Despite the pandemic and subsequent lockdowns and restrictions, Newbury-based precision subcontractor Cadmatic Engineering Services is demonstrating its resolve and ambition by investing in a new Doosan multi-tasking lathe from Mills CNC.

The 8” chuck Lynx 2100LMB is equipped with a 15 kW/4500 rpm main spindle, driven tooling capability (3.7 kW/6000 rpm), a tailstock and the latest Fanuc i series control with a 15” touchscreen. As part of the investment, the Lynx lathe also features a CNC bar puller.

Since its arrival in December 2020, the Lynx 2100LMB has been machining a range of press tool components, such as pins, pillars and shanks, for press tools used in the automotive industry. The Lynx is also machining a diverse range of press tool replacement parts, as well as associated jigs and fixtures and, increasingly, low-to-medium volume production of small, high-precision parts.

Says director and co-owner Mark Humphrey: “We needed to improve our turning capabilities but, rather than just acquire additional like-for-like capacity, we decided to invest in a compact, multi-tasking machine that, with its integrated driven tooling functionality, could machine precision parts in one hit – helping us reduce cycle times and lead times.

“I particularly like the Doosan machine’s fast turret indexing, which helps reduce cycle times, and the machine control’s 15” touchscreen, which doesn’t just look the part, but improves visibility and facilitates fast and more reliable data input,” he adds. “Mills were able to supply the Lynx lathe with a large Grippall CNC bar puller, which has enabled us to use the machine for bar work and run it unattended during the day shift.”

For further information
www.millscnc.co.uk

A new white paper from Soraluce sets out how to maximise productivity when manufacturing parts for industrial vehicles and forestry machinery, including bulldozers, harvesters, forwarders and mobile cranes. In these demanding applications, the development of technologically advanced manufacturing solutions that reduce machining times and offer high availability and accuracy is key to meeting the sector’s production challenges.

Machine tool manufacturer Soraluce (represented in the UK and Ireland by long-term partner Ward CNC) offers a range of machining solutions to manufacture industrial vehicle parts. Thanks to its development of milling solutions, and expertise and experience in machining, Soraluce is able to deliver customised machine tools adapted to each application. Based on this knowledge, the company has produced a new white paper, revealing the keys to improving productivity in the machining of industrial vehicle components.

Download the white paper at https://is.gd/usoruh

Two new catalogues are now available from XYZ Machine Tools, one covering milling/machining centres, the other featuring its turning range. The move to split the catalogues arrives from the growth in machine numbers now available from XYZ, along with a recognition that while some customers have requirements for milling and turning capability, many simply want one or the other.

XYZ’s new catalogues complement the detailed machine specifications available online and the support provided by the company’s nationwide team of area sales managers, along with its network of technical centres and showrooms for machine demonstrations and training. All of these factors means customers can easily access the information they need about any of the machines in the XYZ range to make an informed purchasing decision.

For further information
www.xyzmachinetools.co.uk

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