FEATURE ON CNC LATHES AND TURNING CENTRES

You Ji vertical lathe in situ at TDT Machine Tools

A new You Ji VTL1600ATC+C vertical lathe is now in situ at TDT Machine Tools. From the world’s largest producer of large-capacity vertical lathes, theVTL1600ATC+C made an epic journey fromYou Ji in Taiwan to West Yorkshire.

In an era where precision meets power, the eagerly awaited arrival of the You Ji VTL1600ATC+C vertical lathe sent waves of excitement through TDT. Arriving on four lorries with a wide-loadescort, the new addition replaced an old Dörries machine and brings new turn-mill strategies to the manufacturing process. According to TDT, the robust design, heavyweight performance and unparalleled capabilities support the adoption of new machining methods and tooling that users can push to the limit.

The You Ji YV and VTL series of vertical ram-type turning lathes are built for large, heavy part machining with tables ranging from 600 to 4500mm diameter. These vertical lathes feature a heavy Meehanite cast iron construction, rigid, extra-large box ways, and large diameter pre-tensioned ballscrews. All mating surfaces are coated with Turcite-B and hand scraped for perfect fit and alignment.

Both the YV and VTL series machines feature Timken cross-roller table bearings for rigidity and precision. High-power spindle motors coupled with ZF planetary gearboxes provide high torque for heavy metal removal.

VTL series machines are available in table sizes from 1000 to 4500 mm and feature a symmetrical base/column design with moveable cross rails in programmable 200mm increments. Variable column heights/ram strokes are available to accommodate very tall workpieces. Twin rams are available on the VTL-1600 size and larger machines.

The installation process spanned two weeks of meticulous work, with TDTs team of engineers installing the machine into the existing pit foundation, with minor modifications where the Dörries came out.

For further information www.tdt-machinetools.co.uk

Turnover more than quadruples in three years




Historically, a majority of subcontractor Reginson Engineering’s turnover came from the aerospace sector, with oil and gas generating most of the remainder. However, when Covid struck in early 2020 the aerospace contracts dried up. While ventilator work took off, the company knew this was only temporary, so the family-run business owned by Steve Hatch set about finding business elsewhere. What transpired altered the company’s fortunes entirely, as a contract from a jewellery manufacturer combined with strong growth in aerospace conspired to increase turnover so dramatically that by 2023 it was 447% higher than before the pandemic.

Even better is to come. The jewellery company is so pleased with the quality of the mainly titanium jewellery pieces already supplied that it has signalled its intention to increase the annual quantity of parts from 100,000 to 1 million per month over the next few years. The machine tools underpinning both the quantity and quality of the jewellery parts produced at the Nuneaton factory are yet more Citizen Cincom sliding-head lathes.

Reginson Engineering is a long-time user of these Japanese-built sliders dating back to the early 1990s. In October 2020, the lathes were joined on the shop floor by the subcontractor’s first Citizen fixed-head model, a 64 mm bar capacity Miyano ABX-64SYY twin-turret, twin-spindle turn-mill centre. The user describes the machine as “fantastic”, as it has allowed the company to slash cycle times compared with using other turning plant on site.

The upturn in throughput generated by the jewellery contract required much more sliding-head capacity, so the subcontractor has bought 14 new Cincoms in the past couple of years. They are now seven 20 mm bar capacity A20-VIIs on site and the same number of 12 mm capacity L12-VIIs.
For further information www.citizenmachinery.co.uk

Tornos and Starrag merger remains on track




As announced by the Tornos Group in May, the executive board and board of directors have been examining a merger with the Starrag Group over the past few months. Based on the positive results of the review and negotiations, the two boards of directors recently signed a merger agreement. The boards of directors of Starrag Group Holding Ltd and Tornos Holding Ltd are now asking their respective shareholders to approve this merger agreement.

The two groups of companies and their offerings complement each other, and a merger to form the StarragTornos Group would further strengthen room for manoeuvre as a manufacturer of precision machine tools. Tornos says it is convinced that if the planned merger gains approval by the two general assemblies, it will be able to offer customers even better technology solutions, products and services.

Bundled resources and combined technical know-how will significantly strengthen the new company’s innovative power, further developing existing technologies and driving forward new solutions. Furthermore, by increasing geographical presence, the merged company will make its performance and expanded range of services available globally on an even more personal, better and faster level.

The Tornos brand of Swiss-type sliding-head lathes and the brands of the Starrag Group have a long tradition. They are rooted in Switzerland and enjoy a high level of customer trustworldwide. That is why the companies want to keep them unchanged, even after the planned merger. The existing production sites of Tornos and Starrag are also to continue, withno job cuts planned as a result of the proposed merger. It goes without saying that familiar contacts at the Tornos Group will also remain the same.
For further information www.tornos.com

Host of new Colchester products on show




Colchester Machine Tool Solutions recently staged its first open house in four years. Taking place at the company’s European Technology Centre in Elland, West Yorkshire, the company showcased a whole host of new products to existing and prospective customers. Across the two-day event, there were also live product demonstrations and talks on the latest product ranges, as well as refreshments and a special prize giveaway.

This year marks the 30th anniversary of Tornado CNC turning centres, so Colchester Machine Tool Solutions has brought them back better than ever in new and modern configurations to give customers high rigidity and accuracy for any machining project.

Also on show was the Colchester Student centre lathe, which the company says is known throughout industry as the ultimate training and apprentice’s machine tool. This year, Colchester Machine Tool Solutions released the Student CNC lathe, a modern variant designed and engineered in the UK. The lathefeatures the latest FANUC controls, giving the user flexibility in programming, including ISO, conversational Manual Guide i or via CADCAM.

Completing the turning line-up, Colchester’s range of manual centre lathes and Alpha CNC/manual combination lathes also took the spotlight.

New from a milling perspective was the Storm vertical machining centre range, offering linear guideways, box ways and compact tool-room machine variants, all capable of heavy-duty and precise machining.

Also on display were new CNC and manual turret mills, providing extensive reliability, accuracy and versatility for small to medium size production runs. The company’s automation partner Olympus Technologies was present to demonstrate its bespoke automation solutions in tandem with Colchester’s Storm VMCs, which are automation and Industry 4.0 ready.
For further information www.colchester.co.uk

Integrex i-H culminates 40 years of innovation




Mazak celebrated 40 years of multi-tasking innovation at the recent EMO 2023 exhibition in Hanover with four Integrex machines on its stand.Mazak’s multi-tasking journey started in 1983 with the Slant Turn 40N ATC, the forerunner of the modern Integrex. The latest Integrex variation, the i-H series, culminates 40 years of turn-mill innovation and learnings that has produced the most compact, automation-friendly and productive Integrex ever manufactured.

At EMO 2023, the Integrex i-200 H ST partnered with a world debut for the Ez Loader 30 collaborative robot cell. Handling workpieces up to 18kg and 50 to 200mm in diameter, the Ez Loader 30 offers a flexible solution for today’s fast turnaround manufacturing.

The Integrex i-200 H ST comes equipped with 5000 rpm main and second spindles and a 12,000 rpm rotating B-axis second spindle for done-in-one capability. The growing requirement for automation is fundamental to the design of the i-H series. All models feature a flat front, while the tool magazine sits at the rear, providing greater accessibility to site automation at the front of the machine while maintaining accessibility for the operator. The rear-mounted 38-tool magazine reduces the machine’s overall footprint (optionally expandable to 74 or 112 tools). As well as providing access to the magazine area at the rear, tools can also be loaded and unloaded at the front of the machine for convenient operation.

Through innovative technology, the Ez Loader 30 solves the problem typically associated with automating high-mix, low-volume production of varied diameter components. Thanks to the automatic chuck-jaw changing function, the robot exchanges work-holding for both spindles to eliminate manual set-up and costly downtime between component runs.
For further information www.mazakeu.co.uk