Soon after taking delivery of a Harrison Alpha 1550XS CNC lathe from 600 UK, Blackburn-based subcontractor Fairbrother and Grimshaw witnessed an upturn in orders, utilising the versatility of the Alpha lathes for taking on larger capacity turn-mill jobs.

Neil Grimshaw, company director, says: “We are firm believers of pushing what we do with current technology and standing still is not an option. The Alpha manual/CNC lathe is ideal in that sense as it’s an easy switch from turning manually to using the Alpha with the minimum of training.
“We already have some Colchester manual turning machines and a range of VMCs and CNC turning centres from many suppliers, but large-capacity turning applications were difficult for us to manage,” he continues. “The Alpha XS has helped us raise the bar and added a different dimension to our turning capability. This, in turn, has already helped spread our reputation and we are taking on more work because of it.”
The 2 m between-centres Alpha 1550XS has a swing-over-bed of 554 mm and a 104 mm spindle bore. A large 15 kW motor means that spindle speeds can reach up to 2000 rpm.
“When we purchased the Alpha, we also made use of its range of accessories, including steadies, morse tapers and four-jaw chucks, to give us the maximum flexibility,” says Grimshaw. “We did consider other lathes, but once we saw the Alpha, there was never any doubt in our minds as no other competing product could match the combination of flexibility, accuracy and value for money.”
For further information www.600uk.com