Editor’s Pick

Ram Reman Reduce Machining Times Tith XYZ 320 LTY

Driven by a need to produce more accurate, increasingly complex components in shorter lead times, Dorset-based hydraulic engineering specialist Ram Reman Ltd has invested in an XYZ 320 LTY turning centre.

Established more than 30 years ago and part of the Rotec Group since 2015, Ram Reman designs, manufactures and refurbishes hydraulic equipment for industries including defence, marine, aerospace and utilities. The company produces a wide range of components, such as cylinders, manifolds, fittings and end caps, using a mix of manual and CNC machine tools.

According to technical manager Tony Foster, growing demand to reduce manufacturing costs and improve efficiency prompted the investment: “Many of our parts require both turning and milling. We wanted a machine that would reduce set-ups, lower production costs and free up our existing machines for work they are better suited to.”

Following discussions with XYZ’s Dorset area sales manager, Russell Bedford, Ram Reman selected the XYZ 320 LTY. Its 78 mm bar capacity, 320 mm turning capability, higher spindle speed, 32 kW main spindle motor, driven tooling and 100 mm Y-axis travel offered the flexibility needed to consolidate operations on a single machine. The benefits were immediate.

“A recent large stainless steel component saw machining time cut by 50% compared with our older machines,” says Foster. “The spindle power makes a real difference, while the 12-station VDI turret and Renishaw tool presetting arm reduce intervention and speed up tool changes and set-up. We can also machine features, such as end-cap scrolls, far more efficiently than before.

“The XYZ 320 LTY has improved our productivity, increased flexibility and strengthened our competitive capability.”

More information www.xyzmachinetools.com

Soraluce Opens Subsidiary In UK

Soraluce, a Spain-headquartered manufacturer of machine tools for large and complex components, has announced the opening of a new subsidiary, Soraluce UK. Through this new direct presence, Soraluce UK will provide customers with dedicated sales support, technical assistance and aftersales service, ensuring a closer relationship and a more agile response to their manufacturing needs.

The establishment of Soraluce UK represents a strategic step in the company’s international growth plan, reinforcing its long-term commitment to the manufacturing sector across the region. Soraluce’s portfolio includes milling machines, boring machines, vertical lathes, multitasking machines and automation solutions. The new subsidiary will be led by Graeme Thomas, Managing Director.

More information www.soraluce.com

Compact Rotary Tables Offer Large Five-Axis Machining Volumes

Designed to convert small, three-axis vertical-spindle machining centres (VMCs) into versatile five-axis production centres, while enabling them to machine larger components than their size would normally allow, Kitagawa has launched two new compound rotary tables. The Japanese-manufactured RKT500 and RKT600 are available in the UK and Ireland exclusively through sales agent 1st Machine Tool Accessories.

Developed primarily for the many 30-taper VMCs that offer only linear CNC motion, the rotary tables add two rotary axes to deliver full five-axis capability. They can also be fitted to smaller 40-taper machines and, subject to cutting force limitations, selected 50-taper models.

The RKT500 accommodates workpieces up to 500 mm in diameter and 270 mm high, while the RKT600 increases capacity to 600 mm diameter and 320 mm high. Both models support a combined workpiece and fixture weight of up to 100 kg.

To simplify automated work holding, both tables feature a coolant port, while the RKT500 provides six hydraulic or pneumatic ports and the RKT600 offers 10.

Kitagawa’s patented multi-plate braking technology delivers 740 Nm of clamping torque on the tilting axis and 600 Nm on the rotating axis. Positioning accuracy is within 30 arc-seconds on both axes, with repeatability of ±2 arc-seconds.

The high levels of accuracy and rigidity are achieved using Kitagawa’s roller gear cam mechanism, which eliminates backlash while offering greater torque transmission efficiency, rigidity and indexing speed than conventional worm gear drives.

Once positioned, each axis is securely locked using Kitagawa’s multi-disc braking system. By stacking multiple friction discs, the design achieves high clamping torque without increasing the physical size of the rotary table, maximising performance while maintaining a compact footprint.

More information www.1mta.com

BodorGenius Third-Fen 10 kW-Class Laser Head Unveiled

Bodor Laser has launched its BodorGenius third-generation 10 kW-class laser head, a major in-house development designed to deliver higher precision, greater reliability and improved productivity in high-power laser cutting applications.

As the core component of a laser cutting system, the laser head has a direct impact on cutting quality, machine stability and long-term operating costs. Developed to meet growing demand for high-volume, high-intensity metal processing, the new design addresses many of the limitations associated with conventional laser heads, including contamination, accuracy drift and maintenance requirements.

A key feature is an upgraded sealing system incorporating a dual-layer drawer-style structure and twin protective lens barriers. The design prevents dust, smoke, oil and metal debris from entering the optical path, while improving fault tolerance by protecting critical components even if the outer lens is damaged. The result is longer component life, lower maintenance costs and greater process reliability.

Bodor has also redesigned the laser head’s internal architecture by separating the clean optical chamber from the transmission structure, reducing wear, contamination and accuracy loss. Following more than 1000 hours of extreme-condition testing, the design maintained stable cutting performance with no internal debris generation.

To improve reliability, the laser head undergoes extensive dynamic vibration testing, simulating thousands of kilometres of transportation and more than 15,000 high-frequency vibration cycles before shipment. An integrated intelligent safety system continuously monitors operating conditions, providing early warnings to help prevent abnormal machine operation.

The new laser head also benefits from an industrial ultrasonic three-stage cleaning process during manufacture, ensuring maximum optical cleanliness from the outset.

The launch reflects Bodor Laser’s continued investment in proprietary laser technology and reinforces its commitment to advancing the performance, precision and reliability of high-power laser cutting systems.More information www.bodor.com

Excel Updates Brand and Expands Range

Excel Machine Tools, a family-run supplier with more than 40 years of industry experience, has unveiled its updated brand identity and expanded product range, reinforcing its commitment to supporting UK workshops, manufacturers and industrial businesses. Long recognised for its expertise in manual metalworking machines, Excel Machine Tools has built its reputation on supplying practical, dependable equipment for workshops of all sizes.

While metalworking remains core business, the company has now broadened its offer to include woodworking machinery, welding equipment, compressed air technology, industrial cleaning solutions and wider workshop equipment. Meanwhile, the updated brand reflects the continued growth of Excel Machine Tools as a family business, combining decades of product knowledge with a wider range of solutions for today’s requirements.

More information www.excelmachinetools.co.uk