THIS WEEK’S HIGHLIGHTS

Ball valve specialist installs IMET bandsaw

Dafram SPA, a specialist in the production of ball valves for the oil industry, chose the IMET XT4 automatic bandsaw to help boost its workflow and production requirements. IMET says it was extremely happy to provide a reliable and efficient working tool to such an important partner in a market (valve construction) where precision is crucial. IMET machines are available in the UK from Addison Saws.

XT series automatic double-column bandsaws offer full material cuts up to 560mm. All the machines of the XT series are equipped with an integrated feeder and 10” touchscreen display that includes automatic cutting parameters and a materials library, allowing users to start a cutting cycle in just few minutes.

Regarding the XT4 model, clamping vices move at the same time to ensure optimum clamping of the material. Furthermore, bars which are not completely straight can advance through the system without issue.All vice pressures are adjustable, while the system also allows the vices to ‘back off’, thus avoiding the blade rubbing on the cut surface during the ascent of the saw frame for the next cut.

TCT bandsaw blades are suitable for this machine and it features hydraulically pressured TCT blade guides for maximum precision and squareness of cut. A further feature are adjustable lateral roller bearings that take the blade twist load prior to entry into the guides. The moving guides position automatically close to the cutting area, again for maximum precision. As a point of note, the machine software controls a hydraulic cylinder to tension the sawblade accordingly, while an automatic trim cut option is also available.

Finally, if the material has an acceptable pre-sawn face, it will locate accurately and automatically relative to the blade ‘zero’ position.
For further information www.addisonsaws.co.uk

In-Comm launches £3m Technical Academy

A new £3m technical academy, located just a few miles from the home of the industrial revolution, is now officially open to the public.In-Comm Training, which already operates two facilities in the Black Country and Shrewsbury, is looking to train more than 350 apprentices and upskill 2500 existing workers at its T54 centre near Telford over the next 12 months.

The ‘Ofsted Outstanding’ provider has created 20,000 sq ft of manufacturing training space, fitting it out with new equipment and state-of-the-art technology, spanning from the latest CNC machines, robotics, material testing and CADCAM systems, to welding, electricaland metrology equipment.A team of 20 expert trainers will guide the engineers of the future bydelivering best-practice courses.
For further informationwww.in-comm.co.uk

Subcontractor turns to SMEC turning centre

With the turned components at DGF Engineering increasingly needing secondary milling operations on machining centres, the Royston-based subcontractor recently acquired a SMEC SL 2000M turning centre from Dugard.

“We picked this machine as we needed an upgrade,” states Liam Fernard workshop manager at DGF Engineering.“The machine that we had was only a two-axis machine and we were getting more and more work needing additional milling work. As we were happy with the service we had received from Dugard on our previous acquisition, a Dugard 1000 three-axis VMC, we naturally looked at their lathes and this one ticked all the boxes.”

The SMEC SL 2000M slant-bed CNC turning centre has a 570mm swing over bed and a 460mm swing over the cross slide with a maximum machining diameter of 360mm and a machining length up to 540mm. The 8inch chuck machine has a bore diameter of 76mm that accommodates a maximum bar capacity of 68mm. As with all machines in the SMEC range, Dugard says that the SMEC SL 2000M is a powerhouse with its 15/18kW spindle motor that drives the spindle at a speed up to 4500rpm and a 3.7/5.5kW motor that drives the driven tooling stations in the 12-position tooling carousel.

Discussing the components machined on the new Dugard SMEC turning centre, Fernard says: “We’re a typical subcontract company, so batches are varied and volumes of up to 200 parts is a big batch for us. We will machine a bit of everything on this machine;it will help our production move much faster. Dugard have been excellent and the investment is 100% worth it.”
For further information www.dugard.com

Chocolate system producer opts for Hwacheon

MacIntyre Chocolate Systems, located in Scotland, is a worldwide supplier of chocolate manufacturing and processing equipment – offering ancillary equipment for chocolate manufacture that includes transfer pumps, filters and storage vessels. After agreeing a purchase on a new Hwacheon Hi Tech 850LYMC, Ward Hi Tech’s high levels of stock meant that the company was not waiting for long.

Managing director Joe Gorman says: “Purchasing the new Hwacheon Hi Tech 850LYMC allowed us to remove the risk of external supply chain, price pressure from market volatility and the need to monitor external quality for being ‘right first time’. We now have the ability to turn-mill our main drive shafts, pressure-adjust shafts, pressure sleeves and many other components on one machine.This new capability will drive us to become even more efficient – via improved cycle times – compared to ourprevious machine tools. The new Hwacheon Hi Tech 850LYMC will also give us the capability to offer an internal supplier solution to group partners based in Germany.”

As well as increasing productivity, the Hwacheon Hi Tech 850LYMC meant that where there was a need for three machine tools to cut parts – now only oneis necessary. This provides MacIntyre Chocolate Systems with a long-term cost effective solution.

“The onsite and offsite training sessions were first class and the installation was very quick and professional,” says Gorman.“This allowed us to moveseamlessly into full production.”

The Hwacheon Hi Tech 850 LYMC is a horizontal turning centre suited to large and hard workpieces. According to Ward Hi-Tech, the machine allows users to master demanding machining tasks that require large milling and turning operations.
For further information www.wardhitech.co.uk

Investments critical to future growth plans

Mills CNC, the exclusive distributor of DN Solutions’ (formerly Doosan) and Zayer machine tools in the UK and Ireland, has supplied subcontract specialist JTB Pressings with two new, FANUC-controlled CNC lathes.The machines, a 6”chuck/51mm bar capacity Lynx 2100LYSA and, a similarly sized Lynx 2100, are now in place at one of the company’s three production facilities in Willenhall.

Since their arrival, both lathes have been put through their paces machining, almost exclusively, a range of small, precision turned parts for JCB. These high-volume, short-cycle parts, include six individual components made from a range of materials that include steel, bronze andnylon.

JTB’s decision to invest in the two Doosan lathes was made to help the company increase the range of manufacturing services it provides to existing customers, as well as spearheading a drive to secure new business from different sectors.

Explains Ivan Evans, JTB’s managing director:“We are always looking to improve, diversify and grow.We did consider sliding-head as well as fixed-head models, but ultimately decided on the Lynx 2100 LSYA from Mills CNC owing to its compact size, proven reliability and multi-tasking capabilities.”

With both Lynx lathes’ capacity taken up machining parts for just one customer, JTB has now made the decision to invest further.

Says general manager Steve Lounds: “To free-up capacity on our Lynx machines we hope to invest in another two pre-owned Emi-Mec CNC lathes in the near future. These two-axis lathes will handle the high volume of turned parts currently machined on the Lynx lathes and, as a consequence, enable us to fully exploit the true potential of the Lynx machines and diversify our operations – as was originally intended.”
For further information www.millscnc.co.uk