A new CNC steel processing machine from Ficep UK is now available to bring greater choice to the UK wind tower and offshore manufacturing industries. With the rapid growth of wind tower manufacturing, Ficep UK has brought to market its Energy CNC machine for steel plate drilling, milling and scribing. The automated Energy machine can handle extremely large and heavy steel plates – up to 30 m in length and 4 m in width.

Suitable for applications including the manufacture of wind towers and pressure vessels, the Ficep Energy is a gantry-style fabrication system, with two separate working areas to optimise plate loading and unloading. Available in different bed lengths, the machine can accommodate longer plates and the table can be sub-divided to create multiple processing zones. For added performance, the Energy starts with two 60 kW spindles that can accept milling tools up to 300 mm in diameter for the milling of plates up to 140 mm thick.

The Energy incorporates a probing system to locate all the critical edges of the part prior to spindle operations. It also includes a tool changer system – mounted on the spindle board – which automates and expedites tool selection and replacement. Notably, it is possible to integrate the system with other Ficep steel processing machines, including the Kronos – a heavy-duty gantry-style system with optional dual drill spindles that increase productivity in steel plate processing.

Says Ficep UK managing director Mark Jones: “The UK wind energy industry is growing rapidly, and so too are the size of the towers. Manufacturers need a reliable and efficient solution that is robust and can handle large expanses of material, which is exactly what our Energy system delivers.”

For further information
www.ficep.co.uk

The Meddings Group can trace its roots back to the late 1930s when the current chairman’s grandfather started the business. It was in 1941 that the first Meddings pillar drill was developed, a product, although greatly updated, which remains central to the group’s activities. With drill production growing the decision was taken to relocate to the company’s current location in Ivybridge, Devon. This move would not only give room for expansion and the development of its own products, but the acquisition of swimming pool heating manufacturer Thermalec, along with extensive subcontract machining and fabrication capabilities, and an industrial supplies division.

Says managing director Mark Dibbens. “We have re-shored all manufacturing of the Meddings drills and Meddings Thermalec products. Product development will see new drill designs being launched at MACH 2022, as well as expansion of the Meddings Thermalec range.”

To help meet increased machining requirements, Meddings Group has undertaken a major investment programme, spending over £1.4m in the past 12 months on capital equipment and facilities. The latest arrival is an XYZ UMC-5X five-axis machining centre.

Initially the focus of the XYZ UMC-5X will be on Meddings’ own products, with new developments of the company’s drills and Thermalec heaters benefitting from the capability of simultaneous five-axis machining. One example is the new design of pool heater vessel, which at over 100 kg in weight, means that reducing set-ups is a major advantage. Another product machined on the XYZ UMC-5X has seen dramatic reductions in cycle times, with one-hit machining cutting the original cycle time of 15 hours by 50%.

For further information
www.xyzmachinetools.com

Heller has introduced a second generation of its HF five-axis, horizontal-spindle machining centres. The HF 3500 and HF 5500 incorporate a multitude of improvements that build on the launch of the series in 2016. For instance, although the working volume of the HF 3500 remains 710 x 750 x 710 mm, the larger model has gained 30 mm in the Z axis, so travels are now 900 x 950 x 930 mm. Both machines are available with either an HSK-A63 or HSK-A100 tool interface and in three versions: POWER, SPEED and the new PRO option. The latter is for long periods of simultaneous five-axis machining.

Designed to raise cutting performance, innovations in the second generation include: an approximate halving of the minimum distance between the spindle nose and the centreline of the 225° swivelling trunnion; the availability of twin motors and ballscrew drives for moving the trunnion/rotary table assembly in the Z axis, with position feedback via linear scales; and the offer of six new spindles produced in an automated facility at Heller’s headquarters in Nürtingen, Germany. As before, a column travelling over the bed executes the X-axis motion, while Y-axis movement is courtesy of the spindle head moving up and down the column.

Other notable improvements in Gen2 machines include increased stiffness of key components, shorter chips-to-chip times and faster tool changes from a chain-type magazine with up to 240 pockets or a rack-type magazine with up to 405 positions. The high-end PRO package additionally offers 10 m/s2 acceleration in X, Y and Z. The guideways employ linear roller bearings, enabling high dynamics and rapids up to 90 m/min, while the rotary axes have direct drives and stable YRT bearings.

For further information
www.heller.biz

At the EMO 2021 machine tool exhibition in Milan last month, prismatic machining equipment manufacturer Hermle demonstrated its latest automation system, the RS1. The system feeds workpieces and machine pallets automatically into and out of either one or a pair of the company’s three- and five-axis machining centres. According to Hermle, the resulting production cells are now sufficiently simple for use by semi-skilled staff. The sole sales and service agent for the UK, Irish and Gulf markets is Kingsbury.

Occupying a compact area of just 12 sq m, the new RS1 robotic unit is capable of minimally attended operation, 24/7. In addition to performing its loading and unloading duties, the six-axis robot automatically exchanges handling devices for pallets and fixtures, as well as grippers for raw billets and finished components. Pallets accommodating large, heavy workpieces weighing up to 60 kg may be transported, or individual workpieces up to 15 kg.

A modifiable rack storage concept accommodates pallets, workpieces, fixtures and the interchangeable end effectors for the robot. Furthermore, it is possible to extend the standard two-rack modules with a third, while users may also incorporate automated guided vehicles and other expansion solutions such as measuring and cleaning modules.

For cells comprising two Hermle machines, a third-party control system with graphical user interface from SOFLEX is employed to plan and organise order processing, control workpiece flow, oversee resource provision and transmit the necessary production information to the machine tools. For single-machine cells, a Hermle Automation Control System (HACS) with integrated touch panel provides intelligent order processing, as well as intuitive operation and control.

For further information
www.kingsburyuk.com

The installation of one Hurco vertical machining centre per year between 2013 and 2017, plus the addition of a sixth in May 2021, partly to take advantage of the UK government’s 130% capital allowance, have coincided with a sustained improvement in the level of business at subcontract machining firm Kelvin Precision Products. Disregarding the first year, when the start-up firm’s income was relatively low and therefore unrepresentative, turnover has increased five-fold compared with the second year of trading.

Following the success of the first VMC, one year later another three-axis machine arrived – a VM10i with more advanced control technology and diagnostics. Soon after, the first five-axis machine took its place on the shop floor, a VM10Ui, followed by a second in 2016. A larger VM20i three-axis VMC with a 1168 x 508 mm table arrived a year later and then a third five-axis VM10Ui in spring 2021.

Having half of its prismatic metal-cutting capacity able to produce components efficiently in fewer set-ups using 3+2-axis cycles, with the rotary axes positioned and clamped, sets Kelvin apart from many of its competitors of similar size. It provides for high-quality work, typically to tolerances of ±0.05-0.10 mm, in short timescales. Normally, components are put on a five-axis machine for Op 1 and a three-axis machine for Op 2, if it is relatively simple. Fully interpolative five-axis milling and drilling on the Hurcos is available, should suitable jobs come along.

Today, the prismatic machining of a wide range of plastics and metals, including stainless steel, mild steel, cast iron, aluminium, brass and copper, are the mainstay of the company’s day-to-day work. Some parts are over 1 m in length.

For further information
www.hurco.co.uk