Ametek Precitech, in conjunction with Micro-LAM, Taylor Hobson and Zygo, is creating the Precision Advancement Centre of Excellence (PACE), which will open at Taylor Hobson’s headquarters in Leicester. In essence, the PACE facility is an applications centre for advanced diamond turning manufacturing and metrology. To help improve the facility’s capabilities, Ametek Precitech has supplied a four-axis Nanoform X configured with an Optimus laser-assisted machining system from Micro-LAM. This machine will improve the throughput and quality of diamond-turning processes for hard-to-machine materials.

For further information
www.precitech.com

Whitehouse Machine Tools, the UK and Ireland sales agent for several machine tool manufacturers in the Far East and Europe, has appointed Peter Smith to the new position of sales and marketing director. He is a board member, working alongside joint managing directors Tim Whitehouse and Tom Hughes, and a stakeholder in the business. Smith brings with him a wealth of knowledge and directly relevant experience in rotational and prismatic metal-cutting machinery, having held senior positions in UK machine-tool sales for over two decades, including at subsidiaries of global OEMs.

For further information www.wmtcnc.com

Coventry-based Pailton Engineering has invested in two bespoke universal-joint staking rigs, transforming a manual process into an automated one. The two machines can run simultaneously, to stake 19 or 15 mm universal joints. Pailton says that a huge benefit of the machines is their quality assurance and consistency of component assembly. Similarly, data recorded by the machines offers full traceability to show the build record of universal joints, including assembly pressure parameters. Pailton has located the equipment in a purpose-built cleanroom work area dedicated to universal-joint assembly.

For further information www.pailton.com

The degree of customisation that Citizen Machinery is being asked to engineer into the machines and equipment it supplies has now reached such a high level that the company has decided to centralise this side of the business by setting up a dedicated centre, CMSolutions, at its Bushey headquarters in Hertfordshire. CMSolutions operates independently from the applications department to project-manage complex, high-level installations, from initial consultation, through design, configuration, assembly and prove-out, to delivery, acceptance and training.

For further information www.citizenmachinery.co.uk

Stratasys subsidiary MakerBot, a specialist in 3D printing, has supplied automotive and lifestyle product design and engineering firm, Callum, with a Method X 3D printer. The machine will produce functional prototypes, tooling and production parts across a number of luxury vehicles and lifestyle brands, including the limited edition Aston Martin Callum Vanquish 25 by R-Reforged.

Adam Donfrancesco, technical director at Warwick-based Callum, says: “Having put the 3D printer through its paces, the level of part accuracy and diversity of engineering-grade materials available is second-to-none versus other industrial desktop printers we’ve tested. Not only does this technology enable us to enhance our prototyping capabilities for true functional testing, but we can now optimise the production of tools and end-use parts where 3D printing previously fell short in terms of strength, surface finish and dimensional accuracy.”

For further information www.makerbot.com