UK NEWS

Anotronic Installs Sodick ALC600G Premium

Anotronic is a subcontract machining business and manufacturer of EDM fast-hole drilling
and EDM die-sinking machine tools. Founded in 1982, the business started in ECM, ECD and
EDM tooling and machining, evolving to the production and growth of its own ECM and ECD
technology brand. Along this journey, the company has worked with Sodi-Tech UK and the
Sodick brand of machines. The Bedfordshire-based manufacturer currently operates three
Sodick machines, with the latest ALC600G Premium wire EDM with linear motor drive
technology arriving recently.
 
Martin White, managing director of Anotronic, says: “We always buy premium machines
and, as the company has become more experienced, we constantly look to invest in better
technology. This always comes down to machine reliability and the ability to run
unmanned.”
He continues: “We bought this latest machine because we had a project that typically
consists of 40 parts which would maybe take us three months to complete. We suddenly
had an order placed on us last year for 300 components. We couldn’t have done this
without another machine, as we knew we would have to operate 24 hours a day to get the
parts done.”
 
Sodi-Tech UK sales manager Richard Bailey says: “Manufacturers can use the on-board
technology and IQ software system that brings the CAD model into the machine and
draws the profile on-board utilising the U- and V-axis cutting technology. The program is
generated, parts are machined and the job is complete.”

 
White adds: “We’re using a very complex four-axis program to cut a rotary part with 45°
slots in it. We used the on-board software within the CNC of the Sodick machine to create a
3D model and a tool path to cut the part.”
More information www.sodi-tech.co.uk

Southern Manufacturing Breaks Records

Southern Manufacturing & Electronics 2025, the UK’s annual trade fair serving
manufacturing in the mechanical and electronic engineering sectors, concluded its most
successful show to date last month. Celebrating its 27 th anniversary this year, the
international event saw a surge in visitor attendance and exhibitor participation, solidifying
its position as a vital business hub for industry professionals.
The number of attendees reached 10,204, a 14% increase compared with 2024. The biggest
cohort was from the aerospace manufacturing sector. More than 72% of visitors had
purchasing influence, underlining the event’s importance as a platform for business growth.
Notably, the number of exhibitors also grew, by 12%, with 535 companies showcasing their
latest products and innovations.
More information www.southern-manufacturing-electronics.com

Work-holding specialist trials new cutting fluid

Industrial lubricants manufacturer Rocol has launched a new metalworking cutting fluid to help customers improve efficiency and cut costs. Tests show that TRI-Logic ATi eliminates all previous rework and scrap incurred due to corrosion and staining on complex components when cutting sensitive aluminium grades, even after 100 hours of continuous machining.

The removal of staining can save machine shops expensive man hours from having to rework parts or maybe even generate scrap or miss delivery deadlines. Furthermore, the optimised chemistry of Tri-Logic ATi now means that end users can cut aluminium, titanium and stainless steel from a single sump. The new cutting fluid achieves this without using traditional boron, chlorine and secondary amine chemistries, and is completely free from petroleum oils.

Field trials at work-holding manufacturer Brown and Holmes have delivered outstanding results, with positive feedback versus traditional metalworking fluids. 

Jamie Barton, product sales manager at Brown and Holmes, says: “We’ve been working with Rocol as a supplier for nine years and we continue to be impressed by their service and products. They beat our previous supplier on costs, service and sustainability, with the team available on demand for any issues.

“We’ve been trialling the ATi product in our new filtration system and the early results are superb,” he continues. “There’s been brilliant tramp oil separation, while the process has been a lot more efficient and the cleanliness of the coolant filtrating through the machine is also really positive. We’re machining a multitude of materials, including aluminium, titanium alloys, steel and stainless steel, and the product has performed well on all of them.”

More information www.rocol.com

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