UK NEWS

New tier one AMRC member named

Mills CNC, the exclusive distributor of Doosan machine tools in the UK and Ireland, has joined the University of Sheffield’s AMRC as a tier one member.

As part of the partnership agreement, Mills CNC has supplied two Doosan machine tools to the AMRC – a TT1800SY twin-turret/twin-spindle turning centre, and a DNM 6700 vertical machining centre. Both machines are being used in a major Boeing-initiated research and development programme into the future manufacture of actuator parts and assemblies. The programme is focused on continuous improvement and best practice.
For further information www.millscnc.co.uk

£3m technical academy opens

The West Midlands has received a major productivity boost with the launch of a £3m technical academy that will help bridge the skills gap and get the region ready for the next industrial revolution.

In-Comm Training unveiled the 24,000 sq ft training space in Aldridge last month. The project has been a true employer-led collaboration with no fewer than 12 manufacturers contributing investment, expertise and input into its creation.
Backed by £733,000 of Black Country LEP Growth Deal funding, the centre is fitted out with CNC machine tools, automation, a robotics line, metrology equipment and fluid power stations. Also housed will be material testing, material handling and grinding capabilities, as well as a 16-seat Mastercam and CIMCO CADCAM studio to help students develop their design for manufacturing skills.
For further information www.in-comm.co.uk

End mills and boring heads on display

From its largest ever stand at the show, ITC (hall 20, stand 650) will be showcasing technologies from brands such as Big Kaiser and Widia.

Unveiled at the exhibition will be the Widia Duo-Lock range, a modular end-mill system that integrates many of the company’s established VariMill milling lines into a new quick-change series. While the proprietary VariMill geometries allow roughing and finishing with a single tool, the corresponding adaptors include a range of straight and conical shanks with CV, PSC, BT and HSK configurations available in Duo-Lock sizes of DL16, DL20, DL25 and DL32.
Also on show will be a number of recently launched innovations from company principal Big Kaiser, including the EWE digital fine-boring head. This line of second-generation boring heads incorporates wireless connectivity to Big Kaiser’s smartphone and tablet app for simplified tool monitoring and configuration. Alongside the EWE, Big Kaiser will be launching its latest line of EWN fine-boring heads. Capable of boring holes from 0.4 to 152 mm diameter, the EWN incorporates a large dial disc for parallax-free reading.
For further information www.itc-ltd.co.uk

Furniture specialist chooses elite laser cutter

Goole-based Elite Office Furniture has invested in a 2D Platino Fiber Evo, laser-cutting machine from Prima Power UK.

“Our policy of making continuous investments in the latest production machinery has allowed us to produce 90% of all of our required components in-house,” says production director Rob Clarke. “This high level of autonomy allows great flexibility and helps us to provide the best possible standards of product quality and service.
“Having considered the laser-cutting machines from several leading manufacturers, we decided that the Prima Power 2D Platino Fiber Evo was the ideal model for our needs,” he adds. “A demonstration proved that the machine was easy to program, simple to operate and straightforward to integrate into our production system. We were satisfied that the Prima Power 2D Platino Fiber Evo was capable of producing high volumes of premium-quality laser-cut parts. It also helped that the Prima Power 2D Platino Fiber Evo met our environmental standards as it has very low power consumption needs and minimal consumable requirements.”
The 2D Platino Fiber Evo is provided with a series of optional suites, each dedicated to different production needs. For instance, Smart Cut, allows the rapid cutting of thin sheets of up to 5 mm and delivers reductions in cycle times of up to 30%, says Prima Power. For the fast laser cutting of medium-to-high thickness sheets, Max Cut, enables reductions in processing times up to 40%, while Night Cut, intended for use in intensive production situations, provides higher piercing and cutting process safety.
For further information www.primapower.com

New investment fast-tracks success at Gripple

When Sheffield-based Gripple UK – a specialist in wire-joining, wire-tensioning and wire-suspension systems – wanted a suitable means of manufacturing a new product, the company turned to Trumpf, its establish supplier of sheet-metal processing machinery. Duly acquiring a TruPunch 3000 to complement an existing TruPunch 1000 model installed three years ago, the machine has been set to work producing Fast Trak, Gripple’s new series of rapid trapeze brackets that are considered a breakthrough in pre-fabricated containment supports.

“Although the TruPunch 3000 is essentially dedicated to one product, it’s great to have a machine that is easy to configure as it means we can adapt to any design iterations that arise,” explains the company’s production manager David Grant. “On top of flexibility, we were also drawn to the machine’s productivity levels.”
The machine has been set to work producing parts for the 11 different sizes of the Fast Trak range. Components are punched from 2 mm thick mild steel and measure up to 1200 mm in length. Essentially, Fast Trak is a simple U-channel in shape, although some of its parts require the generation of complex forms.
“Trumpf showed us the optimum way of producing the forms using their tooling and TruTops Punch software,” states Grant.
“If we hit the anticipated sales volumes we will in all likelihood require another TruPunch 3000 to meet demand,” he adds. “As with all of our in-house manufacturing strategies, we only want to work with the best technology, as this means we get the best cycle times and the best savings.”
For further information www.uk.trumpf.com