market. We bought the Chevalier machine as we have to produce location flats on a lot of our products. We also produce blade punches for radiator manufacturers, for which the Chevalier is ideal.”

Speaking about the requirements of those components, he adds: “The location flat has to be accurate because it locates the part in the press tool. So, if that location is out, there’s going to be a big smash in the press tool. If you can imagine that the tool is working at 150 to 180 strokes per minute, or maybe even faster; that is going to make a big bang when it goes wrong. As a result, we have to achieve very tight tolerances, down to 10 µm and often better. Such demanding tolerance and surface finish requirements can also depend upon the grinding wheel. To help, the Chevalier machine has automated wheel dressing, which means we can do lights-out machining while maintaining consistent quality, surface finish and tight tolerances with much-improved productivity.

“I would absolutely recommend this machine to companies using manual grinders,” he concludes. “The Chevalier from Dugard is a real workhorse for us.”
For further information www.dugard.com

NCMT sales engineer for West Midlands

Sam Sutton is now NCMT’s sales engineer covering the West Midlands. NCMT is the sole agent in the UK and Ireland for Makino machining centres and EDM machines, and Okuma machining centres, CNC lathes and grinders. The company is also sole European agent for the Blue Photon photo-activated adhesive system for work holding applications. Although he has never worked in sales before, Sutton is no stranger to machine tools. Between 2012 and 2021, he worked in Worcestershire as senior multi-spindle lathe setter, stock controller and cell leader at one of the largest privately-owned subcontract machinists in Europe.
For further information www.ncmt.co.uk

Citizen machines prove ideal at Historic Threads

In 2006, entrepreneur David Swaffield started his own contract machining firm, DWS Engineering, in Crewkerne, after gaining a mechanical engineering apprenticeship at a nearby packaging machinery manufacturer. He started out using manual machine tools, progressing to CNC prismatic machining in 2009 and fixed-head CNC turning the year after.

Frustrated at not being able to find pre-war British Standard Whitworth threaded nuts, bolts and other components for the family-owned 1923 Aveling and Porter 8 tonne steamroller he was refurbishing, he decided to make them himself, leading to the inauguration in 2017 of another company, Historic Threads. It was then that Swaffield discovered the capabilities and production potential of CNC sliding-head lathes from Citizen Machinery.

In 2017, the first Cincom L32 purchased second-hand from Citizen Machinery was delivered to Crewkerne, while a second-hand Cincom M32 of a similar age (with live tools) arrived in March 2021. Then in March 2022, due to the steep rise in demand worldwide for legacy threaded components, a third sliding-head lathe took its place on the shop floor, this time a new Cincom L32-VIII LFV.

Shortly after the machine arrived, Swaffield received DWS Engineering’s biggest ever single order for the supply of brass, aluminium and stainless steel parts from 10 to 20 mm in diameter for use in the assembly of make-up brushes and pencils.

The latest Cincom is said to be ideal for fulfilling this contract. For example, the low frequency vibration (LFV) chip-breaking software built in to the control is able to avoid stringy swarf when drilling a 100 mm long, 8.5 mm diameter hole down the centre of a 10 mm diameter stainless steel pencil, even though the machine is not fitted with optional high-pressure coolant.
For further information www.citizenmachinery.co.uk