Robotics and automation specialist FANUC is celebrating after reaching the milestone of producing its five millionth CNC. The achievement comes as FANUC ramps up its presence in Europe. A €130m investment in 2022 will see the company strengthen its technical support, training and service offering to European customers, while a new €20m technical centre in Germany is expected to go live in 2023.

Alongside robots and machine tools, CNCs are at the heart of FANUC’s portfolio. The company has a production capacity of 36,500 CNCs per month and its latest FS 30i/31i/32iB Plus and FS0i-F Plus series offer state-of-the-art CNC and servo technologies, as well as numerous AI-based functions to make technological processes more efficient.

For further information
www.fanuc.eu

The latest Bystronic ByBend Smart press brake offers high-quality Swiss bending technology and numerous new functions at an affordable price. Bystronic says that the machine is 30% faster than conventional bending, and even 50% faster with the new ‘Efficiency Booster’ option. Furthermore, insert and stroke length expansion extends the insert height for bending tools from 480 to 580 mm. The additional 100 mm boosts the ByBend Smart’s flexibility by as much as 30% because this means that higher tools can be used, which enables users to produce parts with lower bending edges. This feature is particularly useful when bending boxes and drawers.

Another new option is the five-axis back-gauge. Until now, users had the choice between a two-axis and a four-axis back-gauge system. Customers who choose the five-axis system can now also use the ByBend Smart to form complex 3D parts, such as when the bending edges are not just parallel, but also at angles to each other. The basic version of the ByBend Smart comes with a two-axis back-gauge system.

In addition to a wide spectrum of applications, fast bending sequences and short manufacturing cycles frequently play an important role for users. Here, increasing process speeds and shortening set-up times are key. The new ‘Efficiency Booster’ is an optional feature that ensures a fast return of the upper beam, accelerating the bending process by up to 20%. Furthermore, the main drive is only active when the machine is actually in operation. This is the logic of ‘Energy Saver’, which reduces the power consumption of the machine while also boosting productivity and offering the added benefit of minimising noise and waste heat.

For further information
https://bybendsmart.bystronic.com

A new report by Oxford Economics has revealed the full extent of the contribution that Airbus makes to the UK economy in terms of GDP, employment, tax and investment. Operating from more than 25 sites across the UK, Airbus is the largest civil aerospace company in the country, the biggest civil aerospace exporter, Britain’s largest space company, the biggest supplier of large aircraft to the Royal Air Force and is responsible for around 50% of the UK’s civil helicopter fleet.

In terms of key highlights, the analysis found that in 2020: Airbus directly and indirectly supported a £5.6bn contribution to UK GDP; £1 in every £92 earned by UK firms from exported goods were products manufactured by Airbus; Airbus supported approximately 86,400 jobs in addition to its own workforce; SME’s accounted for 30% of all Airbus UK suppliers; and Airbus invested £260m in R&D.

For further information
www.airbus.com

Subcon returns on 7-9 June 2022 at the NEC in Birmingham. Now in its 45th year, Subcon remains the UK’s premier event dedicated to subcontract manufacturing buyers, enabling them to source suppliers, benchmark capabilities and form new manufacturing partnerships. This June, Subcon will once again be co-located with The Engineer Expo and Manufacturing Management Show, bringing together even more of the best suppliers, latest innovations and practical advice.

Across the three show days, Subcon will deliver the contacts, connections and content that UK engineering and manufacturing businesses need to succeed. Visitors will be able to harness new innovations from over 200 suppliers to help increase capacity, optimise productivity, improve flexibility and drive down costs. Subcon exhibitors span a range of manufacturing and engineering businesses, including assembly, CNC machining, fabrication, 3D printing and many more.

For further information
www.subconshow.co.uk

The debut appearance of the GM Group at MACH 2022 in April can only be described as a resounding success. The company presented the Victor Vturn-A20YCM and the Vturn-S26/60CM single-spindle turning centres, as well as the compact Vcenter-P76 machining centre. All three were well received with several machine sales and some very serious enquiries taken.

GM Group director Nicola Howard says: “As a first-time MACH exhibitor we didn’t necessarily expect to sell machines off the stand, but we did. The Victor brand has been well respected in machine shops nationwide for decades due to its build quality and longevity, and the feedback we repeatedly had from show visitors is how delighted they were to see the re-emergence of the Victor brand in the UK. Our attendance at MACH has elevated the Victor profile and may have helped to awaken a sleeping giant. We’ll definitely be re-booking for MACH 2024 as this show has given us a debut to remember.”

For further information www.gm-cnc.com