Over a series of four open days, XYZ Machine Tools introduced its new five-axis machining centre to more than 140 visitors from 75 companies, with two of the days being dedicated to customers who had approached XYZ directly for a pre-launch preview of the machine.

“The response to these events has been extremely encouraging, and the positive feedback that we received confirms we’ve taken the correct decision to target the higher end of the five-axis market, in terms of machine technology, with the UMC-5X,” says Nigel Atherton, managing director. “Over and above the interest in the five-axis machine, the response to the open days has been fantastic, especially the final day at Nuneaton. Without doubt they have been the best events we have ever held, with 31 machines sold valued at just over £1m, excluding UMC-5X sales.”
For further information www.xyzmachinetools.com

GF Machining Solutions will be launching its CUT P series of wire EDM machines for the first time to UK and Irish audiences at its open house this week (9-11 May). The new CUT P range will replace the company’s CUT Sp and CUT mS series of wire EDM machines.
There are four sizes of machine in the CUT P series; the CUT P 550 will feature at the open house, which offers an X axis of 550 mm.
For further information www.gfms.com/uk

A UK aluminium casting foundry is celebrating its 50th birthday in style after announcing plans for a new £1.2m technical centre and machine shop. Wednesbury-based Alucast will start work on the new facility in June, which will house its existing CAD and Magma casting simulation facilities, non-destructive testing capabilities, and the firm’s new five-axis CNC machining technology. It is part of a strategy that will see the company target up to £3m of new ‘lightweighting’ opportunities for complex castings in the automotive and agricultural markets. As a result, Alucast will recruit another 20 employees to cope with planned expansion to £10m sales.
For further information www.alucast.co.uk

Secretary of State for International Trade, Dr Liam Fox, recently opened the new factory, offices and demonstration suite at Swift-Cut Automation, a British designer and manufacturer of CNC plasma-cutting tables. During his visit, he spent some time discussing Swift-Cut’s growing success in the international export market. In just six years since Swift-Cut’s inception in 2011, the company now exports over 80% of its products globally.

Working closely with the Department of Trade, Swift-Cut has opened channel partners in 26 countries and, with the continued support of the government, is now successfully expanding into the USA. “Swift-Cut is exactly the sort of company we need to be replicating across the UK,” said Fox. “Success stories like this are flying the flag for British quality and expertise, bringing a boost to their local economies.”
For further information www.swift-cut.co.uk

The largest-ever research project backed by Innovate UK for developing cost-effective titanium-alloy structural airframe parts is nearing completion. The three-year TiFab programme has studied more than 170 aircraft components to assess their suitability for an advanced-joining process which could offer annual raw material savings of around £9m. TiFab consortium members CAV Advanced Technologies, Kuka, Ten Solutions and The Welding Institute predict that manufacturers could save over 200 tonnes of titanium a year if they chose linear friction welding to bond parts instead of machining from solid billets.
For further information www.nearnetshape.co.uk