UK NEWS

Citizen helps subcontractor raise efficiency

Subcontract machining firm Apel, which specialises in the manufacture of precision components for the aerospace industry, began investing in Citizen CNC turning centres in the 1980s to help raise efficiency. Over time, the company has continued re-investing in modern, productive lathes purchased exclusively from Citizen Machinery UK.


At its Wilmslow facility, Apel today operates nine Cincom sliding-head lathes and one Miyano fixed head model. Together they produce around 50,000 components per month across more than 3000 part numbers. Utilisation of these Citizen CNC lathes and related technologies has led to higher levels of productivity and profitability.

The technology providing the biggest contribution to raising production efficiency at Apel is Citizen’s proprietary LFV (low-frequency vibration) chip-breaking software, which is part of the operating system in the control of three of the six 20 mm capacity Cincom L20s on site. Upon activation, the function breaks what would otherwise be long, stringy swarf into short, manageable chips. Around 50% of material processed by Apel is aerospace-grade stainless steel bar and LFV is especially effective when processing this alloy.

Paul Bowker, Apel’s quality director, says: “We were an early adopter of LFV in 2018 following a visit to Citizen Machinery’s technical centre in Bushey to witness demonstrations. LFV reduces the metal removal rate slightly, so we don’t use it all the time, but it’s really useful to be able to pick and choose when we activate this function.”

Apel also uses Citizen Machinery’s adaptive guide bush (AGB) system, which automatically compensates for variation in bar diameter, preventing stock seizing in the bush. In addition, AGB constantly maintains concentricity to prevent run-out. The user is able to avoid downtime and maintain tight machining tolerances.

More information www.citizenmachinery.co.uk

Colchester inspires next-generation engineers

Colchester Machine Tool Solutions supports training facilities, universities and colleges
across the UK and Europe with its manual and CNC machine tools. In today’s rapidly evolving
technological landscape, integrating machine tools into educational curricula is essential.
Machine tools serve as a gateway to hands-on learning, fostering a deeper understanding of
engineering principles and preparing students for the challenges of the modern workplace.
Recently, Colchester Machine Tool Solutions had the pleasure of hosting a group of student
engineers from Leeds City College at its European Technology Centre in West Yorkshire.
During their visit, the students engaged in an in-depth learning session on machine tool
maintenance, specifically on a Harrison M300 lathe. They gained hands-on experience with

changing headstock oil, replacing and tensioning spindle drive belts, maintaining coolant
pump shaft seals, and maintaining main bearing lubrication systems. This comprehensive
session provided invaluable practical knowledge that will serve them well in their future
careers.
Colchester Machine Tool Solutions has a long-standing commitment to educational
excellent. The company says its machine tools bridge the gap between theory and practice,
giving students a real understanding of engineering concepts. Students also develop critical
thinking and problem-solving skills as they tackle genuine manufacturing challenges using
the latest machine tools.
All of the company’s CNC machine tools feature industry-standard FANUC or Siemens CNC
systems, complete with integrated conversational programming capability, also available in
offline format. In addition, the dedicated support team at Colchester Machine Tool
Solutions offers full telephone support from its applications training engineers and
specialised training programmes for tutors.
More information www.colchester.co.uk

Record orders at Lionweld Kennedy

Lionweld Kennedy, a UK manufacturer of steel gratings, handrail standards and fabricated steel products, is announcing record-breaking orders with the company seeing an all-time high in the value of orders placed. With unprecedented demand across all key markets, including construction, oil and gas, utilities and data centres, Lionweld Kennedy achieved order intake levels of 190% of the 2023 monthly average in May of this year. Managing director Dave Robinson says: “This success is a testament to our commitment to excellence and our ability to adapt and innovate in a competitive market.”

More information www.lk-uk.com

30 years of all-electric tube benders

Tube bending technology specialist Unison Ltd is celebrating 30 years since it launched the world’s first all-electric tube bending machine. It is an invention that changed the method of tube bending by precision industries around the globe. “It was no great secret that the accuracy of hydraulic tube bending machines could be affected by fluctuating oil temperature,” says joint managing director Alan Pickering.

Called the Unison Breeze, the world’s first all-electric three-axis tube bending machine was launched in 1994, with the company subsequently registering UK and German patents. In the years since, Unison has launched the world’s first all-electric five-stack tube bending machine, followed by the world’s first 76, 115, 150 and 180 mm multi-stack machines, as well as robotised and twin-head tube benders.

More informationwww.unisonltd.com

Growth Guarantee Scheme introduced

Compass Business Finance has been accredited to deliver funding supported by the Growth Guarantee Scheme (GGS), via the British Business Bank, thus creating further access to finance that will help smaller UK businesses invest and grow. Launched as a successor to the Recovery Loan Scheme, an important new development is the addition of asset-based lending and invoice finance to the range of supported facilities. The GGS is a government-backed loan scheme that enables lenders to provide finance where they may not otherwise have done so, or to extend better-than-standard terms on business financing options.

More information www.compassbusinessfinance.co.uk