Wykes Engineering is at the forefront of the green energy revolution, manufacturing a range of products for renewable power generation. Demand for new systems and expansion of existing on-site anaerobic generation capacity at its Rushden location led to investment in machining capacity, part of which saw the arrival of large-capacity turning in the shape of an XL 780 lathe from XYZ Machine Tools.

The XYZ XL 780 with its 780 mm swing over the bed and 3 m distance between centres provides Wykes Engineering with the capacity and versatility it requires for the machining of smaller parts. This investment was Wykes Engineering’s first move into CNC turning, so priorities had to include ease-of-use, and support for programmers and operators.
“The Siemens control was completely new to us, but we’ve found it extremely easy to use, especially with the training support we received from XYZ Machine Tools,” says John Houghton, design engineer at Wykes. “We had a demonstration of the machine at XYZ’s factory on a Monday, which convinced us that it was the right machine and control. We placed the order the following week and the machine was installed and commissioned just 10 days later.”

The XYZ XL 780 also offered other advantages to Wykes Engineering, including the price. Having reviewed the market for lathes of this capacity, the company found the XYZ machine to be 10-20% less expensive than its competitors. Also, Wykes was reassured that service support and spares were readily available should the need arise.

“If we had any questions relating to programming and operating the machine, which was all part of our learning curve, they were answered with a simple phone call to XYZ,” concludes Houghton.

For further information
www.xyzmachinetools.com

Now that the first vaccine for COVID-19 has gained approval – with others expected to follow – a supplier to the pharmaceutical industry is manufacturing packaging components and delivery systems ready to support distribution once availability is assured. West Pharmaceutical Services has 25 manufacturing sites around the world, including a plant in Bodmin, Cornwall, where it manufactures tools for elastomeric packaging components.

Production of the company’s mould tools takes place on a range of Makino, Haas and Ingersoll CNC machining centres, many with five axes. Interim production manager Chris Tamblyn says all programming, from simple, basic operations, through to complex, fully automated five-axis machining, goes through Edgecam CAM software.

For further information
www.edgecam.com

Comau has provided FCA and the Fiat brand with automation solutions and its know-how in the development of industrial processes to produce FCA’s first fully electric vehicle, a ‘Made in Turin’ product. The path started symbolically in July 2019 with the installation of the first Comau robot, which initiated the production line of the new fully electric Fiat 500 model inside FCA’s historic Mirafiori plant. A total of 187 Comau robots were subsequently integrated in the different phases of the car manufacturing process.

The Comau team also needed to adapt systems to a new body design of an iconic car, while responding to the technical characteristics of an electric vehicle. In particular, Comau developed and equipped body assembly lines dedicated to processing the structural parts of the ‘New 500’, including the front and rear floors, and the body sides and framing, which are assembled and welded to provide the complete car body with shape.

For further information
www.comau.com

Öhlins Racing, a pioneer in advanced suspension technology, is the winner of Faro’s ‘Oldest Working FaroArm in Europe’ contest. The company has put its 1993-era Faro Metrecom arm to good use for dozens of years, demonstrating the durability and reliability of FaroArm products. In recognition of this longevity, Öhlins Racing was presented with a new Faro eight-axis QuantumS ScanArm System.

“We’ve been using Faro products for decades, so when we learnt of this contest we knew we had to be in serious contention, especially knowing the first FaroArm was developed in the early 1990s,” says Henrik Johansson, CEO of Sweden-based Öhlins Racing.

“Our original Metrecom has never let us down,” he continues. “You could say it’s time to retire the arm, but it’s still going strong. Regardless, we’re thrilled to add the new Quantum to our tool chest and further enhance our productivity through faster and more accurate 3D measurement.”
David Homewood, EMEA sales VP for Faro, adds: “The QuantumS represents a new industry standard that extends maximum measurement consistency and reliability in a variety of working environments, delivering best-in-class performance for hard probing and laser-scanning applications. I want to congratulate and thank Öhlins Racing for being such a loyal customer over the years.”

Faro’s QuantumS helps manufacturers compete in the global marketplace by empowering better quality assurance and ensuring full confidence in their products and processes. The eight-axis rotary scanning platform is said to cut scan times by up to 40%, while maintaining accuracy (even in compact spaces). A hot-swappable battery enables continuous cable-free operation, while integrated Wi-Fi enables optimised workflow efficiency.

For further information
www.faro.com

Cambridge Vacuum Engineering (CVE), a specialist in the design and manufacture of electron beam welding (EBW) machines, has built its very first laser-welding system. Now installed at an important customer in the automotive sector, the machine relies on a Trumpf TruDisk 1000, a 1 kW solid-state laser with optimised beam quality for welding metals, in this case steel and Inconel.

Says CVE sales director Steve Horrex: “We were impressed with the expertise of Trumpf’s engineering team, which made the integration of the TruDisk 1000 with our system very smooth. As we were fairly new to the laser business it was good to find a partner with whom we could build trust. Following the successful installation and commissioning of the laser-welding machine we’re now quoting additional systems for the same customer, as well as machines for other clients. The Trumpf laser has been a really good stepping stone to a new revenue stream.”

For further information www.uk.trumpf.com