UMEX 2021, Asia’s largest exhibition for pre-owned machine tools, will take place on 3-5 September at the Bombay Exhibition Centre, Mumbai, India. The venue will stage six other exhibitions at the same time, catering to the entire gamut of metalworking, metalforming, manufacturing and fabricating. As cost plays a vital role when selecting machine tools, the market for pre-owned machinery is growing rapidly in India’s industrial sector.

The manufacturing sector in India as a whole has the potential to reach $1tn by 2025 as it looks to meet growing demand in industries such as heavy engineering, automotive, rail, shipbuilding and more. Additionally, India is now among the world’s top 10 markets for machine tools, exceeded the $100bn mark during the past couple of years. In Europe and North America, MTI is the official industry and media partner of UMEX 2021. In Europe and North America, MTI is the official industry and media partner of UMEX 2021. Please contact MTI CEO Bob Sadat to discover more about the opportunities available.

For further information
www.umexonline.com
bob@mtimagazine.com

One of the repercussions of COVID-19 has been a widespread discussion about bringing more manufacturing back to the UK, and rightly so in the view of work-holding and automation specialist 1st Machine Tool Accessories. But is reshoring large amounts of production realistic in the short term, or is industry unprepared to cope with higher demand and make parts more cost-effectively?

1st MTA is a keen advocate of automating machine tools to achieve savings and regards some level of unattended operation to be crucial for cost-efficient production and generating a healthy profit. However, the company stresses that big investment in expensive robotics is not a prerequisite for success or justifiable in smaller factories. The correct equipment for an application could be as simple as employing hydraulic rather than manual clamping to actuate jaw closure; using a rotary table to add a fourth and perhaps a fifth CNC axis to a three-axis machining centre so that parts can be made in fewer operations or maybe in one hit; or choosing a full-length bar magazine rather than a short barfeed to automate a lathe.

Once there is commitment to invest, is it best to opt for the latest top-level technology or upgrade existing production plant? The former would be the ideal, as it offers not only the most productive and accurate machine-tool technology, but invaluable support from the manufacturer and accessories supplier. Although it requires higher initial investment, this strategy can often lead to a quicker ROI.

For a lower investment, upgrading existing machines is achievable to suit particular applications and sectors, using equipment and accessories readily available. Among the most useful items are those that provide automated and improved work holding, additional CNC axes for deploying the cutting tool more efficiently, and more production capacity through extended periods of autonomous running.

All types of work-holding solutions are available to manufacturers in the UK and Ireland from 1st MTA, mostly under sole agency agreements. The company can offer either off-the-shelf equipment or bespoke solutions to address challenging applications. 1st MTA operates a consultancy service to identify the optimum product for securing prismatic and round components during production.

For further information www.1mta.com

As industry recovers from the COVID-19 pandemic, manufacturers will face renewed challenges as production ramps up again. The skills shortage has not gone away; if anything it has worsened, making the availability of machine automation more pressing. To help meet these challenges, XYZ Machine Tools has created an automation and machine package that provides a cost-effective route to maximising productivity.

The package revolves around the three-machine LR series of XYZ vertical machining centres, with prices starting at £99,870 for a combination of the 500 LR and the XYZ Robo-Tend automated production cell. Robo-Tend features a Kuka Cybertech robot with 10 kg lifting capacity (larger versions available) with vision system. A major advantage of Robo-Tend is the potential for quick disconnection and repositioning to another compatible XYZ machining centre or, to allow conventional use of the machine with an operator.

For further information
www.xyzmachinetools.com

The introduction of a VL600Q from Sodi-Tech EDM at the Wolverhampton facility of Pemberton Engineering is driving 25% more productivity in the manufacture of automotive press tools, jigs and fixtures.

Founded in 1984, Pemberton Engineering has been specialising in toolmaking ever since.

Initially focusing on small press tools for the lock industry, which was still flourishing in the Black Country during that time, the company soon shifted its emphasis to the automotive sector. From large tools for truck and tractor components, Pemberton Engineering has evolved into an established supplier of high-precision press tools, including complex progression tooling, to tier-one and tier-two automotive manufacturers.

“Apart from a short six-week closure for the initial UK lockdown due to COVID-19, we’ve been really busy,” states managing director Darren Pemberton. “In fact, buoyant is the word I’d use to describe business right now, which is exactly why we needed more wire EDM capacity.
“Although we were already running two wire EDMs, we knew that another would deliver a major boost to operations and allow us to provide customers with even better service and support,” he adds. “Having looked around at the leading wire EDM models in the capacity range we required, the Sodick VL600Q was the obvious choice. Particularly attractive was the 25% increase in speed it would offer over our existing machines.”

The VL600Q houses Sodick’s latest LN2W series power supply unit, which is capable of high-speed, high-precision and high-efficiency machining. Linear motors also feature, providing high-speed axis motion and quick response times.

“Beyond our single shift pattern, the VL600Q is already running lights-out overnight and at weekends,” says Pemberton. “We’re really impressed with the Sodick machine’s performance, which has been faultless to date. It has totally eliminated bottlenecks within our workflow.”

For further information
www.sodi-techedm.co.uk

GM CNC, the UK’s exclusive dealer for Victor machine tools, has appointed Joe Bricknell as a new area sales representative to bolster the sales operation for this long-established brand.

Bricknell started his career as a mechanical engineering apprentice before going into a direct production role setting various types of CNC machine tools from some of the world’s most recognised brands. Taking the next step in his career, he joined a Midlands-based machine-tool company as a regional sales engineer.

Earning his spurs by selling a diverse range of machine tools and brands, Bricknell jumped at the opportunity to join GM CNC. He says: “GM CNC is a family business that has an exceptional reputation for its customer service and support. To support the UK manufacturing industry for more than 30 years with thousands of machine-tool sales and installations, and to be held in such high regard by UK manufacturers, is testament to the ethos of the company.”

For further information
www.gm-cnc.com