After completing his apprenticeship and gaining an HND in mechanical engineering, as well as an NVQ Level 3 in AutoCad, Iain Summerfield found himself at a sheet-metal subcontractor in 2001 sweeping the floor and loading material on to four Bystronic CO2 flat-bed laser-cutting machines. Within the first three months he had reorganised the firm’s production processes, started programming and operating the lasers, and took a course in the nesting, programming and simulation software, BySoft.

Seven years later, in mid-2008, he decided to use a small inheritance, re-mortgage his house and join forces with co-director Paul King to set up their own company, Laser 24, to provide similar subcontract services. In a little over a decade, the subcontractor has grown to employ 26 staff and has added CNC bending to its capacity.
Due to the reliability of the Bystronic machines at his previous company and, in particular, the user-friendliness of the software, Laser 24’s first purchase was a second-hand BySprint 1.8 kW CO2 3015 (3 x 1.5 m) laser-cutting machine, which ran 24-7 in a 3500 sq ft factory unit in Wickford, Essex. At the time, one of the early contracts was the production of 5000 decorative snowflakes from 0.5 mm aluminium sheet for a Christmas display at Harrods department store in London.
Various permutations of more powerful CO2 laser-cutting machines were operational on the shop floor over the next seven years. However, it had become apparent that for cutting stainless steel and aluminium, it was impossible to be competitive with a CO2 laser as fibre lasers were so efficient at processing these reflective materials. Copper and its alloys, which previously could not have been considered at all, can additionally be cut as there are no conventional optics to be damaged by back reflections.
So in 2015, one of the CO2 machines was exchanged for Laser 24’s first fibre laser cutting machine, a Bystronic 3 kW ByStar Fiber 3015. The machine was automated with a ByTrans Extended sheet-handling system purchased two years earlier with a previous machine, shortly after the subcontractor moved into new premises near the original unit and almost double its size.
The effectiveness of fibre laser cutting was immediately apparent, and the wider range of materials that could be processed resulted in new work being won. Fibre technology had matured by then into one that was supplanting CO2 in almost all application areas, and was clearly the future. By mid-2018, the subcontractor had attached a 10 kW ByStar Fiber to the ByTrans Extended, which was joined by a second identical production cell six months later. Laser 24 is the only company in the south of England to operate a pair of 10 kW sheet-metal cutting centres.

Summerfield says: “With our latest machines we opted for the PowerCut feature in the BySoft 7 control software, as it produces a clean cut edge on thicker, even reflective materials up to 30 mm. It is also economical, as it more than halves the volume of assist gas consumed.
“The 10 kW fibre laser is twice as fast as our previous fibre machine and over three times more productive than our old CO2 equipment,” he continues. “We now cut 10 mm mild steel sheet at around 5 m/min on the 10 kW machine, whereas on our CO2 machines, the best we could achieve in the same material was 1.5 m/min.”
Summerfield adds that the company mainly uses nitrogen as the assist gas, rather than oxygen, as it results in an un-oxidised edge that does not need to be finished before it is painted or powder coated.
A further advantage of having a 10 kW fibre laser source is that there is sufficient power to use air rather than oxygen as the assist gas for certain jobs. This strategy results in an edge quality that is indistinguishable from oxygen when cutting material up to 1.5 mm thick, and is still acceptable for thicknesses up to 3 mm. In fact, Laser 24 is currently considering air cutting, which avoids the cost of using bottled gas, as an economical alternative to plasma cutting for applications that do not require top-quality edge finish. Trials are currently being performed.
A further significant benefit of the higher power laser is its ability to guarantee the edge quality on both sides of a sheet when cutting coated material. Normally, due to the coating on the underside, a burr results that needs to be removed by hand, but the 10 kW fibre source eliminates this problem and leaves a clean edge.
Coupled with the use of ByTrans automation, which avoids the risk of manual handling damage, parts delivered to customers require no buffing or cleaning. A case in point was the supply of mirror polished stainless steel frames that supported glass displays and were visible from both sides at this year’s Chelsea Flower Show.
Maximum cutting capacities of the 10 kW fibre laser are 25 mm mild steel, 30 mm stainless steel and aluminium, 15 mm brass, and 12 mm copper. Summerfield makes the point that the ability to tackle thicker plate overlaps with the use of waterjet cutting, compared with which laser processing is half the cost. Unless a heat-affected zone at the component edge created by the laser (but not the waterjet) is a problem, for the aforementioned gauges of material, the 10 kW Bystronic ByStar Fiber is the obvious choice.
At the end of 2017, Steve Westgate was employed by Laser 24 as operations manager to oversee a gradual transition to a paperless working environment, which included the replacement of a wall-mounted T-card planner. Two additional software modules within BySoft 7 that are accelerating this process are ‘Plant Manager’ and ‘ByCockpit’.
Plant Manager is an analysis, planning and monitoring module that automatically assesses machine and job data so that parts can be cut and bent more quickly, at a lower cost and without errors. As manual data input is no longer necessary, processes run more reliably. The software provides comprehensive statistical data on production efficiency, which Westgate says exceeds 90% OEE at Laser 24.

Within the Plant Manager suite, ‘Parts Removal’ software is especially popular with the production staff. Among other abilities, Parts Removal allows the suction cups on the ByTrans to be positioned such that individual components within a sheet can be picked up and stacked on to pallets, with the skeleton also being removed, all of which reduces handling time and cost.
ByCockpit is a more recent introduction that monitors, in real time, all processes taking place within Bystronic laser-cutting machines and press brakes. Running on a laptop, smartphone or tablet, the software collects data without manual intervention, evaluates it and generates status reports while machines are actually producing parts, allowing production output to be continually optimised. Westgate says that the app allows all KPIs (key performance indicators) to be managed within the Wickford facility.
For many years, customers had been asking for laser-cut parts to be bent, a service that was fulfilled by putting the work out to other subcontractors. This situation changed in September last year with the arrival of Laser 24’s first press brake, an 80-tonne, 1.5-m capacity Bystronic Xpert 80. The press brake is of a design that allows a robot to be attached to the front so that loading and unloading can be automated. Such a retrofit is being seriously considered, since as many as half of current customers have expressed interest in having their parts bent.
A particular strength of BySoft 7 is that it is used to program not only laser-cutting machines, but also press brakes, so only a single program is needed for producing a bent part from a flat sheet. Having one program speeds the end-to-end manufacturing process and virtually eliminates the possibility of mistakes, so even the first-off part is right.
Summerfield states: “The Xpert press brake is the fastest and most advanced on the market. Its high productivity allows us to add value to parts quickly and undercut the competition.
“BySoft does the majority of the thinking for you and has taken the trial-and-error out of press braking,” he adds. “An internal database allows bend allowance, spring-back angle and punch stroke to be calculated automatically according to the type and thickness of material. High accuracies are routinely achieved, typically ± 0.25°.”
Laser 24’s customers are to be found in a wide range of sectors, including automotive, aerospace, marine, yellow goods, construction, retail, catering, signmaking and general engineering. Due to a high level of interest in the provision of additional services, the company is considering expanding the extent of its in-house processing capability to include fabrication and painting, and perhaps additional machining operations such as milling, tapping and countersinking.
For further information www.bystronic.co.uk

GF Machining Solutions has supplied a precision subcontractor – Thomas Brown Engineering Ltd – with a new five-axis machining centre.

The Mikron MILL P 500U was installed at the company’s 20,000 sq ft facility in Huddersfield earlier this year and is being used to machine precision components for customers operating in the aerospace, medical, automotive, robotics, food processing, oil and gas, and steel manufacturing sectors.
Components machined by Thomas Brown Engineering on the MILL P 500U are diverse and varied. Typical materials processed include aluminium, steel, stainless steel and Inconel, while batch sizes are mainly in the low-to-medium range.
The parts machined on the Mikron are characterised by their accuracy and surface finishes, with a 20 µm geometric tolerance and a Ra 0.2 µm surface finish requirement being the rule rather than the exception.
Says Tom Brown, managing director: “The sectors where we operate are competitive and demanding. Quality is non-negotiable, and ever-stringent delivery times are increasingly prevalent. To meet customer demands and survive in these environments you need to be committed to continuous improvement and continually raise your game. By investing in the latest and most advanced machine-tool technologies, and by combining our manufacturing prowess with excellent customer service, we’ve found that we have been able to grow our business.”

Thomas Brown Engineering was established in 1983. Over the past 35 years the company has grown steadily from a one-man band to a business that now employs 20 members of staff. Other changes in the company have been even more noticeable – and dramatic.
Says Brown: “When the company was created, it operated out of a couple of old garage units. As a fledgling engineering subcontractor we were, at that time, relying on a couple of used manual machines to produce parts and make a living.”
In stark contrast to these early days, the company today has 14 CNC machine tools at its disposal, and by the end of the year is looking to increase its floor space by an extra 4,000 sq ft.
The company’s customer profile and client base has also changed significantly, as Brown explains: “We’re a tier-two supplier in the sectors where we operate. The investment we’ve made in plant, people, technologies, systems and processes has enabled us to consolidate our position in these industries with existing customers, and win contracts with new customers too.”
This result is exemplified by the company’s position in aerospace sector, where its AS9100 accreditation has been instrumental in achieving a number of new contract wins. Such an increase in demand for the company’s engineering services did, however, create some production issues, resulting ultimately in the decision to invest in the new Mikron MILL P 500U.
“We audited and reviewed our machining strengths and weaknesses, and identified where the ‘pinch’ points existed,” states Brown. “This exercise helped determine that we needed to increase our five-axis milling capacity and capabilities as a matter of some urgency.

“We had invested in a Mikron HPM 450U five-axis machining centre some years earlier and the machine had served us well,” he continues. “We particularly liked the machine’s built-in automation and the way in which its integrated automatic pallet changers helped us increase our productivity and efficiency, and reduce our operational costs.”
Thomas Brown Engineering drew up a list of technical and performance requirements for the new machine and benchmarked these against the five-axis machines in GF Machining Solutions’ portfolio. It became clear that the MILL P 500U was the preferred choice.
The Mikron MILL P 500U is described as a high-performance, simultaneous five-axis machining centre that offers powerful and dynamic material removal capabilities, thermal stability and high stiffness, to deliver precision and high surface finish on complex parts. A thermo-stable and symmetrical design is featured so that even when machining at a fast pace and over long production runs, accuracy and process reliability remain high and consistent.
GF Machining Solutions says that the machine delivers fast acceleration (1.7g) and is equipped with a high-torque, 36 kW Step-Tec motor spindle that is highly reliable. The machine’s productivity is enhanced by its (in-built) automation which comprises up to a 215-position ATC and up to a 12-pallet APC.
Thomas Brown Engineering also wanted the machine to be able to perform interpolation turning operations. Interpolation turning is a machining technique developed for advanced machining centres and B-axis multi-task machines. The strategy enables a turning operation to be performed by interpolating the X- and Y-axis in a circular direction, and rotating the machine spindle in time with the rotational contour. Circular movement can either increase or decrease in diameter to perform facing operations, or be combined with the Z axis to produce a bore or outer diameter.
Concludes Brown: “The MILL P 500U is a great machine. It is accurate, fast and flexible. We mainly use the machine for 3+2 positional machining operations as opposed to full simultaneous five-axis machining, and its performance to date, no matter what we’ve asked it to do, has been exceptional.”

For further information www.gfms.com

Before he became a practicing dentist – and even longer before his entrepreneurial spirit gave rise to PartMaker, a West Heidelberg, Australia-based precision part manufacturing firm – native Australian Dr Chris Hart had already fallen in love with Switzerland. Swiss dental training improved his scope of practice and now, Tornos’ Swiss-made single-spindle lathes are helping him redefine Australian manufacturing.

An experienced prosthodontist specialising in pioneering practical and cost-effective solutions, Hart has made a name for himself as an innovator and leader in his profession. Once he has gained his Bachelor of Dental Science from the University of Melbourne, Hart built up expertise in a variety of patient care environments by working as a dentist. After earning his Master of Dental Science degree, he was selected to be part of an international team of implantology scholars, an accolade that took him to the University of Bern in Switzerland, where he was mentored by world-renowned faculty member Professor Daniel Buser, both at the university’s dental medicine clinic (ZMK) and its department of surgery.
Upon returning to Australia and working in both private practice and hospital settings, Hart discovered that he could not find adequate prostheses to serve the functional needs of oncology patients. So, he decided to make those parts himself. Thus, PartMaker was born in 2012. Describing himself as ‘an engineer trapped in a dentist’s body’, Hart’s entrepreneurial spirit is driven by his passion to make a real difference in the appearance, comfort and confidence of patients.

“Before we started making our own components, we were heavily modifying existing parts,” he states. “That means we were basically butchering really well-made parts in order to remedy simple problems, like patients not being able to open their mouths wide enough to accommodate available screwdrivers.”
The solution was obvious. Hart started making his own parts and instruments.
“Back in 2012, we started making everything with milling machines,” he says. “I even went to night school and earnt a certificate in CNC programming, so I could get a better understanding of manufacturing technology.”
Hart never intended to buy a lathe, but he found that the dental implants and maxillofacial hardware he needed to produce, were beyond the capabilities of simple milling.
“With so many dental parts being too long or too short, and with existing systems going in and out of fashion, I really saw a need for bespoke, custom dental and biomedical parts,” he says.
Implants require turned components, so among PartMaker’s early purchases were a Tornos ENC 264 four-axis lathe and a Tornos Delta 20.

“Being new to Swiss-type turning and CNC machining as a whole, we had a pretty small wish list of parts to make. Peter Staebner at Tornos agent SwissTec Australia was instrumental in helping me get our first few parts made with the Delta 20. I would go into the shop after work and Peter helped me at the weekends, and we got our wish list accomplished.”
Before too long, Hart saw that Tornos Swiss-type technology opened up a whole world of possibilities. However, even running the Delta 20 all day, the company was limited in the parts it could produce. Enter the simple and ergonomic Swiss GT13, offering easy access to all tool positions and designed to drive the successful production of long and short parts.
“It has six linear axes, so it allows us to make some parts that we can’t produce on the Delta 20, and we can use 99% of our existing programming with the new machine,” says Hart. “The Swiss GT13 is so much easier to use than our old machine.”
Accommodating up to 30 tools, including 12 rotating tools, the Swiss GT13 has a Y axis that increases machining capability in secondary operations and allows some complex workpieces to be produced without reworking.
Hart points out that the new machine is slashing PartMaker’s cycle time on many parts simply because of the additional access it provides: “It’s easier to set up and its cycle times are significantly faster. In fact, because of the easier access, we’re saving 40% in cycle time on a lot of components. I know we’re not using our Swiss GT13 to its fullest capabilities yet, but that’s the goal. It’s already optimising our manufacturing. Now that we have two machines running, our ability to keep on top of orders is significantly improved. It has enough tool positions that we’ve got it set up to produce families of parts for our three main lines.”
Moreover, Hart is impressed with Tornos TISIS communication and programming software: “With TISIS, it’s a lot easier to generate programs for our parts because we’re really just assembling programming modules. The software is easy to use and I estimate that it is saving us 50% in time spent on programming because we’re not writing a new program for every different component to be produced.”
To say that Hart is pleased with his purchase is an understatement. One example, he says, is the “amazing job” the new machine does with an original PartMaker dental abutment featuring a complex taper geometry, external threading and a milled octagon. The component, with its M1.4 thread to a depth of 4 mm through a 1.2 x 1.5 mm deep hexagon, is easily executed with the addition of the Swiss GT13. In fact, PartMaker has become so productive with its Swiss GT13 that Hart has ordered an optional bar feeder.

“We’re achieving results that we thought existed only in technical drawings,” he says. “For the past five years, we’ve been relying on our own homemade bar feeder, but today we’re chewing through the bars a lot faster.”
With Tornos technology, SwissTec expertise and his own ingenuity, Hart looks to the future with confidence: “I have a dream for PartMaker to end up with six Tornos lathes and four milling machines. Of our customers, half are international, from the US, Canada, Taiwan and Mexico. With the increasing uptake of CADCAM in dentistry, dentists are realising the possibilities of what’s available from dental implant companies, so we know the potential for custom machining is there.”
For further information www.tornos.com

Specialising in the production of prototype components and complex small batch runs for the automotive sector, Birmingham-based Advanced Engineering (UK) Ltd has always maintained its ethos of investment in technology to deliver quality components in lead times beyond the capabilities of its competitors. This philosophy has resulted in the company placing its trust in metrology equipment from Mitutoyo.

As a manufacturer that works primarily with automotive OEMs, as well as others in the Formula One, aerospace, defence, rail and nuclear sectors, Advanced Engineering prides itself on quality management systems that include ISO9001. In addition, the company can comply with requirements from other industry-specific standards, from TS16949 to AS9100.
Spending over £3m on new equipment in the past five years, two of the most recent arrivals at Advanced Engineering include a Mazak Variaxis i-700 five-axis machining centre that arrived in November, and a Mazak Quick Turn 250 turning centre. These investments now give the company a total of 19 Mazak machines that undertake everything from complex prototype work through to automotive production projects, which include all levels of PPAP, APQP, FMEA, SPC and full supply chain management. Mitutoyo is central to these strategies.
Producing everything from CAM covers, cylinder blocks, control arms, pump housings, decorative door linings and prototype wheels for automotive OEMs, turnaround times are a critical factor for Advanced Engineering. This is why the combination of Mazak five-axis machine tools, hyperMILL CAM software and a complete suite of Mitutoyo inspection equipment are central to expediting high-quality components through the business at a fast pace.

The relationship with Mitutoyo dates back over 20 years, with a complete range of hand tools and the first Mitutoyo CMM, a Crysta Apex 9106, arriving on site some 15 years ago. Still reliably running up to 12 hours a day, the Apex 9106 was followed by a smaller Crysta Apex 574 CMM over 8 years ago. The second machine was acquired to relieve the bottleneck of work that was building on the company’s first CMM.
As the quality manager at Advanced Engineering, Andrew Stevens, says: “All our work is based around customer requirement. We deal with a one-off prototype product, through to support, NPI products and new product model launch. Also, we work closely with tier-one manufacturers and OEMs.”
The smaller, more cost effective Apex 574 CMM has not only relieved capacity, it was the perfect product for the changing market demands of the automotive sector, as Stevens explains: “Our work initially evolved beyond cylinder head and engine blocks into turbos and other small, complex powertrain parts, and the Apex 574 proved an excellent solution with its compact footprint. However, our workload has continued to evolve even further, with more body-in-white work and, in particular, suspension parts. With the requirement for additional measurement capacity, we once again opted for a Mitutoyo solution, the Crysta Apex-S CMM. We bought the Apex-S as we wanted the new CMM to be capable of mirroring the Apex 9106 machine, something that would give our metrology team more flexibility, reduced set-ups and extra capacity as and when required.”

Commenting upon the continual changes in the automotive sector and how Advanced Engineering is addressing the issues from a measurement perspective, Stevens says: “We got to a point where our Apex-S and Apex 9106 have been working side by side, with the smaller Apex 574 being reserved for smaller parts, providing much needed capacity at busy periods. However, a lot of our OEM customers and their cylinder-head work have taken on a new level of dimensional tolerances over the years.
“To facilitate this, we swapped out the TP20 touch probes that operate on a touch-trigger mechanical mechanism, with the new continuous contact SP25 Renishaw system,” he continues. “Mitutoyo fully retrofitted the system to both our Apex 9106 and Apex-S CMMs, and this gives us precision to 2 µm. Furthermore, by continuously scanning the complex features of parts, we’re getting a full 3D scan of the components, which can be compared directly with the CAD model. All this is innovatively done with the Mitutoyo MCOSMOS operating software, with full certification and traceability for our customers.”
With 85% of work at Advanced Engineering passing through the metrology department, Mitutoyo was once again on hand when yet more demands filtered downstream.
“Surface finish has become more prominent in the automotive market, with seal seat surfaces and waveforms on engine blocks and cylinder heads taking on more stringent controls,” says Stevens. “To measure surfaces, we approached Mitutoyo and they recommended the SurfTest SJ-410 portable surface roughness tester. OEMs are now placing more 100% inspection demands on critical features like cylinder-head bores and, to once again relieve capacity and reduce set-ups on our CMMs, the SurfTest SJ-410 was the perfect addition.”
Referring to the relationship with Mitutoyo, Stevens says: “Our tie-up with Mitutoyo goes back many years. We’ve always used Mitutoyo due to the reliability and quality of the products which they supply, and that goes right the way through from hand tools to CMMs. We have an amazing service contract with Mitutoyo and they carry out all our calibration work. We wouldn’t trust anyone else to calibrate our equipment. It’s a long-standing relationship that has been based on trust, good service and the level of product innovation.

“We chase microns on the shop floor and we need to be able to repeatedly measure microns and be confident that each measurement is accurate. With the type of products we’re producing here, we are pushing the bounds of our CMMs through varying customer requirements. So, when we see new customer demands, and we need the CMMs to do something slightly different to meet those requirements, Mitutoyo have engineers on the end of the phone, so we can get their technical support to resolve challenges very quickly.”
For further information www.mitutoyo.co.uk

UK manufacturing lags behind the productivity performance of fellow G7 members and that of other major global economies. A lack of investment and shortage of skilled staff are widely considered to be major contributing factors to this lamentable situation. In addition to being regarded as an effective means of UK manufacturers achieving productivity improvements, the implementation of advanced automation technologies invariably helps solve skills shortages.

Hertford-based Qualiturn Products is a prime example of a forward-thinking business that has achieved world-class levels of productivity by embracing the use of automation systems and developing efficient new working practices.
Established in 1974, and now run by second-generation managing director, Nick Groom, Qualiturn Products says it has grown to become one of the UK’s leading suppliers of precision mill-turned components. In 1990, the company became one of the first subcontractors to operate its mill-turn machines in a ‘lights-out’ manner. The use of barfeed systems and other advanced production aids means that since that time, the business has operated 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year, with only daytime staffing.
Prompted by the success of Qualiturn Products’ 24-7 production of precision turned components, in 2014 the company established Qualimill, a subcontract milling division that embraces similar, highly efficient, lights-out operating methods. Just as the application of innovative technologies facilitated a lights-out mill-turn manufacturing regime, the implementation of advanced automation aids, such as the Lang Robo-Trex system, supplied by Thame Workholding, has enabled Qualimill to operate milling machines ‘lights-out’, and helped the division to become a successful subcontract manufacturer of milled components.
To satisfy the rising demand for Qualimill’s services, the company recently moved into much larger premises and installed several additional production aids, the most recent of which is a second Robo-Trex robot automation system. The productivity gains made possible by the use of Qualimill’s first Lang Robo-Trex robot systems was a major factor in the decision to purchase the second system that now feeds a Doosan DVF 5000 machining centre.

Qualimill’s two Lang Robo-Trex robot systems each use two trollies that act as mobile storage mediums. These trollies are loaded with multiple vices that hold workpieces which are ready to be loaded into the machine by the systems’ robots. The robots pick workpieces from the trollies, load them into the machine tools and, when they are fully machined, return them to the trollies. When filled with machined parts, each trolley is removed, and a replacement loaded with multiple workpieces ready to be machined is added.
Working unattended and fed by the Lang Robo-Trex systems, the company’s machining centres run throughout the day. Before the end of each manned shift, the Robo-Trex trollies are replenished with full consignments of workpieces, enabling each machining centre to run unmanned through the night.
Robo-Trex trollies are available in two sizes, the smaller version has a capacity of 30 vices to accommodate parts up to 120 x 120 x 100 mm, while the second, larger model has a capacity of 42 vices for parts up to 120 x 100 x 70 mm. The Robo-Trex system is able to handle four automation trolleys. Therefore, depending on part size, the available storage capacity increases to 120/168 vices.
The patented, edgewise mounting of the system’s vices ensures maximum space utilisation, while accessibility to the clamping devices allows workpieces to be exchanged, without removing the vice.
An intuitive, easy-to-operate touch panel enables straightforward control of the automated system and, as external access to the trolley is possible, production remains seamless because machining cycles do not need to be interrupted. Control of the zero-point clamping system can be performed either pneumatically through the machine tool, or mechanically via the system’s robot.
“Increasing demand from our mill-turn customers motivated the launch of our Qualimill division,” says Groom. “To ensure that we were able to replicate the success of our Qualiturn operation, when setting-up the new division we put into operation advanced automation systems – where possible – and applied similar efficient working practices to those used in our mill-turn operations.
“Soon after the formation of Qualimill, in an effort to gain maximum milling efficiencies, we looked for an advanced technology that would allow lights-out running of an existing CNC milling machine,” he adds. “We found the answer in the Lang Robo-Trex automation system from Thame Workholding. Having been impressed by the performance of our fist Lang Robo-Trex robot system, to help satisfy ever rising requests for our milling work, we recently purchased a second system.
“Our decision to launch Qualimill and employ highly-efficient production technologies has been validated by the division’s success. Our new Lang Robo-Trex automation system now feeds a recently purchased Doosan DVF 5000 machining centre and further extends our lights-out production capabilities.

“By releasing the full, latent productive potential of the machine tools they serve, our two automatic handling systems release skilled staff for more technicality demanding work. In addition, our Lang Robo-Trex automation systems are helping us to accelerate production throughput and reduce our lead times. They also enable the generation of cost-effective quotes and help us to attract further business.”
Thame Workholding’s sales manager Gareth Barnett adds: “As well as providing industry with a range of cost-effective, standard work-holding systems from several of the world’s leading manufacturers, we also design and manufacture bespoke solutions in-house. Our experience and expertise in all aspects of work holding allows our staff to fully understand customer needs, then to provide optimum, cost-effective solutions.
“Our grasp of Qualimill’s brief, relating to the division’s quest for efficient lights-out working, enabled us to recommend the Robo-Trex automatic handling system with confidence,” he adds. “Now that the company’s first system has delivered on all of the promises we made, we were delighted to receive an order for a second system.”
For further information www.thameworkholding.com