UK NEWS

Post-EMO open house at Citizen

Manufacturers wishing to learn more about the latest CNC sliding-head and fixed-head turning canters from Citizen Machinery UK, but who perhaps are unable to attend the EMO 2023 machine tool trade fair in Hannover (18-23 September), may be interested to know that on 3-5 October, the company will hold an open house at its Brierley Hill facility in the West Midlands.

The event will mark the 40th year of selling fixed-head lathe manufacturer Miyano’s products in the UK and Ireland, initially through previous sales agent Macro Machine Tools. Since 2010, the brand has been a wholly-owned part of Citizen Holdings, which also offers Cincom sliding-head lathes and range of turning machines incorporating auto-loading systems for rapid material and parts handling.
For further information www.citizenmachinery.co.uk

OSG UK adds another Walter tool grinder

The success of tooling specialist OSG UK continues apace, with the company recently installing another Walter Helitronic tool grinder to meet rising monthly volumes of tool regrinds and orders for new tooling, and to satisfy plans for its latest range of carbide tooling. These tools are joining the company’s own-brand series of taps, thread mills and end mills, as well as drills and reamers.

Supplied by Walter Ewag UK the company’s latest Walter Helitronic, a Power 400, joins existing Helitronic tool grinders and Helicheck Pro tool measuring machine at OSG‘s Basildon site. The ongoing investment by OSG means the company is “superbly equipped to meet all current and immediate future demands”, says director Tony Cooper.

Importantly, the fact that all of OSG’s Helitronic machines have pallet systems and robot loaders makes it possible to pre-load variable size batches of tools ready for effective and efficient processing overnight, unmanned, in batches of up to 30-off. The company says this capability provides the ultimate in order responsiveness for a wide customer base, including aerospace and automotive clients throughout the UK, Ireland and mainland Europe.

The multi-axis Helitronic Power 400 features a mineral cast machine bed and gantry design, and it provides 26 kW (up to 24,000 rpm) of spindle power. Coupled with sophisticated drive technology and X, Y and Z axis travels of 650, 350 and 720 mm, respectively, the machine can handle tools of 3 to 315 mm diameter, up to 520 mm long and weighing up to 50 kg.The robot loader can accommodate tools up to 125 mm diameter and weighing 5 kg.
For further information www.walter-machines.com

Electron Engineering chooses Apex gearboxes

When Electron Engineering Services,a machine tool company specialising in machine refurbishment and CNC retrofitting, was retrofitting a grinding machine to turn it into an accurate grinder by installing servo systems instead of hydraulics, the company turned to Apex Dynamics and its range of precision planetary gearboxes. Electron selected AB115 and the PAII115 gearboxes for their high precision, hightorque and competitive price.

As part of the project, Electron determined that it needed a precision planetary gearbox fitted to the servo in order to get more accurate performance from the grinding machine and higher torque from a smaller motor.Good availability of parts was essential for timely delivery of the final machine design as Electron had previously encountered problems with other components as a result of supply chain shortages. Other key considerations included high levels of customer support, availability of 3D models for design, and assistance with calculations, in order to meet the project deadlines.

The AB115 is part of Apex Dynamics’ highest precision, highest torque range, while the compact, lightweight PAII115 is an economy precision planetary gearbox with accuracy of less than 6 arc-minutes and reduced backlash.

By installing in-line planetary gearboxes on servo axes, Electron was able to use a much smaller motor in the grinding machine to get similar torque and thrust, with lower backlash and quieter operation.

Phillip Denison, senior mechanical designer at Electron Engineering Services, says: “Having used Apex Dynamics products for some time now, they are really good at what they do and they understand what we do, helping when needed with things like calculations and 3D models. We were really pleased with the levels of service for this project.”
For further information www.apexdynauk.com

SRD futureproofs its machining practices

we are determined to stay at the top of our game.Futureproofing the company means that we SRD is a 150+ employee engineering company based in Bicester which specialises in manufacturing automotive parts in short lead times. For many years, SRD relied on tried and tested machining techniques,but with higher demand for products there comes a need to fulfil more orders at a quicker rate. The company turned to Ceratizit for help.

Ceratizit examined SRD’s machining processes, inserts and tools, and outlined some areas for improvement. Furthermore, Ceratizit set up a tooling ‘swap out’, where SRD could test inserts without expense.It was not long before SRD began to achieve some impressive results. For example, in some instances, SRD began making a time saving of 30-40% on roughing cycles. Tool life also increased through the use of Ceratizit’s inserts, and its EcoCut inserts are now in use across the workshop. The wide selection of tooling and inserts available in Ceratizit’s extensive catalogue also meant that SRD was able to find the appropriate tools for each job. Furthermore, the constant line of communication between Ceratizit and SRD meant that technical support was always on hand.

Ceratizit’s regular visits allowed the tooling specialist to get intimately acquainted with SRD Engineering’s machines and machining needs, ensuring that its recommendations would be sure to make a positive impact.

Jack Wignall, business developer at SRD, says:“Ceratizit encouraged us to continue growing. It’s a good reminder that there’s always room for improvement in engineering, no matter how efficient you think your processes are. I definitely think this is the start of continuous improvement for SRD and need to be up to date with tooling and machining techniques.”
For further information www.ceratizit.com

GTMA and AMUK ready for take-off

The GTMA and Additive Manufacturing UK (AMUK) will jointly host the free-to-attend Manufacturing Solutions UK event at RAF Museum Midlands, Cosford, on 14 September. This year, the event is incorporating the metrology, testing and inspection show Make Measurement Matter, as well as additive and other manufacturing technologies. The event has been held in various locations across the UK for a number of years, but this will be the first time back since the pandemic.

The prestigious RAF Cosford museum will provide a fabulous backdrop to the exhibition area, with exhibitors and visitors surrounded by iconic aircraft and the complete story of the RAF. Visitors can also glean valuable information with two keynote speakers at the event from Rolls-Royce: Dr Phil Bamforth, global lead for manufacturing product verification and measurement; and Joseph Green, measurement team lead for defence manufacturing in Bristol.
For further information www.bit.ly/3GYsR3d