Editor’s Pick

XYZ Machine Tools helps to keep vans safe

Exeter-based Van Guard Accessories has invested in a new XYZ 750 TMC vertical machining centre with ProtoTRAK RMX control and 20-station carousel tool changer. The machine enabled this progressive manufacturing business to bring in-house the manufacture of prismatic parts for its ULTI Lock hook-lock, which is the first ‘Sold Secure’Gold level hook-lock for vans.

The first part on the new machine was the lock’s face plate. Fixturing was designed so that 22 face plates could fit on onepallet. Previously, countersinking of the face plates to three different depths took place manually, requiring 15 minutes per part. To subcontract this operation cost £1.10 per component, so in-house machining was easy to justify with a cycle time of 30 seconds per plate and a payback on the machine of less than three years.

Director of operationsLeigh Andrewssays: “The ULTI Lock has been a raging success; we’re making between 4000 and 6000 per month. Typically, each van will have two or three hook-locks, one on the rear door and two on the side door. We’re preparing more fixtures so that we can introduce the machining of other parts in-house. Currently we’re only using 50% of the XYZ 750 TMC’s capacity, so we have plenty of machining time available for different parts. Furthermore, with the machine’s swarf conveyor, we’re able to recover more money from recycling the swarf while at the same time maintaining a clean machine and clean coolant.”

Van Guard chose the XYZ 750 TMC as Leigh Andrews had experience of the machines at a previous company.

“Although we’re new to CNC machining, the graphics and ease of use of ProtoTRAK made the crossover from manual to CNC machining easy,” he concludes.

For further information www.xyzmachinetools.com

ETG expands its offering

CNC machine tool supplier, the Engineering Technology Group (ETG), has formed a new business division for fabrication. Always intent on meeting market challenges, the new ‘Fabrication Division’ will provide turnkey solutions for the fabrication industry with the VLB Group as one of its partners.

As with all solutions and services from ETG, the company has no interest in ‘shifting boxes’, so the new Fabrication Division will be headed up by Andrew Smith Hughes who joins the ETG family with more than a decade of expertise in delivering turnkey solutions to the marketplace. The new Fabrication Division will incorporate a range of technologies that include tube bending, flat-bed laser cutting and cold roll forming to list but a few, with ancillary fabrication product lines also available to support manufacturers.

For further information www.engtechgroup.com 

Mazak takes its largest ever UK order

Yamazaki Mazak UK has recorded a successful year for machine sales in 2023, a year that included its largest-ever machine order.The success was driven by a strong pipeline of high-value project wins based around the company’s experience and competence in project management, engineering support and turnkey solutions. In addition, a particularly strong December open house attracted more than 700 visitors over the four days.

During the year, Mazak also sold its largest-ever machine into the UK market and achieved strong sales for five-axis machines, multi-tasking machines (2023 marked the 35th anniversary of the introduction of Mazak’s flagship Integrex machine series) and the QT turning centre range.Results were also helped by the strong performance of key sectors, including aerospace, defence and medical, along with the recovery in the energy sector and subcontracting.

For further information www.mazakeu.co.uk

World-first welding technology

Engineers from across Europe met in Flimby, Cumbria last month to demonstrate welding technology that will transform the way repairs take place in the shipping industry.Forth Engineeringinvited 12 partners from across Europe to showcase RESURGAM (Robotic Survey, Repair and Agile Manufacturing), a project that combines in-water friction stir welding technology with artificial intelligence and robotics.

The new technology will ultimately allow ship owners to repair vessels in the water, eliminating the need for a dry dock, thusimproving safety, cutting costs and saving time. Forth will share outcomes of the demonstration with the consortium and continue to work towards a solution that will be ready for roll-out across Europe and beyond.

For further information www.forth.uk.com

1st MTA gains sales agency for Sinco

1st Machine Tool Accessories (1st MTA) is now the sole sales agent in the UK and Ireland for the modular range of zero-point work-holding products manufactured by Slovakian firm Sinco. The versatile MultiZero is said to be the most capable on the market as it incorporates more zero points than any other: up to 273 in a single solution.

Established more than 40 years ago, Sinco manufactures in excess of 250 standard MultiZero modules, comprising base plates, pallets and fixtures. The product family offers five different pallet types for manual or automatic clamping of parts on a machining centre, die-sink or wire-erosion EDM machine, measuring machine, or assembly station. Sinco also produces fixturing arrangements to suit the bespoke work-holding requirements of users.

For further information www.1mta.com