Atkin Automation unveils Servo Rollfeed

Atkin Automation, part of Group Rhodes, has added the newly developed Servo Rollfeed machine to its range.

The Atkin RF70-300 Servo Rollfeed, which is used for the control of steel strip, features variable widths from 150 to 450 mm, plus hardened rolls with a grit blast finish for added durability. RF70-300 Servo Rollfeed machines have a height-adjustable press mounting bracket, pneumatic pilot/strip release system and an electronic cambox.
The machine also includes multi-pitching software with ‘gag’ control to prevent blockages, and utilises Febrofen rolls for delicate materials. Pilot release, adjustable feed height, entry rolls and material side guides come as standard, with the options of motorised height adjustment and bespoke press or floor-standing brackets.
Geoff Barker, sales manager for Atkin Automation, says: “This is an exciting new addition to our range, which has many innovative features and benefits. We are looking forward to demonstrating it to industry over the coming months.”
All rolls are induction-hardened to minimise marking and improve longevity, and are equipped with run-in roller bearings with seals to reduce maintenance and improve cleanliness when running polished or coated materials.
All units are fully manufactured at the company’s Wakefield facility in West Yorkshire, which has a history of manufacturing and supplying these products that stretches back over 30 years.
Atkin Automation, originally WT Atkin, specialises in high-quality coil processing line equipment and has a long history of serving both UK and international markets, including the automotive, white goods and construction industries.
For further information www.grouprhodes.co.uk

Economic optimism

The Manufacturing Barometer, the largest survey of SME manufacturers in England, shows that the sector is bouncing back from the worst effects of COVID-19 with a degree of increased optimism around turnover, profits, jobs and investment.

Conducted by SWMAS (South West Manufacturing Advisory Service) and the Manufacturing Growth Programme (MGP), the report reveals that 40% of those questioned are expecting future sales to increase, which is a massive improvement on the 9% who were predicting this outcome in the previous survey (in April).
For further information www.swmas.co.uk

New multi-blanking lines introduced

In sheet metal processing, ever greater flexibility of blanks is required for complex applications. Even with changing sheet thicknesses, demanding materials often have to be cut precisely and quickly. However, processing with separate cut-to-length and slitting lines is time-consuming and can only be carried out in several steps.

For this reason, Burghardt + Schmidt GmbH has developed multi-blanking systems that combine both work steps in a single run. As a result, even changing cut sizes can be carried out efficiently and with the highest quality in-house – without additional logistics costs. The systems enable a speed of up to 100 m/min with plug-in limits of over 1000 N/mm² and material strengths of over 1500 N/mm². Thanks to inspection measures, the new multi-blanking lines are particularly suitable for sensitive material surfaces such as stainless steel and aluminium strips.
“In order to avoid delays caused by external suppliers, many of our customers demand the integration of slitting shears into their cut-to-length lines in order to carry out a further work step in-house,” reports Thomas Baral, managing director of Burghardt + Schmidt. “Therefore, we have used the synergy effects of individual companies in the B+S group to develop flexible systems for these high-quality requirements.”
The B+S group multi-blanking lines combine a cut-to-length line with a slitting line and are designed for sheets with a material width of up to 2500 mm and a material thickness of 0.1 to 6.0 mm.
“Before the first cut, the coil is levelled and cut into longitudinal strips,” explains Baral. “These strips are then cut crosswise, resulting in up to five sheet blanks per segment in the desired length.”
For further information www.b-s-germany.de

Large press order for Yadon

Schuler’s Chinese subsidiary Yadon has received a major order from a central Asian household appliance manufacturer.

The order placed by the customer from Uzbekistan comprises a total of 17 C-frame, monoblock, tie-rod and high-speed presses for the production of heat exchanger plates used in air conditioning systems, as well as parts for washing machines, refrigerators, gas cookers and gas counters.
Yadon delivered the first two 630 tonne presses in less than four months after receipt of the order.
“Presses from each of our three product groups are represented in the order,” reports Liang Cheng, chief strategy officer at Yadon. “We have established a very good business relationship with the customer over the past few years. Such was the positive experience that it prompted the company to place this major order. In addition, we offer a much wider range of products at Yadon than many competitors in China.”
As Uzbekistan is difficult to reach by sea from Yadon’s headquarters in Yangzhou, eastern China, the two machines were transported to the customer by heavy goods vehicles. The Schuler subsidiary also set a speed record in the commissioning of the presses and automation: after just four weeks, production could start.
For further information www.schulergroup.com

Marking stainless steel made easy

Electrix International, a Bishop Auckland based manufacturer and stockist of stainless steel electrical enclosures and cable management systems, is exploiting the benefits of a new Trumpf TruMark Station 5000 laser-marking system.

The new machine has replaced a previous foil sticker to provide a fast, permanent way of marking and identifying products without compromising requirements for hygiene or corrosion resistance.
Stewart Beer, manufacturing manager at Electrix, says: “We tested a number of laser markers, but the TruMark Station 5000 stood out, not just for its performance in terms of speed and marking colour/tone, but for its user-friendly interface. This latter point became a decisive factor in the purchase.
We found a number of machines with a good laser head, but they lacked ease of use.”
For further information www.uk.trumpf.com