Bringing manufacturing back to UK

Kendal-based engineering company Gilbert Gilkes & Gordon has made a seven-figure investment with Yamazaki Mazak to significantly increase productivity and bolster its UK manufacturing base.

Gilkes specialises in the design and manufacture of hydro-electric turbines and cooling pumps for high horse-power diesel engines, with parts sourced worldwide. The company has acquired a Mazak Integrex e-1250V/8 vertical multi-tasking machine, with the intention of increasing capacity at its Kendal facility and ultimately re-shoring the manufacture of vital components back to the UK.
Specifically, Gilkes currently sources fully-machined turbine runners from an Eastern European supplier. The new Mazak machine will enable the company to bring 40% of this machining work back to its facility in Kendal.
Gilkes’ new Integrex e-1250V/8 – one of the largest machines in the Mazak range – is designed for the multi-axis machining of large, complex workpieces. The machine is capable of performing a variety of tasks that would normally be completed by multiple machines, including turning, milling, boring and drilling operations. In addition, Mazak will be supplying a complete tool management system to reduce manual input and set-up times.
“Our current machine tools in Kendal are great workhorses, but we’ve gone about as far as we can with them,” says Rebecca Sandham, head of operations at Gilkes. “With the Mazak, we will be able to significantly increase our productivity levels, which will enable us to continue being highly competitive in our global markets.”
She continues: “The Integrex acquisition forms part of a long-term plan to upgrade our manufacturing capabilities. Ultimately, we want this investment to be seen as proof of our commitment to UK manufacturing operations and our responsibility to provide jobs for the local area.”
For further information www.mazakeu.co.uk

William Hughes acquires JK

William Hughes, a spring, wire-form and assembly specialist, has expanded its range of services for the manufacturing industry with the acquisition of Liskeard-based JK Metrology & Quality Services.

JK Metrology is an established metrology and quality consultancy that is accredited to ISO 17027 and ISO 9000. The company also offers a UKAS calibration service in line with ISO 17025.
“The acquisition will be of particular interest to our many customers involved in the manufacture of high-specification, high-precision components, where accurate measurement is key to their success,” says Max Hughes, managing director at William Hughes. “By investing resources and people into this established and well respected business, we will be able to offer a range of benefits for customers, including a reduced turnaround time.”
With a worldwide portfolio of customers, JK Metrology is one of only three UK laboratories offering UKAS calibration of gauge blocks by interferometry (Class A). Interferometry is the highest level of accuracy for length measurement, and JK Metrology can measure items up to 1 m long at 20°C ±0.05°C.
The company is also a supplier of metrology equipment, from micrometers and gauge blocks, to CMMs. In addition, JK Metrology continues to supply and service the metrology equipment previously manufactured by Select Gauges Ltd, following its closure.
Says Hughes: “We’re delighted to announce that John Kelly, a director of JK Metrology for many years, following a long career in the world of gauge calibration, will transfer to William Hughes. Here, his range of contacts, depth of experience and wealth of knowledge will be a valuable asset in the integration of the business.”
For further information www.wmhughes.co.uk

Dugard to exhibit Hanwha cobots

The Dugard range of Hanwha collaborative robots is making another appearance at Robotics and Automation, the only dedicated exhibition of its type in the UK.

This year, the show will take place on 29-30 October at the Ricoh Arena in Coventry, where Dugard will be found on stand number 412. Dugard has been the sole UK distributor of Hanwha collaborative robots (cobots) for about a year now and has seen interest rise steadily since last summer. Developed and produced in South Korea, Hanwha HCR cobots can generate savings in operating costs, and are easy to install and run, says Dugard.
For further information www.dugard.com

Enhanced view, capture and measure tasks

All microscope users looking to boost their view, capture, measure applications will benefit from a new innovation from Keyence.

The VHX-7000 digital microscope, which is now available in the UK and Ireland, offers high magnification and accuracy, and is said to be both versatile and easy to use.
Using the Keyence VHX-7000, both 2D and 3D measurements can be performed. Just one microscope is required to take roughness, contamination, grain size and a host of other measurements. Observation is provided with an optimal balance of brightness and clarity. Moreover, images can be easily saved on the 1 TB hard drive (enough capacity for millions of images) and shared over LAN or USB. Similarly, reports can be automatically created and shared.
Features such as ´Optical Shadow Effect Mode´ make subtle contours stand out (in colour) and enhance uneven surfaces and stains at the push of a button. By combining a 4K CMOS image sensor with a new multi-directional lighting variation technique, the VHX-7000 can deliver images that rival an SEM (scanning electron microscope).
Even novice users can easily capture high-resolution images, says Keyence. The operator simply places the target on the stage, and everything else – including alignment and focus adjustment – is fully automatic. A handheld controller puts functions such as magnification switching at the fingertips of
the user.
A combination of optics, digital camera, electronics, software, and a wide choice of motorised XYZ and rotary stages, means users can perform complete inspection and analysis using a single system.
For further information www.keyence.co.uk

Latest Creaform scanner released

Creaform has introduced a completely re-engineered and refined update to its HandyScan 3D range – the HandyScan Black – a third-generation version of Creaform’s patented metrology-grade scanner.

The HandyScan Black is made for professionals who need an effective and reliable tool to capture accurate dimensional measurements of physical objects.
The device combines high-performance 3D scanning with improved optics, multiple blue laser technology and a sleek, ergonomic design. As the company’s flagship portable metrology-grade 3D scanner, the HandyScan Black is said to set the standard for measurement, regardless of size, material or complexity, within seconds, anywhere.
In comparison with previous-generation units, the HandyScan Black offers four times higher resolution and three times faster measurements. A larger scanning area featuring 11 blue laser crosses that take up to 1.3 million measurements per second, ultimately cuts down
the time between data acquisition and workable files. Volumetric accuracy is 0.02 mm + 0.04 mm/m based on VDI/VDE 2634 part 3, as well as
ISO 17025.
“Our HandyScan Black packs the benefits of its predecessors and further takes on quality assurance inspection in the shop, at the machine, in process – where the customers need it,” says Simon Côté, product manager at Creaform.
HandyScan Black made its European debut at the Control international trade fair in Stuttgart, Germany, which took place on 7-10 May.
For further information www.creaform3d.com