Dutch firm Halter CNC Automation has introduced an entry-level machine tending cell for
loading and unloading. Availability in Great Britain is through sole agent 1st Machine Tool
Accessories.
Comprising a six-axis industrial robot, the Basic Pro offers a price-competitive automation
solution. With the manufacturer’s user-friendly touchscreen SmartControl, the changeover
time to start a new production process is only a few minutes. Furthermore, the operator
needs no prior experience of robot programming, which takes place while machining of the
previous parts is in progress.
The plug-and-play Halter Basic Pro can be supplied with new machines or retrofitted to
existing plant regardless of machine age and control type. Use of a floor-level, 270° laser
scanner provides a safety zone. The robot slows if the operator approaches and stops
immediately upon breaching the light curtain.
An adjustable air pressure supply is provided for the double gripper, which can have either
two or three fingers for holding raw material and finish-machined workpieces internally or
externally. It is possible to handle workpieces from 10 to 135 mm diameter or square up to
a maximum weight of 12 kg, including the gripper head. The grid plate holding the raw
material and finished parts is adjustable in height to suit the installation and can hold up to
188 workpieces if the locations are sized up to 20 mm, the number dropping to 14 parts as
the size reaches 135 mm.
Halter has more than 1000 installations worldwide feeding CNC lathes, machining centres,
deep-hole drilling machines, grinders and other machine tools, as well as CMMs. Nearly 95%
of customers across 25 countries, including two dozen or so in the UK, report a return on
investment within 5 to 18 months.
More information www.1mta.com

Fletcher Moorland, a Stoke-based company that repairs and refurbishes motors, pumps,
gearboxes and fans, has purchased an XYZ RLX 780 flat-bed CNC lathe with ProtoTRAK RLX
control as part of efforts to expand services for its growing customer base.
Says third-generation managing director Matt Fletcher: “We traditionally worked on sub 1
MW motors but, with advances in wind turbines, we’re now seeing repairs required on
equipment up to 2.5 MW. These machines, which weigh around 10 tons, have bigger rotors
and end shields, and we didn’t have a machine to process these larger parts.”
The process of acquiring a large-capacity lathe involved researching the market, which
culminated in two visits to XYZ’s Midlands Technical Centre in Nuneaton.

Electrical-mechanical workshop Manager Matt Sparkes says: “Demonstrations from XYZ’s
area sales manager gave us the confidence that the RLX 780 was the right fit in terms of
machine size and capacity. After seeing the ProtoTRAK RLX control, used both manually and
in CNC modes, we knew it was the best solution for our workshop.”
With shafts and rotors increasing in size, Fletcher Moorland is already benefiting from the
purchase of the XYZ RLX 780.
“Its 160 mm diameter spindle bore is advantageous, especially when we recently machined
a batch of conveyor rollers,” explains Sparkes. “The additional fixed steady we purchased is
also proving its worth.”
In a closing remark, Sparkes says: “We really feel that the ProtoTRAK control is the way
forward. Its ease of use and flexibility aligns with our processes, and we see it enabling us to
produce one-offs quickly and efficiently using the conversational format that the control
provides.”
More information www.xyzmachinetools.com