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

The new generation of the Index G220 turn-mill centre has arrived. With 76 mm spindle clearance, 230 mm chuck diameter and a turning length of 900 mm, this model rounds off the completely redesigned G series by adding a product of smaller dimensions.

Based on a rigid, vibration-damping machine bed in a mineral cast block design and using generously dimensioned linear guides in the X and Z axes, the new G220 offers stability, damping properties and dynamic attributes. A key element is the Z-axis slide with motorised milling spindle and hydro-dynamically mounted Y/B axis arranged above the axis of rotation.

The spindle drive (40 kW, 207 Nm, 6000 rpm) facilitates a range of drilling and milling operations, including five-axis machining. During machining, the milling spindle operates with a tool magazine offering space for up to 139 tools (HSK-T63 or HSK-T40). According to Index, the machine stands out because of its particularly simple set up. Next to the usual set-up station located at the front, further access to the two tool chains is available at the rear of the magazine. From here, the operator can re-tool one chain while the other is in use.

Notably, the two tool turrets arranged at the bottom are also responsible for efficient machining performance. These turrets are not only able to move in the X and Z directions, but also in the Y direction.

Thanks to the large working area and distance between the main and counter spindles, simultaneous machining is possible with the motorised milling spindle and tool turrets at the main and counter spindles, with no risk of collision. The Index G220 is available in the UK from Kingsbury Machine Tools.
For further information www.kingsburyuk.com