UK NEWS

Subcontractor takes ‘Xtreme’ measures

Poole-based subcontractor Alpha Precision Engineering has recently installed two Aberlink Xtreme CNC CMMs.

“Our first manual Aberlink CMM has proved to be easy to use, very accurate and ultra-reliable. Therefore, as the launch of Aberlink’s Xtreme CMMs coincided with a sharp upturn in our business, we placed an order for two of the new machines,” says quality manager Rob Allen. “As Aberlink’s Xtreme CMMs feature temperature compensation and are designed to operate both in inspection departments and on the shop floor, we have installed both of the new Xtreme CMMs in our production facility.
“Our new shop-floor Xtreme CMMs are now in regular use by our production personnel for in-process inspection checks and verifying first-off parts,” he continues. “Rather than lose time taking machined parts to our inspection department, fast and accurate CMM inspection results can now be achieved close to the point of manufacture. This quick feedback enables adjustments to be made when component sizes deviate from nominal conditions.
“Our quality staff also use our new Aberlink CMMs for final inspection routines and for other applications. The CNC nature of the new Xtreme CMMs enables them to be loaded with batches of machined components; the relevant program is then selected and, following the press of a button, a rapid, fully automated CNC measuring routine is started. In addition to storing the captured data related to individual measured features of each component in the batch, when required, we are able to generate detailed inspection reports for each part.”
For further information www.aberlink.com

No stone unturned in pursuit of excellence

As part of its quest for continued growth, excellence and product diversification, CMS Cepcor of Coalville has recently invested in the latest Creaform HandyScan3D from Measurement Solutions.

CMS Cepcor says it is Europe’s largest aftermarket manufacturer and supplier of stone crusher, screen and asphalt plant spare parts. The company provides its products and services globally to the mining, quarrying, demolition and recycling industries, exporting to over 100 countries.
To maintain its market status, operations director Chris Sydenham is constantly looking at new technologies and capabilities to drive efficiencies, customer satisfaction and product diversification.
This has been exemplified in recent years with around £7m invested in CNC, milling, turning, boring, slotting, grinding, drilling, welding, co-ordinate measuring and materials testing.
CMS Cepcor has made significant investments in three portable measuring and scanning arms during the last decade. However, the portability, and scanning capability in particular, resulted in the need to assess complementary technologies capable of increasing measurement efficiency
and usability.
“The Measurement Solutions team were able to visit our facility and demonstrate a device which is truly portable,” says Sydenham. “Although we design and manufacture in the UK, having the ability to take the HandyScan3D overseas is a major advantage, as the whole system is transported in a carrying case no larger than aircraft hand luggage. This gives us a whole new capability of scanning on-site, with the ability to send data back to the UK and begin the reverse engineering or inspection processes before our engineer has even boarded the plane home.”
Due to the scale of the components, the large field of view and scanning speeds generated by the HandyScan3D’s 14 laser lines far surpassed any other system considered, says the company.
For further information www.measurement-solutions.co.uk

Fabricator invited to Parliament

Bolton-based Hopefield Fab Ltd has been invited to be a representative of the manufacturing and services sector for the 2018/19 Parliamentary Review.

The Parliamentary Review is a series of documents introduced by the Prime Minister containing articles from a range of large organisations, SMEs and small, niche businesses. The aim of the documents is for knowledge and best practice to be shared in an attempt to raise standards. Hopefield Fab has been invited by the Rt Hon Sir Eric Pickles, chairman of the Parliamentary Review, to offer its knowledge and insight. As a result, the company has also been asked to attend Parliament in March 2019 for an evening of celebration.
For further information www.hopefieldfab.co.uk

Drill specialist invests in CNC lathe

Chester Machine Tools, the exclusive UK supplier of Style machines (made in Holland), says it has supplied a Style 510 CNC lathe to Sheffield-based Armeg Ltd, a manufacturer of drills and power tools.

The lathe was selected for its intuitive, simple operation, which will boost prototype machining at Armeg. Style 510 lathes feature functions that are said to be suitable for R&D departments, including easy, smart and simple programming, and extensive CNC capability.
“This is the second Style machine to be placed in a highly competitive UK industrial market,” states Anthony Edwards, UK sales director at Chester Machine Tools. “Chester are experiencing increasing sales of its own range of CNC and conventional machine tools, as well as Style CNC lathes in the UK. We continue to forge ahead with supporting and supplying our brands and machines to British manufacturing, while responding to the continuing technological demands and expectations of our customers for innovative and highly productive machine tools. The team at Chester feels extremely proud to have won the tender for such a prestigious company as Armeg.”
For further information www.chestermachinetools.com

Subcontracting holds steady

The UK market for contract manufacturing remains healthy and stable according to the latest Contract Manufacturing Index (CMI).

The index reveals that the market is still 30% up on a year ago, and although there has been a slight dip from the previous quarter of 5%, the overall market looks to be holding steady. The index stood at 226 compared to 238 in the first quarter of this year, and 174 in the second quarter of 2017.
Within the headline figure there has been a shift in the make-up of the market, with fabrication now standing at 56% of the total and machining on 35%. Just three months ago, machining represented 38% and fabrication 51%, and whereas fabrication rose consistently through the quarter, machining rose from April to May but then levelled off in June.
Compared with the equivalent quarter in 2017, fabrication is up 69%, machining down 4%.
For further information www.qimtek.co.uk