QFS Technologies, a specialist supplier of body-in-white (BIW) parts to the automotive industry has invested in a new Trumpf TruLaser Cell 5030 five-axis (3D) laser cutter. Although the company has an older Trumpf five-axis machine that has given many years of reliable service, QFS knew that investing in the higher performance and richer feature set of the TruLaser Cell 5030 would provide a number of competitive advantages, particularly in relation to new project work for a major customer.

“Once the investment decision had been made, it was always going to be a Trumpf machine,” states managing director Neil Holloway. “I’ve worked with other laser cutters in the past, but Trumpf machines are a lot more reliable. When you think about the curvature and complex shapes of a car panel, it’s easy to imagine the essential role of a 3D laser cutter at QFS. We cannot afford to run an unreliable machine.”

With its low machine-hour rate, the TruLaser Cell 5030 is suited to small and medium batch sizes, and for applications where components are frequently changed. Furthermore, TruTops Cell Basic software enables users to make quick adjustments to programs directly at the machine.

BIW parts produced on the new TruLaser Cell 5030 at QFS are mostly cut from aluminium, although some are made from high-strength steel, typically 1-3 mm thick.

“Our guys became accustomed with the machine really quickly,” says Holloway. “The controls on the TruLaser Cell are easier to use than on our older five-axis model. In addition, we were already familiar with the TruTops offline programming software, so our learning curve has been pretty shallow. We’re now in the process of migrating programs over to the new machine.”

For further information
www.trumpf.com

Hull-based Rubitec Engineering Ltd has recently purchased a Victor Vturn NP20 CNC turning centre from GM CNC Machine Tools, the first Victor machine on site.

Andy Shores, managing director of Rubitec Engineering, says: “The machine has cut our run times and it’s a nice feeling to have a level of support from GM CNC that ensures with just one phone call, we can have everything we need.”

Commenting on why the company needed the Victor Vturn NP20, Shores says: “We had an ageing turning centre of similar capacity and capability to the Victor, but it was unreliable. And even though we service a lot of our own machines, the maintenance costs were escalating. We needed a new machine with a compact footprint and Victor fitted the bill.”

Looking closer at the specifications of the Victor Vturn NP20, it has a 52 mm through-spindle bar capacity. However, with the slant bed construction, the turning centre offers a 650 mm swing over the bed, providing 320 mm maximum turning diameter.

“The stability and kinematics of the Victor Vturn NP20 have increased productivity by at least 20% compared to our other machines,” says Shores. “In addition, the rigid tool turret and powerful coolant supply have improved the tool life on our milling tools by over 30%, while the overall machine construction has also helped to increase tool life for turning tools by 30%.”

Concluding on the service from GM CNC, Shores says: “To provide a score, I would certainly give GM CNC 10 out of 10. We trust GM CNC, its staff and levels of service implicitly.”

For further information
www.gm-cnc.com

The UK’s subcontract manufacturing sector is emerging from lockdown with exceptionally strong sales pipelines, according to a cross-section of industry leaders. For instance, Chris Shield at Leicester-based Shield Group, says: “The pipeline is very strong and we’re feeling a lot more positive compared with six months ago.” Andrew Whitham at Manchester-based Brooks Ltd agrees, adding: “We’ve enjoyed a period of sustained growth and investment despite the challenges of COVID and lockdowns…the order book is very strong.”

The story is similar at Stoke-based John Hyde Engineering. “We’re more positive than six months ago and the pipeline is looking increasingly robust,” says John Hyde. Alan Mucklow, managing director UK and Ireland sales and service at Yamazaki Mazak, says the optimism of the subcontracting sector is a much-needed boost for UK manufacturing. “It is very striking, when I talk to customers, how positive the outlook is.”

For further information
www.mazakeu.co.uk

Manufacturing output volumes in the three months to March improved to broadly flat, which marked their highest balance since May 2019, according to the CBI’s latest monthly Industrial Trends Survey of 321 manufacturers. Manufacturers now expect output to pick up rapidly over the next three months, with expectations at their strongest since August 2017.

Total orders books improved to their highest balance since April 2019, surpassing their long-run average, while export order books strengthened to fall broadly in line with their long-run average. Manufacturers also anticipate output price growth will accelerate quickly in the next quarter, the strongest expectations since February 2019.

For further information www.cbi.org.uk

A major new survey reveals that output volumes and orders are improving at UK manufacturers, while investment intentions are significantly better than the previous quarter. According to the latest survey published by Make UK and business advisory firm BDO, Britain’s manufacturers are beginning to move through the gears as growth prospects become more positive for the rest of 2021.

While investment intentions remain negative, they are significantly up on the past few quarters, and Make UK hopes that the Budget announcement of a ‘super deduction’ tax break will provide a boost. In addition to upgrading its forecast for manufacturing, Make UK has slightly upgraded its GDP forecast for 2021 to 5.5%, from 5.4%. The survey of 314 companies took place between 27 January and 17 February.

The report is available at https://is.gd/nimova