SLAC starts with pair of Hurco machines

Shortlisted for the Young Entrepreneur of the Year Awards 2021 and a finalist in 2020, 27-year-old Alun Cheung attended Farnborough College of Technology and then spent a few years working for a nearby composite components manufacturer. After spells at two contract machining firms, in April 2018 he decided to start his own subcontracting business, SLAC Precision Engineering Ltd.

At a time when his friends were buying their first houses, Cheung used the money he had saved to rent a factory unit in Basingstoke and put a deposit on a Hurco VM5i three-axis vertical machining centre. The investment allowed him to take on work suitable for machining within a 457 x 356 x 356 mm working volume, and he quickly established a loyal customer base within the aerospace, automotive, medical, and oil and gas industries.

Two years later, in May 2020, Cheung purchased a larger Hurco VMC, a VM10i with a 762 x 406 mm table, more than doubling his capacity. At the time he was busy fulfilling a contract for a new customer in the satellite communications sector, involving the production of a couple of dozen different, mainly aluminium components in batches of 1-50. Many of the parts fitted perfectly on the VM5i, and those that were smaller could be fixtured two at a time on the table of the VM10i, helping to cope with the required production volumes.

“It was the touchscreen CNC running Hurco’s WinMAX software, which offers both conversational and G-code programming, that persuaded me in favour of purchasing their VMCs,” says Cheung. “Their user interface makes it very intuitive and easy to control for millennials.”

For further information
www.hurco.co.uk

Vargus UK strengthens team

Vargus Tooling UK, a manufacturer and supplier of threading, grooving, turning and hand deburring tools, has expanded its team with the appointment of two new employees. For the first time, Vargus UK will be offering extensive service and support for manufacturers in Ireland with the appointment of Barry Pender. Pender brings a wealth of experience to a position that will see him become the new technical sales engineer for Scotland and Ireland.

At the Telford head office, Vargus has created a new position with the appointment of Rhianna Harris as its new customer relationship specialist.

For further information
www.vargusuk.co.uk

Alstom acquires Bombardier Transportation

Alstom has completed the acquisition of Bombardier Transportation. The enlarged group has a combined proforma revenue of around €15.7bn and a €71.1bn combined backlog. According to estimates, the rail manufacturing market will grow at a CAGR of 2.3% by 2025. Although the Alstom Group already has an established customer base in France, Italy, Spain, India, Southeast Asia, Northern Africa and Brazil, Bombardier Transportation will bring strong customer proximity in strategic markets such as the UK, Germany, the Nordics, China and North America.

The employees of Bombardier Transportation joined the Alstom Group on 29 January. These new talents will enrich Alstom’s operational profile at all levels and build, with Alstom’s employees, one agile, inclusive and responsible team. In total, the group has 75,000 employees in 70 countries.

Alstom has confirmed its objective to generate €400m cost synergies on an annual run rate basis by the fourth to fifth year, and restore Bombardier Transportation’s margin to a standard level in the medium term.

For further information
www.alstom.com

Five-axis VMC from GM CNC

Victor has extended its line of machine tools with the Vcenter AX630 vertical machining centre. Available in the UK from GM CNC, the machine incorporates a B+C-axis rotary table to facilitate the five-axis machining of large parts.

The Vcenter AX630 has rigidity and precision incorporated into every aspect of the machine, something characterised by the trunnion-type B+C-axis table with its built-in, backlash-free roller cam mechanism seated on the base. In terms of speed, the B axis can rotate at up to 17 rpm with 6880 Nm of torque, whereas the C-axis rotation is capable of 33 rpm at 1960 Nm.

Notably, the Vcenter AX630 further optimises structure stiffness with the moving column and spindle, retaining an optimised centre of gravity. Front slideways fully support the spindle when the Y-axis travel is shorter than 300 mm.

The 9000 kg workhorse comes as standard with the FANUC 0i-MF CNC to drive tools around the 700 x 500 x 500 mm work envelope, while the 12,000 rpm spindle features a Big Plus BBT-40 interface. Powering the spindle is a continuous 11/15/18.5 kW motor.

Supplied with up to 30 tools via a twin-arm type fast-change tool barrel, customers can also select the machine with the option of 40, 48 or 60 tool positions. Offered as standard are a spindle oil cooler, fully enclosed splash guard, rigid tapping, remote MPG hand wheel, hand tools and toolbox, built-in work light, automatic power-off system, levelling pads and a screw-type chip-removal system.

For further information
www.gm-cnc.com

A new world of gantry milling

Starrag UK is offering potential customers of gantry mills a new range of machines by complementing its Starrag Group Droop+Rein brand with the machine portfolio built in Australia by H&H Machine Tools. The collaborative agreement provides UK customers with access to a range of five- and six-axis machines offering capacities to meet every need and price tags to suit all budgets, says Starrag. Importantly, too, the scope of optional extras available across both ranges makes available a wide choice of machining technologies for single set-up, multi-task machining of all material types.

H&H Machine Tools’ managing director Thomas Hegmann says that “H&H five-axis gantry machines can utilise a choice of spindles, milling heads and work envelopes to suit individual requirements”.
Starrag UK’s director for sales and applications, Lee Scott, adds: “Previously, we only focused on very complex applications – usually requiring automated head changing – but now we can discuss any gantry application. In addition, Starrag UK is well-versed in H&H build techniques and technologies, so machine installation, commissioning, service and maintenance are all catered for professionally.”
The agreement between Starrag and H&H follows the success of the companies working closely to deliver – and subsequently commission and maintain – the largest ever machine to enter operation in Australia: a Droop+Rein gantry mill with X, Y and Z-axis traverses of 14,000 x 13,000 x 3500 mm, and an 11 m rotary table.

Now, with H&H gantry mills being available in the UK for the first time, potential customers have access to four main five-axis machine ranges from the Australian manufacturer.

For further information
www.starrag.com