UR reaches milestone

Universal Robots (UR), the Danish collaborative robot (cobot) company, has reached a new milestone of launching over 500 products through its UR+ ecosystem. The landmark represents significant growth in the ecosystem since it started in 2016 with the ambition of making UR an open-source-like platform that empowers developers to create groundbreaking solutions. Today, the UR+ ecosystem offers a wide range of components, kits, applications and solutions within both hardware and software designed to meet various customer needs.

More information www.universal-robots.com

Emco Mecof mills for Baker Industries

Baker Industries, a Lincoln Electric company, is extending its manufacturing versatility and capacity and offering new in-house capabilities with the arrival of two new Emco Mecof UMill 1800 CNC universal machining centres. The new machines boast automatic tool changers and diverse high-speed five-axis machining capabilities that include milling, drilling, turning and undercutting. A large work envelope of 1.8 x 2.15 x 1.25 m (X/Y/Z) supports the ability to turn parts up to about 2.5 m in diameter. The machine commenced production at the company’s Detroit facility at end of 2023.

More information www.bakerindustriesinc.com

30 years of all-electric tube benders

Tube bending technology specialist Unison Ltd is celebrating 30 years since it launched the world’s first all-electric tube bending machine. It is an invention that changed the method of tube bending by precision industries around the globe. “It was no great secret that the accuracy of hydraulic tube bending machines could be affected by fluctuating oil temperature,” says joint managing director Alan Pickering.

Called the Unison Breeze, the world’s first all-electric three-axis tube bending machine was launched in 1994, with the company subsequently registering UK and German patents. In the years since, Unison has launched the world’s first all-electric five-stack tube bending machine, followed by the world’s first 76, 115, 150 and 180 mm multi-stack machines, as well as robotised and twin-head tube benders.

More informationwww.unisonltd.com

Growth Guarantee Scheme introduced

Compass Business Finance has been accredited to deliver funding supported by the Growth Guarantee Scheme (GGS), via the British Business Bank, thus creating further access to finance that will help smaller UK businesses invest and grow. Launched as a successor to the Recovery Loan Scheme, an important new development is the addition of asset-based lending and invoice finance to the range of supported facilities. The GGS is a government-backed loan scheme that enables lenders to provide finance where they may not otherwise have done so, or to extend better-than-standard terms on business financing options.

More information www.compassbusinessfinance.co.uk

Precision machinist invests in Wenzel CMM

Subcontract machining specialist Barth Präzisionstechnik offers a broad component manufacturing capability range from 5 to 2500 mm, and from 5 g to over 2 tonnes. Serving customers in industries such as energy, construction and mechanical engineering, the company’s philosophy is based on maximum precision, a zero-defect mentality and absolute adherence to deadlines.

In keeping with this tradition of continuous quality optimisation, the Binzwang-based company opted for an LH 2015 CMM from Wenzel. The LH 2015 gantry measuring machine features WM Quartis software and the Revo five-axis multi-sensor probe system from Renishaw. The latter offers a combination of contact measurement and scanning, which enables fast and precise measurement of even complex components. Due to its high flexibility and accuracy, the combination of the Revo with the LH 2015 opens up considerable advantages and a wide range of possible applications.

WM Quartis software forms the heart of the measurement solution and enables the precise recording, analysis and visualisation of measurement data. Thanks to its intuitive user interface and versatile functions, Wenzel says the tried-and-tested measurement software is an indispensable tool for quality control.

The professional team at Wenzel supported Barth with the integration of the LH 2015, resulting in a smooth commissioning process. The machine enables the company to optimise its production processes and deliver first-class products to its customers.

The three generations of the Barth family currently actively involved in the business are unanimous: “Manufactured by a German family business for use at a German family business that handles high-precision measuring tasks, this measuring machine is not only sustainable for our company today, but also represents pioneering technology for future generations.”

More information www.wenzel-group.com

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