ITC will use the show to demonstrate its latest line up of solid-carbide micro tools on stand H250.

Significant investments in the latest technology enable ITC to manufacture micro cutting tools from 0.2 to 2.0 mm in diameter, with concentricity tolerances below 0.001 mm. Alongside the micro-tooling portfolio will be the company’s latest thread mill line. Manufactured with through-coolant, helical flutes and TiAlN coatings, the thread milling series is available in a variety of shank diameters, lengths, flute numbers and thread pitches. From the Widia portfolio, ITC will be giving a show debut to the latest Top Drill.
For further information www.itc-ltd.co.uk

XYZ Machine Tools has appointed Trevor Harreld as its new commercial director. Harreld first came across XYZ Machine Tools in the mid-1990s while working as audit manager for a firm of local chartered accountants, Francis Clark.

Graduating in mathematics from Lancaster University, and gaining teaching qualifications from Cambridge University, Harreld has had a long career in finance. His CV includes working for chartered accountancy firms, as well as roles as finance director in the construction and support services sectors prior to setting up his own consultancy business.
For further information www.xyzmachinetools.com

Axiom Product Development, a Chichester-based machining and tooling business has invested in the purchase of two new plastic injection moulding machines, which will significantly broaden the specialist engineering services that the company can offer to both existing and new customers.

The Negri Bossi plastic injection moulding machines, one 180 tonne and the other 90 tonne, will be used to prove out tools which have been designed and made in-house by the CAD design team at Axiom. One of the machines will be dedicated to the production of clear plastics.
For further information www.axiompd.co.uk

At the recent Advanced Engineering show in Birmingham, Harlow-based Gratnells Engineering opted to showcase its latest laser technology developments. In 2018, the company invested in a new BLM LT Fiber machine, allowing it to expand its capabilities and ensure clients benefit from even faster turnaround times.

The new machine sits next to an existing LT5, a laser tube-cutting machine designed to cut from small to medium diameters and thicknesses of metal tubular sections. The LT Fiber allows tubes of any shape to be cut, along with the processing of special sections and even open shapes without any additional special equipment.
According to Gratnells, tube laser cutting is continuing to grow in popularity as it offers a quick route to a precise finish, eliminating conventional, time-consuming stages such as marking out, sawing and finishing, while delivering significant cost savings.
Investing in the latest laser technology has increased Gratnells Engineering’s factory efficiency by allowing unloading to various positions, with finished parts from one machine being unloaded while production continues uninterrupted on the other. The need to manually separate parts from different orders has also now been eliminated.
Gratnells’ factory can today turn around tube laser-cutting jobs within 3-5 days from receipt of order and, using sophisticated software, can process parts from a variety of media, including 3D models, XT files and SolidWorks. This capability is particularly beneficial for bespoke automotive and point-of-sale components where minimum quantities can start
at 1-off.
For further information www.gratnellslasercutting.com