UK NEWS

EKC Group plans for future with big investment

With support from central government funds, EKC group is investing significantly to develop engineering centres of excellence across three of its six community colleges in East Kent. This investment includes 25 machines valued at around £500,000 from XYZ Machine Tools, covering CNC machining and turning centres, as well as an array of manual machines located at Dover Technical College, Canterbury College and Ashford College.

XYZ Machine Tools has a long history of working with the education sector through its ‘XYZ for Education’ initiative, which provides special pricing on the full range of XYZ machine tools, with ongoing training programmes. “We see it as vital to educate and inspire tomorrow’s engineers in order to maintain the UK’s position as a leader in engineering development and manufacturing,” states Nigel Atherton, managing director at XYZ Machine Tools.
For further information www.xyzmachinetools.com

Abusy Southern Manufacturing for Hurco

In the opinion of Hurco Europe, one of the exhibitors at the Southern Manufacturing exhibition earlier this month, the show certainly delivered in terms of visitor footfall and customer enquiries.Celebrating its 25th anniversary this year, Southern Manufacturing was a record-breaker in terms of attendance, with 9144 visitors welcomed through the doors. This increase in footfall was reflected in people coming on the Hurco stand. More than 80 enquiries were booked over the three days, of which 20% were new contacts.

David Waghorn, managing director of Hurco Europe says: “In a non-MACH year especially, Southern Manufacturing is proving to be a significant event for UK manufacturing industry. Recent improvements to the road access and venue have guaranteed a better experience for exhibitors and visitors alike. We had no hesitation in rebooking the same space for 2024.”
For further information www.hurco.co.uk

New managing director for Vollmer UK

Vollmer has appointed Martyn Cross as its new managing director of the UK subsidiary. In the interim he will working alongside long-standing managing director Peter Allen.Since the end of 2012, Allen has filled two roles as both managing director atVollmer UK and president at Vollmer of America. With the recent construction of a new facility at Vollmer of America, Allen has made the conscious decision to focus his attention on the potential of the North American market. Following a handover period, the company will have in Cross a dedicated UK managing director with decades of expertise in the manufacturing sector.
For further information www.vollmer-group.com

New quality centre for Bentley

Bentley Motors has started building its new Launch Quality Centre and Engineering Technical Centre. The new facility at Bentley’s headquarters in Crewe, will be integral to the company’s preparations for future battery-powered electric vehicle (BEV) production and will set a new benchmark in next-generation, digital, flexible and high-value manufacturing operations. Taking a first step, the new buildings will include a replica BEV assembly line as preparation for the introduction of Bentley’s first BEV in 2026. The hub includes a software integration centre, prototype workshop and a metrology testing facility.
For further information www.bentleymotors.com

Subcontractor gets into gear with Quaser machine

Leicestershire-based Sovereign Gears has recently invested in a Quaser MF400UH five-axis machining centre that follows on from three Nakamura turning centres also purchased from the Engineering Technology Group (ETG).

Director Ryan Spring says: “The majority of our work is 1- and 2-off bespoke gears, as well as jigs and kits for holding, assembling and working with the gears. Unfortunately, with so many complex forms, most of our milling work requires two, three or four set-ups, and this can take a lot of time and slow down our throughput. We bought the Quaser MF400UH with Open Mind’shyperMILL CAM software, also supplied via ETG to reduce our set-ups. The Quaser is our first five-axis machine, but we’re already seeing huge benefits.”

Previously, set-up time were frequently in the order of 4-5 hours, but the Quaser has instantly eliminated 75% of this time, and with only a single set-up required for five-sided machining.The precision of each component is subsequently improved.

“As a small business, it’s imperative that we maximise the productivity of both our machine tools and our staff,” says Spring.“By having the Quaser machine and reducing our set-ups, we’re freeing-up the capacity of two employees. Instead of spending excessive hours repeatedly setting up three-axis machines, staff can be allocated to other tasks.”

He adds: “Since having the Quaser, we’ve improved our ability to machine complex forms and this has ultimately won us new business that previously, we would have turned away. The ability to increase the type of work that we can machine, such as round gear teeth, challenging chamfers, forms and keyways has enabled us to increase our customer base and our offering to those customers.”
For further information www.engtechgroup.com