Editor’s Pick

DJM installs first XYZ 500LR VMC in UK

Based in the village of Warkworth, near Banbury, DJM Engineering has recently acquired an XYZ 500LR vertical machining centre – the first of its type in the UK – to handle the company’s requirement for one-off and small batch work. A Siemens 828D control was supplied with the upgrade to Shopmill software, along with Renishaw Primo tool and work probing as part of the overall package.

“We are impressed by the capabilities of the XYZ 500LR machine, and are not holding back on speeds and feeds across a range of materials,” says director Colin Merry. “The machine is more than capable of maximising modern cutting-tool technology, and provides us with a working envelope that is ample for our needs in a compact footprint.”
The machine was purchased to meet growing demand for not only its own work on special machines, but an increase in subcontract jobs.
“From the word go, discussing our requirements with XYZ, we were confident that we were being pointed in the direction of a machine that would meet our needs, not just a machine that XYZ wanted to sell,” says Merry. “As a small family concern it is a refreshing change to get such service from a supplier, as it is how we like to think we treat our customers; the result being ongoing business.”
The XYZ 500LR was launched in 2017 as the first XYZ machining centre to feature linear rail guides, a decision taken as XYZ now feels that this technology meets its stringent quality/performance criteria. The three-machine LR series (500, 750, and 1000) also features the standard Siemens 828D, which allows customers to tailor the options to their requirements, such as the Shopmill feature used by DJM.
For further information www.xyzmachinetools.com

Soraluce set for XXL series open house

For those tasked with the milling, boring and turning of large components, Soraluce will stage its XXL series open house on 6-9 March in Bergara, Spain.

The company will also be showcasing multi-tasking technology applied to heavy-duty components, whereby a single machine offers several cutting processes, including turning, milling, boring, drilling and tapping. Soraluce provides a range of multi-tasking capabilities thanks to its design of turning heads and mill-turn tables.
The company says that it has pioneered many of the technologies that drive the machine tool sector today, such as the patented DAS systems (Dynamics Active Stabiliser), modular quill and RAM balance systems. At the open house Soraluce will stage a series of live demonstrations involving heavy-duty milling and boring.
For further information www.soraluce.com/en

24th MetalTech set for May

The 24th edition of MetalTech, a leading machine tools and metalworking technologies exhibition in Southeast Asia, will return to the Putra World Trade Centre in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia on 23-26 May 2018.

More than 2000 companies from 33 countries will participate, showcasing hundreds of machine-tool systems and products revolving around this year’s theme of Industry 4.0 and smart manufacturing.
Like many other advanced countries, Malaysia’s manufacturing industry is undergoing a period of rapid transformation, implementing robotic assembly lines and computer controlled processes. As a result, several exhibitors will also be showcasing complete assembly line systems, rather than individual machine tools. Furthermore, visitors will be treated to an opportunity to learn from industry heavyweights through the new live demonstration arena on the show floor, where ‘smartphone manufacturing processes’ will be the theme.
For further information www.metaltech.com.my

NISCO invests in billet-casting machine

The National Iranian Steel Company (NISCO), which belongs to the state-owned Iranian Mines and Mining Industries Development and Renovation Organisation (IMIDRO), has ordered a six-strand billet casting machine from SMS Concast AG, a company of SMS Group. The plant will be part of a newly built EAF-based meltshop and designed for an annual capacity of more than 800,000 tons of billets.

The new steel complex built in Miyaneh is expected to serve as a basis for the industrial development of the province. NISCO’s new six-strand Concast Convex CCS casting machine will produce billets of low-, medium- and high-carbon steels, among others, for rebar production. Capability includes a casting radius of 9 m and the production of billets of 130, 150 and 200 mm square in lengths ranging between 6 and 12 m. Depending on the steel grades and casting mode (open or submerged), casting speed will vary between 4.5 and 1.5 m/min.
For further information www.sms-group.com

Composites technology centre inaugurated

A key milestone was marked recently at a Yorkshire manufacturing centre, which from 2019 will start producing carbon-fibre tubs for McLaren Automotive, the British creator of luxury sports cars and supercars. The £50m McLaren Composites Technology Centre (MCTC) is nearing completion at the Advanced Manufacturing Park in Rotherham and is the result of an ongoing partnership between McLaren Autotmotive and the University of Sheffield’s Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre (AMRC).

After a launch at the AMRC’s Factory 2050, McLaren Automotive chief executive Mike Flewitt was on-hand to illuminate the famous marque’s sign in the new manufacturing centre. The recently unveiled McLaren Senna road car then performed a series of expertly choreographed ‘doughnuts’ to leave a trail of fresh Pirelli tyre rubber on the new centre’s floor to ‘christen’ it – McLaren style.
For further information www.cars.mclaren.com