Master Abrasives has sold and installed its first Micromatic grinding machine in the UK, the ECO-200 universal model, at Coventry-based Earlsdon Technology, a builder of special-purpose machine tools for industries such as aerospace and automotive.

Brian Little, toolroom supervisor at Earlsdon, recognised the importance of choosing a cost-effective machine, with the necessary precision and versatility to meet the company’s wide-ranging requirements. “The machine was purchased on the basis that it will, in the long term, provide cost savings in producing customised tooling for the bespoke requirements of our customers and reduce the risk of causing delays in machine manufacture and approval.
“Currently we send this work out to subcontract and cannot rely on a speedy reaction time or the geometrical accuracy required,” he continues. “The ECO-200 will provide an in-house service which can be easily controlled to suit the demands and timeframe of our own machine production, meeting the accuracies required.”
Earlsdon’s new machine has a 400 mm grinding capacity between centres and an additional internal grinding spindle. The nitride-hardened steel spindle on the wheel head runs in multi-point hydrodynamic bearings, which Master Abrasives says gives high rigidity and excellent damping.
Martin Stevens, applications engineer at Master Abrasives, adds: “We encourage those who are interested to get in touch and arrange a visit to our grinding and finishing showroom. We can show Micromatic grinding machines in action, as well as other products, such as our demonstration tape finisher, measuring equipment and abrasives.”
For further information www.master-abrasives.co.uk

UK debuts are planned for a number of products from Gewefa and its partners (hall 17, stand 362).

For instance, the Gewefa M96 ER is a hydraulic tool-holding system that fixes on the collet location of ER driven-head spindles, while the Rainbow range of angle heads from Gewefa principal Pibomulti are assembled on a modular concept that creates cost savings of up to 30% over standard fixed-head units. Another Gewefa partner, EWS, a manufacturer of driven and static tool holders for CNC lathes, has upgraded its quick-change Varia modular system into Varia-VX, offering increased performance for turning and milling processes.
For further information www.gewefa.co.uk

TEK4 will use the show to introduce a world first dedicated to the production of aerospace blades and vanes (hall 18, stand 8).

As a specialist in cooling-hole drilling technology for jet engines and gas turbines, the company will be introducing its TEK4 6G FHD SA fast-hole EDM drill. The TEK4 6G FHD SA on the stand will incorporate full six-axis simultaneous machining, intelligent probing, and pre-breakthrough and breakthrough tool detection. These features are essential for machine shops in this sector as it enables companies to avoid the risk of back-wall impingement.
For further information www.tek4.co.uk

Renishaw will showcase a range of process control solutions for advanced manufacturing industries (hall 19, stand 43).

For instance, a machining cell will be on display to demonstrate how high levels of automation and connectivity can be incorporated into CNC machining operations. The cell will replicate the closed-loop process control applications that Renishaw uses to machine parts at its own production facilities in the UK, such as the 460,000 sq ft site in Miskin, Wales, where the integrated application of the company’s technologies enables productive, automated manufacturing with reduced labour and skill requirements, despite the low-volume, high-variety production environment.
For further information www.renishaw.com