Steve Holmes, owner of subcontract machining company Pro-Cut Precision Engineering of Milton Keynes, founded his business in 2010 and bought a second-hand Hurco VMX30 three-axis vertical machining centre (VMC) to carry out prismatic machining operations.

Today, specialising in a mixture of prototyping and small batch work as well as longer production runs, he has on the shop floor seven modern machines from the same supplier. One of the most recent additions is the first full five-axis model on site, a trunnion-type VMX30Ui.

The VMX30Ui joined an existing VM30i three-axis machining centre in an adjacent unit that has benefitted from the addition of a Kitagawa rotary-tilt table with Lang work holding. The machine provides further five-axis capability while retaining the possibility of using the full 1270 mm X axis for processing larger components. When carrying out five-sided metal-cutting operations, the machine is often programmed using Hurco’s transform-plane software in the Max5 control.

Holmes advises that the move towards five-axis was a natural progression for the company and, having two different configurations of machine, allows him to produce a greater variety of workpiece sizes and shapes. He is impressed with the reliability and performance of the Hurco machines and says they produce components of high accuracy and surface finish.

“Compared with other models on the market, the VMX30Ui can handle surprisingly large sized components, considering the relatively small footprint of the VMC,” he states.

“We are happy to machine five-sided components in 3+2 axis mode or undertake fully simultaneous five-axis work, the more complex parts presently being required mainly for the motorsport sector.

“The flexibility to serve a variety of customers is key to our business success and the latest, larger capacity five-axis model will help us further in this respect.”

For further information
www.hurco.co.uk

Launched in October by Brother at the EMO exhibition in Milan, the new Speedio W1000Xd1 30-taper vertical machining centre has a 1 m X axis, like the S1000X1 model that it supersedes. However, there are profound differences between the two Japanese-built machines, according to sole sales and service agent in the UK and Ireland, Whitehouse Machine Tools.

For instance, the new machine has been fitted with low-inertia motors and incorporates CAE-optimised castings to minimise the weight of the main structure and improve rigidity. Additionally, the manufacturer’s fourth-generation D00 control increases acceleration, speed and responsiveness. The compact, 3.35-tonne machine sits in a nominally 2.4 sq m space.

The W1000Xd1 is the first machine from Brother to have an LCD touchscreen control (15-inch screen). Energy-efficient hybrid drive motors are in place, and the faster acceleration and deceleration of the low-inertia spindle motor, which harnesses interior permanent magnet technology, has cut tool-to-tool time by 25% to 0.6 seconds. In turn, cut-to-cut time is reduced from 1.4 to 1.2 seconds, shortening cycles by between 3% and 9% depending on workpiece size and complexity.

Four suites of support apps built into the control – Setup Tools, Adjust Tools, Production Tools and Recovery Tools – group relevant functions according to their purpose, leading to efficient operation. Production and operation status may be visualised more easily on the screen to speed and improve understanding of each machining process. Useful information like workpiece count, remaining tool life and power consumption is displayed during every production run.

As their name implies, Speedio machines are quick. Rapid traverse in X and Y is 50 m/min and even faster in the 300 mm Z axis at 56 m/min.

For further information
www.wmtcnc.com

The Engineering Technology Group (ETG) says it has risen the bar on cost-effective machining centres with the arrival of the Vulcan VMC650B. Part of the latest Vulcan brand that was launched in 2020, the VMC650B is the smallest model in a line of machines built-upon a box-way design which has been optimised with FEA to deliver high levels of rigidity and performance.

According to ETG, the new three-axis VMC650B is a robust workhorse capable of handling extreme cutting forces and loads, while maintaining smooth motion with increased dampening and cutting force characteristics. This smooth axis movement and vibration dampening are enhanced by an extra-wide saddle and base concept that is complemented by each axis utilising grade C3 precision-ground ballscrews and a pre-tensioned design.

From a specification perspective, the compact VMC650B has a work envelope of 650 x 500 x 500 mm in the X, Y and Z axis, with a spindle nose to table surface distance of 125 to 620 mm. This envelope works over a machine bed of 800 x 470 mm that can accommodate workpieces up to 500 kg. The BT40 spindle taper is provided with cutting tools from a swing-arm type tool facility that can hold up to 24 tools.

Rapid traverse rates of 25 m/min in all three axes guarantee productive machining within a solid build construction that boasts an overall weight of 4800 kg in a compact 2180 x 2040 mm footprint. Adding to this weight and stability is a reinforced rib design in the Z axis that delivers structural strength through the entire casting length.

For further information
www.engtechgroup.com

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