UK NEWS

Haas partners with Ineos team

Britain’s bid for the America’s Cup has led to Haas Automation being selected as the official machine tool supplier to Ineos Team UK, which is making an effort to bring the trophy back to Britain for the first time since the competition was established in 1851.

The Portsmouth-based team includes Sir Ben Ainslie as principal and skipper. Sir Ben will be hoping to achieve glory at the next edition of the America’s Cup in 2021, which will be contested in New Zealand.
Ineos says its decision to choose Haas was based on pedigree, performance and the ability to support the machines with its worldwide network. The team has invested in a Haas TM-1P tool-room mill and a Haas TL-1 tool-room lathe. Once the yacht’s development work has been completed in Portsmouth, the Haas machines will be put in a container and shipped to the other side of the world. James Leet, Haas director, says: “Haas has a tremendous track record within the marine industry on the south coast, and this association has become the jewel in the crown.”
For further information www.haas.co.uk

Engineering club launched by MCMT

Children as young as nine got to grips with a number of technology-led activities last week when a special engineering club took place in Bridgnorth.

The Marches Centre of Manufacturing & Technology (MCMT) teamed up with Black Country Atelier (BCA) to offer an action-packed menu of activities spanning the entire five days. This included designing and making a programmable Tamagotchi-style pet, constructing wide bridges and tall skyscrapers, and the challenge of creating the best rocket car.
A total of 15 young people – aged between nine and 13 years old – were supported by MCMT staff/apprentices (and instructors from BCA) to come up with ideas, work with hand tools and access some of the best technology installed at the 36,000 sq ft facility. MCMT is equipped with over £3m of equipment across its dedicated fabrication, foundry, lathe, metrology, milling, robotics and vehicle trimming sections. There is also a CNC zone that houses three-axis and five-axis machining centres donated by the Engineering Technology Group.
For further information www.mcmt.co.uk

Prosaw builds on exhibition success

Prosaw has been supplying metal-cutting machines to UK industry since 1963. In that time, exhibitions have proved to be a key way
for the company to instigate continuous growth, a fact underpinned by the company’s attendance at MACH earlier this year.

Prosaw has exhibited at MACH exhibitions for over 30 years, and once again the show proved to be one of the most successful in the company’s history, with a significant increase in visitor numbers resulting in a proportional increase in lead generation and ultimately, machine sales.
Some 20 machines were showcased by Prosaw at MACH 2018, ranging from entry-level manual bandsaws through to bundle-cutting bandsaws and automatic circular saws. In excess of 560 leads were generated during the five days of the exhibition, which soon resulted in more than 20 machine sales, with a value of over £500,000.
One of the stars of the show was the MEGA CS circular saw, which was cutting over five different types of material for customers during the five days of the event, ranging from aerospace-grade stainless steel, through to hydraulic cylinder rod material.
Prosaw’s design and manufacturing division is also capable of providing special purpose sawing machines for bespoke applications, as well as individually designed solutions to the problem of quickly and efficiently moving cut components on to the next stage following cutting. From basic input and output conveyors to fully automated handling systems, Prosaw is happy to give free help and advice to companies on
how to improve their production flow.
For further information www.prosaw.co.uk

ADS Precision named sole UK agent for MEBA

ADS Precision recently announced that it has joined in partnership with MEBA to become its sole UK distributor for all sales and service requirements.

MEBA, which was established in 1958, has won many awards and holds numerous patented designs, including an innovative mitring system. The company’s production facility is based in Westerheim, Germany, although it has an extensive sales and service network within international markets.
MEBA, which has machines installed around the world, can offer a wide range of metal-cutting bandsaws, from small, manual, semi-automatic saws up to double-mitre, fully automatic CNC bandsaws. The company also manufactures customised infeed and outfeed material-handling systems with a variety of material end stops to suit bespoke requirements.
A further part of the portfolio is a new machine for the separation of 3D printed parts from the base plate, for which MEBA has developed a concept that is said to offer fast process times, good cutting results and low operating costs. With a design based on the straight saws of the MEBA-Eco product family, the new MEBA3D (pictured) is equipped with a special clamping device for mounting the base plates. Compared with conventional production processes such as wire EDM, the MEBA3D is said to be straightforward with just a few simple steps. The bandsaw can also be used for standard sawing work with a low conversion effort.
For further information www.adsprecision.com

Kaltenbach UK now represents HE&M

Kaltenbach is now the UK and Ireland sales and service representative for HE&M Saw, a US-based specialist in bandsaw technology.

Among the portfolio is the HSS series of pivot-frame horizontal bandsaws for solid materials, tubes, profiles and sections. Variants are available from semi-automatic to full CNC, with bar feeding capabilities and single directional mitring functionality. Also offered is the HSC range of dual-column bandsaws for cutting larger solid materials and heavy sections. Further HE&M machines, such as vertical bandsaws and plate saws, can also be ordered from Kaltenbach.
HE&M Saw designs and manufactures a range of both horizontal and vertical bandsaws, with many thousands of installations in North America, Canada and Mexico. Based in Oklahoma, the company’s history extends back over 50 years and remains under family ownership and management. HE&M Saw’s product range includes over 60 models, designed for solid metal, profile and plate sawing applications across the metal processing industries.
The range starts with a selection of pivot-frame models, suitable for sawing materials up to 400 mm diameter. Each machine is designed and built with a classic, heavy-duty ‘American’ style. The saw bow is arranged to ensure that the weights and cutting forces are contained directly within the pivot and kerf channel, giving high cut performance. This configuration overcomes the commonly expected wear or cut-quality issues associated with many, low-cost alternatives, says the company.
For larger capacity sawing, HE&M also manufactures dual-column bandsaws, ranging from 450 mm all the way up to 1340 mm diameter capacity. A heavy-duty design approach is again taken, with a robust portal frame equipped with low-friction guides and mechanically balanced travel to ensure that the bow descent remains consistent and true to the material.
For further information www.kaltenbach.co.uk