INTERNATIONAL NEWS

Major Mexico expansion for NI

Northern Industrial, a provider of new, reconditioned and obsolete parts and repair services, first opened an office in Mexico City in December 2020, its first location outside the UK prior to launching its German site earlier this year. The company has now launched fully in Mexico under the brand NI Controls and moved into new, fully-equipped premises in Querétaro, where it is looking to boost its workforce further to make Mexico the central hub for the entire Americas. Northern Industrial’s central operation in the UK stocks over 200,000 parts numbers, sourced from over 1350 manufacturers.
For further information www.nicontrols.com/uk

Vollmer holds majority stake in UltraTEC

Sharpening machinery specialist Vollmer now holds a majority share in start-up company ultraTEC Anlagentechnik Münz GmbH, which will be known as UltraTEC Innovation GmbH moving forward. UltraTEC launched its ultrasonic deburring systems in 2019 and is keen to advance its economic and marketing development. Vollmer was impressed by the start-up’s innovative spirit, its advanced ultrasonic deburring technology and the fact that UltraTEC is a fellow family-owned company from the Swabia region. The core expertise of ultraTEC Innovation lies in the contact-free deburring of metal and plastic components.
For further information www.vollmer-group.com

Aerospace giants to collaborate

Leonardo and BAE Systems are actively progressing UK-Italy collaboration opportunities on the demonstrator aircraft as part of the Future Combat Air System (FCAS) programme. The FCAS programme pursues the development of a technologically advanced multi-domain system of systems, underpinned by highly innovative and disruptive technologies, with a 6th generation core platform, and intended for the renewal of Eurofighter fleet.

This collaboration between Leonardo and BAE Systems will focus on the application of model-based system engineering (MBSE) design methodologies and the joint development of enabling technologies for the national sovereignty of the future system. These activities are the natural evolution of the innovation processes already initiated by the partner companies, and assume strategic importance as they explore a technological frontier not yet reached by European industry.
For further information www.leonardo.com

Discovering CMZ: Olympians in the making

CNC lathe and turning centre manufacturer CMZ might have taken the plunge with that headline, but the company says it never spoke a truer word. When CMZ stopped to think about it; the surface area of all of its manufacturing plants exceeds the size of 32 Olympic swimming pools. All of the company’s strategic plans aim at increasing its production capacity. After setting up new manufacturing and assembly plants, CMZ’s production muscle keeps getting stronger.

Some of those ‘swimming pools’ are occupied by the company’s two assembly plants. The longest-serving of those two is located at CMZ’s central headquarters in Zaldibar. Three lathes per day leave the plant, delivered to different clients spread out mainly across Europe. The Seuner plant opened its doors in 2015. It is in this facility that CMZ puts together large lathes of the TD series, without doubt marking a watershed moment in its production process.

CMZ’s philosophy is based on ‘homemade’; the company likes to control each stage of the manufacturing process. It believes that by doing this, the end result is better quality as CMZ has greater control over production, from start to finish. The company clearly saw that putting this motto into practice meant operating with its own manufacturing plants. Precitor, Meydi, Mecaninor and now Neoprec and Cafisur, are further best proof of this strategy.

Between CMZ’s machining plants, electrical cabinet assembly plants and its own industrial sheet metal business, which produces covers for the lathes, the company can say that it controls the process with a product that is 90% its own.
For further information www.cmz.com

Okuma set out plans for AMB 2022

Okuma Deutschland GmbH, the German representative of CNC machine tool manufacturer Okuma Corporation Japan, is travelling with its metalworking technologies to AMB 2022 in Stuttgart on 13-17 September. Apart from the LU3000EX, an innovative machine tool for simultaneous four-axis turning, Okuma will show the proven LB3000 lathe, a machine that offers maximum automation in association with the Armroid jointed-arm robot.

Due to its heavy and robust construction, generously dimensioned flat-bed guides and high-torque drives, the LU3000EX is optimally suited for workpieces with a large L/D ratio, as well as for materials that are difficult to machine. Apart from that, the lathe shows its real advantage when using two turrets that work synchronously with double feed or simultaneously. As a result, users can reduce cutting times by up to 50%, reports Okuma, while times per piece and production costs can be cut significantly. This means that the investment in the second turret usually pays for itself after about six months.

In addition, Okuma’s own OSP control system ensures easy operation and simplifies dialogue programming of the LU3000EX.

With the LB3000 Armroid, Okuma will present a universal lathe with a fully integrated robot arm. This successful lathe is particularly suited to the production of universal turning parts and the complete machining of complex workpieces in small and medium batch sizes.

Combining it with the fully integrated Armroid jointed-arm robot enables automated operation, as the robot can load and unload the machine, and perform other important tasks. The user-friendly robot control with Okuma’s proven OSP control system automatically calculates the fastest collision-free path for the Armroid.
For further information http://amb-2022.okuma.eu