UK NEWS

Nikken helps unlock efficiency and precision

Last month, Nikken had the pleasure of welcoming representatives from Techpoint and DOF Tools to its European innovation centre in Rotherham for an exclusive hands-on experience with the company’s latest solutions for machine shops. Joined by Nikken’s export sales manager Iwao Miyahara, the visit provided an excellent opportunity to strengthen working relationships while showcasing the precision, reliability and performance of Nikken technology.

Throughout the day, guests witnessed live machining demonstrations, highlighting key areas of generating higher performance in processes like milling and drilling. Nikken says the demonstrations showcased how its solutions enhance productivity, improve tool life and deliver precision across a range of machining applications. Discussions with the Techpoint and DOF Tools teams provided valuable insight, reinforcing the importance of collaboration in driving engineering excellence.

To document the visit, Nikken put its new camera equipment to the test, recording the demonstrations in detail. From rapid tool changes to precision cutting, every moment was captured to showcase Nikken’s capabilities. The footage has now been edited into a video, giving a closer look at these technologies and techniques.

While the video provides a glimpse into what Nikken offers, nothing compares with seeing it first-hand. The company is therefore inviting manufacturers visit the Nikken Innovation Centre Europe (NICe), where they can experience these solutions in action, explore new machining strategies and work alongside the company’s expert team to enhance their production processes.

More information www.nikken-world.co.uk

Bespoke Ceratizit fixture benefits subcontractor

Woodbrook Precision, located in Ashton-Under-Lyne, says that Ceratizit has been instrumental in enhancing the productivity of new machine tools.

A recent case in point involved a repeat order for 100-off stainless steel products for an aerospace industry customer. With the job running frequently, Woodbrook set up six vices in a line on the 3.5 m bed of a Mazak five-axis VTC800/30SR. Upon completing each surface and cycle, an operator would reset the job to process the next face. With a total of four operations, the process was laborious. The company engaged with Ceratizit, which made a bespoke work-holding solution at its technical centre and headquarters in Sheffield.

Visiting the Ceratizit stand at the MACH 2024 exhibition in Birmingham, Woodbrook managing director Stephen Hogg realised that the only cost for Ceratizit’s bespoke service was the price of the aluminium tombstone billet and the cost of the four ZSG4-125 Centric vices that connect to the zero-point single riser tombstone system.

Immediately impressed, Woodbrook Precision ordered a pyramid system to clamp smaller parts in its Mazak CV5-500. The ZSG4-125 Centric vices with serrated jaws enabled Woodbrook to clamp on as little as 3 mm of stock, permitting the subcontractor to hit all five sides of the stainless parts with confidence in the high-torque clamping forces of the vice. With five faces machined in a single operation, the following operation was to turn the parts over to complete the sixth surface. This reduced this 100-off repeat job from four operations to just two.

“The job took over one hour per part from start to finish,” explains Hogg. “The tombstone and Centric ZSG vices immediately took more than 10 minutes off each part, with peripheral benefits such as longer running times without operator intervention.”

More information www.ceratizit.com

£8.2m for Port Talbot growth

Government officials expect the creation of more than 100 jobs following the announcement of £8.2m in funding for the first regeneration project in Port Talbot, with other projects set to follow. The ‘South Wales Industrial Transition from Carbon Hub’ project will redevelop a four-acre site at Harbourside, Port Talbot that will include the construction of additional shared space, undertake flood mitigation and the provision of specialist equipment. This major investment will help establish an ‘Innovation District’ in Port Talbot that will ultimately benefit the South Wales economy by £87m.

More information www.gov.uk

F1 team partnership

Hexagon has announced a multi-year renewal of its long-established innovation partnership with Milton Keynes based Formula 1 team, Oracle Red Bull Racing. For 18 years, Hexagon’s Manufacturing Intelligence division has been a partner to Oracle Red Bull Racing. The company supplies the team with 3D laser scanning and digitalisation solutions. Hexagon branding will feature on the lower sidepod of the RB21, signifying its long-standing contribution to the operation of the car. The partnership is crucial ahead of the 2026 season as new sporting regulations come into effect that require a complete redesign of all cars.

More information www.hexagon.com

Embrace Steel names trio of key hires

Embrace Steel Group, a provider of steel-frame building solutions throughout the UK, has appointed three senior hires, bolstering teams at the company’s sites in both Hambleton Steel and Shufflebottom. A steel fabrication company based in Wales, Shufflebottom has welcomed Richard Wigley to the business as its new commercial and technical director, while Ben Thomas joins as operations director. In addition, Chris Burns has re-joined Hambleton Steel, a steel designer and fabricator headquartered in Yorkshire, as design and build engineer.

More information www.embracesteelgroup.co.uk