Feature on Grinding and Surface Finishing

Coatings firm achieves 25% turnover increase

Burscough-based IRS Surfacing Technologies has achieved 25% year-on-year growth in turnover from 2021 to 2023. Despite a challenging period for the manufacturing sector, current projections for 2024 are estimated to outstrip those of 2023 for IRS.

For the six months leading up to the end of November 2023, the specialist coatings business accelerated growth by achieving a 44% increase in turnover compared with the same period last year. This lays the foundations for a strong financial future, forecast at £1.4m for 2024.

Specialising in ceramic, stainless steel, thermal and bronze coatings, as well as overlay technology, the family-run business reports that demand for its services continued to grow during the pandemic. The business was able to make a £30,000 investment in improving its welfare facilities for staff, as well as installing a new office in February 2022 to bolster its customer-facing relations and attract more business. 

Since 2021, IRS has increased its monthly revenue through organic growth and is currently on-boarding an average of four new customers a month. The coatings company also recently launched a new website, which forms part of a wider marketing plan to expand its regional platform to a larger customer base.

IRS was founded in 1989 by John Berry, the late father of the current owner, Rob Berry, who says: “At IRS, we pride ourselves on quality, and I truly believe that’s why the business continues to do so well. It’s not just quality in our products, but in everything from our staff to service, through to after service. As a business owner, seeing an uptick in financial performance is always good news, and it’s a trajectory we want to retain.”

More information www.irsltd.co.uk

Take the edge off with ultrasonic deburring

Following the success of the UltraTEC A25, A100 and B10 ultrasonic deburring systems, Vollmer UK is launching the new A25S. UltraTEC is part of the Vollmer Group and has won a string of awards for its patented ultrasonic deburring technology that only uses water.

Formed in 2019, UltraTEC offers proprietary technology that utilises an oscillating ultrasonic horn to generate soundwaves and cavitation for cleaning and deburring external and internal edges reliably. The environmentally friendly solution uses water to provide sharp-edged burr-free parts that are often impossible to process via alternative methods.

Suitable for small to medium-sized components, the UltraTEC ultrasonic A25S creates a formation and dissolution/implosion of bubbles in the water that releases intense energy. This energy arrives courtesy of ultra-high oscillation at 20 kHz with an oscillation width of ±80-120 µm, which far exceeds the amplitude of ultrasonic cleaning, cutting and welding technologies.

The new A25S takes the innovation of UltraTEC’s previous models and offers more rigidity, vibration dampening and thermal stability with a welded steel machine base filled with mineral concrete. This base creates a more robust platform, ensuring enhanced machine kinematics, component quality and repeatability.

Improved stiffness and a heavier base are the foundation blocks for a welded steel machine frame that replaces the aluminium version on previous models. The new steel frame also improves operator access and ergonomics, while creating a streamlined and futuristic machine appearance. This structure also incorporates a new PE500 confetti structure insulation that supersedes the previous machine insulation to yield better noise insulation and extend machine life with its water-resistant characteristics.

More information www.vollmer-group.com

Anca celebrates 50 years with open house

Tool and cutter grinding machine specialist Anca marked its 50 th anniversary with an open
house event at its UK branch. The event, which showcased a range of grinding technology
innovations and celebrated five decades of partnership with manufacturers and partners,
attracted over 80 visitors from across the UK and Ireland.


The open house featured an array of topics to demonstrate the company’s latest
innovations, including the AIMS automation system, the latest release of Anca ToolRoom
software, and ULTRA technology for top-quality tool production. Attendees also gained
insights into micro-tool manufacturing and single set-up tool manufacturing with integrated
peel grinding.


Among the highlights were live machine demonstrations, informative presentations and
celebratory activities, offering attendees a first-hand look at the latest technologies for
precision tool manufacturing in action. In addition, Anca collaborated with industry partners
CemeCon (coating technology), GDS (clamping technology), Tyrolit (grinding wheels) and
Oelheld (fluid technology), thus providing visitors with access to experts across the
manufacturing process chain.


“We were thrilled to celebrate 50 years of innovation and success with our valued
customers and partners,” says Neil Kendrick, operations manager at Anca UK. “The open
house was an excellent opportunity for attendees to explore our latest advancements and
gain valuable insights to enhance their businesses.”


In a significant development, Anca UK announced a strategic partnership with GDS
Präzisionszerspanungs GmbH from Germany. Under the new partnership, Anca will
represent GDS in the UK and Ireland, bringing high-quality clamping solutions and combined
expertise to the market.
More information www.anca.com

More than 11,000 visit Grinding Hub 2024

Around 500 exhibitors and more than 11,100 visitors: that was the outcome of GrindingHub
2024 which concluded last month after four successful days.
“The trade fair has developed very well since its successful launch two years ago,” reports Dr
Markus Heering, managing director of show organiser, the VDW (German Machine Tool
Builders’ Association). “The strong figures and positive mood at GrindingHub speak for
themselves.”


Sebastian Schmid, vice president at co-operation partner Messe Stuttgart, adds: “Grinding is
one of the most important machining processes. We are delighted that we’ve been able to
offer the grinding technology community a platform here in Stuttgart for the second time.
This confirms that we are meeting an important industry need with this trade fair.”
In the visitor survey, 42% of respondents had travelled from abroad, from 75 countries. The
majority came from Switzerland, Italy, Austria, Turkey and France. One in 10 trade fair
visitors travelled to Stuttgart from Asia in order to experience the latest innovations in
grinding technology.


Compared with the premiere of GrindingHub in 2022, the quality of visitors improved once

again. Around 90% said that they were involved in company purchasing and procurement
decisions. Over 80% of decision-makers came to the trade fair with firm investment
intentions, with 42% planning to make investments in the next six months.
“This should encourage manufacturers for the rest of the year, especially in light of the
current economic situation,” says Heering. “We ultimately succeeded with the second
edition in establishing GrindingHub as the international meeting point for the grinding
technology industry. The heart of the industry beats in Stuttgart.” 
The next GrindingHub will be held in Stuttgart on 5-8 May 2026.
More information www.grindinghub.de

MecWash optimises component cleaning at HSP

Hydraulic System Products (HSP) contacted MecWash to upgrade its component cleaning to meet increasing demand and the strict cleanliness requirements of clients. With high standards required from customers in the OEM construction industry, the quality of the wash and dry process was essential to the success of the business.

Alan Atkinson, sales manager at MecWash, says: “We carried out extensive research at HSP to understand the application and the contaminants involved in their hydraulic products. Delivering precision engineered parts manufactured to the highest specifications requires rigorous cleaning of the components.”

The MecWash MWX300 was selected as the most effective machine for HSP’s application, with full ultrasonic cleaning functionality. Ultrasonic wash and rinse capabilities transmit high-frequency sound waves through the wash solution, which destabilises the contamination and facilitates fast and economical cleaning with high process quality.

“The processes that follow include a flood and spray rinse, hot air dry, vacuum dry and ambient air cooling, providing an extremely thorough cleaning and drying process, and a fantastic finish,” says Atkinson.

Stephen Westwood, general manager at HSP, adds: “We considered several manufacturers, but through trials and proving out of the MecWash MWX300’s capabilities, we were impressed with the machine’s excellent cleaning results. This improvement has enabled us to meet or exceed our OEM client’s stringent cleanliness standards. We are delighted with our new machine and value its ability to clean and achieve our customers stringent cleanliness standards.”

For further information www.mecwash.com