A specialist engineering company has invested more than £700,000 to develop tools which provide greener, faster and safer solutions for decommissioning in the energy sector. Decom Engineering has updated its pipe coating removal (PCR) equipment, which cleans decommissioned or surplus pipelines of multiple coatings, so they can be repurposed for use on other projects. Based in Northern Ireland, Decom has also upgraded its cold cutting saws, which have been deployed on international decommissioning projects, as oil and gas operators replace or remove ageing infrastructure.
The latest modifications to its single-blade cutter will allow the company to target a new revenue stream, assisting clients in recovering conductors from decommissioned oil and gas rigs. Decom also believes there are opportunities for its patented saws to be deployed on offshore wind farm repair and maintenance projects, as well as onshore pile cutting.

For further information www.decomengineering.co.uk 

Speed, precision, flexibility: thanks to the new laser output of 15 kW, the Bystronic ByStar Fiber can cut steel, aluminium and stainless steel with a thickness from 1 to 30 mm, and brass and copper up to 20 mm.

On average, due to the 15 kW laser, the cutting speed of the ByStar Fiber increases by up to 50% (when cutting with nitrogen) compared with a 10 kW laser source. The new power level is available for the ByStar Fiber 3015, 4020, 6225 and 8025 models.

Bystronic’s BeamShaper function ensures clean cutting edges and high operational reliability across the entire range of thicknesses up to 30 mm. This function can be selected as an option when purchasing a new 15 kW ByStar Fiber, or added later as an upgrade. The BeamShaper enables the shape of the laser beam to be optimally adapted to thicker sheets and various sheet metal qualities.

Control of the high-performance flagship machine is via the ByVision cutting software and 21.5-inch touchscreen. According to Bystronic, operating the machine is as simple as using a smartphone.

In order to provide optimal material flow at the high speeds of laser cutting, Bystronic has a broad selection of automation solutions available for the ByStar Fiber 3015 and 4020. The offer includes loading and unloading systems, sorting solutions and individually configurable storage systems. Based upon the existing manufacturing environment and available space, it is possible to develop a seamlessly integrated automated laser cutting process.
ByTrans Modular is the newest loading and unloading solution on offer from Bystronic. This automation platform can be flexibly adapted to changing order situations and production rhythms in laser cutting.

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

Worcestershire-based MJH Fabrications has recently invested in two Amada ENSIS-3015AJ 9 kW fibre laser cutters with MPF load/unload automation systems. This significant capital investment is helping the company to better serve its UK-wide customer base in sectors that include shop-fitting, agriculture, yellow goods and factory automation.

Formed in 1990, MJH Fabrications has grown to become a progressive subcontract fabrication specialist with £2.5m annual turnover, 20,000 sq ft premises and 18 employees.
The company’s entry into laser cutting arrived a number of years ago when it acquired a second-hand machine. Several other preowned laser cutters followed before MJH Fabrications purchased its first new model: an AMADA F1 with automation tower. The company retained this “excellent and reliable” 4 kW CO2 machine for eight years before deciding to enquire about an upgrade.

“With the industry transitioning from CO2 to fibre laser technology, it made sense to think about new investment,” explains company founder Mike Hemming. “Thanks to the experience we’d had with the F1 – a machine that was nothing short of bulletproof – we had no hesitation in returning to Amada. With our F1 we never once had a requirement to call Amada out. The only visit was for annual servicing.”

An ENSIS-3015AJ 9kW fibre laser with MPF load/unload automation provided the perfect solution for MJH Fabrications.

“To be competitive we knew that adopting fibre technology was the only option and, sure enough, we immediately noticed a difference in speed capability with the new ENSIS – it’s unbelievably fast,” says Hemming.

MJH also takes advantage of Amada Variable Beam Control technology, whereby the laser beam is automatically adapted to deliver stable cutting across all material types and thicknesses.

For further information www.amada.eu 

Mills CNC, the exclusive distributor of Doosan machine tools in the UK and Ireland, has recently supplied high-end audio equipment design and manufacturing specialist, Linn Products, with a customised SYNERGi automated manufacturing cell.

The state-of-the-art cell, installed at the company’s 7200 sq m facility in Glasgow, represents a significant investment for Linn and comprises a new Heidenhain-controlled Doosan DVF 5000 five-axis machining centre and a Fanuc six-axis industrial robot with 45 kg payload. Other features include an integrated racking system that holds up to 24 standard size pallets, 2 m high safety caging/fencing and a 17” touchscreen HMI driven by Mills’ proprietary SYNERGi software. The cell is already running unattended overnight and at weekends

“Our high-end products are machined from solid aluminium,” states director of operations Chris O’Brien. “Product interiors are ‘hollowed out’ and feature a number of chambers, separated by thin walls, where electrical and electronic components are housed. We machine product exteriors to a mirror finish using a large diameter fly cutter that face mills the entire surface in one pass to produce a uniform finish.”

He continues: “We rely on our Doosan machining centres to deliver fast and accurate material removal rates and super-fine finishes. Metal removal on premium products can be in excess of 80%, while part cycle times, owing to roughing, semi-finishing and finishing operations, can take several hours to complete.

“The DVF 5000 machine is a proven performer. It is fast, accurate, flexible and reliable. When in automatic mode the machine’s side door is used, but we can also use it in manual mode via the front door. This means we can use the DVF 5000 as a stand-alone machine when required.”

For further information
www.millscnc.co.uk

The European Space Agency’s Rosalind Franklin Rover is due for launch from Baikonur, Kazakhstan in summer 2022, with a target to land on the surface of Mars in March 2023. Once there it will set about identifying signs of water-rich minerals, which could indicate past life. Key to these investigations will be the optical bench which, as the ‘eyes’ of the rover will contain two stereo cameras, a mono high-definition camera and array of electronics. Known as the ‘Pan Cam’ this device was developed and manufactured by the Mullard Space Science Laboratory, the home of UCL’s Department for Space & Climate Physics.

The optical bench comprises a box with separate top and bottom, machined from 5083 grade aluminium, which are joined together using electron beam welding techniques. Machining was completed at the laboratory’s workshop in Surrey using an XYZ MiniMill, the smallest vertical machining centre available from XYZ Machine Tools.

Due to the complex design, there were some extremely fine details to machine, such as an O-ring groove around the lid, measuring just 0.35 mm wide, as well as numerous M1.6 threaded holes.
The success of this project convinced Simon Hemsley – head of the mechanical workshop – of the value and flexibility provided by machining centres with tool-change capabilities. So much so that an order has just been placed for an XYZ 500 LR linear rail vertical machining centre. This machine, which has been part funded through the Government’s Research Capital Investment Fund, comes with the latest Siemens 828D control featuring the optional advanced programming software package that includes ShopMill technology.

For further information
www.xyzmachinetools.com