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Cutting & Profiling
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Six-Axis Laser Cuts Complex Sections
01 Dec 2006
The Laser Cutting Company has just installed a 3D Fabrigear 300 laser cutting machine, which means the company can now offer a complete cutting service for sections and tubes. The new machine, the only one of its type and capability in the UK, can process sections up to 300mm x 300mm in section, and up to 8000mm in length.
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Laser Cuts Lead Time for Rapid Prototypes
01 Dec 2006
Purchasing laser cutting equipment worth up to £400,000 has proved a valuable investment for Soham based precision engineering company The Hitec Group. The technology is able to cut complex shapes from metal fast and accurately. The equipment has had a big impact on both the low volume prototype work and the production side of the business.
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Water-Jet Cutting Service Has The Edge In Speed
01 Dec 2006
James Walker has introduced a new enhanced high-speed abrasive waterjet cutting service following the installation of a Calypso Water Jet Cutting System at its Cockermouth Custom Gasket plant. The system offers highly accurate cold burr-free cutting of virtually any material from the thinnest sheet to 100mm thickness.
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Services Enhanced with Flagship Press Brake
01 Dec 2006
Sheet metal laser cutting specialist Lakeland Laser, based in Cumbria, has recently purchased a new press brake machine, and has also launched a new website and brochure. The new Trumpf Trubend 8000 complements the existing range of multi-axis press-brakes, which, when coupled with an ability to produce cost effective bespoke tooling for small batch work, further enhances the service for customers.
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Line Clearance is Measure of Success
01 Dec 2006
Carlton Laser Services (CLS) is running a set programme of training in the principles and practice of lean manufacturing at its Leicester based factory. The continual improvement training involves all employees from boardroom to shop floor. Progress is being measured by indicators of line clearance and quality of the end product.
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Plant Investment Pays off with New Irish Contracts
01 Dec 2006
Midlands based Laser Process Ltd has spent £1m over the last twelve months developing its plant list. This progress has allowed the company to develop including taking a step into the Irish market. After exhibiting at Manufacturing Technology in Ireland the company has won three contracts and is looking to expand further in Ireland in 2007.
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Thicker Guages Cut with Increased Laser Power
01 Dec 2006
This month, Coventry based Lall Engineering has installed a new laser cutting machine, Trumpf 5030 5kW, to help cope with an increased order book. The new machine brings increased laser processing capacity to the sheetmetal fabricator, with its faster speed, greater accuracy and the ability to process thicker materials.
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Accurate Pre-Milling Profiles Cut in Titanium
01 Dec 2006
ICEE Ltd has recently undertaken pre-milling profile work on titanium. The profiles on the hard-to-machine material are so accurate that very little finishing is required. The company is continually investing in the latest technology and the company’s fabrication department utilises one of the most up-to-date waterjet cutting systems in the UK.
Honing & Deep Hole Drilling
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Process Guarantees De-Burring of Deep Holes
16 Dec 2006
Deburring Centre Ltd, the thermal deburring specialists has just started a contract to thermally deburr 20,000 components a week for Deans Engineering, the Livingstone based precision engineering company. Burrs lurking in impossible-to-reach intersecting bores and blind holes (no matter how deep) can be guaranteed to be removed using thermal deburring techniques.
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Autosport Event Showcases Capabilities
01 Dec 2006
Regular exhibitors at Autosport Engineering, Hone-All Precision will be appearing at the show again next month (11-14 January 2007) on stand E403. The event has paid dividends by introducing new customers to the subcontractor’s specialist skills in deep hole drilling, boring and honing. It is also an ideal opportunity, says Andrea Rodney, director, to focus attention on the company’s single source precision machining capability and its coordinated response to the pressures that motorsport imposes on suppliers.
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Shift to Larger Machines Reflects Market Changes
01 Dec 2006
Before relocating to their current 50,000 sq ft factory, Keetons redesigned their entire plant inventory and factory layout to suit the current market trends. Two and a half years later, things have changed again. Technical sales manager Alan Holliday says: “The change in market forces over the past 18 months has been immense.
Industry News
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Benchmarking - Survival Skills Require World Class Standards
01 Dec 2006
On 7 February 2007, a lively discussion is expected to take place at the Southern Manufacturing Show during an open forum on the pros and cons of procuring, or manufacturing, abroad. The session will be underpinned by the assertion that the survival of British manufacturing companies (large and small) depends on them achieving ‘world class’ performance. “To do this they should be benchmarking themselves against nothing less than best in class or international competition”, says forum host John Grieves of Continuous Improvement Services (CIS).
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Sustainability is More Than a Green Concept
01 Dec 2006
Though the green lobby is at the forefront of the political agenda at the moment, sustainability is not just for greenies! In fact, being sustainable isn’t only about the environment.
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Chinese Studies are Vital for Careers in Engineering
01 Dec 2006
Nottingham is the first university in the UK to offer BEng and MEng degree courses in Electrical and Electronic Engineering, with Chinese Studies, in a bid to meet the needs of an increasingly global marketplace for qualified engineers. Graduates from these courses, which start in September 2007, are expected to be in very high demand and to embark on international careers.
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National Manufacturing Skills Academy Follows Automotive Blueprint
01 Dec 2006
Secretary of State for Trade and Industry Alistair Darling announced that the skills and training expertise of the successful Automotive Academy are to be applied across the whole of manufacturing. It is to become part of the Government's new National Manufacturing Skills Academy, which will be unveiled in January.
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Engineering Alliance Takes up Metric Issue
01 Dec 2006
Working on behalf of UK SME engineering firms, the Engineering and Machinery Alliance (EAMA) has asked Industry Minister Margaret Hodge to fight the possible ban on the use of imperial measures in literature and on products. This ban could come in from 2010 and would apply to products destined for EU and non-EU markets.
Turning & Milling
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Largest Ever Machine Ordered at MACH 2006
01 Dec 2006
On the first day of MACH 2006 DMG (UK) received an order for the largest ever, single machine to be installed in the UK, valued at £1.25m. The customer is Manthorpe Engineering Ltd, a forward-thinking subcontract precision machinist that has already invested £2m in the past three years on manufacturing systems to maintain its competitive edge in multi-task machining for the power generation, aerospace and defence industries.
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Mill-Turn Centre Slashes Lead Times and Costs
01 Dec 2006
Specialist contract machinist PG Technology has installed a B-axis mill-turn centre at its factory in Mitcham, Surrey. Supplied by NCMT, the Okuma Multus B300-W is the first twin-spindle mill-turn lathe on site and increases the contract machinist's turning capacity to 630mm diameter by 900mm long. It also extends considerably the complexity of incycle prismatic machining that may be carried out.
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New Lathes Secure Position for Precision Critical Components
01 Dec 2006
Representing a combined investment of around £250,000 Gateshead-based Kingsway Machining UK Ltd has taken possession of the first Gildemeister NEF600 universal CNC lathe to be installed in the UK plus two models from the Gildemeister CTX range. Kingsway has recently secured orders for precision critical engineering components used in the power generation and oil & gas industries.
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Performance Wins New Business from Abroad
01 Dec 2006
Acro Precision Technology, Norfolk, runs 24 hour, unmanned machines that can produce high volume small turned parts. Acro has won orders both at home and abroad, including projects for the Norwegian Oil sector and a major Dutch road haulage equipment manufacturer. This kind of success proves that UK engineering really does have something to offer the world.
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Turnover is Increasing at Rate of 27+% Per Year
01 Dec 2006
Yorkshire Precision Engineering Limited (YPEL) has recently moved to larger premises, two and a half times larger than its previous unit. The company has also taken delivery of another Star SA16R sliding head lathe to keep up with increasing customer demands and is looking to buy a larger capacity fixed head lathe in 2007.
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Expanding Customer Base Calls for Enhanced Milling Capacity
01 Dec 2006
Dawson Precision Components (DPC) has just acquired a YCM Machining Centre, providing additional milling capacity. With an increasing national and international customer base, Manchester based DPC is experiencing a steady flow of new customers, on average one a week. DPC has recently secured new contracts in Ireland and the Netherlands.
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Rambo Adds High Power to CNC Machining Service
01 Dec 2006
Springfix Linkages (M & R 926 Ltd) has added a Rambo RM1060 vertical machining centre to bring in house the last few parts that are currently bought out. At the moment, Springfix manufactures a large selection of catalogue standard parts, including ball joints, rod ends and clevises at its plant in Stevenage. In addition to its proprietary range Springfix Linkages also offers competitive high volume turned parts and a CNC subcontract machining service.
