The debut appearance of the GM Group at MACH 2022 in April can only be described as a resounding success. The company presented the Victor Vturn-A20YCM and the Vturn-S26/60CM single-spindle turning centres, as well as the compact Vcenter-P76 machining centre. All three were well received with several machine sales and some very serious enquiries taken.

GM Group director Nicola Howard says: “As a first-time MACH exhibitor we didn’t necessarily expect to sell machines off the stand, but we did. The Victor brand has been well respected in machine shops nationwide for decades due to its build quality and longevity, and the feedback we repeatedly had from show visitors is how delighted they were to see the re-emergence of the Victor brand in the UK. Our attendance at MACH has elevated the Victor profile and may have helped to awaken a sleeping giant. We’ll definitely be re-booking for MACH 2024 as this show has given us a debut to remember.”

For further information www.gm-cnc.com

Established in 1988 and employing over 150 staff, family-owned Irish manufacturing firm PB Machine Tech produces more than 5000 customised hydraulic cylinders per week at its factory in Bagenalstown, County Carlow. To boost production capacity, in November last year the company purchased its third Taiwanese-built Leadwell V-40iT five-axis VMC.

Supplied by sole sales and service agent in Ireland and the UK, WH-Lead, the 12,000 rpm BT40 machine was required due to increasing demand for its hydraulic products from manufacturers around the world in the agricultural, access platform, construction, environmental and materials handling sectors.
Ray Kehoe, general manager – component division at PB Machine Tech, says: “We introduced one-hit manufacture in our factory some years ago following heavy investment in turn-mill machines, and were keen to replicate this on the prismatic machining side of our business. We started that process in June 2018 by augmenting our three-axis VMC capacity with the purchase of our first five-axis machining centre, a Leadwell V-40iT. With one-hit machining, perfect components are produced easily every time. Multiple sequential set-ups on several machines are a thing of the past, as is the manufacture of expensive fixtures.”

After seeing the benefits in terms of raised quality and reduced lead-times resulting from installation of the first V-40iT, its capacity was quickly filled, prompting investment in a second at the end of 2020 and now a third. Control is by Fanuc 0i-MF Plus that, in the case of the machines supplied to Bagenalstown, is able to interpolate four CNC axes simultaneously, although full five-axis operation may also be specified.

Kehoe’s concluding remark was that PB Machine Tech is happy to recommend both Leadwell machines and WH-Lead as important partners in addressing the current economic challenges facing Irish and British manufacturers.

For further information
www.wh-lead.co.uk

The Chiron Group has acquired Greidenweis Maschinenbau, a specialist in automation systems for the automotive industry. As a result, the Chiron portfolio that is offered in the UK from the Engineering Technology Group (ETG) will now be available with more automotive assembly and automation systems than ever before.

In addition to its development and assembly of machines and systems for laminating, joining and gluing, Greidenweis has positioned itself competently in process and system integration. One example is the fully automated assembly of components for vehicle interiors using several processing stations. The 60-employee company has many years of experience in integrating various technical solutions into automated assembly systems and production lines.

For further information
www.engtechgroup.com

An agricultural equipment manufacturer has ordered a 6400-tonne capacity press with ServoDirect technology and an energy accumulator to replace a 1989 model machine from Müller Weingarten. At its location in the French town of Châteubriant on the Atlantic coast, Kuhn develops and manufactures, among other things, ploughs and sowing machines. From the very start, Kuhn Huard has had an undeniable competitive advantage thanks to its forging and heat treatment know-how. Since 1989, the company has been using a 5400-tonne capacity machine from Müller Weingarten to produce its parts. The time has now come to have it replaced.

“Our objective is to maintain our competitive advantage over the long term,” says the project team at Kuhn, which consists of Nathalie Bessin, Pierre Yves Porcher and Charles Perrier. “This innovative technology will help us retain our leading position in the market.”

The three quickly came to the conclusion that an investment in a new press would pay off. After 18 months of research, Kuhn has now taken a major step and placed an order with Schuler for the 6400-tonne screw press system.

Screw presses have advanced a lot over the past three decades. Instead of the previously used squirrel cage induction drives, Schuler now utilises servomotors, thereby significantly increasing efficiency. In addition, the controllability of the drive – and thus the precision of the press – has seen enhancements. For instance, the closed water cooling system in combination with a new-generation motor optimises the temperature stability of the drive system, independent of the surrounding conditions.

Further included in the scope of delivery is an energy accumulator, which increases the efficiency of the system even more.

Commissioning is scheduled for mid-2023.

For further information
www.schulergroup.com

Expert Technologies Group shook hands on a deal to acquire a Mazak Quick Turn 350MSY at MACH 2022 earlier this month. The machine is the first Mazak acquired by the group and it went straight from MACH to Expert’s facility in the northwest of England. Expert Technologies Group is a global provider of automation solutions for a variety of sectors, ranging from medical and pharmaceutical through to food and beverage, automotive and aerospace. The group has seven global locations, including three manufacturing facilities in the UK.

Chris Clifton, head of manufacturing at Expert Technologies, says: “Our philosophy is to provide the most advanced manufacturing technologies and it’s important that our own machining capabilities therefore remain at the cutting edge. The machine we selected fits our requirements perfectly, while the combination of machine capability, build quality and ongoing support made the decision even easier.”

For further information
www.mazakeu.co.uk