Tees Components is investing in a second £500,000 CNC boring mill from Sheffield-based Ward CNC as it looks to double capacity. The family-run heavy-engineering firm, based in Skelton, near Saltburn, has ordered a heavy-duty Hyundai Wia KBN135CL, which is due to be installed shortly. An identical machine arrived at the firm’s CNC machining facility in 2016.

Used for CNC boring and milling, the machine is capable of producing extremely large parts due to the extent of its axes (4 x 2 x 2 m) and rotary table loading capability.
Sharon Lane, managing director of Tees Components, says: “Our existing large KBN borer has already proved itself a highly reliable and accurate machine for the precision machining of components weighing up to 20 tonnes. It has been put through its paces on a variety of castings, forgings and fabrications for the energy sector.
“Adding an additional machine enables us to increase capacity and meet growing demand for our services,” she continues. “This new equipment, coupled with Ward CNC technical service support and engineering competence, means we can satisfy the exacting delivery schedules our clients demand.”
The KBN has a one-piece, heavy-duty cast-iron bed and ground box guideways, which provides high accuracy through greater rigidity. A three-speed high-torque main spindle also features. The machine’s table load accommodates 20 tonnes, while the X axis is 4000 mm and the W axis is 700 mm.
Stuart Lawson, head of strategic accounts and projects at Ward CNC says: “We supplied Tees Components’ current horizontal boring mill two years ago and it’s a testament to its quality and precision that the company is now investing in a second identical machine.”
For further information
https://teescomponents.co.uk www.wardcnc.com

Nadhim Zahawi MP, the Minister for Business and Industry, says technologies being developed by the University of Sheffield Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre (AMRC) are crucial to reducing the environmental impact of air travel and enabling the government to reach its target of net-zero carbon emissions by 2050.

Zahawi made the comments during a speech at AMRC Cymru in Broughton, which he was visiting as part of an event to launch the ‘Aerospace Sector Deal – One Year On’ report by the Aerospace Growth Partnership (AGP).
During his speech, Zahawi highlighted the importance of the aerospace sector to the national economy: “The value of this industry is there in black and white for everyone to see in the report, and I’ve been pleased to see that the sector is focussed firmly away from the southeast, with more than 90% of businesses located elsewhere across the country. The UK is the home of innovation and enterprise in aerospace, with a significantly large number of companies creating thousands of jobs for local communities.”
For further information www.amrc.co.uk

RARUK Automation has opened the UK’s first Universal Robots authorised training centre at its headquarters in Shefford, Bedfordshire.

The move will allow the company’s certified UR trainers to provide tuition in collaborative robot (cobot) programming, empowering UK customers to get the best return from their UR investment. Says Mark Gray, UK sales manager at Universal Robots: “Through our partnership with UK application specialists such as RARUK Automation we can now expand our online training to hands-on classes, so manufacturers can extend their use of cobots and drive even more value from their automation investments and employees.”
For further information www.rarukautomation.com

Ineos Team UK is the recipient of the 10,000th Haas machine tool installed in the UK. As one of the world’s largest manufacturers, Ineos has formed the team to challenge for the 36th America’s Cup, which will be held in New Zealand in 2021.

The Haas CNC Toolroom Mill will be in constant use at the team’s Portsmouth base, where it will be developing components for their first America’s Cup race boat, named ‘Britannia’. Once the boat’s development work has been completed, the Haas Toolroom Mill, together with a Haas Toolroom Lathe, will accompany the team to New Zealand for the event.
For further information www.haas.co.uk

UK defence spending in Wales reached more than £1bn for the first time in 2018-19, supporting more than 7000 jobs.

New MoD figures show that the department’s procurement spend in Wales increased from £960m in 2017-18 to £1.08bn last year – an increase in per capita spending from £310 to £350. Major defence projects in Wales include: production of the Army’s next-generation AJAX armoured fighting vehicles at General Dynamics in Merthyr Tydfil and Oakdale; the development of a new £11m Royal Naval Reserve centre in Cardiff Bay; and a £250m contract with Raytheon in Broughton to provide support services to the Royal Air Force’s fleet of surveillance aircraft.
For further information www.gov.uk