UK NEWS

PTG Holroyd chooses gearboxes from Apex Dynamics

PTG Holroyd is using the APC and ADseries of high-torque, low-backlash planetary gearboxes from Apex Dynamics as part of its ultra-precise CNC helical rotor and gear grinding machines.

Gearboxes are an integral part of PTG Holroyd’s technology as they drive the machine’s axes, making precision key. The company had very specific requirements for output torque, accuracy and product dimensions, and was seeking the optimal gearbox solution. PTG Holroyd approached planetary gearbox specialist Apex Dynamics with a set of tight specifications for its helical grinding machines, which Apex was able to meet with its APC and AD series.

Working alongside PTG Holroyd’s engineers and design teams, Apex Dynamics UK identified the optimalsolutions for the machine tool manufacturer’s helical grinding machines.

The specific Apex Dynamics’ high precision planetary gearboxes best-suited to PTG Holroyd’s helical grinders were from the APC series of rotary flange style gearboxes (with 55:1 ratio) and the Apex AD series of compact gearboxes (with 50:1 ratio). Both product ranges deliver high torque, low backlash of less than 1 arc-minute and high levels of accuracy.

The APC series comes with a patented curvic coupling output, giving a high-concentricity, low run-out, high-torque, zero-backlash connection. Its case-hardened and ground gearing offers high accuracy and high wear resistance for the gear train and, by adding a fourth planetary gear, boosts torque capacity by up to 25%.

The compact, helical, one-piece planetary cage design of the Apex AD series provides PTG Holroyd with a range of benefits. These includea stiff and accurate rotating flange design that supports accuracy of less than 1 arc-minute,and a flange to flange distance as short as 70mm, making it capable of fitting into the smallest spaces.
For further information https://apexdynauk.com/

Student success in robotics

The winners of the 2023 WorldSkills UK Industrial Robotics competition, held in conjunction with FANUC UK, were announcedat an awards ceremony in Manchester last month. Representing the best of the UK’s rising robotics talent, Hannah Currie and Peter O’Neill from Northern Regional College in Northern Ireland beat over 50 talented young apprentices and students to take gold at the national finals, which were held over three days at FANUC’s UK headquarters in Coventry. The duo now have the chance to represent Team UK at the WorldSkills International Industrial Robotics competition in 2024.
For further information www.bit.ly/484XXBj

C&C Fabrications boosts deburring capabilities

C&C Fabrications, a Yorkshire-based steel fabrication specialist and recipient of the Business of the Year 2023 award, has invested in a Loewer SwingGrinder deburring andedge-rounding machine. The new machine is the latest addition in an ongoing series of investments as the company continues to adapt to ongoing growth. Speed, precision and efficiency will all receive a boost from the Loewer SwingGrinder.

The Loewer SwingGrinder represents a significant advancement in metalworking technology, enabling C&C Fabrications to deliver top-tier solutions across a wide array of sectors, including warehousing and logistics, retail, commercial, industrial, and general engineering at an even more impressive rate, reports the company.

This latest investment from C&C is yet more evidence of its commitment to excellence and innovation as the new SwingGrinder provides the business with an array of advantages. These include a user-friendly design, increased versatility, and a safer and cleaner workspace.

Chris Wallage, owner and managing director, says: “This new investment will play a vital role in enhancing our product quality and workforce efficiency, and enables the future expansion of C&C Fabrications. We’ve made a series of investments in cutting-edge machinery to ensure the delivery of first-rate products and services to our clients, and see C&C remain at the forefront of our industry for years to come. As we continues to redefine steel fabrication, this strategic investment showcases our ongoing dedication to innovation and excellence.”
For further information www.candcfabricationsltd.co.uk

Life on Mars?

A European mission to explore life on Mars has received a major boost after a UK firm was awarded more than £10m to replace Russian components in the Rosalind Franklin Mars Rover.The rover, built by Airbus in Stevenage as part of a European Space Agency programme, was due to launch in 2022 before collaboration with Russia’s space agency was cancelled following the illegal invasion of Ukraine.Now, the UK Space Agency will provide an additional £10.7m to a UK team to replace a Russian-made instrument on the Rosalind Franklin rover, with the aim of launching to Mars in 2028.
For further information www.gov.uk

Turnover more than quadruples in three years

Historically, a majority of subcontractor Reginson Engineering’s turnover came from the aerospace sector, with oil and gas generating most of the remainder. However, when Covid struck in early 2020 the aerospace contracts dried up. While ventilator work took off, the company knew this was only temporary, so the family-run business owned by Steve Hatch set about finding business elsewhere. What transpired altered the company’s fortunes entirely, as a contract from a jewellery manufacturer combined with strong growth in aerospace conspired to increase turnover so dramatically that by 2023 it was 447% higher than before the pandemic.

Even better is to come. The jewellery company is so pleased with the quality of the mainly titanium jewellery pieces already supplied that it has signalled its intention to increase the annual quantity of parts from 100,000 to 1 million per month over the next few years. The machine tools underpinning both the quantity and quality of the jewellery parts produced at the Nuneaton factory are yet more Citizen Cincom sliding-head lathes.

Reginson Engineering is a long-time user of these Japanese-built sliders dating back to the early 1990s. In October 2020, the lathes were joined on the shop floor by the subcontractor’s first Citizen fixed-head model, a 64 mm bar capacity Miyano ABX-64SYY twin-turret, twin-spindle turn-mill centre. The user describes the machine as “fantastic”, as it has allowed the company to slash cycle times compared with using other turning plant on site.

The upturn in throughput generated by the jewellery contract required much more sliding-head capacity, so the subcontractor has bought 14 new Cincoms in the past couple of years. They are now seven 20 mm bar capacity A20-VIIs on site and the same number of 12 mm capacity L12-VIIs.
For further information www.citizenmachinery.co.uk