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Mills CNC, the exclusive distributor of Doosan machine tools in the UK and Ireland, has recently supplied ECAM Engineering with a new NHP 6300 horizontal machining centre.

Installed at the company’s 20,000 sq ft facility, it is the first horizontal machining centre acquired by the company in its 52-year history, as well as its first Doosan machine tool investment.

The arrival of the machine has not only increased ECAM’s machining capacity but also its production capabilities and will, over time, improve the company’s operational efficiencies and productivity levels.

Says ECAM’s managing director, Phil Arme: “We have a number of three-axis vertical machining centres at our disposal and use them to machine precision components, made from steel plate of varying thicknesses, that have previously been through our in-house steel profiling and fabrication processes. The arrival of the new NHP 6300, with its twin-pallet configuration and B-axis table, will enable us to machine these parts quicker and more efficiently. Furthermore, the new machine’s rigidity, large working envelope and BT 50 spindle technology provide significant opportunities for us to secure new contracts that involve the machining of larger and heavier components.”

The NHP 6300 supplied to ECAM includes a 37 kW/15,000 rpm BT50 spindle, a 60-tool servo-driven ATC and the latest Fanuc 31i control. Further features include roller LM guideways, a B-axis table that rotates in increments as small as 0.0001°, twin (630 mm) pallets, rapids of 60 m/min and axis travels of 1050 x 900 x 1000 mm.

Says Arme: “In the near future the machine will be used to machine steel components, often with intricate details and features, to high precision and tight tolerances.”

For further information
www.millscnc.co.uk

Three shows together in one place

Subcon 2021 (14-16 September, Birmingham NEC) is free to attend for anyone working in UK manufacturing and engineering, with visitors also gaining access to two further co-located events: The Engineer Expo and – new for 2021 – the Manufacturing Management Show (MMS). The Engineer Expo provides UK engineering professionals with the latest in-house manufacturing and design solutions alongside cutting-edge developments in advanced engineering technologies.

MMS supplies attendees with everything they need to know about running a successful manufacturing site under one roof. From maintenance and materials handling, through to continuous improvement, skills, IT and health and safety, MMS showcases a multitude of topics curated specifically for the UK’s senior manufacturing leaders.

For further information www.theengineer-expo.co.uk, www.manufacturingmanagementshow.co.uk

Get set for Subcon 2021

Subcon returns to support in-person networking as the UK manufacturing sector prepares for a post-pandemic future. Next week (14-16 September), Subcon will take place at the Birmingham NEC for the 44th time, heralding a much welcome return to business events and reinforcing the value of meeting face to face for the UK’s manufacturing and engineering sectors.

Subcon is the UK’s leading manufacturing supply chain show and its return as an in-person event comes at a pivotal time as UK manufacturers of all sizes recover from the impact of Covid-19, adjust to operating outside the EU and face a myriad of challenges and opportunities. The sector’s appetite for doing business in-person could not be stronger: the show’s headline sponsors are IAMP and SCS Concept Group, while over 150 companies will exhibit, including Hoffman Group UK, Wilson Process Systems and Oldham Engineering.

For further information www.subconshow.co.uk

How to saw pure exotic elements

The conventional user of bandsaws and circular saw machines is familiar with sawing structural steels, tool steels, stainless steels, high-strength nickel-based alloys and titanium. But relatively few have ever machined pure elements.

For Hermsdorf-based HC Starck, sawing elements is daily practice. The company is a specialist in the supply of semi-finished products and components made from refractory metals such as molybdenum, tungsten, tantalum and niobium.

The company recently sought a suitable sawing solution for the task of cutting recycled Mo-ingots or rods made of high-purity tantalum (Ta) and niobium (Nb) with a cross-section of 160 x 60 mm, as well as round material up to 207 mm diameter, which are then cut into thin sheets. Since Behringer had no experience with element sawing applications, cutting tests took place at the company’s technology centre in order to assess various machine and tool combinations, and identify a suitable sawing solution.

“Positive sawing attempts with tantalum, which has a density of around 16.6 g/cm³, were ultimately the main reason for selecting with Behringer,” explains Andreas Mund, project engineer at HC Starck. “The sawing process is very hard; the belt rumbles constantly and you can hear how difficult it is to cut tantalum. In order to achieve reasonable cutting quality, you need a very stable base frame.”

This is where the solid machine base of the HBE321A Dynamic automatic bandsaw scores points, combining a stable frame made of vibration-damping grey cast iron and a precise guide system in a portal design. Control of the saw feed comes courtesy of a precision ball screw and servo motor.

For further information
www.behringer.net

Automated saw line drives efficiency

Ficep UK has installed a new automated saw line at Norway-based Contiga AS, helping the business to improve production processing time by up to 40%. The new system consists of a Ficep Orient, a CNC-controlled drilling and combined thermal coping line equipped with rotary single spindle. To prove the time and cost savings of the system and process, Ficep prepared time studies that presented clear indications of the returns achievable from the investment.

Contiga AS designs and develops steel solutions tailored to individual projects, delivering between 7-8000 tons of steel structures to the Norwegian market every year.

Says Mark Jones, Ficep UK managing director: “We overcame several challenges, not least that the machinery was installed during a period of Covid restrictions, but also that the space was limited, and it was important to minimise disruption and reduce operational downtime. There were also added contractual obstacles to overcome due to Contiga now being part of the huge Heidelberg Cement group, with additional levels of communication required across several countries.”

Thor Egil Einarsrud, factory manager at Contiga in Roverud, adds: “We use modern technology and work processes, as well as the best machines, to guarantee that all our steel products offer high quality. To ensure competitiveness, automation is absolutely necessary, and we’re already seeing that in several of our production processes. We save up to 50% in time by using the new automated sawing plant compared with manual operations. The system has transformed our business, allowing better efficiency and precision.”

For further information
www.ficep.co.uk