UK NEWS

Queen’s Award for Swift-Cut

Swift-Cut Automation has won a 2018 Queen’s Award for International Trade, which the company says recognises the success achieved since commencing its mission to expand globally.

Following its inception in 2011, Swift-Cut has risen from a company designing and manufacturing just one CNC plasma cutting table in the UK, to a global success story – launching a full range of products in 35 countries and exporting over 80% of business globally.
Swift Cut’s international global development director Neil Smith says: “We are thrilled that our growth and success in overseas markets has been recognised by the Queen’s Award, arguably the most prestigious business accolade in the UK and a testament to our products, our team and our vision.” Dr Liam Fox, Secretary of State for International Trade, recently opened Swift-Cut’s new factory and said: “Success stories like Swift-Cut Automation are flying the flag for British quality and expertise, bringing a boost to their local economies.”
For further information www.swift-cut.co.uk

Tim Stell joins TDT Technology

TDT Technology, the official UK and Ireland importer, sales distributor and service agent for several international machine tool manufacturers, has appointed Tim Stell as area sales manager.

Having started his career in 1980 as a technical services engineer at Butler Machine Tools, Stell became sales manager at the renamed Asquith Butler in 1994. He left the company in 1997 to join TW Ward CNC Machinery, first as UK sales manager, then engineering manager. After more than 13 successful years, Stell re-joined Asquith Butler
in 2010 as business development manager.
For further information www.tdt-technology.co.uk

5% growth in MACH visitors

The MTA, which owns and organises the MACH exhibition, says that the number of trade visitors to this year’s show was up 5% on the equivalent figure for the last edition in 2016.

Mach Exhibition 2018 NEC Birmingham Pictures by Paul Thomas Photographic Ltd Tel 07773 340 163
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Some 23,125 trade visitors came into the halls at the NEC on 9-13 April. A total of 19,445 of those visitors registered directly with MACH (a 7% increase on 2016), while an additional 3680 registered with one of the co-located exhibitions and visited MACH too. The total number of visitors – including students – who toured the exhibition was 24,654.
Around 10% more machines were lifted into position than in 2016, which helped to drive a 24% increase in the number of visitors who attended for more than one day, up to 1889. Wednesday 11 April was the peak day, with 7331 trade visitors inside the venue. This year saw the exhibition move halls to the newer Atrium side of the NEC, which enabled MACH to be presented in a single space, on one level.
For further information www.machexhibition.com

Colchester Machine Tool Solutions

600 UK used MACH as the platform to announce its rebranding to Colchester Machine Tool Solutions. Colchester is a strong brand that is recognised globally, which the company says provides more opportunity to grow the business, along with its reputation for providing machine tool solutions and services.

Colchester Machine Tool Solutions will continue to promote its existing branded product portfolio of: Colchester/Harrison manual, CNC combination and slant-bed CNC turning centres; Clausing workshop machine tools and MillPWR CNC mills; Pratt Burnerd work-holding solutions; and Gamet Bearings machine tool bearings. Over the coming period, the company will be updating all of its branding on products, services, stationery and online platforms.
For further information www.colchester.co.uk

Haas aids micron-level machining

March-based Microns Precision Engineering provides a subcontract engineering solution to customers across the UK and Europe.

Founders James Campbell and Garry Mills met while working as machinists at another firm, but in 2008, with a recession looming, they began to visualise starting a company of their own. “We wanted more control,” states Campbell. “We didn’t start with much, but because of the economic downturn things were cheaper. We bought a second-hand Haas mill and started to build up a customer base.”
Microns Precision soon outgrew its original premises, and after expanding into two larger units, began looking to see how it could fill its newly acquired space.
Today, nearly a decade later, Microns has installed 10 Haas machines, the latest of which is a VF-2SS Super Speed mill. With customers in industries ranging from agricultural to motorsport, scientific to gas and oil, the VF-2SS needs to be adaptive. “If something can be machined; we have a customer who wants one,” explains Campbell. “Right now we’re making DTS nano-positioning equipment which is mounted to lasers and microscopes, so the parts have to be dead flat. The accuracy on the VF-2SS is incredible, and it’s undoubtedly the fastest machine we have; the tool changer is so speedy that our jobs are noticeably quicker, which makes the whole process more efficient.
“This is our second Haas with four-axis capability and we’ve found that gives us a flexibility we hadn’t previously seen,” he continues. “As the controls are the same on all of the machines, we can switch from one to another in no time.”
For further information www.haas.co.uk