THIS WEEK’S HIGHLIGHTS

New zones for MACH

Demand for space at MACH 2020 is in excess of what it was at the same point in advance of MACH 2018.

The sales process for the show started during MACH 2018, which saw a 50% increase in exhibitors re-booking on site to ensure they had space at the 2020 event. For MACH 2020, new zones have also been added to the floor plans to provide a fuller picture to the UK market. These include an Automation Zone, as well as a branded Training Zone. The Training Zone, alongside the established Education & Development Zone, will enable visitors to get a flavour of what a career in advanced engineering is like.
For further information www.machexhibtion.com

Master adds team leaders

Master Abrasives has appointed several team leaders to support and ensure efficient running of the company’s departments.

Paul Batson, managing director, explains the newly devised approach: “The introduction of team leaders in chosen departments will give us a more defined structure and ensure that clarity is maintained for all, especially when the manager of the team is not on-site. I believe this move will make us more efficient, and help prepare the business for continued growth.”
For further information www.master-abrasives.co.uk

Towering success for UK manufacturer

Hackbridge-based Monument Tools specialises in supplying the plumbing and roofing industries with the tools its needs to complete the job.

As all of its products are developed in-house, the company’s toolroom plays an important role in business success. Here, Monument requires the ability to efficiently create small batch quantities and be able to change designs quickly, hence the company’s willingness to invest in machine tools.
Monument’s most recent toolroom investment is an XYZ CT65LTY turning centre. The Siemens 828D ShopTurn conversational control, 70 mm of Y-axis travel and 400 mm swing, make for a highly versatile machine. Other standard equipment includes a 200 mm hydraulic chuck, 12-station VDI turret with live tooling capability, Renishaw tool setting/probing, swarf conveyor and fully programmable tailstock.
“We needed a machine that could produce parts in a single hit to reduce development time and labour costs,” says chairman John Collier. “The simplicity of the control on the XYZ, and our use of offline programming, means we can quickly produce batches of 10-off prototypes and confirm the design is suitable for our customers’ needs, as well as ensuring it is production ready for batches that are sometimes in excess of 1000-off. The one-hit capability of the XYZ CT65LTY generates much greater efficiency within the toolroom.”
Having installed the XYZ CT65LTY, an additional bonus arrived when a company local to Monument Tools heard about the investment. “We only took delivery of the machine in June, but word soon spread and we were approached to see if we would be interested in taking on some subcontract work for complex parts with tapers on the external and internal surfaces,” explains a pleased Jon Norton, engineering manager at Monument Tools.
For further information www.xyzmachinetools.com

Order intake surpasses £53m mark

In the UK, Trumpf has recorded an order intake of £53.3 million in 2017/18, with a preliminary operating profit of £951,239.

“We continued to see a high number of new customers in the past 12 months, while existing customers purchased more complex solutions with several taking their first steps into the digital revolution of machine tools,” explains managing director Lee Moakes.
“Trumpf is now providing its most comprehensive package ever to ensure customers get the best return on their investment,” he adds. “Moreover, we continue to grow our support team, increasing technical service capacity by more than 10% this year. As a result, we will be prepared for the further growth of Trumpf and its customers.” With the current order intake and the forecasted outlook into 2019, recruitment at the company is set to continue.
For further information www.uk.trumpf.com

Starrag meets Metalex’s big machining plans

In a significant investment for the future, Metalex Manufacturing located in Cincinnati, Ohio, has selected Starrag to supply a large-capacity, multi-axis Droop+Rein portal-type machining centre for its newly created Center for Advanced Large Manufacturing.

The machine – the largest ever installed by the contract manufacturer – will provide it with flexible production capacity to meet all foreseeable demands in terms of producing precision milled and turned workpieces in a single set-up. Indeed, the six-axis Droop+Rein T series machine – with its machining envelope of up to 19 m table length, 9.5 m between the columns and 7 m under the spindle – will also help attract new work.
Established in 1971, Metalex specialises in producing complex workpieces for a range of customers in the aerospace, energy, marine and consumer goods industries.
Metalex’s desire to source a machine that would not only satisfy current production needs but also meet all projected demands in the years ahead saw it make contact with a number of machine builders, including Starrag, which in the past has supplied it with a number of machines (a Dörries vertical turning lathe and two Starrag STC horizontal five-axis machining centres).
To help meet application demands at Metalex, Starrag added the two rotary tables and turning tool holders for in-cycle turning operations, and expanded the horizontal and vertical clearances of the Droop+Rein T series machine. Also included was Balluff tool identification, Renishaw probing, Blum laser tool measuring, video monitoring of the work area using four cameras, ARTIS tool and process monitoring, and Brankamp collision monitoring – all integrated via the machine’s Siemens 840 D SL CNC.
The machine is due for delivery in 2020 and production is scheduled to commence in 2021.
For further information www.starrag.com