Service team expanded at Rhodes Interform

Rhodes Interform, the Group Rhodes business which specialises in bespoke composite and metal-forming machinery, has expanded its team with the appointment of three service engineers to enhance customer service.

The starters – Gary Lymm, Nigel Hartley and Paul Lowden – are all experienced in either mechanical, hydraulic or electrical engineering, as well as servicing and repair.
Steve Jackson, technical sales manager for Rhodes Interform, says: “There has been growing demand over the past 12 months for our repair and maintenance services from the metal press industries, including aerospace, automotive, white goods and general sheet metal fabrication. Gary, Nigel and Paul will play a key role in expanding our service agreements with customers as we continue to demonstrate how we can reduce plant downtime and maximise operational efficiency through planned maintenance schedules.”
As well as producing presses, Rhodes Interform says it reconditions and upgrades existing machines at a fraction of the cost of buying new. This service includes complete machine refurbishments on all Group Rhodes metal-forming, materials handling, clay preparation and concrete working machinery, as well as refurbishment work on equipment of other makes. The company can also offer full PLC or CNC control system upgrades, supported by software designed to meet the individual requirements of each customer.
Group Rhodes recently showcased its bespoke composite and metal-forming machinery at the Advanced Engineering show in Birmingham. Composite machinery manufactured by the company is used to manufacture structural components for production road cars, as well as flight critical parts for a variety of aircraft. The company also offers a range of cold forming technologies for specialist metal-forming applications across a number of sectors.
For further information www.grouprhodes.co.uk

Bus part supplier installs tandem press brake

After using Haco Synchromaster press brakes in tandem (two ERMS 30250 models), a HSL3013 hydraulic guillotine shear and a Compact 40 ironworker, a supplier to bus manufacturer Ashok Leyland that specialises in the manufacture of truck cabin, cowl, front end structure (FES), fuel tank, load body and stallion load body systems, has invested in additional machines from Haco Kingsland.

This time, the South India based company has installed a further set of Synchromaster press brakes in tandem (two ERMS 36250 machines), along with another HSL3013 hydraulic guillotine shear and Compact 40 ironworker.
The customer is a well-known supplier of Ashok Leyland, which is the second largest manufacturer of commercial vehicles in India, the fourth largest manufacturer of buses in the world and the 12th largest manufacturer of trucks. In order to increase production capacity and provide more accurate components to Ashok Leyland, the customer decided to buy another 7.2 m x 500 ton tandem press brake.
After using one tandem press brake previously and enjoying impressive performances, the company has acquired two further Haco CNC Synchromaster press brakes that can be used in tandem as required. The Synchromaster is a well-equipped multi-axis CNC press brake with electro-hydraulic levelling, depth control and high angular and geometrical precision.
The company also bought another shearing machine for cutting 3 m long x 13 mm thick plates. According to the customer, it appreciates the European quality combined with competitive pricing. The new machines have already been installed at the factory and are in full production.
For further information www.kingsland.com

Sales team expansion at Dugard

Dugard has appointed Colin Thomson to support ongoing growth of the Hanwha brand. Joining the company as product sales manager, Thomson will be tasked with managing the range of Hanwha sliding-head turning centres throughout the UK.

Dugard was appointed as the UK agent for the South Korean Hanwha brand at the tail end of 2018. The Hanwha range of machines will also be supported by the existing Dugard sales team.
With almost 30 years of experience in manufacturing, Thomson started his engineering career as a machine shop apprentice at a prominent aerospace subcontract company in Essex, during which time he became team leader. Leaving this post in his late 20s, Thomson has since cut his teeth in technical sales and account management by working with machine tool and cutting tool manufacturers. With much of this period spent at a prominent sliding-head lathe manufacturer, he is well positioned to give the Hanwha brand a foothold in this niche industry segment.
For further information www.dugard.com

IMTEX debut helps Filtermist target 30% growth

Filtermist, a specialist in providing cleaner, safer and more productive work environments, exhibited at IMTEX at the end of January as part of ambitious plans to expand its business in India by 30%.

The company, which employs over 90 people across its UK headquarters and five international offices, is looking to tap into the sub-continent’s growing desire to improve its environmental performance. IMTEX marked three decades of trade in India and comes a few weeks after Filtermist’s parent company, the Absolent Group, registered Absolent Filtermist India PVT Ltd, which now operates from a sales and technical office in New Delhi.
For further information www.filtermist.co.uk

Seven-figure machine tool investment

To support continued expansion, Middlesex Aerospace has committed to a seven-figure investment with long-term machine tool partner Yamazaki Mazak.

The Basingstoke-based, 150-employee company is one Britain’s leading tier-one suppliers of critical components and assemblies to major OEMs throughout the global aerospace market. Two state-of-the-art, five-axis multi-tasking machines, and one horizontal machining centre complete with an expanded tool storage system, comprise the latest investment.
The increased capacity of the new machines will allow the company to further develop its offering to customers. What’s more, the machinery will enable Middlesex Aerospace to operate lights-out manufacturing, 24-hours a day, improving production volumes. Laurence Foulds, managing director
at Middlesex Aerospace, says: “Our latest investment in machine tools from Mazak is one of the company’s most significant to date,
and will allow us to support a number of new customers and programmes, as we continue to
grow the business.”
For further information www.mazakeu.co.uk/aerospace