Due to continued growth in the UK market, Colchester Machine Tool Solutions is appointing Keith Clowe as UK sales manager. The move is to support ongoing development of the company across the UK with regard to products such as CNC turning centres and lathes, vertical machining centres, and the company’s most recent introduction, TYKMA laser-marking machines.

Joining Colchester Machine Tool Solutions in 2017 as sales manager for the West Midlands and South Wales, Clowe has developed many key accounts across the region that he will continue to support on an ongoing basis. His background in engineering and project management allows Clowe to provide technical support and expertise to customers across a variety of applications.

For further information
www.colchester.co.uk

Pre-production of the new Lotus Emira is getting underway following over £100m of investment at the company’s UK facilities, which includes two new production halls at the iconic home of Lotus in Hethel, Norfolk. Furthermore, with the launch of Emira, Lotus is creating more than 200 new operations roles and recruitment is already underway.

Elsewhere, recent investment at Lotus Advanced Structures (LAS) in Norwich includes a new fabrication facility. Here, the chassis and front-end assembly line, including robot bonding agent application, is now operational, supplying components for Emira pre-production. Eight new CNC milling machines are being installed, with four more transported from Worcester. The commissioning of a new laser cutting machine is also taking place to manufacture fuel tanks, rear subframes and many of the steel and aluminium components used on the vehicle.

For further information www.lotuscars.com

Conditions in the manufacturing sector improved at an unprecedented rate in May, as output growth strengthened and new orders rose at their quickest pace in the near three-decade survey history. Looser pandemic restrictions and high levels of pent-up demand meant that the rapid revival in labour market conditions also continued, with staffing levels rising at a record pace.

The seasonally adjusted IHS Markit/CIPS Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI) rose to 65.6 in May, up from 60.9 in April, above July 1994’s previous record high of 61.0. The PMI has now signalled improvement in each of the past 12 months. Manufacturing production also rose at one of the quickest rates in the series history. In fact, over 70% of companies forecast that production will be higher in one year’s time, compared with only 3% expecting a decline.

For further information
www.cips.org

Airbus still expects the commercial aircraft market to recover to pre-COVID levels between 2023 and 2025, led by the single-aisle segment. The company is therefore providing suppliers with an update of its production plans, giving visibility in order to schedule necessary investments and secure long-term capacity and production rate readiness, in line with the anticipated recovery.

Confirming an average A320 family production rate of 45 aircraft per month in Q4 2021, Airbus is calling on suppliers to prepare for the future by securing a firm rate of 64 by Q2 2023. In anticipation of a continually recovering market, the company is also asking suppliers to enable a rate of 70 by Q1 2024. Longer term, Airbus is investigating opportunities for rates as high as 75 by 2025. The aerospace giant is also upping the production rates for its A220 and A350 aircraft families.

For further information
www.airbus.com

Mills CNC, the exclusive distributor of Doosan machine tools in the UK and Ireland, has introduced a new range of 10” chuck Lynx lathes with integrated Y axes. There are two models in the series: the Lynx 2600Y (with Y axis) and Lynx 2600SY (with Y axis and sub-spindle).

Both models share many of the technology features and performance attributes of the 6/8”chuck Lynx 2100 series of lathes first introduced by Mills in the UK and Ireland a couple of years ago, but provide small component manufacturers with larger turning diameters (380 mm), longer turning lengths (610 mm) and more powerful spindle capabilities (18.5 kW/3500 rpm).

The spindles, with their rigid and low-vibration design and build (i.e. spindle housing, bed, feed shaft) ensure high accuracy, repeatability and surface finish, even during heavy-duty and continuous cutting operations, reports Mills. A base-mounted turret (BMT) design and configuration further improves rigidity.

Both machines are driven-tool models (5,000 rpm milling capability). Additional features of the latest Lynx lathes include: 105 mm Y-axis capability (±52.5mm); 30 m/min rapids in the X and Z axes; high-rigidity roller LM guideways; a programmable tailstock (Lynx 2600Y model); a 4500 rpm sub-spindle (Lynx 2600SY model); an eco-friendly grease lubrication system; and an on-board tool setter that facilitates automatic (in-process) tool measurement.

The lathes are supplied with the new Fanuc 0i-TF Plus control, which features a user-friendly iHMI system with an intuitive 15” touchscreen. iHMI enables users to enjoy quick and complete control over all machine operations – planning, machining, maintenance – as well as the ability to monitor performance and respond to changing situations and demands.

For further information
www.millscnc.co.uk