HRH The Princess Royal’s visit to meet recipients of her eponymous Princess Royal Training Award, assessed by the City & Guilds Group she serves as president, was accommodated by motorsport and automotive transmission technology specialist Xtrac at its global headquarters in Thatcham earlier this month. The visit followed the presentation of the 2021 award to 46 businesses at a special ceremony on 28 April, at Mansion House in London, hosted by the Lord Mayor of the City.

Along with viewing the practical skills workshop at the recently opened Xtrac Academy, HRH The Princess Royal also toured the company’s manufacturing facilities. Xtrac’s high-precision bevel gear cutting and grinding operations were demonstrated by apprentices Wesley Bloom and George Englefield, as well as former apprentice Stephen Gomm. The trio were accompanied by machinists Keith Dickinson and Chris Neal, team leaders and former apprentices Martin Carrick and Jason Woodley, trainer Neil Warwick, and apprentice manager Warren Page.

For further information www.xtrac.com/xtrac-academy

MACH Machine Tools not only sold 12 machines and took 265 “serious” enquiries at the MACH 2022 exhibition last month, the company also used the event to promote the productivity and performance benefits of the DynaPath CNC to scores of visitors. Machine sales included three new MDS
845-8T (‘spider’) milling machines. MACH Machine Tools says that the MDS 845-8T is a competitively-priced alternative to a VMC or more typical tool-room mill.

Reports Dave Andrew, CEO, Vigilance Group (of which MACH Machine Tools is part): “What a remarkable show. We wanted to use MACH 2022 as a showcase for a number of our latest DynaPath-controlled machine tools, while simultaneously promoting the productivity, operational efficiency and ease-of-use benefits of the control system in an innovative and engaging way. The response from visitors and subsequent feedback we received means we met all of our pre-show objectives.”

For further information www.machmt.co.uk

Horizontal machining centre manufacturer Heller Maschinenfabrik GmbH held an in-house event at its headquarters in Nürtingen, Germany earlier this month that attracted around 850 visitors. The event focused on the company’s latest generations of four-axis and five-axis machining centres, and presented innovative technologies such as power skiving and friction stir welding, along with future-proof digitisation and
automation solutions.

Reinhold Groß, the company’s new CEO says: “It was my first Heller in-house exhibition. Our subsidiaries GSN, Paatz, STS and Wenzler – as well as more than 20 partners and suppliers -also presented their solutions. A total of six different guided tours provided insights into our networked manufacturing and assembly of machining centres, spindle manufacture, component repair, and our modern training factory for the machine tool engineers of tomorrow.”

For further information www.heller.biz

British CMM manufacturer LK Metrology has introduced a third series of large-capacity models to sit alongside its established bridge-type machines and very large-scale gantry-type machines, which offer high accuracy due to their ceramic moving guideways. Using the latest innovations in aluminium and steel CMM guideway technology, the new AEROS, AEROS S and AEROS P gantrytype CMMs (40 models in total), lower the capital cost of such equipment. With measuring volumes up to 8.0 x 3.5 x 2.5 m, they allow a broader spectrum of manufacturers in industries such as aerospace, power generation, automotive and defence, to benefit from the latest 3D metrology systems.

Unlike traditional bridge CMMs, the AEROS main structure of support pillars and longitudinal guideways remains static, with only the gantry beam assembly moving during measurement. The open design is extremely adaptable, providing full access to the work area during the loading and unloading of parts. It is particularly suited to smart factories with autonomous guided carts and manually operated wheeled or rail-type material handling systems.

For consistent accuracy and dimensional stability, innovative design features have been incorporated into the AEROS range to minimise distortions and errors of inertia. Particular attention has been paid to the design of the guideway support system, which allow the longitudinal beams to expand freely without risking distortion. Multiple thermistors are fitted for automatic compensation of errors due to thermal expansion of structural components in uncontrolled environments, such as production areas. Extra-wide air bearing tracks and generous dimensioning of the distance between air bearings provides optimal mechanical rigidity. Notably, 0.1 μm optical linear scales provide accurate positional feedback and precise motion control, with a dual read-head system on both X-axis guideways for high metrology performance.

For further information www.lkmetrology.com

Visitors to Subcon 2022 (7-9 June, Birmingham NEC) can enjoy over 30 hours of free conference sessions led by industry experts discussing the key issues and trends that are driving innovation and shaping the UK’s industrial landscape in 2022. Sessions will extend from the latest developments in key technology areas such as hydrogen mobility, electrification and nuclear fusion, to keynote insights on automation, finance and engineering skills.

Speakers confirmed this year include: Dave Short, technology director at BAE Systems; Ian Whiting, commercial director at the UK Battery Industrialisation Centre; Tony Langtry, head of mechanical engineering at Tokamak Energy; Hugo Spowers, founder of Riversimple; Professor Ric Allot, director of business development at STFC; Chris Tuck, professor at the University of Nottingham; Nick Hawker, CEO and co-founder of First Light Fusion; and Martin Little, commercial director of the Rail Alliance.

For further information www.subconshow.co.uk