UK NEWS

Dugard grows sales team

Dugard is once again strengthening its team with the appointment of a new area sales manager. Paul Roberts is now the company’s representative for southwest England and south Wales. He brings vast experience to the company, entering the industry almost 25 years ago as an apprentice toolmaker. Sales director Colin Thomson says: “Paul has a proven track record with a technical understanding and ability to solve problems for customers that will be a genuine asset to Dugard. He has spent several years working with manufacturers in the southwest, so his local reputation and insight will be of huge benefit.”

More information www.dugard.com

OrthoSolutions installs Hurco machines

Maldon-based OrthoSolutions, which designs, develops and manufactures implants and instruments used in surgical repair of the foot and ankle, has invested in a purpose-built production facility and purchased two Hurco machine tools. The move will bring previously outsourced work in-house and accelerate prototyping.

The new Hurco VM10i vertical machining centre (with 4th-axis rotary table and tailstock arrangement) and TM6i CNC lathe will perform a majority of the milling and turning operations required. They have already been busy providing a notable improvement in lead times for prototypes, while allowing quick and easy program editing in response to feedback from surgeons.

More information www.hurco.co.uk

Online Tool For Volume Manufacturing

Quickparts, a provider of custom manufacturing solutions, is launching a new online tool to
streamline the request process for volume production. The new QuickQuote tool caters in
particular to customers with large-scale or complex projects in CNC machining, injection
moulding and additive manufacturing. The user-friendly interface allows customers to
upload files and enter details such as proposed production scheduling, lead times, quality
requirements, design specifications, materials, accreditation needs and preferred processes.
This approach triggers a rapid response from a dedicated project team at Quickparts.
More information www.quickparts.com

Recognising future engineering talent

The Design & Make Challenge 2024, organised and run by the Manufacturing Assembly Network (MAN) earlier this month, attracted nearly 100 pupils from 15 schools in what was one of the largest independent STEM events ever held in the UK. Southam College, Barclay Academy and Lawrence Sheriff High School took the main prizes, winning the Efficiency, Innovation and Manufacturing Awards respectively. Judges liked the way they tackled their challenge, using a box of simple materials to build a device that could securely lift a 23 kg metal block with nothing more than a pulley system.

More information www.man-group.co.uk

Hyundai Wia CNC lathe attracts the crowds

Ward CNC returned to the MACH 2024 exhibition in Birmingham earlier this year with a double presence. Highlights included many visitors enjoying the display put on by cutting tool partner Vargus UK, which showcased a Hyundai Wia HD3100YA Y-axis CNC lathe (available in the UK from Ward CNC). The company was also delighted with visits from other lathe principals such as Gurutzpe and Takisawa Japan.

At MACH, Ward CNC was able to discuss its wide range of CNC machine tool and metalworking solutions with both new and returning customers from across the UK, resulting in much interest and many enquiries.

Ward CNC’s applications team showcased the impressive specification of the Hyundai-Wia CNC lathe, which ran live demonstrations throughout the week on the Vargus stand. Among the machine’s features are hardened and ground box guideways, plus a one-piece heavy-duty cast-iron bed for accuracy and rigidity during machining. Further features include a BMT65P turret, Y axis, C axis, driven tooling, 10″ chuck, 12-station ATC and a FANUC 0iT control with 15-inch monitor. Users can take advantage of a 760 mm maximum turning length and a swing-over-bed of 800 mm. The A2-8 spindle nose offers 3500 rpm, plus 5000 rpm live tooling speed.

Utilising a range of cutting tools from Vargus, the demonstration showcased a vast array of machining techniques, including wave-form grooving, Y-axis milling, and C-axis polar milling. Ward CNC is now in discussions with the businesses and engineers who came for a chat during the exhibition. The company holds over 40 machines in stock from seven brands.

More information www.wardcnc.com