UK NEWS

First NMITE cohort enters workplace

The New Model Institute for Technology and Engineering (NMITE) has reached a significant milestone with its first students entering the workplace. Among the first to complete one of NMITE’s innovative degrees are individuals who have secured impressive and prestigious positions in industry, showcasing the effectiveness of NMITE’s unique educational approach.

NMITE set out with a mission to revolutionise engineering education and took in its first students in September 2021. Located in Hereford, the institute offers forward-thinking integrated engineering degrees. NMITE’s curriculum is hands-on and project-based, ensuring students gain real-world experience from day one. 

More information www.nmite.ac.uk

Group Rhodes expands in its 200th year

Group Rhodes, a Wakefield-based OEM providing metal forming and composite forming solutions, has significantly expanded its workforce across all four divisions over the past six months to meet the needs of customers. The move includes six new employees for Group Rhodes, four for its Rhodes Interform division, four for BJD Crushers, and two for its Craven Fawcett business. Most of the new appointments are within the company’s manufacturing and machining operations. Group Rhodes has recently announced major new domestic contracts with companies such as Ibstock, Zentia and Cascade Manufacturing.

More www.grouprhodes.co.uk

Nukon Lasers and Lantek in UK collaboration

Premium Turkish laser manufacturer Nukon is one of Lantek’s OEM collaborative partners, combining the 2D/3D technology of the former with the expertise that the latter brings with its Lantek Expert software for programming 2D lasers and Flex3D software for tube cutting lasers. Nukon Lasers UK, the company’s UK and Ireland distributor has been working with Lantek’s UK office for two years, already collaborating in the installation of multiple machines.

Steve Haddrell, sales director at Nukon Lasers UK, says: “By partnering with Lantek our customers are productive within days of the machine installation. It also provides us with confidence in the success of every project we undertake.”

According to Haddrell, 2D laser technology is very mature and the quality of the Lantek software is a factor in differentiating Nukon from its competitors: “Lantek has all the essentials, including heat dissipation, job estimates, film burning for plastic-coated sheet, common line cutting and powerful nesting, ensuring optimum yield from the sheet material.”

Laser cutters from Nukon feature US-made, high-quality nLIGHT resonators with CutLine adaptive beam control ‘on the fly’ during cutting. One of the benefits of the CutLine system is a much smoother finish on thicker materials via the tuneable beam profile. Nukon machines also feature Beckhoff controls and drives, piercing and cut sensors, automatic nozzle changers, as well as multiple options for load/unload automation.

“Lantek Expert and Flex3D products are head and shoulders above others in the market,” concludes Haddrell. “Lantek software is fully featured and the quality of the support staff and their depth of knowledge gives us complete confidence.”

For further information www.lantek.com

Smart Manufacturing invests over £1m

Bideford-based sheet metal fabrication specialist Smart Manufacturing Ltd is taking its manufacturing operations to the next level by investing more than £1m in a number of Amada machines and building an additional factory in which to run them 24-7. The company says the new machines, which include a Ventis-3015AJ 4 kW fibre laser cutter and EMZ 3612MII punch press, both with automation, will help double its turnover to circa £8m within five years.

“Since buying the Amada machines we’re picking up a lot of thinner gauge work in much higher quantities,” explains production director Shaun Mcquillan. “A year ago we would probably view an order for 500 as high quantity, but now we are seeing orders for over 5000. Of course, the only way we can handle these orders and maintain reasonable lead times is with automation.”

In combination, Smart Manufacturing’s automated Ventis-3015AJ fibre laser cutter and EMZ 3612MII punch press allow the company to load almost 10 tons of material and run the machines lights-out overnight. 

“Our customers therefore get to enjoy both reduced costs and shorter lead times,” says Mcquillan. “With the new Amada machines we can increase our daily material tonnage throughput by five times. It’s almost scary to see how fast these machine run.”

Employing 35 people, Smart Manufacturing is currently on a steep growth trajectory. Turnover is currently circa £4m, but with its investment in Amada machines the company is projecting to hit £6m in two years and £8m within five years. Among new clients taking up the services of Smart Manufacturing since the arrival of the Amada machines in January 2024 are those operating in entirely new sectors, such as military, defence and AI technology. 

More information www.amada.eu

ETG has laser focus with new arrival

Now available from the Engineering Technology Group (ETG) is the new Durma HD-FO laser cutting machine. As the latest addition to the Fabrication Division at ETG, the HD-FO series demonstrates high productivity, cut quality and integrated automation solutions. In addition, the machine provides low operational costs and an ergonomic quick-opening top cover and easy access to the cutting area.

The Durma HD-FO laser is a user-friendly machine that integrates automated work processes and offers energy-efficient operation.

Notably, the design minimises footprint by incorporating the laser source and chiller. Sheet loading and unloading are easy in cases where no shuttle table is necessary. Although the machine comes with a manual cutting table as standard, customers can optionally select the pneumatic shuttle table option.

From a specification perspective, the Durma HD-FO laser has a working area of 3048 x 1530 x 125 mm in the X, Y and Z axes with a maximum sheet capacity of 575 kg. The Durma machine offers X, Y and Z-axis travel speeds of 90 m/min and synchronised acceleration of 14 m/s² with a positional accuracy and repeatability of 0.05 mm. The Bosch Rexroth CNC control and user-friendly 19-inch screen combine to simplify programming and setting up.

According to ETG, the automatic focusing Durma Precitec Lightcutter laser head presents a combination of power and precision that enhances cut quality and edge finishes. The laser source is available with a range of options that include the YLR1000, YLS2000, YLR3000 and the YLS4000, which offer power from 1 to 4 kW for cutting mild steel up to 20 mm thick as well as stainless, aluminium, copper, brass and a host of other material types. More information www.engtechgroup.com