Nacom Automation Ltd and its range of Flexopress printers rose from the ashes of liquidation when current owner Nick Cadby, who was a creditor to the original owner of the printing machine business, realised the only way to get his money back was to buy the intellectual property and turn the businesses around.

Part of that transformation was adopting in-house machining in partnership with XYZ Machine Tools.
Flexopress machines are designed and built to order, meaning parts must be designed and manufactured quickly, but the company’s reliance on subcontract machining was causing unnecessary delays. The solution was to bring machining in-house, a daunting task given Cadby’s limited machining experience. However, the XYZ ProtoTRAK control system came to the rescue.
“It was while visiting another business run by a friend that I saw an XYZ 2-OP machine and my curiosity was aroused,” says Cadby. “The compact nature of the machine was perfect for our situation, so I gathered up a few drawings, visited XYZ Machine Tools’ showroom and asked the question: how hard can it be to make these? The answers highlighted just how easy it was with the XYZ ProtoTRAK control, which fills the gap between an experienced CNC programmer and someone with basic machining skills, like myself.”
With that reassurance, the XYZ 2-OP portable vertical machining centre became Nacom’s first step along the road to self-sufficiency. It was quickly followed by an XYZ SMX 5000 bed mill, then an XYZ SLX 355 ProTURN lathe and an XYZ LPM vertical machining centre, with the common thread that all were controlled by a version of ProtoTRAK.
“Eliminating the reliance on subcontracting has cut lead times by at least 50%, and we are in total control of costs and quality,” says Cadby.
For further information www.xyzmachinetools.com

Mitutoyo’s UK subsidiary, which is located in Andover, has reached its 40th anniversary.

Back in 1980, the company began by concentrating on hand tools such as micrometers and calipers, but also ventured into the CMM marketplace. In due course, strategically placed showrooms at Warwick, Halifax and East Kilbride were established. A major change in recent years was the relocation of the Warwick operation to Coventry. Mitutoyo sees the future as exciting, with the launch of products including the MiStar shop-floor CMM, the Formtracer Avant and the Crysta‑Apex V series of CNC CMMs for smart factories.
For further information www.mitutoyo.co.uk

The GrindTec 2020 exhibition is set to take place in Augsburg, Germany on 18-21 March and, for the first time, MTI magazine will be among the exhibitors.

The last edition of the biennial show in 2018, attracted 19,100 visitors, up 6.4% against the 2016 event. Around 38% visited from countries other than Germany. In addition, some 645 exhibitors from 30 countries attended in 2018, a rise of 11.8%.
GrindTec is major international exhibition on grinding technology. However, beyond purely grinding, the focus of 2020 exhibitors will also be on topics such as Industry 4.0 and electromobility. The quality of GrindTec visitors has always been praised by exhibitors, with the outstanding characteristic cited as decision-making competence. At the 2018 show, 64% of visitors were sole decision-makers or directly involved in the decision-making process.
For further information www.grindtec.de/en

Southern Manufacturing 2020 is set to get underway this week (11-13 February) at the Farnborough International Exhibition and Conference Centre.

The show is self-described as the most comprehensive annual industrial exhibition in the UK, and a major pan-European showcase for new technology in machinery, production equipment, tooling and components, as well as subcontract services. Some 800 exhibitors and 9000 visitors are expected to attend.
The show is a must for anyone involved in design, engineering and procurement – the place to see the latest in production hardware, components, consumables and technology serving industries such as aerospace/defence, automotive, industrial machinery, energy, marine and medical, to list but a few. As always MTI magazine will be present at the show, this year on Stand M215. Visitors are welcome to call by and pick up a copy of the show issue from the friendly team, or simply find out more about the industry’s most effective way to buy and sell machine tools.
For further information www.industrysouth.co.uk

Ibarmia’s range of five-axis travelling-column machining centres is now exclusively available in the UK from Dugard.

The partnership is the result of increased UK interest in machines of this type. “Through working with Dugard, engineers in the UK will have the opportunity to invest in the highest level of technology with the best local service support,” says Ignacio Mera, Ibarmia’s area sales manager for the UK. “We are excited to bring the success of our solutions to the UK and we are confident Dugard is the perfect partner.”
Adds Eric Dugard, managing director of Dugard: “With a full line up of three, four and five-axis travelling-column machines from 1.5 to 12 m capacity, featuring complete turning capabilities, the flexibility, capability and opportunities for UK manufacturers are evident. Built in the Basque region of Spain, an area renowned for its heavy-duty machine-tool building and innovation, the Ibarmia range will give Dugard and its customers machining capabilities and flexibility beyond that of anything else seen in the UK. As well as the travelling-column machines, Ibarmia has introduced a range of universal five-axis machines – the T-series.”
For further information www.dugard.com