November saw Colchester Machine Tool Solutions host its annual open house, an event that showcasedthe company’s latest products and innovations, including the all-new Tornado sub-spindle turning centre with Y-axis machining capability.
Taking place at Colchester’s European Technology Centre in Elland, West Yorkshire, the open house carried the strapline of ‘multi-axis machining event’. The company reports “overwhelmingly positive” feedback, with many visitors coming away feeling particularly impressed with the number and quality of machines on display. They were also pleased with the amount of machine demonstrations taking place, with Colchester staff on hand to provide additional information.
Taking centre stage was the all-new Colchester Tornado SL25 MSY turning centre. With its integrated sub-spindle and Yaxis, the machine provedpopular at the open house. Its five-axis single-hit machining allows manufacturers to complete complex components with high levels of efficiency. By automatically transferring the workpiece from the main spindle to the sub-spindle, the machine ensures seamless turning, milling and drilling on both sides of the component, reducing cycle times.The addition of Y-axis machining further enhances its capabilities, enabling precise off-centre milling for keyways, flats and contoured surfaces.
Also catching the eye of visitors was the UK debut of Bridgeport five-axis VMCs, a miniature Formula 1 car showpiece, manual centre lathes, Storm VMCs, Student CNC lathes and turret mills. Furthermore, Siemens, LNS, Zerocob and Cutwel were present throughout the event as trusted Colchester partners.
Throughout the open house, Colchester ran a ‘golf darts’ chipping competition where the participant with the highest score over a certain number of shots took away a £500 tooling voucher courtesy of open house partner and cutting tool specialist Cutwel. A first-year apprentice from Tees Components was the deserved winner.
More information www.colchester.co.uk
