When Hi-Spec Precision Engineering Ltd needed a new centre lathe for its machine shop, the Rutland-based company quickly opted for the heavy-duty Colchester Magnum from 600 UK.
“The larger capacity end of the work we do, is also the lower quantity of our work,” says managing director Darren Grainger. “We have all the latest CNC machine tool technology, but with the Colchester Magnum centre lathe we can just hop on the machine, do a quick turnaround job and get it out the door in the time that many CNC jobs would take to set.

“The Colchester Magnum also has the largest diameter-to-length ratio of all our machines, and will take the heaviest parts,” he adds. “There are some jobs that come through the door which have to go on the Magnum centre lathe as they wouldn’t fit on our other machines, and we just couldn’t take these jobs otherwise.
“We originally had another machine in the place, but we weren’t happy with our purchase so we replaced it with the Magnum. When making the purchase, we already had a number of 600 UK machines and we didn’t want to buy a Chinese product, as we had been down that route before.”
Referring to the machine specification, Grainger continues: “Whilst I have gone for a machine with an 800 mm swing over the 660 mm variant, the bed is wider and the machine is heavier than any other in its class.”
For further information
www.600uk.com

Three turning machines supplied by TW Ward CNC Machinery (Ward CNC) are playing a key role at Sheffield-based Cosmopolitan Engineering, where they enable the company to consistently meet customer demands. Installed progressively, the trio of Hyundai-Wia turning machines – an L400LMC lathe with C axis and driven tools,
an SKT-300 turning centre and a L300C two-axis lathe – have enabled the firm to produce parts as one-offs or in small batches of up to 10. However, one particular ongoing contract for the volume machining of a family of axles demonstrates how the Ward CNC-supplied machines combine to good effect.

Produced from EN24T billets, the axles range in size from 100 to 120 mm diameter, and from 290 to 937 mm long. All sizes are turned to diameter then, on the shortest version, a grease nipple hole is drilled and a 16 mm wide by 20 mm deep cross slot is machined by the SKT-300. On the larger sizes, which are machined on the 2 m bed L400LMC on C axis and driven tools, a screw thread is generated.
Mark Leonard, who has been production manager at the company for over two decades, says the machines have never let Cosmopolitan Engineering down.
“We have been dealing with Ward CNC for many years, working with the applications engineering department to machine/manufacture items such as tool posts, to accompany new machine sales. Importantly, the Hyundai-Wia machines are all powerful, geared headstock machines – with a 22 kW spindle motor on the L300C, 26 kW on the SKT-300 and 30 kW on the L400LMC.”
For further information
www.wardcnc.com

Faringdon Precision Engineering has become the first UK manufacturer to invest in a Doosan lathe equipped with a Siemens control. The company has acquired a new Doosan 10” chuck/81mm bar capacity Puma GT 2600 lathe, with Siemens Sinumerik 828D control, from Mills CNC. Since being installed at Faringdon Precision’s facility in March 2017, the lathe has been used to machine a range of parts for the US semiconductor market.
Comprising different diameters and different lengths, these stainless steel (304) components are machined to high tolerances and surface finishes, before being assembled to create cylindrical-shaped ‘chambers’ that collect, filter and ultimately incinerate hazardous gases used in the manufacture of silicon chips and integrated circuits.
The Puma GT 2600 is a versatile and rigidly-designed box guideway two-axis lathe equipped with a 22 kW/3500 rpm spindle (622 Nm torque).

“Doosan machines are reliable and represent great value, and the GT 2600 lathe delivers excellent cutting performance
as well as providing us with greater process security,” explains Trevor Timpson, director at Faringdon Precision. “We invest in CNC machines with Siemens controls because, from both a programming and operating perspective, our staff find these CNCs easier
to understand and use.”
The preference for, and investment in, Siemens-controlled machines has also helped Faringdon Precision address the thorny issue of skills shortages.
“The intuitive and conversational nature of Siemens controls, combined with their ShopTurn and ShopMill icon-driven software, means that our apprentices do not need to know all the ‘ins and outs’ of G-code programming before they can become productive and set-up the machines to start cutting metal,” says Timpson.
For further information
www.millscnc.co.uk

As a manufacturer and distributor of earthing materials and lightning protection equipment, products from Kingsmill Industries are used across a wide range of construction projects. The Pinxton, Derbyshire-based business is seeing significant growth driven by the booming construction sector in the Middle East and, with the majority of its products manufactured in-house, Kingsmill needed to increase production and productivity, and turned to XYZ for help.

Turning was a priority as a replacement was needed for an ageing CNC lathe. Here, an XYZ Compact Turn 52 with an optional LNS barfeed proved to be a good solution. The Compact Turn 52 provides 52 mm bar capacity, a 20 hp/5000 rpm spindle and a Siemens 828D ShopTurn control. The gains that Kingsmill Industries sought were immediately realised with cycle times being cut by 50% compared with the machine it replaced.
“We have a wide range of components that make up our products, and batch sizes can be quite large, so the barfeed fitted to the XYZ lathe is perfect,” says production manager Ashley Jones. “We are confident that we can leave the machine running for extended periods unmanned, with just the occasional intervention to check tolerances and empty the swarf bin. We find the Siemens control extremely user-friendly and the combination of control, machine and barfeed means that the XYZ CT52 gives us what we needed at a price we were happy to pay.”
The XYZ Compact Turn is the second XYZ machine at Kingsmill Industries as the company also has an SMX 2500 bed mill to help manage its milling requirements.
For further information
www.xyzmachinetools.com

Haco Kingsland says that a CNC turn-mill centre has been designed, manufactured and shipped to an Australian customer. This multi-tasking machine is equipped with a high-specification milling head, a tool magazine integrated with an automatic tool changer, an exceptionally big spindle bore of 360 mm, a special solution for using long boring bars, a sub-spindle, and many other elements that enable efficient and precise machining. The machine provides the possibility to machine workpieces up to 7500 mm in length and up to 1000 mm in diameter.

According to the company it is one of the most technologically advanced FAT Haco machines ever produced.
The shipping of such a large machine proved to be a sizeable logistic task because it was
sent in a single piece. As a result, the organisation of the loading, as well as the transport itself, was challenging for both for FAT Haco and the carrier. However, the whole operation ended in success, with the machine safely reaching the shipping port.
For those interested in seeing FAT Haco machines up close, the company will be represented at the forthcoming EMO 2017 exhibition in Hanover, Germany (18-23 September). On stand B04 in hall 26, a FAT Haco TUR3MN 1300 x 4000 will be presented.
For further information
www.kingsland.com