Ensuring the performance and accuracy of packaging machinery, particularly bottling plants, is a speciality of Belgium-based Macovak, which manufactures precision parts used to manoeuvre and position bottles during the filling process.

“The format parts in bottling plants ensure extremely accurate positioning of the bottle during filling, labelling and closing of the container,” explains managing director Didier Gillain. “Given the speed at which these machines operate – more than 60,000 bottles per hour – then the importance of accuracy is clear. At these volumes, even the smallest discrepancy in tolerance can deliver a huge price tag in lost production.”
Helping Macovak to achieve its manufacturing needs, the company has invested in machines that provide the cost-effective production of low-volume parts. The most recent machine to arrive is an XYZ Proturn SLX 425 lathe supplied by Crispyn Machines, XYZ Machine Tools’ distributor in Belgium. With just one day of training on the ProtoTRAK control, Macovak’s operators were fully in tune with its operation and had the machine on production work within hours.
“That’s the beauty and simplicity of the ProtoTrak control, and as our business revolves around problem solving for customers, we need to be able to react quickly, but in the knowledge that the parts we machine are right first time to the correct dimensions,” says Gillain.
“I wanted a machine and control that would allow our technicians the opportunity to quickly and easily program the workpieces themselves or, finish them manually on the machine. With the ProtoTRAK control, you don’t need knowledge of G or M codes to be able to create beautiful and complex parts quickly and easily.”
With a wink Didier Gillain confesses, “even I could do it”.
For further information www.xyzmachinetools.com

The Europa eturn VS series of gap-bed centre lathes is being released into the UK market by RK International Machine Tools. Featuring eturn Energy Management Technology (EEMT), eturn VS lathes help to reduce energy consumption, particularly when the machine is stood idle.

The system constantly monitors the machine and, if a period of inaction is detected, puts the lathe into sleep mode, switching off all unnecessary power consumption. A simple push of a button brings the lathe back to full operational activity.
Along with its environmental advantages, the Europa eturn range also offers a high specification, with an electronic variable-speed spindle featuring Schneider frequency inverter. Transmission is via a Norton-type gearbox that delivers constant power and torque. Each machine in the range is also equipped with a Newall NMS300 two-axis digital readout for ease-of-use, while Bison has been selected as the work-holding partner, allowing a three-jaw scroll and four-jaw independent chuck to be supplied as standard equipment.
There are eight machines in the range, starting with the compact Europa eturn VS330 with a 330 mm swing over bed (510 mm in the gap), and either 750 or 1000 mm between centres. Spindle speed is totally variable between 40 and 2500 rpm, with two gear ranges to allow constant torque. Longitudinal feed rates are between 0.02 and 1.04 mm/rev.
The other machines in the Europe eturn range are the VS360, VS390, VS460, VS510, VS560, VS660 and VS760, with the number designating the swing over bed.
The larger machines in the range feature a three-range gearbox with maximum spindle speeds from 2500 rpm down to 1400 rpm on the largest model. Between-centre distances across the series are from 750 mm through to 6000 mm.
For further information www.rk-int.com

XYZ Machine Tools unveiled its Robo-Tend mobile machine-tool automation system to customers at two recent customer days held at its facilities in Devon and Nuneaton. Both events were well attended, with the new system receiving strong interest among companies looking to increase productivity and reduce overheads.

“In developing Robo-Tend the brief was to create a simple, easy-to-use robotic automation system that would appeal to a wide range of customers, especially those who may not have considered automation as an option previously,” says Nigel Atherton, managing director of XYZ Machine Tools. “Therefore, it was pleasing that many of those in attendance recognised this, with comments that it was one of the simplest systems they had seen.”
For further information www.xyzmachinetools.com

Filtermist is investing in a new distribution centre in Shropshire to help meet growing demand for products. The company, which is part of the Absolent Group, has taken on a 30,000 sq ft unit just a few minutes’ walk from its purpose-built headquarters on the T54 Business Park in Telford.

Impressive organic sales growth and an acquisition trail that has seen the company purchase the DCS Group and Kerstar Ltd in the past six months, resulted in the decision to create a central facility that would be responsible for Filtermist’s logistics operations. The move will further enhance stock control and delivery lead times, as well as release additional capacity to increase the firm’s metal fabrication footprint.
For further information www.filtermist.co.uk

Hexagon Manufacturing Intelligence has appointed Maja Foster as the global marketing director for its Production Software business.

Joining the company after seven years at machine-tool manufacturer Mazak, including the last three as European marketing manager, Foster brings a wealth of metalworking industry experience to her new role, in which she will be setting marketing strategies for all product lines under the Production Software umbrella.
In addition to her marketing responsibilities, Foster will also lead product management, a specialist team tasked with gathering market intelligence, performing market analysis and defining future product content and direction. After completing three degrees – MEng in Structural Engineering, BEng (Hons) in Civil Engineering, and BSc (Hons) in International Business and Marketing – Foster has worked for British, German and Japanese B2B organisations, holding senior marketing positions for 13 years.
For further information www.hexagonmi.com/products/production-software