UK NEWS

kerf unleashes ‘the beast’ at AJS Profiles

When it comes to heavy engineering, few names hold a torch to the prestige of AJS Profiles. The West Midlands manufacturer has the world’s largest reciprocating grinder and the world’s largest Lumsden grinder. So, it comes as no surprise that when this steel profiling business needed a large heavy-duty cutting machine, it turned to long-standing supplier Kerf Developments.

Steve Harris, director at AJS Profiles,says: “It was 2011 when we bought our first Kerf machine, an RUR3500G, which was soon followed by an RUR2500P plasma machine. So, when it came to making a shift to more advanced technology, the service, support and quality provided by Kerf stood out. Over the years, we gradually moved from the old technology, employing Kerf flame and plasma cutting machines with CNC controls that drastically simplified, modernised and improved our cutting capabilities.”

In total, AJS Profiles installednine Kerf machines over 11 years. Notable among them is ‘the beast’, an RUM3000G with an oxy-arc lance capable of cutting through steel up to 1 m thick. The RUM3000G is a gas cutting machine with a reinforced gantry extending beyond 1.5 m high, making it the only machine of its type in the UK. This extended bridge height accommodates the 1m thick steel plate that AJS frequently cuts, while providing thermal protection with its through coolant design that protects the integrity, repeatability and stability of the bridge during heavy-duty cutting.

The company’s latest acquisition, arriving in September 2022, is its fourth RUR3500G cutting machine, which is the sixth gas cutting machine from Kerf at AJS Profiles.

“The latest RUR3500G can cut plate up to 250mm – and for everything beyond we have ‘the beast’,” concludes Harris.
For further information www.kerfdevelopments.com

Axe & Status partners with ACCURL

UK machine tool supplier Axe & Status Machinery Ltd and ACCURLare now forging a powerful partnership that holds immense promise for the laser market. Following a visit to ACCURL’s facilities in China, Steve Thomas, the owner of Axe & Status Machinery and his team deemed the capabilities and quality of ACCURL products as impressive.

After days of extensive discussions, the two companies reached a mutual agreement to authorise Axe & Status Machinery as the exclusive distributor of the ACCURL brand in the UK. This partnership signifies a significant milestone for both organisations as they set their sights on capturing the rapidly growing laser market together.New stock will arriveat the Axe & Status showroom in Milton Keynes in early September. The first high-power lasers will also be installed in the UK in September and available for demonstration.
For further information www.axestatus.com

Robot assists large-scalelaser cutting cell

A suite of automation solutions from FANUC has proved integral to the delivery of an industrial-scale laser cutting cell commissioned by the UK’s Manufacturing Technology Centre (MTC). Constructed bysystem integrator Cyan Tec Systems, the demonstration cell comprises a 12 x 4m cutting table and, from FANUC, a six-axis robot, a CNC system for the flatbed, and the laser, all contained within a laser-secure enclosure.

FANUC was the clear choice for automation partner on this project, as Cyan Tec’s project co-ordinator Grant Copson confirms: “The main reason for working with FANUC was the fact that they could offer a seamless automation solution incorporating not just the robot but also the laser and motion system.”

The system sits at the upper end of industry expectations in terms of scale to show those visiting the MTC what is possible within automated laser cutting. There is real scope for using the cell within the aerospace and automotive industries, or any sector that requires large-scale pre-cut profiles. The construction sector could also benefit from cells of this size, in particular for precision cutting of profile sections used in prefabricated buildings.

The cutting table and robot sit inside a large enclosure measuring 15.5 x 9m, but the space requirements go even further. The cutting table slides out an additional 13m, ensuring that if an operator wants to load a 12 x 4m product, he or she has adequate access to do so, even if this requires the use of a crane or forklift truck.

The laser cutting bed handles flat plate, while the FANUC M-20iB robot cuts tubular sections. Notably, the robot’s six axes siton a floor track and drive synchronously with a FANUC seventh axis, allowing it to move up and down the tube in cut.
For further information laser@the-mtc.org

Subcontractor progresses to five-axis machining

In its 20,000 sq ft, purpose-built factory in Hayes, near London Heathrow airport, subcontractor Wellington Engineering uses 45 CNC machine tools to produce parts for sectors as diverse as aerospace, medical, semiconductors and cryogenics. The latest machine to arrive on the shop floor isa Hurco VC500i machining centre.

Owner and managing director Daimon Wellington says: “We recently adopted a strategy of looking to take on more complex prismatic machining work and had already identified a number of contracts. It was just a question of finding a suitable machining centre.Full five-axis capability was the next step up for us in terms of technology and, as we use a lot of Hurcos, we decided to source our first true five-axis machining centre from them.”

The cantilever-type VC500i is ergonomic for easy operator access, has a 520 x 450 x 400 mm working volume and a ±100° swivelling trunnion carrying a rotary table, suitable for machining five faces of a component in a single set-up. It reduces the number of separate operations needed compared with using the subcontractor’s three- axis machines, including those fitted with single- or two-axis dividing heads.

Wellington says: “Our other machining centres were taking too long to produce the increasingly complex components. Productivity drives profits and we’ve had excellent results in this respect since the five-axis Hurco arrived. Parts come off much quicker and we’re not tying up the capacity of our other machines and their operators. Also there are far fewer issues with workholding and there is less deburring and hand fettling, all of which saves time.With five-axis strategies, jobs are coming off more economically in shorter cycle times.”
For further information www.hurco.co.uk

Ground-breaking flagship NMIS facility opens

The National Manufacturing Institute Scotland (NMIS), operated by the University of Strathclyde, has opened its new flagship facility in Renfrewshire. Acting as a magnet for advanced manufacturing in Scotland and across the globe, the distinctive heather-coloured, 11,500 sq m operationally carbon-neutral campus next to Glasgow Airport will support manufacturing, engineering and associated technology businesses of all sizes. Innovative R&D will help them to become more productive, tap into emerging markets, embrace new technologies and achieve net-zero targets.
For further information www.nmis.scot