UK NEWS

Measurement Solutions wins orders

MACH 2018 proved to be a resounding success for Measurement Solutions, with the company selling several Metrascan 3D inspection systems throughout the week, as well as a host of other 3D scanning, measurement and inspection technologies. Indeed, four Metrascan units were sold to UK automotive OEMs and a Formula One team. The company also sold a Metrascan unit with a Handyprobe portable CMM to Stevenage Sheet Metal in a six figure order.

Stevenage Sheet Metal showed an interest in scanning technology two years ago. However, Metrascan 3D technology has only been available in the UK for the past 18 months so, as soon as the company saw it at a supply chain partner, a decision to investigate further was taken. Stevenage Sheet Metal visited MACH, received a demonstration, and the purchase decision was made instantly.
For further information www.measurement-solutions.co.uk

XYZ ends MACH on a high

“From day one, our stand at MACH was extremely busy and over the week we took orders for 24 machines valued at more than £1m,” states Nigel Atherton, managing director at XYZ Machine Tools. “In addition to these firm orders we logged 640 enquiries, which will lead to more orders in the coming days, weeks and months.”

MACH 2018 saw a number of debuts from XYZ that helped to raise interest. Among these was Robo-Tend, a modular and mobile robot-based cell with vision system that is suitable for use on machining and turning centres. The HP Multi Jet Fusion 3D Printer was also shown by XYZ for the first time. According to XYZ, the system can improve 3D printing speeds 10-fold. From a machine tool perspective, the UMC-5X five-axis machining centre made its MACH debut, along with a number of other machining centres from XYZ’s Linear Rail and Heavy-Duty ranges.
For further information www.xyzmachinetools.com

£1.1m funding for FC Laser

Ilkeston-based precision laser cutting company, FC Laser, has secured £1.1m in funding from Lombard and NatWest.

The deal has helped fund the acquisition of two state-of-the-art cutting machines that will improve efficiency by 40%, giving the business a significant competitive advantage.
Danny Fantom, managing director at FC Laser, says: “Our new equipment means we will be able to stay ahead of the curve when it comes to productivity, putting us in a strong position to grow year on year.” Veronica Wales, Lombard relationship manager, adds: “FC Laser prides itself on both cost efficiency and the high quality of its products and services, and it has been extremely rewarding to have helped the business continue in this tradition.”
For further information www.lombard.co.uk

RSD presses forward with £750,000 contract haul

Investment in a new machine from Worcester Presses is helping a Cannock automotive supplier win over £750,000 of new contracts.

RSD Pressings, which supplies components for seats, sub-frames, cross car beams, bumpers and bodies, has installed a new GTX300 Chin Fong progression press and can now take on much bigger parts for tier-one customers and major car manufacturers.
Nearly £350,000 has been spent on the machine and a Tomac TLN4 coil line, with more than £100,000 of funding secured from Stoke-on-Trent and Staffordshire Grants 4 Growth, and the European Regional Development Fund. Three new jobs have already been created as a result of the investment and a further eight will be recruited over the course of the next 12 months once production starts on the projects already secured.
“The components we manufacture at our new facility in Cannock end up in millions of cars all over the world, including Aston Martin, BMW, Jaguar Land Rover, Nissan and Volvo,” explains operations director Daniel Burton.
“Worcester Presses came in, looked at our requirements and then developed a turnkey solution that involved the GTX 300, the latest HMI touch screen control and new Tomac TLN4 coil line which will increase our progression and coil feeding capabilities,” he adds. “This machine has doubled our bed size and already led to several new orders that we wouldn’t have been able to take on previously. There is still lots of capacity on it too, which means we are looking for even more new work.”
For further information www.worcesterpresses.co.uk

£2m sales boost for Pressmark

A Warwickshire-based metal-forming specialist is celebrating a major transformation in fortunes not long after a management buy-in (MBI) was completed.

Pressmark Pressings, which provides high-volume components for automotive manufacturers was bought by management team Alan Gardner, John Nollett and Les Wilkins after they spotted an opportunity to turn around one of the sector’s most under-recognised businesses.
Backed by their own cash injection and funding from ABN AMRO and Cambridge and Counties Bank, the three entrepreneurs have used their knowledge and contacts to put in place a number of new processes that have seen the business secure more than £2m of additional contracts to supply pressed parts and sub-assemblies which will be used in new models for Honda and Nissan.
On its current site in Carylon Road, the firm has 26 large-bed presses, ranging from 150 to 1200 tonnes that allow for the production of different size products in both standard metals and exotic alloys. Moreover, the company has created over 25 full time jobs since the MBI.
Chairman Les Wilkins says: “There’s a strong belief between the management team that we can expand by undertaking project management of multi operation/stage work. One recent example is how we worked with a Japanese manufacturer of complex electromechanical components that was investigating production in the UK. It was a tentative enquiry at first, but we have given them advice and guidance during the feasibility study and, subsequently, provided quotes for tooling as well as production and assembly of components. It is the nature of the work that the lead times are quite long, but if you win it, you should retain it for the life of the model.”
For further information www.pressmark.co.uk