Ensuring the performance and accuracy of packaging machinery, particularly bottling plants, is a speciality of Belgium-based Macovak, which manufactures precision parts used to manoeuvre and position bottles during the filling process.

“The format parts in bottling plants ensure extremely accurate positioning of the bottle during filling, labelling and closing of the container,” explains managing director Didier Gillain. “Given the speed at which these machines operate – more than 60,000 bottles per hour – then the importance of accuracy is clear. At these volumes, even the smallest discrepancy in tolerance can deliver a huge price tag in lost production.”
Helping Macovak to achieve its manufacturing needs, the company has invested in machines that provide the cost-effective production of low-volume parts. The most recent machine to arrive is an XYZ Proturn SLX 425 lathe supplied by Crispyn Machines, XYZ Machine Tools’ distributor in Belgium. With just one day of training on the ProtoTRAK control, Macovak’s operators were fully in tune with its operation and had the machine on production work within hours.
“That’s the beauty and simplicity of the ProtoTrak control, and as our business revolves around problem solving for customers, we need to be able to react quickly, but in the knowledge that the parts we machine are right first time to the correct dimensions,” says Gillain.
“I wanted a machine and control that would allow our technicians the opportunity to quickly and easily program the workpieces themselves or, finish them manually on the machine. With the ProtoTRAK control, you don’t need knowledge of G or M codes to be able to create beautiful and complex parts quickly and easily.”
With a wink Didier Gillain confesses, “even I could do it”.
For further information www.xyzmachinetools.com

The Europa eturn VS series of gap-bed centre lathes is being released into the UK market by RK International Machine Tools. Featuring eturn Energy Management Technology (EEMT), eturn VS lathes help to reduce energy consumption, particularly when the machine is stood idle.

The system constantly monitors the machine and, if a period of inaction is detected, puts the lathe into sleep mode, switching off all unnecessary power consumption. A simple push of a button brings the lathe back to full operational activity.
Along with its environmental advantages, the Europa eturn range also offers a high specification, with an electronic variable-speed spindle featuring Schneider frequency inverter. Transmission is via a Norton-type gearbox that delivers constant power and torque. Each machine in the range is also equipped with a Newall NMS300 two-axis digital readout for ease-of-use, while Bison has been selected as the work-holding partner, allowing a three-jaw scroll and four-jaw independent chuck to be supplied as standard equipment.
There are eight machines in the range, starting with the compact Europa eturn VS330 with a 330 mm swing over bed (510 mm in the gap), and either 750 or 1000 mm between centres. Spindle speed is totally variable between 40 and 2500 rpm, with two gear ranges to allow constant torque. Longitudinal feed rates are between 0.02 and 1.04 mm/rev.
The other machines in the Europe eturn range are the VS360, VS390, VS460, VS510, VS560, VS660 and VS760, with the number designating the swing over bed.
The larger machines in the range feature a three-range gearbox with maximum spindle speeds from 2500 rpm down to 1400 rpm on the largest model. Between-centre distances across the series are from 750 mm through to 6000 mm.
For further information www.rk-int.com