An XYZ 1000 LR vertical machining centre from XYZ Machine Tools has been installed at Eclipse Magnetics, a manufacturer of magnetic chucks and lifting equipment, as well as magnetic filtration and separation systems.

A recent review of the company’s in-house machining capacity identified the need to replace an ageing vertical machining centre that had 25 years of service and was seen to be on “borrowed time”. Due to the nature of the work, with a mix of standard catalogue and bespoke systems, any new machine had to be versatile, easy to set-up and program, as well as provide the Y-axis travel needed to accommodate taller parts in the product range.
“In addition to the size of machine, the price/performance ratio was a major driver in our decision making when it came to the new machining centre,” says John Parker, design engineer at Eclipse Magnetics. “We looked at lots of options, but after discussions with one of our subcontractors, Impact Toolroom Services, who use XYZ machines, we settled on the XYZ 1000 LR vertical machining centre.”
The type of machining undertaken includes light milling, drilling and tapping in materials from stainless steel to aluminium, so the use of linear rail technology in the XYZ machining centre range provided the cost-effective solution Eclipse Magnetics sought. Choosing the XYZ 1000 LR also delivered the table size and Y-axis travel required, as well as the overall performance in terms of traverse rates and spindle speed, these being 20 m/min in all axes and 8000 rpm, respectively.
For further information www.xyzmachinetools.com