In 2006, entrepreneur David Swaffield started his own contract machining firm, DWS Engineering, in Crewkerne, after gaining a mechanical engineering apprenticeship at a nearby packaging machinery manufacturer. He started out using manual machine tools, progressing to CNC prismatic machining in 2009 and fixed-head CNC turning the year after.

Frustrated at not being able to find pre-war British Standard Whitworth threaded nuts, bolts and other components for the family-owned 1923 Aveling and Porter 8 tonne steamroller he was refurbishing, he decided to make them himself, leading to the inauguration in 2017 of another company, Historic Threads. It was then that Swaffield discovered the capabilities and production potential of CNC sliding-head lathes from Citizen Machinery.

In 2017, the first Cincom L32 purchased second-hand from Citizen Machinery was delivered to Crewkerne, while a second-hand Cincom M32 of a similar age (with live tools) arrived in March 2021. Then in March 2022, due to the steep rise in demand worldwide for legacy threaded components, a third sliding-head lathe took its place on the shop floor, this time a new Cincom L32-VIII LFV.

Shortly after the machine arrived, Swaffield received DWS Engineering’s biggest ever single order for the supply of brass, aluminium and stainless steel parts from 10 to 20 mm in diameter for use in the assembly of make-up brushes and pencils.

The latest Cincom is said to be ideal for fulfilling this contract. For example, the low frequency vibration (LFV) chip-breaking software built in to the control is able to avoid stringy swarf when drilling a 100 mm long, 8.5 mm diameter hole down the centre of a 10 mm diameter stainless steel pencil, even though the machine is not fitted with optional high-pressure coolant.
For further information www.citizenmachinery.co.uk

Occupying a footprint of only 12.5 sq m, the new Robo2Go Max from DMG Mori allows the easy and flexible automation of large lathes and turn-mill centres. The robotic system handles workpieces from 40 to 400 mm in diameter and weighing up to 115 kg – the maximum payload including gripper being 210 kg.

Robo2Go Max is based on a six-axis industrial robot housed in a safety enclosure that also contains a workpiece storage module. In the basic version, it can be loaded and unloaded quickly with two Euro pallets via a roller shutter door, either by forklift truck or by a DMG Mori driverless PH-AGV automated guided vehicle. Alternatively, users can wheel workpieces in and out on trolleys.

A vision system is available to detect the position of raw material and finished parts on the pallets. The system offers space for additional options such as alignment and turnover stations, which means that users can produce even the most complex workpieces autonomously.

A modular gripper provides flexibility in terms of handling a wide diversity of components. Regardless of the Robo2Go Max configuration, the control system and tool magazine of the respective turning centre remain freely accessible.

As with the smaller Robo2Go Turning, no robot programming knowledge is required to set up and operate the larger system. For uniform control of Robo2Go variants, DMG Mori has developed its own app that enables the creation of a production process based on predefined program blocks. The app has a multi-job function to allow placement of different components on one pallet or tray, suitable for producing small and medium batch sizes.
For further information www.dmgmori.com

As a manufacturer of fasteners with over 150 years of experience, Coventry-based Special Bolt can produce more than 100,000 pieces in a single day shift. This capacity has been boosted by the arrival of a Hanwha XE20 sliding head-turning centre from Dugard.

Tim Bayliss, managing director of Special Bolt, says: “The main reason we bought this machine was for capacity. We also needed something that would fit into our limited space. The Hanwha XE20 machine is the opposite hand to existing sliding-head machines, so it fitted perfectly. Our new Hanwha XE20 has the same versatility as other machines, but seems a lot smaller with a lot more punch.”

Producing components in various materials and in standard and bespoke sizes from 6 to 24 mm diameter, Special Bolt manufactures everything from locating flange screws, conrod bolts, striker pins, serrated shoulder studs, dome nuts, shear bolts, nyloc nuts, full hex nuts and many more variations that can be produced to customer specifications.

Referring to the diversity of the machine’s workload, Bayliss says: “It has enough power to do all of our different jobs. Some are easy, some are not, but if you don’t have the power, you can’t make the parts that your customers require.”

Looking at the work going through the machine, he adds: “If we’re making short parts and only doing a turning operation, we could be making a part every 20 seconds. Then, we could be producing a longer part that may have a cycle time of 6 or 7 minutes. It all depends on part complexity. However, it’s more about the fact that this Hanwha machine does all of the parts in a batch exactly the same – each and every time.”
For further information www.dugard.com

“We are taking things up a notch.” This was the slogan that Swiss automatic sliding-head (Swiss-type) turning machine and multi-spindle machine manufacturer Tornos adopted for at the recent AMB trade fair in Stuttgart and IMTS exhibition in Chicago.

The fact that Tornos plays a role not just in medical and dental technology, but also in the automotive industry, is proven by two new Swiss DT 26 HP machines with six axes that were unveiled for the first time at AMB, alongside the SwissNano 10. The latter is a larger version of the SwissNano 4 and the SwissNano 7, which have already met with success in the micro-machining sector, particularly in the medical and dental, watchmaking and electronics industries. With a capacity of 10 mm, this machine is now able to manufacture larger watch components, economically and precisely.

With its six axes, the Swiss DT 26 HP is flexible and productive, and features a specific design to meet the needs of the electric mobility sector. A SwissDECO 36 TB and Swiss GT 26 completed the line-up for AMB.

As for IMTS, Tornos showed a dental implant being machined on a MultiSwiss 6×16 (pictured). Also on display was a five-axis Swiss DT 26 HP and a SwissNano 7.

IMTS visitors were also thrilled by a star guest: the return of one of Tornos’ best sellers, the Deco 10, which has undergone a complete overhaul for its 25th anniversary. Customers who already own one will have the opportunity to trade in their old machine for a redesigned, higher-performance version.
For further information www.tornos.com