MACH beats expectations for XYZ

Reflecting on last month’s MACH 2022 exhibition, Nigel Atherton, managing director of XYZ Machine Tools, says: “From day one, our stand at MACH 2022 was busy, and the level of enquiries and new orders resulting from the week are very encouraging and indicate that April will be an even better month than March, which was our best-ever month with a sales order intake of £3.4m.”

By the end of the exhibition XYZ Machine Tools had recorded almost 500 leads, 100 of which were described as “hot”. Indeed, 32 visitors to the stand have already placed orders, with another 192 indicating they would be placing orders in the next 2-3 months, and a further 162 suggesting a six-month lag to placing an order. New orders that can be directly attributed to MACH 2022 currently stand at 37 machines from 32 customers, made up of a mix of three manual machines, 20 ProtoTRAK-controlled mills and lathes, and 14 Siemens-controlled machines (a mix of vertical machining centres, turning centres and five-axis machining centres). The value of these sales is in excess of £2.4m.

For further information
www.xyzmachinetools.com

Sempre partners Third Dimension

Industrial metrology specialist The Sempre Group is now partnering with non-contact gauging systems manufacturer Third Dimension. The collaboration will expand The Sempre Group’s non-contact optical profile measurement portfolio to include Third Dimension’s automated 2D profile measurement technology, giving manufacturers easier access to automated metrology and the accuracy, repeatability and traceability benefits that it offers. For instance, Sempre Group customers will now have access to Third Dimension’s flagship product, Vectro2, which can integrate with conventional industrial robots and collaborative robots (cobots).

For further information
www.thesempregroup.com

£1m hydraulic press investment

A £1m investment in a new press line is helping one of the UK’s leading sheet metalwork specialists diversify into larger projects and higher volumes. BPL Engineering Group (BPL) has strengthened its strategic partnership with Worcester Presses by installing a 600-tonne Yeh Chiun hydraulic press, one of the largest it has ever commissioned.

The decision, which follows the success of a 300-tonne H-frame press purchased four years ago, gives the Kings Norton-based firm access to a machine that offers an increased bed size (2500 x 1500 mm), crucial for going after stampings destined for the automotive, aerospace, rail and other sectors.

Worcester Presses has also installed remote monitoring in addition to its maintenance and service package.

“Our expertise lies in supplying stampings and assemblies to OEMs like Jaguar Land Rover, Lotus and Aston Martin, ranging from prototype projects to production volumes,” explains Matt Adams, operations director at BPL. “This complete service has seen sales increase rapidly past £6m and our latest collaboration with Worcester Presses gives us additional capacity and a larger world-class press to take on different types of work. The machine, which was installed as part of a three-month factory reconfiguration project, allows us to target larger stampings in various material grades, including aluminium, mild steel, structural steel, stainless steel, brass and copper.”

Russell Hartill, managing director of Worcester Presses, was delighted with the faith BPL has put in its capabilities: “The 600-tonne Yeh Chiun is some press, delivering massive power, superb accuracy and repeatable quality, which is ideal for the type of work at BPL.”

For further information
www.worcesterpresses.co.uk

New carrying console for heavy dies

It is possible to manoeuvre dies quickly and safely on and off the table of power presses using a wide range of carrying consoles from Roemheld. Now, the maximum forming die weight that can be handled has increased by more than half from 32 to 50 tonnes with the introduction of a new console featuring an electrically actuated chain drive and support feet.

Roemheld’s latest console is intended for shortening set-up times when changing over batch runs in press shops where components are formed from large metal sheet, such as in the automotive supply chain. The equipment is either dedicated to one press and fixed in position, or supplied as a mobile unit on wheels that allows easy transportation between different presses. Special customised solutions are also available, including for handling even heavier loads.

Once at the machine, the carrying console’s integrated docking system, which is equipped with a hydraulic lifting column and foot lever for easy adjustment, ensures that it attaches firmly in position at the press before placing a die on to it by forklift or crane. An integrated chain drive moves the die at up to 2 m/min to its final position in the press via integrated roller and ball bars, positioning it with millimetre precision.

The equipment is available in different versions suitable for almost any type of press. It may be factory-fitted in the case of a new installation or retrofitted to existing presses. Of particular note, the compact design makes it suitable for use when the press bed is low or where space is limited. By integrating sensors and stops, it is possible to integrate the console into a partially or fully automated process, either via the power press control or a separate, optional control system.

For further information
www.roemheld.co.uk

Sales engineer joins ITC

Continued growth at Industrial Tooling Corporation (ITC) has seen the cutting tool manufacturer add another technical sales engineer to its ever-expanding team. The appointment of Luke Insley will bolster the support provided to manufacturing companies in the southeast region (Kent, Surrey, Sussex and Middlesex). Most recently, Insley spent the past five years with another leading cutting tool manufacturer as an application engineer, delivering a proven track record of process improvements and cost savings to customers.

For further information
www.itc-ltd.co.uk