UK NEWS

Cutting plastics down to size and shape

Mills CNChas supplied engineering plastic stockholder and precision subcontract machining specialist, Plastim Ltd, part of the Omnia Plastica SpA Group, with a new, large-capacity multi-tasking turning centre.The machine, a DN Solutions’ 12” chuck Puma 3100Y equipped with a 3000rpm spindle, 12-station turret, driven tooling (5000rpm), integrated Y-axis capability (±65mm) and the latest FANUC control is now in situ at the company’s 12,000sq ft facility in Cheltenham.

The Puma 3100Y sits in close proximityto three other Doosan lathes supplied by Mills CNC over the past 10 years and is machining a range of high-precision plastic parts for a growing number of UK customers operating in the oil and gas, aerospace, motorsport, electronics, transport, chemical, energy, food processing, and materials handling sectors, to name but a few.

The other machines supplied by Mills CNC that Plastim has at its disposal comprise a Puma 3100LY (installed in 2013), a Lynx 220LYA (2017), and a Lynx 300 (2021). All of the machines have FANUC controls ensuring easy program and part transfer between machines.

Says Warren Ironside, Plastim’s operations director:“Our Puma and Lynx lathes are real workhorses. They are powerful, fast, accurate and flexible.A number have Yaxes and driven tooling, enabling them to mill and drill components, as well as machine a range of features likegrooves, threads and other complex geometries, quickly, seamlessly and in one set up.Our lathes, backed by Mills CNC’s aftersales service and support, ensure that we’re able to meet the high accuracy, tight tolerance and fast turnaround demands of our customers.”
For further information www.millscnc.co.uk

Lloyds Bank SME Apprentice of the Year

Lloyds Banking Group named an MTC Training apprentice as its SME Apprentice of the Year 2023 at a celebratory event in London.Mohammed Ismaeel beat off stiff competition to bring home the prestigious trophy, awarded annually to a top achieving apprentice working for a business that receives support through Lloyds Bank’s levy transfer scheme.David Atkinson, regional director at Lloyds Bank, says: “Mohammed is a standout example of what you can achieve through an apprenticeship, and we hope his story inspires others looking to start a career in engineering.”
For further information www.mtc-training.co.uk

Project drives energy savings at Airbus UK

Airbus UK saved enough energy to power 60 homes for a year as part of a pioneering ‘future factories’ project by AMRC Cymru to help businesses boost productivity while meeting net zero targets.Over a five-month period, AMRC Cymru and Airbus, who share a building in Broughton, saw electricity savings equivalent to powering 41 three-bedroom homes for a year, and gas savings equivalent to powering 21 three-bedroom homes for a year. The Airbus team saw a reduction in electricity usage of almost 20%.

Luis Rivera, wing accelerator industrial leader at Airbus, says the collaboration between Airbus and the AMRC has been positive on many levels: “The AMRC used their research and innovation core knowledge to explore and discover new possibilities beyond our day-to-day activities, expanding our area of interest to new topics that will help the introduction of any future production line.”
For further information www.amrc.co.uk

GUHRING KEEPS SPINDLES TURNING AT PRECISION SUBCONTRACTOR

For more than 30 years, Birmingham-based Rowan Precision has been manufacturing high-quality parts for customers – and for much of this time, the company has relied upon Guhring UK to supply its cutting tools.

As a subcontract machining specialist to industries such as the defence, medical and aerospace sectors, AS9100 and ISO9001-accredited Rowan specialises in sliding and fixed-head multi-axis turning, as well asfive-axis machining. With more than 10 sliding-head turning centres on the shop floor, the company has an enviable reputation for the medium-to-high volume lights-out manufacturing of small components. It is here that the service from Guhring plays a pivotal role.

Commenting upon the longstanding relationship with Guhring UK, Matthew Lowe, technical director at Rowan Precision, says: “We’ve had a good relationship with Guhring for many years and they supply us with high-quality tooling and excellent technical advice. When we need something they are here to have conversations and meetings about upcoming jobs, and we can talk about the processes with Guhring’s technical team. We cut anything from plastics up to titanium, the high EN numbers, iridium platinum and other challenging materials. Guhring will sit down with us, look at our drawings and give us what we require to do the job.”

Looking at specific tools, Lowe says: “We use a bit of everything. This ranges from Guhring’s Micro end mills, its Diver cutters, the RF Speed and a lot of the Ratio range of through-coolant drills. We also use their grooving tools and the micro-boring system. We have an entire range of products and they are all very easy to use. Importantly, we have confidence that when we run lights out, we know how long the tool is going to last. Every component and every drawing has a defined tolerance; we need to ensure that the tooling we use can work within that tolerance for a certain period of time. The Guhring products certainly provide that confidence, giving us the ability to run our machines lights out.”

With such a diverse selection of Guhring tools utilised at Rowan Precision, the company also makes use of the Guhring TM multi-vending machine to ensure the correct tool is always on hand for the multitude of components that the company manufactures.

Considering specific applications, Lowe says: “We recently needed tools for a particular job and Chris Bush from Guhring came in and spoke to us about the application, the material and the number of parts we would be running. From this, Chris came back the same afternoon with suggestions and tool data from Guhring. We moved forward and purchased these tools and they are working very successfully. This excellent level of service supports our aims to achieve optimal machining performance and tool life.”

Discussing the relationship with Rowan Precision from a Guhring perspective, Guhring UK sales managerChris Bush says: “We’ve had a strong relationship with Rowan Precision for many decades and, as soon as they have a new component, they’ll give us a call and we’ll come in and take a look at the component, the drawing and recommend the tools best suited to the application.

“Rowan Precision has a lot of sliding-head turning centres machining small components, so they purchase our Micro Precision line of tools,” he continues.“This encompasses everything from milling cutters to drills. We also supply a lot of Micro Diver tools and Micro Milling cutters, which are perfect for all the typically hard-to-machine materials at Rowan Precision. This can range from grade 5 titanium to 316 stainless steel and everything in between.”

Discussing the continually expanding range of micro-tools, Bush concludes: “We’ve taken the Diver milling cutter geometry and incorporated that into a Micro Diver, so we get all the benefits of the Diver range on a micro-end mill. This allows Rowan to apply small tools to their difficult-to-machine materials while holding very tight tolerances and drastically reducing cycle times. As a company that runs lights-out machining, Rowan needs secure processes. They need tools that they have complete confidence in. The Guhring range of Micro Diver tools enables Rowan to set the machines up at the end of the shift when they go home, and know the tools will perform through the night. When the staff return to work in the morning, they are guaranteed high-quality components.”
For further information www.guhring.co.uk

Hand tool longevity in practice at Robert Sorby

Bowers Group has been a trusted partner of Robert Sorby for decades, assisting in perfecting its woodworking tools with precision measurement. With the help of a range of Moore & Wright handinstruments, the company has been able to achieve exceptional precision in its manufacturing operations.

Working at the heart of the UK’s steel and toolmaking industry since 1828, Robert Sorby has developed a global reputation for producing fine woodworking tools. All its tools are made with high-quality steel, which is hardened and tempered to its own specification. Polished flutes and hand-finished handles are typical hallmarks of the Robert Sorby brand.

The use of hand tools, particularly Moore & Wright instruments, plays a crucial role in Robert Sorby’s manufacturing processes. These hand and workshop tools ensure the precision and alignment of mating components, facilitating smooth assembly and improved product quality.

Mark Furniss, quality andtechnical engineer at Robert Sorby, says: “Moore & Wright hand tools are the backbone of precision and have been invaluable in the manufacture of our woodworking tools. With exceptional accuracy and reliability, these tools enable our craftsmen to create the finest-quality products that stand the test of time. Our partnership with Bowers Group is longstanding and the continued support from the team is second-to-none.”

The 1961M micrometer and 150mm digital calipers are among the most frequently used Moore & Wright hand tools at Robert Sorby. The micrometer measures the critical diameters of turned components, while the digital calipers perform length and depth measurements. Machining centre operators at Robert Sorby rely heavily on the digital calipers for their measurement needs.
For further information www.bowersgroup.co.uk