Mills CNC opens automation centre

Mills CNC, the exclusive distributor of Doosan machine tools in the UK and Ireland, has opened a state-of-the-art ‘Turnkey & Automation Centre’ at its campus facility in Leamington. The facility gives Mills a dedicated area to demonstrate its latest industrial and collaborative robot (cobot) automation solutions, and provides a focal point for the company’s successful turnkey and process improvement business which, over the past few years, has grown exponentially.

Says Tony Dale, Mills CNC’s technical director: “More and more manufacturers, as a route to improving their productivity and increasing their efficiency and effectiveness, are taking a much more holistic and comprehensive view of their manufacturing operations. And, rather than just acquiring a new machine to increase capacity, they are investing in turnkey solutions, many of which include advanced automation systems.”

For further information www.millscnc.co.uk

Fastener investment at Bumax

Bumax has recently invested several million SEK in three new state-of-the-art machines to further enhance its operations. Two bolt-pointing machines and one flat-die thread-rolling machine have arrived at the company’s headquarters in Åshammar following a year of planning and preparation. “The machines replace five older semi-manual pointing and thread-rolling machines, and enable us to produce fasteners even more efficiently and safely,” explains Anders Sjölund, who is both manager of the company’s service and maintenance function, and project manager.

For further information www.bumax-fasteners.com

Digital summit success for Lantek

Manufacturing IT expert Lantek had another successful year at EuroBLECH – albeit virtual. The EuroBLECH 2021 Digital Innovation Summit, which took place at the end of last year, was the online version of the trade show for sheet-metal manufacturers. Lantek reports that its full range of manufacturing solutions proved popular with delegates at the digital show.

In particular, the presentation ‘Data: The other raw material of sheet metal – challenges and opportunities’, by Lantek area manager José Antonio Lorenzo, was attended by many online visitors.

“Sheet-metal processing is our business and your business – and we do everything we can to ensure that you work as efficiently as possible,” said Lorenzo during his presentation at the EuroBLECH Digital Innovation Summit.

Lorenzo’s appearance was part of Lantek’s contribution to the EuroBLECH virtual lecture series. In the 15-minute presentation, his main points were solidified with short explainer videos. In a live Q&A that followed, Christoph Lenhard, sales manager for Germany, Austria and Switzerland, posed frequently-asked customer questions to Lorenzo.

In addition to their participation in the lecture series, visitors could also register for personal meetings or connect in real-time with 17 Lantek experts. In these live chats, company specialists answered visitor questions face-to-face and made initial business contacts.

“Interested visitors and customers have embraced this new way of meeting very well,” says Lenhard. “Numerous conversations centred on specific use cases in which our portfolio can be helpful. Many potential clients have realised – through the current crisis – how quickly they must digitise their processes.

“It was a completely new format for all of us, and proved a very good alternative to in-person trade shows,” he adds.

For further information
www.lantek.com

Recovery expected this year

Italy’s national association for machine tools, robots and automation systems, UCIMU-Sistemi Per Produrre, is predicting recovery in the year ahead. According to forecasts developed by UCIMU, production should grow to €5795m (+16.6% versus 2021), driven by the recovery of exports, which should amount to €3220m (+11.8%), and by an increase in deliveries of Italian manufacturers to the domestic market, which should rise to €2575m (+23.2%). Consumption should also regain its dynamism, registering a 23.3% upturn and reaching €4175m, while UCIMU expects imports to attain €1600m (+23.6%).

For further information www.ucimu.it

Tube cutter suits Micrometric

Lincoln-based manufacturing firm Micrometric has introduced Coherent’s StarCut Tube system to its range of cutting equipment. The fully automated machine is designed to laser cut, drill and mark tubular or flat metal components, and has found favour among many subcontract manufacturers producing parts for medical instruments requiring extremely high precision.

Despite success in this proven application, Micrometric has found additional uses for its new machine, producing a range of tube components in large volumes as well as finer, more precise parts for sectors other than medical.

Neil Main, managing director at Micrometric, says: “We invested in the StarCut Tube machine as we knew it could deliver the required performance for a range of projects and had a long, low-maintenance lifetime which is necessary for cost-effective operations within our working environment. The machine´s versatility permits us to cut thinner tube than is possible on our other machines, allowing us to extend our capabilities and the range of customers we can service.”

Micrometric has already used the machine to cut, assemble and weld complex medical and aerospace components for companies which produce aerospace filters, automated injection needles, endoscopy components and MRI scanning equipment.

“Thanks to this machine, we can produce parts for many different sectors, including airflow sensors, flexible protective covers, valves for car suspension systems, industrial and medical endoscopy equipment, printing machines, and food production,” says Main. “We’ve always tried to address difficult tasks by investing heavily in our equipment and in staff training. This machine is perfect for customers looking to produce reliable components with extremely precise design criteria, as well as those using materials which are less common than sheet steel.”

For further information 
http://micrometric.co.uk