Founded only five years ago, Grayline Engineering is a machine shop located in Woodbridge that typically reflects the general subcontract sector, manufacturing ‘anything and everything’, according to managing director Graham Chattenton. Central to the company’s growth is a strategy to invest in machine tools from Dugard.

“I used Dugard machines when I worked at other companies and they’ve always been helpful,” he says. “If there has ever been a service issue or problem with the machines, Dugard has stepped up to the mark and I’ve always been really happy with the results.”

When Grayline was set up five years ago it invested in two Dugard 32 sliding-head machines. To complement these machines, which have now been superseded in the Dugard range by the Hanwha series of sliding-head lathes, Grayline recently invested in a Dugard SMEC SL2000ASY sub-spindle turning centre with Y-axis machining capabilities.

With a swing over bed of 650 mm, a maximum machining diameter of 395 mm and a maximum machining length of 450 mm, this 8” chuck machine has been supplied with a Hydrafeed 65 bar feeding unit.

Offering a larger capacity than the sliding-head machines, the SMEC SL2000ASY has an 11/18.5 kW spindle motor with a maximum spindle speed of 4500 rpm, and a 5.5/7.5 kW motor on the sub-spindle. In addition, a driven tooling unit achieves a spindle speed of 5000 rpm from the 3.7/5.5 kW continuous live tooling motor.

Speaking about the purchase of the SMEC SL2000ASY slant-bed machine, Chattenton concludes: “The staff at Dugard are always quick to make sure that we’re getting everything we need to do the job. We pick up the phone and get all the answers we need.”

For further information
www.dugard.com

SteelFab, a leading exhibition for the metalworking, metal manufacturing and steel fabrication industries, will now take place in June 2021 rather than its scheduled January date. The show will open its doors on 7-10 June at the Expo Centre Sharjah in the United Arab Emirates. The decision is described by the organiser as difficult yet responsible, and in the best interests of all participants. Moving the event to June will also provide sufficient time for the industry to adapt, restore balance and regain confidence in exhibiting, visiting and travelling.

As the Middle East’s major showcase for machinery, technology and equipment, SteelFab will provide a platform for around 300 exhibitors across 26,000 sq m of floor space. Some 6500 trade visitors are likely to attend from approximately 70 countries. Special focus areas at the 17th edition of the show will include welding and cutting, machine tools, pipe and tube machinery, and wear-resistance/hard-facing solutions.

For further information www.steelfabme.com

HM Treasury is extending a £1m tax break to stimulate investment in UK manufacturing and boost market confidence. Businesses, including manufacturing firms, can continue to claim up to £1m in same-year tax relief through the Annual Investment Allowance (AIA) for capital investments in plant and machinery assets until 1 January 2022. The extension of the temporary £1m cap was originally due to revert to £200,000 on 1 January 2021.

Financial Secretary to the Treasury Jesse Norman says: “It is vital that we support business through the difficult months ahead. Extending the AIA’s £1m cap will give manufacturers the confidence they need for investment into next year, helping them to grow while also benefitting the wider economy.”

For further information www.gov.uk

MA Exhibitions, which owns and runs Subcon, The Engineer Expo and The Manufacturing Management Show, has taken the decision to reschedule the event from 26-28 January to 14-16 September 2021, running in Hall 12 at the Birmingham NEC. The organiser says its ongoing priority remains the health, safety and wellbeing of exhibitors, visitors and staff, and that the new September 2021 dates will provide the best possible event experience for everyone involved. All existing exhibitor bookings automatically transfer to the new dates and a member of the team will be in touch over the coming days to discuss any questions.

In addition, MA Exhibitions is launching a brand new virtual event, taking place on 9-11 February, to help keep the sector stay connected and engaged in the absence of the live show. Full details will follow shortly.

For further information www.subconshow.co.uk

Designed to reduce set-up times on lathes, the new BR-series of three-jaw chucks from Japanese firm Kitagawa provides a gripping accuracy of 0.01 mm TIR (total indicator reading) or less when using optional T-Nuts Plus jaws. The repeatability of jaw exchange is within the same tolerance, even on the largest chuck. BR-series chucks come in 6, 8, 10 and 12” versions, and are available in the UK and Ireland through sole agent 1st Machine Tool Accessories.

BR chucks are now Kitagawa’s standard offering and are interchangeable with its B-series and the large through-hole BB-series, which are both superseded. The TIR of these ranges was only guaranteed to within 0.02 mm.

Due to a new base jaw design and lower jaw lift, gripping forces at the maximum rotational speed of the chucks are now 10-15% greater to enable better metal removal rates. Kitagawa has maintained high spindle speeds throughout the range to enhance the surface finish of turned components.
On twin-spindle chucking lathes, which are becoming ever-more prevalent in turning shops, the better rotational accuracy of the workpiece allows more precise synchronous transfer from the main to the counter spindle for second-operation machining. Gripping force is up to 153 kN for the 12” chuck, while maximum rotational speed, attainable on the 6” model, is 6000 rpm.
Every chuck includes a QR code on the side to allow the download of product data.

For further information www.1mta.com/product/br-series