When Dr Iain Crossingham, respiratory consultant at Royal Blackburn Teaching Hospital’s Chest Clinic, identified the need to increase available ventilator capacity by commissioning the design and production of a single-use, consumable exhalation valve, Mackart Additive was ready to respond.
In a matter of hours, Mackart Additive developed a detailed 3D CAD model of the component, which was approved by Dr Crossingham for production to begin the very next day. “When the part arrived it worked perfectly,” says Crossingham. “Over recent days we have used the new exhalation valve to successfully ventilate a test lung, which is amazing.”
For further information www.mackartadditive.com
Midland Bearings, a West Midlands-based distributor of high-quality bearings, says it is already starting to see the impact of China reopening its economy.
The company is prepping space to welcome 23 full containers of stock being shipped from China after deliveries were suspended in April due to coronavirus. All 23 containers are due to arrive at Felixstowe within the next three weeks.
For further information www.midlandbearings.com
The new SwissNano 7 is now available in the UK from Tornos. Previously only offered in a 4 mm diameter variant, the 7 mm capacity SwissNano 7 retains the advantages of the 4 mm model, such as the kinematics and thermal stability, to deliver high performance and precision when machining small turned parts. decomag86_Tornos_SwissNANO.indd
Notably, the original machining capacity of 4 x 28 mm has been boosted to 7 x 50 mm, while spindle power has more than doubled (to 2.5 kW) to machine bars from the hardest materials. According to Tornos, the small footprint and machine design means SwissNano 7 occupies the same space as a cam-type machine and can therefore increase output per square metre compared with other CNC machines.
The six-axis kinematics offer numerical adjustment of all tool positions in the X, Y and Z directions. At the heart of the concept is the back spindle mounted on three linear axes, which makes the machine extremely user friendly. The main platen includes three positions for the rotating tools; it can hold transverse drills, a polygon tool or a gear-hobbing tool. This capability opens up the potential of machining operations not previously possible on this range.
Tornos’ SwissNano 7 is suitable for the medical sector when complemented with the addition of a thread-whirling unit. This attachment enables the machine to be used for the production of maxillofacial screws, and can prove a good partner when it comes to the machining of screws for dental implants or straight implants. The machine can also be equipped with high-frequency spindles for back-machining operations, which allows the machine to mill hexalobular (Torx) shapes.
For further information www.tornos.com
One of the UK’s fastest growing digital manufacturers has begun work on a £10.5m investment that will increase its 3D printing capability by 50% to meet growing demand for this technology. Protolabs, which specialises in custom prototypes and low-volume production parts, is building a new 5000 sq m production facility in Putzbrunn, Germany, which will give customers even greater access to the firm’s automated manufacturing processes and quality systems.
Despite the COVID-19 pandemic impacting economies across Europe, construction of the new building has started, with the initial shell scheduled to be completed by the end of December, and the fit-out and machinery due to be installed in several stages, beginning in May 2021. Up to 25 further machines will be added to the existing technology, while a CNC machining centre will be installed to support the finishing of 3D printed parts for high-end applications.
For further information www.protolabs.co.uk
Unicut Precision, a subcontractor based in Welwyn Garden City, has now repurposed 75% of its capacity to the manufacture of medical components for the Government’s Ventilator Challenge UK.
The company operates 22 Cincom sliding-head lathes and eight Miyano fixed-head turning centres from one supplier, Citizen Machinery UK. The workload has now reached 780,000 components across 31 varieties, which Unicut is currently producing 24/7. More than 80% of this work is being produced on the Citizen-supplied machines. Social distancing on the shop floor and in the offices is said to be working well.
For further information www.citizenmachinery.co.uk
