THIS WEEK’S HIGHLIGHTS

Dugard is key to success for subcontractor

As a general subcontract manufacturer, Cannock-based Key Precision attended the Southern Manufacturing exhibition earlier this year to investigate new technology that could help drive the business forward. The company found the Dugard stand and the Hanwha range of sliding-head turning centres, and an order soon followed.

The subcontract manufacturing company showed a particular interest in the Dugard Hanwha XD38I, a robust sliding-head machine with a bar capacity that is particularly large for the machine’s footprint.

Greg Jackson, engineering and quality director at Key Precision, says: “We were looking to expand our turning capacity by purchasing something with the flexibility of a sliding-head machine, but the capability of a fixed-head model. It was the relatively small footprint for the size of machine that attracted us to the Hanwha XD381, and the size of bar that we could accommodate.”

Looking at the type of parts the company is manufacturing on its new Dugard Hanwha XD38II sliding-head turning centre, Jackson adds: “At the moment we’re machining parts of over 35 mm diameter, but we’re a typical subcontractor, so we make components for cars, planes, trains and, at present, quite a lot for the agricultural industry. This involves machining harder steels such as EN19 and EN24.”

The rigidity of the new machine is already creating savings at Key Precision.

“We’ve seen tool life savings of 25-35% using the Hanwha XD38II when we produce parts that we’ve cut many times before on other machines,” states Jackson.

Concluding on the installation, he says: “The machine has been working for six full weeks, running day and night and even over the weekends. It hasn’t missed a beat.”
For further information www.dugard.com

Renishaw introduces sustainability team

To reduce its contribution to carbon emissions, Renishaw has invested in a dedicated sustainability team. The newly formed team will use its expertise to ensure Renishaw meets its commitment to net zero by 2050 at the latest, with validation and monitoring of this target by the internationally respected Science Based Target initiative (SBTi).

Managed by Ben Goodare, head of sustainability, the team covers a range of skills that are required to help the company achieve its sustainability goals, including data analysis, project management, reporting, value chain management and lifecycle assessment expertise. Goodare has implemented a carbon management system for all Renishaw global sites to calculate their greenhouse gas emissions. In the past five years, the company has successfully reduced its carbon footprint by 39%.
For further information www.renishaw.com/csr

New AMRC Training Centre advisory board

Bridging the gap between employment and education, as well as influencing future training needs for industry requirements, are key goals of the newly-formed AMRC Training Centre Industry Advisory Board. The IAB was established in 2016 to ensure the University of Sheffield AMRC Training Centre’s apprentice programmes stays relevant and meets ever-evolving industry needs.

Anne Griggs, head of business development and contracts for the AMRC Training Centre, took up the post as chair at the start of 2022. She wanted to overhaul the board and appoint new members to ensure it is representative of the training centre’s employer base. New members include representation from Rotherham, Sheffield, Doncaster and Barnsley, as well as both an SME, a large employer, and businesses that already employs degree, advanced and welding apprentices.
For further information www.amrctraining.co.uk

MTC offers four-day week to staff

The Manufacturing Technology Centre in Coventry will permanently implement flexible working – including a four-day week – following a large-scale, two-year trial which saw more than half of employees report higher productivity. The MTC’s 820 employees can now opt for a four-day week under the centre’s fully flexible working week initiative.

“We’ve been operating flexible working patterns since April 2018, but employee engagement surveys have shown that staff wanted to extend this further,” says Vicki Sanderson, HR director at the MTC. “We explored a range of options, including researching what was important for millennials and generation Z, as 79% of our workforce fall into these categories. Work-life balance was the priority.”
For further information www.the-mtc.org

New Hainbuch system is ‘game changer’

The new Hainbuch System is said to be a ‘game changer’ for manufacturers seeking efficient and flexible work holding. This quick-change innovation allows manufacturers to clamp 1000 different workpieces without the need for a multitude of solutions. With the Hainbuch System, engineers now only need one basic clamping device, a chuck or a stationary chuck that remains on the machine tool. Whether it is OD, ID, prismatic components, jaw, magnetic or clamping between centres – the Hainbuch System provides a solution.

In short, the Hainbuch System is a new series of mandrels and adaptors that encompasses the complete range of Hainbuch products. This includes the TOPlus Premium chuck, which guarantees a runout of ≤5 μm without alignment, regardless of which clamping head is in use.

Also capable of working in harmony with the new Hainbuch System is the SpannTop mini chuck series. The Mando Adapt mandrel and corresponding jaw module already work perfectly with the new SpannTop mini, meaning complete autonomy for any small component clamping needs.

Unlike the SpannTop mini chuck, the configuration for the TOPlus system is a little different. Whereas the SpannTop uses an adaptor ring, the TOPlus system has a ring of attachment holes to secure the market-leading jaw module.

The SpannTop and TOPlus Mini series are available with a full through-bore plus a variety of standard lengths to suit all machine types and draw-tube configurations. For the customer, this range of possibilities gives flexibility with OD clamping via the clamping head and ID clamping with the mandrel-adapting Mando Adapt system, while complete jaw clamping can be accommodated with the new jaw-adapting module.
For further information www.hainbuch.com