Manufacturing Machinery World August 2024

AUGUST 2024 

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The No.1 International 

Machine Tool Journal 

@MachineryW

CONTENTS AUGUST 2024 

APPOINTMENTS 

2O 

AUCTIONS 37 

Front Cover: 

igus Chainflex 

MANAGING DIRECTOR: 

Carole Titmuss 

NEWS EDITOR: 

Pat Fairfax 

FEATURES EDITOR: 

Danielle Titmuss MSc 

SALES: 

Lorraine Compton 

PRODUCTION: 

Ian Purves, 

Jonathan Milburn 

SUBSCRIPTIONS: 

Leah Lennon 

PUBLISHER 

Carole Titmuss 

This journal includes editorial 

photographs provided and paid for 

by suppliers. 

Manufacturing Machinery World is 

available on subscription annual rate 

UK £44, Europe £66, Overseas £90 

Single Copies £4 UK, £8 Overseas. 

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Email: info@machinery.world 

Twitter: @MachineryW 

CASE STUDY KASTO 21 

CASE STUDY KINGSBURY 22-23 

CASE STUDY ITC 24-25 

CASE STUDY GUHRING 26-27 

CASE STUDY WMT CNC 28-29 

CASE STUDY SODICK 30-31 

CASE STUDY ETG GROUP 32 

NEW PRODUCTS 10-17 

NEWS 4-6 

NEXT GENERATION 18 

SERVICES DIRECTORY 32-36 

NEXT MONTHS FEATURES 

CAD/CAM – CHAINS & BEARINGS – LASER, PLASMA,WATERJET CUTTING 

MANUFACTURING MACHINERY 

WORLD is published monthly and is 

circulated to senior personnel who 

influence the buying and selling of 

new and used manufacturing 

machinery worldwide. 

©Sheen Publishing Ltd. All rights 

reserved. No part of this publication 

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part of this publication is stored in a 

retrieval system of any nature. 

Unison Ltd, the UK’s leading manufacturer 

of tube bending technologies, is celebrating 

30 years since it invented all-electric tube 

manipulation and launched the world’s first 

all-electric tube bending machine in 1994. 

Page: 4. 

igus ® attended an event hosted by Arden 

Academy in Solihull alongside big industry 

names such as Siemens, KUKA and 

Marvelous Manufacturing as well as local 

career experts, providing advice to students 

on their next steps. 

Page: 18. 

w w w . m a c h i n e r y . w o r l d 

Manufacturing Machinery World, August 2024 3

NEWS NEWS NEWS 

UNISON MARKS 30 YEARS SINCE IT LAUNCHED THE 

WORLD’S FIRST ALL-ELECTRIC TUBE BENDING 

MACHINE 

Unison Ltd, the UK’s leading manufacturer 

of tube bending technologies, is celebrating 

30 years since it invented all-electric tube 

manipulation and launched the world’s first 

all-electric tube bending machine in 1994. It’s 

an invention that has changed the way tube 

is bent by precision industries around the 

globe. 

Convinced there was a better, more 

precise way of bending tube than by using 

the hydraulically operated machines of the 

day, in the late 1980s Unison’s founder, Terry 

Pickering, along with his son, Alan (who is 

now the company’s joint managing director), 

set about reinventing the process of tube 

manipulation. 

“It was no great secret that the accuracy of 

hydraulic tube bending machines could be 

affected by changing oil temperature,” says 

Alan Pickering. “In other words, a machine 

with cold hydraulic oil at the start of a shift 

might well perform differently later in the 

day when its oil was hot. The greater 

viscosity of the cold oil, compared to that of 

hot oil, would typically result in the machine 

operator having to make temperature-related 

adjustments during the day to ensure 

satisfactory levels of repeatability. With all 

those manual adjustments to make - 

particularly on the clamp and pressure die - 

each operator would keep a black book of 

how they managed to get a good part out of 

their tube bending machines.” 

Unison’s ultimate goal was to take the 

black art out of tube bending as much as 

possible, by letting a CNC capture all the 

correct machine axis settings – in order to 

repeat them on future bends and get to a 

point where ‘right first time’ results were 

possible. During the R&D process, it also 

became clear that to achieve this, it was 

important to not only control axis position, 

but also the force of each axis. 

Following a 1991 Brite Euram feasibility 

study into automatic setup tube bending, in 

1992 Unison secured a SMART award to 

develop three all-electric tube bending 

machines. “At that point we were already 

well on the way to understanding what we 

would need to do to create the world’s firstever 

all-electric tube bender,” adds Alan 

Pickering. “The easy axis to do was the bend 

arm; the challenge was all the other axes. It 

took a few years to achieve what we wanted, 

but by pushing the servo actuators of the day 

to their limits, we developed a process where 

low-friction-slide adjusting mechanisms 

powered by an electric motor with torque 

control, brought absolute pressure control to 

bending machine components such as the 

clamping die, pressure die, mandrel and 

From left: Unison Ltd’s joint managing directors, Alan Pickering and Julian Kidger, 

alongside an all-electric Unison Breeze 80 mm multi-stack tube bending machine. 

powered follower. All-electric tube 

manipulation had been invented – with the 

assurance of accuracy and repeatability at the 

tightest of bending parameters for large and 

small production runs, and with no concern 

over hydraulic oil or even external 

temperatures.” 

Called the Unison Breeze, due to the 

speed and ease it brought to achieving 

repeatable tube manipulation, the world’s 

first all-electric three-axis tube bending 

machine was launched by Unison in 1994. 

UK and German patents were registered, and 

right-first-time tube bending was born. 

Over the following years, Unison 

developed and launched the world’s first allelectric 

five-stack tube bending machine, 

followed by the world’s first 76 mm, 115 mm, 

150 mm and 180 mm multi-stack machines, 

as well as robotised benders and twin-head 

tube benders for producing symmetrical, 

simultaneous bends. Today, with facilities in 

the UK and USA, Unison offers the world’s 

largest range of ultra-precise, all-electric tube 

and pipe bending machines for diameters 

ranging from 4 mm to 275 mm, in singlestack, 

multi-stack and right/left versions. For 

more straightforward, repetitive 

applications, it has also recently introduced a 

range of high-accuracy hybrid machines. 

“All-electric tube bending was a difficult 

sell for us at first,” says Alan Pickering. “In 

fact it took a number of forward-thinking 

customers to put their faith in our technology 

before others would make the switch. 

However, our big breakthrough came when 

Airbus ordered their first all-electric tube 

bender from us – a machine that paid for 

itself in 16 weeks, in reduced scrap alone. As 

all-electric tube manipulation caught on, 

competition from the bigger players was 

inevitable, but we kept our heads down and 

kept on pushing forward. 

“Today, of course, all-electric tube 

bending machines are commonplace 

offerings from manufacturers from around 

the world. But I am proud to say that we 

remain the preferred choice of countless 

organisations from all manner of industry 

sectors. Whether it’s aerospace, performance 

automotive, marine, oil & gas, energy or 

general manufacturing, we take pride in 

building powerful, highly energy efficient 

machines that meet the challenges faced by 

our customers head on. Thanks to our build 

quality, uncompromising customer support 

and user-friendly control systems - not to 

mention our tube bending simulation 

software and innovative tube bending 

application app - I truly believe that 30 years 

on from the first Unison Breeze machine, we 

still have, and always will have, the edge. 

You could say we’re the original and best.” 

Unison Ltd: 

intelligent tube technology 

Unison Ltd is the UK’s leading manufacturer 

of tube and pipe bending machines and 

continually innovates the tube and pipe 

bending marketplace. The company 

manufactured the world’s first all-electric 

tube bender in 1994, followed by the world’s 

first all-electric multi-stack tube bender, then 

the world’s largest all-electric tube bender for 

the shipbuilding industry. Available in 

single-stack, multi-stack and right/left 

varieties, Unison machines are delivered to 

more than 20 countries globally. Unison’s 

tube bending software is recognised as the 

most user-friendly control system for tube 

bending machines. The software is written 

and supported by Unison, ensuring complete 

control of its evolution, with no need for 

third party support. 

www.unisonltd.com 

4 Manufacturing Machinery World, August 2024

GAUGES LTD 

PENICO ROTARY 

GRINDING TABLE 

• Converts surface grinders 

to rotary work 

• Robust construction 

For further details contact 

Penico Gauges Ltd 

Tel: 01274 511044 

Fax: 01274 510770 

Email: 

penicogauges@yahoo.co.uk 

Web: www.penico.com 


NEWS NEWS NEWS 

MAKINO TOP 

MANAGEMENT 

VISITS NCMT IN 

60TH YEAR OF 

COOPERATION 

Shotaro Miyazaki, President of Tokyo-based 

Makino Milling Machine Co, which 

manufactures machining centres, spark erosion 

machines and VIPER grinding centres, visited 

UK and Ireland sales and service agent NCMT 

in Coventry at the end of May 2024 to 

participate in their joint 60th anniversary 

celebrations. 

The occasion was especially pertinent, as 

Makino was Gerry Gray's first technology 

partner, which led directly to the founding of 

NCMT by Mr Gray in 1964 to sell Makino 

products exclusively, an association that has 

endured and strengthened over the years. 

When the initial machine was imported, it was 

the first Japanese-built CNC machine tool to be 

installed in the UK. 

Utilising NCMT’s engineering expertise and 

knowledge of industry locally, Makino 

redesigned and developed many machines to 

target specific sectors. The MAG series of 

machines was designed and built to deliver 

high metal removal rates for aluminium 

airframe customers. Makino’s commitment to a 

high level of R&D, particularly regarding the 

spindle, linear motors and machine rigidity, has 

led to the introduction of successive generations 

of MAG and T-series machines that have been 

sold to aerospace and space industry customers 

globally. 

In 1997, a request from Rolls-Royce via 

NCMT to Makino to design a machining centre 

capable of grinding the fir tree root forms of 

nickel alloy turbine blades led to the 

development of the VIPER machine series. 

Austrian grinding wheel manufacturer Tyrolit 

also provided its expertise and supplied the 

consumables for process development at 

NCMT’s technical centre in Coventry. 

To provide stability and accuracy after the 

additions of a fifth CNC axis, programmable 

coolant nozzle and wheel dresser, Makino chose 

its successful A-series horizontal machining 

centre as the platform. In total, 264 VIPER 

grinders have been sold worldwide, 188 of 

which have been supplied by NCMT to 

customers in the UK, Europe and Asia. The 

success in the market led Makino to develop 

purpose-built G-series platforms and the third 

generation is currently under development. 

More than 100 guests sat down to lunch on 

30th May at NCMT's showroom and technical 

centre to commemorate all these achievements. 

Attendees in addition to Miyazaki-san included 

a selection of Makino customers, supplier 

companies, and representatives from the last 

three generations of NCMT management. 

In a speech delivered on the day, Miyazakisan 

commented, "The trust between our 

companies has been strong from the outset, 

when Mr Gray visited Japan to meet our 

Some of the guests at NCMT's recent 60th anniversary lunch with Makino. Fifth from left: 

Shotaro Miyazaki, President, Makino Milling Machine Co. Third from left: Lynn Gray, wife of 

NCMT founder Gerry Gray. Second from left: Jonathan Smart, Managing Director, NCMT. 

founder, Tsunezo Makino, who established 

Makino Milling Machine Co in 1937. 

"The agreement they came to was simple. 

Mr Gray asked to sell Makino equipment in the 

UK and Mr Makino accepted his offer, without 

any contract being signed, an arrangement that 

continues to this day." 

Managing Director Jonathan Smart said, "As 

one of the longest established overseas 

distributors for Makino machines, NCMT 

under the fourth generation of ownership 

continues to have a close relationship with all of 

our colleagues in Japan. We thank Makino for 

their unwavering support over the past six 

decades. 

"Before his untimely death, Gerry Gray 

established a future-oriented management 

structure to ensure ongoing success, 

safeguarding his vision for the direction and 

development of the company. 

"His wife Lynn, who is here with us today, 

has kept in close contact with NCMT over the 

years through the Gray Foundation, which has 

supported our apprenticeship scheme for more 

than 10 years. Her support has been greatly 

appreciated by the Board as well as the 

engineers that have started their careers with 

NCMT." 

NCMT reports on a successful 

MACH 2024 

The Makino event came several weeks after 

MACH 2024, the UK's premier machine tool 

showcase held at the NEC, Birmingham, where 

NCMT welcomed to its stand visitors from a 

wide cross section of industry. Manufacturing 

companies in the aerospace supply chain form a 

large proportion of UK and Irish customers that 

purchase Makino and Okuma machine tools 

from NCMT and many visitors were from that 

sector. 

Notable this year was the considerable 

interest shown by manufacturers within the 

automotive industry, as well as the number of 

people representing start-up companies. The 

seniority of all visitors and their keenness for indepth 

discussion about potential machine 

purchases made the show especially 

worthwhile. 

A lot of attention was paid to the automation 

demonstrations on the stand, particularly the 

Makino DA300 that was being launched in the 

UK. The 5-axis vertical machining centre was 

configured as a production cell with a 

proprietary storage and retrieval system having 

40 pallet positions on five levels for extended 

periods of lights-out running. 

Likewise, on the Okuma side of the 

business, the competitively priced Genos L3000- 

e-MYW lathe fed autonomously with shaft-type 

parts by a Dutch-built Cellro CoMate cobot 

(collaborative robot) caught the eye of visitors 

looking to automate production. 

A key feature of the NCMT-Okuma stand 

was the UK introduction of the new Okuma 

OSP500 control, with double the computing 

power of conventional CNC systems. It was 

fitted to the manufacturer's Genos M460-5AX 

vertical machining centre, as well as the 

MULTUS U3000 multi-tasking lathe, and was 

also shown as a stand-alone demonstrator. 

Noteworthy features, in addition to 

compatibility with high-speed, fine-surface 

machining, are safety features to protect against 

cyber-attacks, Digital Twin simulation and the 

control's ability to minimise the host machine's 

power consumption and CO₂ emissions. 

NCMT has represented the US photoactivated 

adhesive workholding systems 

manufacturer Blue Photon throughout Europe 

since 2015 and awareness of the products 

continues to grow. The product offers the 

ability to hold awkwardly-shaped components 

securely, while at the same time exposing 

maximum surface area of metal to the milling 

cutter. 

At the beginning of 2024, NCMT signed an 

exclusive distribution agreement with the 

Israeli additive manufacturing machine 

manufacturer, Tritone Technologies, whose 

products were presented on the stand for the 

first time in the UK. Tritone Moldjet powderfree 

AM technology enables industrial scale 

manufacture of parts from metal and ceramic. 

Jonathan Smart concluded, "Generally the 

last day of MACH tends to be quieter, but our 

stand was busy right up to the end of Friday. 

We recorded hundreds of visits and took sales 

enquiries that will keep us occupied for many 

months to come." 

www.ncmt.co.uk 


NEW PRODUCTS – NEW PRODUCTS – NEW PRODUCTS 

NEXT-GENERATION ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING 

MACHINE HAS A CAST STRUCTURE 

A new additive manufacturing (AM) machine, 

the third generation of the LASERTEC 30 SLM, 

has been introduced by DMG MORI. The 

company says that the selective laser melting 

platform has been completely redesigned to 

combine robustness and repeatability with 

thermal stability. Having a fully overlapping 

quad laser working area and a build volume of 

325 x 325 x 400 mm, the specification is intended 

to appeal to a large section of the market. 

The LASERTEC 30 SLM 3rd Gen builds on 

the strengths of previous versions, while 

accommodating suggestions from customers in 

an ever-changing AM market. A notable feature 

is that, unusually in the field of AM, it has a 

rigid cast structure based on the material and 

design principles of the majority of DMG 

MORI’s milling and turning machines. 

Unlike in metalcutting machine tools, in a 

LASERTEC there are no appreciable forces 

transmitted to the structure from movement of 

the axes. The rationale for using a casting in this 

latest AM machine is to resist thermal 

expansion due to unavoidable temperature 

changes. DMG MORI has many years of 

experience in minimising the effect of, and 

compensating for, temperature changes within 

its products. 

Care has been taken to ensure that the 

process chamber is an isolated unit within the 

machine and free to expand and contract in all 

directions as the temperature varies. In contrast, 

the optics are mounted on the rigid cast frame. 

The distance between the optics and the surface 

At the GrindingHub 2024 exhibition, Swabian 

sharpening specialist VOLLMER launched its 

new VOLLMER Filtration System 400 (VFS 

400). Receiving its world premiere, this new 

cleaning system simultaneously enables ultrafine 

filtration of cooling oil or dielectric fluid 

from up to two VOLLMER sharpening 

machines. 

The purity of cooling oil or dielectric fluid is 

critical in the manufacture of cutting tools. It 

enhances the sharpness of the cutting edges of 

drills, milling cutters and reamers whilst 

improving precision, and surface finishes. 

Furthermore, well-maintained fluid quality 

prolongs the service life of the machine and its 

peripheral equipment. 

With the VOLLMER Filtration System 400 

(VFS 400), Biberach-based sharpening specialist 

VOLLMER is offering a cleaning system for 

ultra-fine filtration of cooling oil or dielectric for 

the first time. Space is saved thanks to the 

compact design of the VFS 400, as it only 

requires a small amount of floor space. 

Depending on the application, it can be 

connected to one or two grinding machines for 

circular saws or to a VHybrid 260 grinding and 

erosion machine. Two VOLLMER machines of 

The new LASERTEC 30 SLM 3rd Gen AM 

machine from DMG MORI. 

layer of the powder bed is kept constant by 

calibrating the bi-directional recoater and 

actively compensating for any displacement in 

the Z-axis. 

To reduce the time delay between successive 

builds and to increase flexibility, DMG MORI’s 

rePLUG unit is an important competitive 

advantage. It is a self-contained, automated 

powder processing unit that can be exchanged 

with other rePLUG units to simplify and speed 

changing over to process different materials. 

Customers with qualified processes, often in 

the aerospace and medical industries, rely on 

the system to ensure top quality powder is 

continually in use. Excess powder from the 

working area is sieved, stored and prepared for 

re-use in a closed loop, all under an inert gas 

atmosphere. This not only minimises oxidation 

and any moisture build-up, but also reduces 

potential operator exposure to the powder. 

the same type that can grind circular saws on 

tooth faces, tops as well as side angles can be 

combined in each case. This includes 

combinations of the VOLLMER CP and CPF 650 

machines or the CHC and CHF 840/1300 as an 

example. 

The filtration of cooling oil or dielectric is 

important because even the smallest particles 

can impair the sharpening process when 

grinding or eroding tools. With the VFS 400, 

particles up to 5µm in size can be filtered out. 

The contaminated cooling oil or dielectric fluid 

is pumped out of the sharpening machine with 

the VFS 400 and fed into the dirt tank via a prefilter. 

The reusable pre-filter ensures that the 

main filter has an especially long operating life. 

A filter pump feeds the cooling oil from the dirt 

For the first time in a DMG MORI 

LASERTEC SLM, it is possible to exchange the 

build container, while preserving the inert gas 

atmosphere inside the machine. This increases 

efficiency further, since it is no longer necessary 

to wait for the previous build job to cool down 

before quickly starting a new one. Disruption 

during a build cycle is minimised by camerabased 

monitoring of the surface of the powder 

bed. After the recoater lays down each new 

layer, the surface is scanned for anomalies 

before the lasers move. 

A newly designed inert gas delivery system 

ensures a consistent laminar flow over the 

powder bed. A secondary gas flow below the 

protective glass aims to avoid any accumulation 

of residue. The glass itself is under constant 

observation by a second camera that warns if 

there is a problem. Additional lighting is 

provided in the area to help the operator when 

checking and cleaning the protective glass 

between builds. 

DMG MORI has placed emphasis on the 

usability and ergonomics of the machine. 

Reducing operator contact with the powder is a 

primary consideration. Another key area is the 

CELOS X digital ecosystem, which guides the 

operator through all the steps required to set up 

a new job. For example, it prompts the operator 

to clean the safety glass and shows how it is 

done. It also walks the operator through the 

powder refilling process, and how daily checks 

and maintenance are to be performed. 

www.dmgmori.com 

VOLLMER KEEPS IT CLEAN WITH NEW VFS 400 

FILTRATION TECHNOLOGY 

tank to the ultra-fine filtration system. Solids 

are separated from the liquid in two or 

optionally four filter units with small filter 

elements where each filter element has a waste 

capacity of around 3.5kg. 

The clean tank can optionally be equipped 

with a cooling system to set the oil or dielectric 

fluid to the optimum operating temperature. 

The filtration capacity when running with two 

filters is 50 litres per minute and with four 

filters, it is 100 litres per minute. The VFS 400 

has a drainage outlet opening and a fill level 

indicator with automatic fill level monitoring 

that simplifies maintenance. In addition, any 

necessary filter changes are reported to the user 

via the flow rate indicator. 

“With the VFS 400, it is important we can 

offer simple and robust filter technology with 

standardised filter elements that keep operating 

costs low,” says Andreas Böhm, CEO of the 

VOLLMER Group. “This also includes simple 

servicing and cleaning access, as well as a 

modular design that can be easily expanded 

from one to two machines. Only a hand pallet 

truck is needed to transport the cleaning 

system.” 

www.vollmer-group.com 


Simply Accurate 

New auto crowning with greater opening height and stroke 

The AMADA HRB series is the latest evolution in hydraulic drive press brakes. The machine combines a new frame design and the solid 

characteristics of the HFE3i series, to further improve the productivity; it also features the latest innovative multi-touch screen interface 

AMNC 3i with Lite mode. The processing precision enables the production of very high quality batches thanks to the new optional auto 

crowning device, at low energy costs and with unrivalled process stability. The range covers 50 to 220 tonnes and 2 to 4 metres. 

AMADA UK 

Tel: +44 (0) 1562 749 500 

Email: info@amada.co.uk 

www.amada.co.uk 

VGrind neon & VGrind argon 

PRECISE, POWERFUL, PERFECT. 

If you have always wanted a VOLLMER machine - we now offer you two. 

Perfect for starting your journey, VGrind argon & VGrind neon are cost-effective 

solutions that incorporate proven multi-level machining with the double spindle 

concept, powerful torque motors and intuitive user-friendly control. Simple, 

reliable and precise, the VGrind argon & VGrind neon are for tool grinders who 

act fast. The opportunity has never been so good. 

www.vollmer-group.com 



MORE MULTI-AXIS TURNING OPTIONS FROM DUGARD 

Following the announcement that the MYLAS 

range of multi-axis turning centres will now be 

available in the UK from Dugard Machine 

Tools, the latest machines available from this 

high-end brand is the DY Series of twin-spindle 

double Y-axis multi-tasking turning centres. 

Rapidly following the successful UK launch of 

the MYLAS DT Series of twin-spindle twin 

turret turn/mill centres, the double Y-axis 

configuration of the DY range presents 

manufacturers with more flexibility than ever 

before. 

As a leading UK machine tool supplier, 

Dugard is delighted to present the MYLAS 

range of high-quality technologically advanced 

machines to the UK. With the DT Series already 

winning plaudits among the UK’s turned parts 

manufacturers, the arrival of the DY Series with 

two Y-axes will present new opportunities to 

end users in the aerospace, automotive, 

medical, hydraulics, electronics and general 

subcontract manufacturing arenas. Like the DT 

Series, the DY Series is available in three 

variants, the DY42, DY52 and DY60. Each 

designation specifies the maximum capacity for 

the main spindle bar turning. 

From a specification perspective, axis travel 

is 175mm on X1/X2 axes with 240mm on the 

sub-spindle whilst Z1/Z2 travel is 450 and 

500mm respectively with +/-35mm in the Y- 

axis. The DY42, DY52 and DY65 have a swing 

over the saddle of 260mm with a maximum bar 

Widely accepted as the most robust, reliable 

and productive machine tools in their class, the 

Victor brand from GM CNC is without doubt a 

brand in a class of its own. Now, Oldham-based 

GM CNC is introducing the latest innovation 

from Victor, the new generation Vcenter 

NH5000 4-axis horizontal machining centre. 

Perfect for machining large parts up to 

800mm in diameter by 1m high, the extremely 

spacious new HMC offers class-leading 

productivity, kinematics and flexibility – all 

credit to the exceptionally stable foundations of 

the machine. As a 13,000kg powerhouse, the 

compact new Vcenter NH5000 has been 

designed for highly dynamic cutting with 

rigidity and performance levels that are the 

envy of its rivals. 

For example, Victor has re-designed the 

column to locate the support closer to the 

cutting head to increase rigidity and machining 

performance. Additionally, the T-shape 

structure with a slant-style column has 

removed weight and inertia, creating a 

machining head that is faster, more nimble and 

more responsive than previous machines. This 

also facilitates faster tool and pallet 

changeovers, which is demonstrated by a tool 

change of 3 seconds and a pallet change time of 

just 6.5 seconds. 

From a specification perspective, the 

Vcenter NH5000 has X, Y and Z-axis travel of 

800 by 700 by 800mm with rapid feed rates of 

turning length of 135 and 150mm on the main 

spindle with 60mm on the sub-spindle that 

provides a maximum turning length of 350mm. 

Like all MYLAS machine tools, the DY Series 

has a class-leading robust construction with 

oversized precision ground boxways on all axes 

that deliver dynamic rigidity and precision with 

heavy-duty cutting capability. This is 

underpinned by the stress-relieved Meehanite 

casting that maximises vibration dampening 

that supports the heavy-duty precision spindle 

design that provides exceptional thermal 

stability and power. 

Looking at the kinematics of this fantastic 

new addition to the Dugard portfolio, front 

machining is supported by a 7.5/11kW spindle 

motor with a BMT 45 12-station tool turret that 

can accommodate up to 24 tool positions. The 

sub-spindle machining is provided via a 14-tool 

48m/min in all axes. With 45mm diameter 

ballscrews on all axes and 55/45/45mm rollertype 

linear motion guideways, the stability of 

the machine is guaranteed. Likewise, the direct 

drive 12,000rpm 18kW spindle with dual low 

and high winding showcases astounding 

rigidity and stability with its BBT-40 Big-Plus 

face and taper dual contact spindle system that 

extends tool life by minimising vibration. This 

spindle taper connects to a chain-type tool 

magazine that offers 40 tool positions as 

standard with 60 or 90 tools as an optional 

feature. 

The automatic pallet change system 

incorporates two 500 by 500mm pallets that are 

hydraulically driven with a chip-to-chip time of 

11 seconds. The B-axis incorporates four ground 

cones with air blow through the cones as well as 

taper pins and bushes that provide rotational 

positioning within 1 degree. Optionally, 

gang slide. This incorporates 3 cross live tool 

positions and 3 live facing tool positions plus 3 

OD and 5 ID tooling stations. With the second 

Y-axis for back machining being supported by a 

14-tool slide, the DY Series presents 38 tool 

capacity with the facility for superimposed 

cutting of complex workpieces that can be 

machined with remarkably fast cycle times. 

With the slides on precision linear guides, 

customers are guaranteed the most precise, 

repeatable and high-performance results on the 

market. 

As standard, the exciting new MYLAS DY 

Series is supplied with a 12-station main and 14- 

position gang tooling system, collet chuck, 

workpiece ejector, auto-lubrication and coolant 

system, FANUC CNC control, sub-spindle 

internal coolant and air-blow, auto power-off, 

part catcher and much more. From an optional 

perspective, customers can configure the 

MYLAS DY Series with options that include a 

selection of CNC control systems, 6” and 5” 

power chucks for main and sub-spindles, highpressure 

coolant of 50 or 100, chip conveyors, 

oil mist collector, transformer, regulator and 

live and static toolholders. With an extensive 

list of options, incredible flexibility and rigidity 

combined with a brand reputation that is the 

envy of the multi-tasking turning fraternity, the 

MYLAS DY Series is a cost-effective highperformance 

alternative to take a closer look at. 

www.dugard.com 

NEW VICTOR HMC PROVIDES EXCEPTIONAL PERFORMANCE 

customers can select hydraulic ports through 

the B-axis pallets and a CNC pallet that offers a 

positional accuracy of 0.001 degrees. 

Supplied as standard with a FANUC 0i-MF 

Plus CNC that has a 10.4-inch screen and 

manual guide with 2 GB CF card, the control 

system offers Victor’s GUI (VSS macros), ECO 

design for tool calibration, alarm display with 

diagnosis and tool management. Optionally, 

customers can choose a 15-inch screen, tool 

breakage detection, a Renishaw GUI, tool load 

monitoring, cylindrical interpolation, AI 

contour control with 400 blocks and much 

more. 

As you would expect from a leading brand, 

the base model of the exciting new Vcenter 

NH5000 includes a spindle oil chiller, fully 

enclosed splash guards, scroll-type chip 

conveyor, levelling blocks, automatic pallet 

changer, spindle load meter, rigid tapping and 

chip conveyor with cart. From an options 

perspective, the list is extensive with an airconditioned 

electrical cabinet, through spindle 

coolant, 60 or 90 position ATC, 15,000rpm 

spindle, T-slot pallet, tool length and workpiece 

measurement, linear encoder feedback and 

multi-face table tombstone fixturing to name a 

few. If you want to take your machining 

performance to the next level with the new 

Victor Vcenter NH5000, please contact GM 

CNC for further information. 

www.gm-cnc.com 


SUPPLIERS OF QUALITY USED MACHINE TOOLS 

XYZ PROTURN SLX 555 HURCO VM1 JONES AND SHIPMAN 1302 72” WEBSTER BENNET 

DOOSAN DNM 500II VMC 

BRIDGEPORT QUASER 

MV184 VMC 

BRIDGEPORT TURRET MILL 

IN EX COND 

MAZAK VTC - 2000C-II 

RICHMOND ENVOY RADIAL 

ARM DRILL 

HURCO TM8 JONES AND SHIPMAN 540P 36” WEBSTER & BENNET 

WANTED SURPLUS MACHINES 

KAR METAL 350 KDG 

BANDSAW 

CLEVELAND LAP 40" 

PLATE C/W RINGS & 

WEIGHTS 

SNOW HR400 

RING GRINDER 

COLCHESTER MASTIFF 80” 

FULLY REFURBISHED


THE NEXT GENERATION OF GEAR GRINDING 

TECHNOLOGY HAS LANDED 

As the experts in solutions for finishing gears 

and profiles, KAPP NILES has reached a new 

milestone with the introduction of the new 

KNG 350 machine series that is now available in 

the UK from the Engineering Technology 

Group (ETG). The previous KX 300 P gear 

centre was a true success story with more than 

500 machines sold, but now the KNG 350 series 

takes on the mantle as its successor with even 

greater flexibility and productivity. 

When designing this new machine platform, 

KAPP NILES took a look back at previous 

developments. The KNG 350 series is based on 

a compact, set-up optimised machine concept 

and is perfect for the job shop environment to 

large-scale series production of geared 

components with diameters of up to 400mm. 

Thanks to the integrated ring loader, nonproductive 

times are reduced to up to 5 seconds 

and bore parts as well as shaft-type workpieces 

up to 600mm in length can be auto-loaded. The 

concept provides full flexibility when it comes 

to loading the components – from manual 

loading or simple pallet conveyors up to 

complex robot solutions. 

The functional and ergonomic machine 

design paired with the user-friendly interface 

KN grind supports the user during set-up and 

optimisation of grinding projects. A major aim 

was also to reduce non-productive times. The 

series is characterised by short set-up times, 

which are achieved using intelligent 

components such as smart tooling. Process 

monitoring, part tracing and inline quality 

assurance are available as an integral, 

component for an Industry 4.0 capable 

processing machine. 

This gear centre impresses not only with its 

excellent design but also with its continuous 

New to the Engineering Technology Group’s 

(ETG) Fabrication Division is the impressive 

new Durma AD-SERVO range of press brakes. 

Since recently adding the Durma brand to its 

armoury, ETG is already receiving considerable 

interest in the Durma range which has an 

established customer base in the UK for more 

than 25 years. 

As the latest addition to the line-up, the 

Durma AD-SERVO Series has been specifically 

designed to increase productivity and precision 

whilst reducing energy consumption. 

Furthermore, the AD-SERVO Series 

incorporates stress-relieving technology for 

precise and long-term operation and stability of 

the machines. The Durma AD-SERVO press 

brake will provide 60% higher productivity 

with 72% less energy consumption. This is 

credited to cost-efficient speed-controlled 

drives, variable-speed solutions and much 

more. 

Designed to make less noise with control of 

position, pressure and load pressure, the 

further development with a view to energy 

efficiency. The hydraulic functions, which have 

been reduced to a minimum, are provided by a 

controlled pump unit whereas the pneumatic 

functions have largely been replaced by electric 

drives. Moreover, when considering the entire 

lifecycle of the machine, the switch from a 

machine base made of cast iron to one made of 

polymer concrete reduces the overall CO2 

equivalent of the machine. 

The starting point for the new series was the 

expert machine with its focus on the generating 

grinding of gears. The concept of a grinding 

spindle without counter bearing has already 

been proven in the DYNAMIC machines. The 

automatic HSK interface allows for a semiautomatic 

tool change, which is implemented 

consistently in both the expert machine and the 

other variants of this machine series. Thanks to 

selectable dressing methods, all requirements 

can be met in a cost-efficient way, from single- 

elegant AD-SERVO press brakes are equipped 

with an open/closed hydraulic circuit and 4- 

quadrant operation. Also equipped with bellhousing 

and coupling, power unit, valve block, 

prefill valve, cylinder and servo controller 

Indra-Drive C Software and high accuracy 

linear scales, the AD-SERVO series guarantees 

the industry’s most precise, productive and 

item production such as topological dressing to 

mass production like multi-ribbed dressing. An 

integrated measuring device is available for all 

machines in this family. The probe allows for a 

complete gear measurement within the 

machine and is also used to cyclically measure 

definable gear characteristics. 

E-mobility presents new challenges when it 

comes to the production of gears. High power 

density in a compact space in passenger cars 

and miniaturisation for complex bicycle drives 

often lead to challenging workpiece geometries 

for manufacturing. In the past, the hard fine 

machining of gears with interfering geometries 

was primarily implemented using 

discontinuous profile grinding or gear honing. 

The reason for this was simple: the typical 

grinding worms with a diameter of 300mm are 

too large for components with interfering 

contours. 

However, compared to continuous 

generating grinding, both profile grinding and 

gear honing have disadvantages in terms of 

productivity, economic efficiency and 

consistent quality. To achieve high cutting 

speeds with smaller tool diameters, smaller 

grinding worms require increased rpm. 

Previous machine concepts were not designed 

to meet the substantial dynamic requirements 

regarding tool and workpiece drives. 

The KNG 350 flex HS is characterised by 

superior quality and productivity, even if such 

small tools are used. Thanks to a high-speed 

grinding spindle (HS) with a speed of 

25,000rpm, even gears with interfering contours 

can be ground using tools with a diameter of at 

least 55mm (generating grinding) or 20mm 

(profile grinding). 

www.engtechgroup.com 

ETG SERVES UP A TREAT WITH NEW PRESS BRAKES 

robust solution for all your press brake 

requirements. 

The AD-SERVO series is available in 17 

different variants with a bending force from 100 

to 600 tonnes and a bending length from 2.55m 

on the smallest machine to 6.05m on the largest. 

The wealth of options provides ETG customers 

with a distance between columns from 2.2m to 

5.1m with a stroke from 265 to 365mm. The AD- 

SERVO line-up also gives customers a choice of 

table widths, axis dimensions, Y-axis rapid and 

working speeds and much more. With over 

1000 machine installations in the UK in virtually 

all industry sectors with everything from small 

businesses to world-class OEMs, ETG is excited 

to service Durma customers who will benefit 

from the exceptional levels of service and 

technical support enjoyed by existing ETG 

customers. If you have further questions 

regarding the proven success of the Durma AD- 

SERVO series, please contact the Fabrication 

Division at ETG. 



22 – 25 October 2024 | Hanover, Germany 

THE POWER OF 

PRODUCTIVITY 

Visit the world’s leading sheet 

metal working exhibition! 

90,000+ sqm Exhibition Space 

About 1,500 

Exhibitors 

Guided 

Visitor Tours 

Industry 

Awards 

Speaker 

Forum 

EuroBLECH 2024 covers the entire 

sheet metal working technology chain: 

Sheet metal, tube, sections (ferrous and non-ferrous) 

Finished products, components, assemblies Handling 

Separation, cutting Forming Flexible sheet metal 

working Tube / Section processing Processing of sheet 

metal / plastic hybrid structures Machine elements 

Joining, welding, fastening Additive manufacturing 

Surface treatment of sheet metal And many more 

www.euroblech.com 

ryan@subcon drilling.co.uk 



WALTER FMT: 

NEW BRAND FOR 

LIGHTWEIGHT 

MACHINING 

Walter Tools is raising its profile for the machining of lightweight 

components with the arrival of the new Walter FMT competence 

brand. The machining solutions provider is bringing together its 

global presence and the high level of technical expertise and knowhow 

of lightweight machining specialist FMT (Frezite Metal 

Tooling), under this exciting new brand. Walter FMT is destined to be 

a key partner for manufacturers as it demonstrates solution expertise 

across the entire lightweight machining process - worldwide. The 

new brand will be managed by Pedro Pacheco, former Managing 

Director of FMT. 

Strategic expansion of lightweight machining expertise In the 

overall share of processed materials in the manufacturing industry, 

the proportion of lightweight materials such as aluminium alloys 

continues to grow significantly. Machining specialist Walter has 

therefore been consistently expanding this area of its portfolio for a 

number of years. 

The PCD tooling offer of Walter and its subsidiary Frezite have 

now been brought together to advance specific customer projects and 

further develop this strategically significant segment of the 

manufacturing industry. The new Walter FMT competence brand 

showcases the importance of lightweight machining for Walter to its 

worldwide customer base and the wider industry. It stands for the 

added value that Walter offers its customers, through various 

services from consulting and planning to implementation and 

maintenance, and for a trusting partnership that goes far beyond the 

tools. 

As Vice President of Walter Lightweight Business Unit, Pedro 

Pacheco will be responsible for the new competence brand. He 

served as the first Managing Director of FMT from 2006 to 2017 and 

took over the role again in 2019. Pedro Pacheco says: "My focus will 

be on bringing together the expertise and working methods of FMT 

and Walter's PCD division in the best possible way. We want to 

significantly increase our reach in the market and contribute to 

Walter's strategic growth targets. I want to create the right structures 

and processes to provide current and potential customers with an 

attractive offering that enables them to achieve their own economic 

goals." 

www.walter-tools.com 

NAKAMURA-TOME 

LAUNCH NEW ‘TRIANGLE- 

CUT’ FUNCTION 

Nakamura-Tome has announced a newly developed chip-breaking 

function ‘Triangle Cut’ for its high-end precision turn/mill centres 

that is available in the UK from the Engineering Technology Group 

(ETG). The Triangle Cut technology can be applied to all slide-guided 

machines, including box-way machines that cannot utilise 

Nakamura-Tome’s existing ‘Oscillating Cutting’ function. With this 

exciting new arrival, it is now possible to install a chip-breaking 

function on all machines in the Nakamura model lineup. 

Triangle Cut is an optional function that breaks chips by operating 

the turning tool paths in a triangular trajectory. Moving the tool path 

in a triangular route moves the cutting edge away from the 

workpiece to split the chips as the tool oscillates between the 

workpiece and air cutting. 

Compared to the ‘Oscillation Cutting’ that is already available on 

some Nakamura models, the Triangle Cut tends to reduce surface 

roughness by 1.2 to 2 times the level of normal turning operation. 

However, there is a compromise between improved surface finishes 

and effective swarf management. The machining time could be 

extended by 2.7 to 3 times due to the extension of the processing path. 

In many instances, machine shops will be reluctant to run machines 

unmanned overnight due to swarf management issues that can arise 

when machining particular materials. It is in these situations that 

‘Triangle Cutting’ can benefit the end user – it is better to run lightsout 

with process stability and chip management at a slower speed 

than to not machine at all. 

The cutting chip problem is unavoidable for production sites, and 

the burden on customers can be heavy. With the evolution of 

Nakamura-Tome machinery and servo technology, the Oscillating 

Cutting function has been put to practical use, and its programming 

can easily solve chip problems. However, the Oscillation Cutting is 

difficult to apply to slide-guided machines because they are at risk of 

damage due to the high-speed movement of the Oscillation Cutting 

cycles. 

Nakamura has received numerous inquiries regarding the 

application of Oscillation Cutting to box-way machines. To address 

this issue, the company has developed Triangle Cut. Instead of using 

a special program, Nakamura has 

devised a way to perform chip-breaking 

operations by adding simple 

modifications to the processing 

program already in use. For further 

information on this incredible 

innovation, please contact ETG for 

details. 



Tel: +44 (0) 161 330 4242 

Fax: + 44 (0) 161 343 1347 

Email: hq@newcentury.co.uk 

www.newcentury.co.uk 

Unit 2 Riverside Industrial 

Estate, 

Margaret Street, 

Ashton-under-lyme. 

Lancashire. OL7 0QQ 

Chiron DZ 15 W Magnum HS twin spindle, twin pallet, 

New 2015, very little use, Fanuc Series 31i-model B5, 

HSK63, 12000rpm, X=630 Y=400 Z=360mm, swarf con, 

through spindle coolant, paper coolant clarifier. £P.O.A. 

Doosan VCF 850 LSR II 5 Axis vertical machining centre, 

Installed 2022, Fanuc F31iB5 5 axis CNC, B axis spindle 

swivel, X=3000 Y= 850 Z=800mm, built in 800mm dia 

table. 

£P.O.A. 

Okuma GENOS M460V-5AX 5 axis vertical machining 

centre, New 2021, 150hours, full simulataneous 5 axis, 

400mm dia table, BT40, speeds to 15000rpm, X=762 

Y=460 Z=460mm. £P.O.A. 

Haas VF2 SS Vertical machining centre, New 2017, Haas 

CNC, spindle speeds to 12000rpm, BT 40, 914 x 356mm 

table, through sp coolant, X=762 Y=406 Z=508mm. 

£P.O.A. 

MTE BF-2700 CNC universal bed mill, New 2015, 

Heidenhain 530i, ISO 50, swarf conveyor, spindle speeds 

to 3000rpm, 2700 x 1200mm table, X=2500 Y=1000 

Z=1500. 

£P.O.A. 

Doosan Mynx NM 510 Vertical machining centre, Fanuc 

Oi-MC, through spindle coolant, 1200 x 540mm table, 30 

ATC, speeds to 12000rpm, BT40, X=1020 Y=540 

Z=510mm. 

£P.O.A. 

Doosan Daewoo Puma MX2000ST Mill Turn Centre, 

Fanuc 18i TB, twin spindle, single lower turret, 65mm 

bore, 9 axis, upper Y and B axis, 40 atc, 550 x 1020mm 

capacity. 

£P.O.A. 

Okuma Twin Star LT 200-MY CNC lathe, Twin turret , 

twin spindle, milling, Y axis, mag bar feed, 52mm bore, 

tooling, swarf con, parts con, mist collector. 

£P.O.A. 

Star SR-20R II CNC sliding head lathe, Fanuc 18i-TB 7 

axis CNC control, 20mm max diameter, FMB Turbo 3 36 

magazine barfeed, parts conv, subspindle, C axis, power 

tooling. 

£P.O.A. 

Star SR-32 J CNC sliding head lathe, Fanuc 18iTB CNC 

control 7 axis, LNS bar feed, parts conveyor, 32mm dia, 

power tooling, C axis both spindles, 7000rpm, power 

tooling. 

£P.O.A. 

Biesse KFT 2231 CNC router, New 2022, B solid and B 

nest software, 2 Busch vacuum pumps, speeds to 24000 

rpm, Working area - X=3100 Y=2205 Z=170mm. 

£P.O.A. 

Hardinge Bridgeport VMC 1500 XP3 e vertical machining 

centre, Fanuc 18i MB, BT40, speeds to 10000rpm, swarf 

con, through spindle coolant, 1700 x 660mm table, 

X=1500 Y=660 Z=610mm. £P.O.A. 

Tel: +44 (0) 161 330 4242 Fax: +44 (0) 161 343 1347 

Email: hq@newcentury.co.uk Website: www.newcentury.co.uk 

TOP QUALITY MACHINERY 

www.newcentury.co.uk 



ECONOMICAL BORING TOOL HAS INSERTS WITH 

SINTERED CHIP BREAKING GEOMETRY 

Over the last 35 years, the Supermini 

universal boring system from Horn has 

undergone numerous development stages 

and has solved problems in a variety of 

turning applications. Another milestone has 

just been announced for the Supermini type 

105, namely a lower cost version of the solid 

carbide inserts with chip breaking geometry 

included at the sintering stage, rather than 

laser cutting or grinding them afterwards. 

Indeed, the price of the new Supermini is 

similar to that of the standard insert without 

geometry. 

As with these previous machined chip 

breakers, the new sintered geometry avoids 

the drawback of long, stringy swarf coiling 

around the tool or workpiece and potentially 

causing damage to both. It assists internal 

machining of small diameter holes, whether 

boring, profile turning, internal grooving, 

threading, chamfering, face grooving or slot 

broaching. 

Horn developed teardrop shaped carbide 

blanks for the tool, enabling large, precise 

contact surfaces in the tool holder and 

resulting in greater rigidity of the overall 

system. Furthermore, the teardrop profile 

prevents the insert from twisting, which 

leads to consistent, precise positioning of the 

centre height of the tool. When using long 

tool overhangs, it reduces deflection and 

minimises vibration during turning. 

Horn offers the inserts as standard in 

three lengths (15.0 mm, 20.0 mm and 25.0 

mm) and in carbide grades TH35 and IG35. 

The tool is suitable for use from a bore 

diameter of 6 mm. The cutting edge 

geometry extends far into the 0.2 mm corner 

radius of the insert, ensuring good chip 

control even with small infeed settings. 

Different material groups may be processed 

and the geometry is suitable for internal, face, 

copy and back turning. 

The new insert is compatible with 

numerous 105 tool holders, including round 

shank, square shank, interface and adjustable 

types. There are four different solutions for 

clamping the inserts: a classic ball pressure 

screw, a face clamping element and a lifting 

element, while for confined spaces, a 

compact system with clamping via a union 

nut is available. 

Depending on the application and the 

diameter to be machined, Horn offers 

Supermini inserts in three sizes (105, 109 and 

110) and different blank types. All allow 

internal coolant supply directly to the cutting 

zone. The tool portfolio includes around 

2,500 different standard variants of the 

Supermini. In addition, Horn's applications 

department solves users' specific machining 

problems with customised solutions. 

www.phorn.co.uk 

NEW MOBILE HYDRAULIC BEARING PRESS 

A manually operated, hydraulically 

actuated, mobile press with an adjustable 

pulling force from 10 to 100 kN and a stroke 

of up to 200 mm has been introduced by 

Roemheld (UK). 

Supplied with a separate power and 

control unit, to which it is linked via electrical 

and hydraulic connections, the press is 

designed for mounting bearings and bushes 

from 40 to 145 mm in diameter into their 

seats. 

Weighing 20 kg, the press has to be 

suspended from a load balancer or mounted 

on a trolley and is intended for two-handed 

manipulation. Two versions are available for 

use either horizontally or vertically. As the 

press is mobile, it is equally suitable for 

maintenance work in the field as it is for 

assembly operations in a factory. 

Its mobility leads to a further advantage 

over a static press in that there is no need to 

disassemble, move or line up large, heavy 

components, as they can simply have their 

bearings installed or exchanged in situ. Further information and videos may be viewed at: 

www.roemheld.de/en/company/press/news/new-roemheld-bearingpress~nneOL8WkqO1 

www.roemheld.co.uk 



FLOYD HEXALOBE IS A STAR FOR THE MEDICAL INDUSTRY 

With star-shaped hexalobular bone screws 

(TORX®) screws being the design of choice 

in the medical industry, Floyd Automatic 

Tooling has now introduced the new 

CrazyDrill Hexalobe drilling series and the 

CrazyMill Hexalobe endmill series from 

Mikron Tool. 

Medical screws for orthopaedic 

procedures are predominantly manufactured 

from titanium, stainless steel and cobaltchrome. 

Machining these precision screws to 

impeccable surface finishes is a challenging 

task – that was until the arrival of the Mikron 

Hexalobe series. Machining Hexalobe screws 

50% faster with precision burr-free results is 

what makes this next-generation series the 

perfect choice for manufacturers in the 

medical industry. 

The high-performance drills for 

generating pre-holes in TORX® sockets are 

available in two variants, the pre-hole 

CrazyDrill Hexalobe TORX® drill with a tip 

angle of 140°, and the flat drill - the 

CrazyDrill Hexalobe Flat with a tip angle of 

180°. Both drills are available from 0.9 to 

3.8mm in diameter for producing T4 to T30 

TORX® sockets. Upon request, Floyd 

Automatic can provide the drills as a 

customised combination drill for 

streamlining operations. The CrazyDrill 

Hexalobe series combines two operations 

into one, as it simultaneously machines a flat 

pre-hole and a 120° chamfer. 

No ordinary drill, the Mikron CrazyDrill 

Hexalobe from Floyd Automatic generates 

exceptional chamfer surface quality to a 

finish of Ra

NEXT GENERATION 

IGUS ® INVESTS IN THE FUTURE OF ENGINEERING AT 

ARDEN ACADEMY EVENT 

igus® attended an event hosted by Arden 

Academy in Solihull alongside big industry 

names such as Siemens, KUKA and 

Marvelous Manufacturing as well as local 

career experts, providing advice to students 

on their next steps. 

The event was facilitated by Tom Flude, 

Co-founder of Engineers Insight and the day 

began with his delivery of an assembly to 

over three 300 students aged 11 to 12 to 

emphasise how rewarding and interesting 

industry manufacturing can be. There is a 

considerable skills shortage within 

Engineering and ‘The engineering industry is 

headed towards a shortfall of one million 

engineers by 2030’. In light of this, the event 

gave top manufacturing and engineering 

companies the chance to impress upon the 

students the importance of careers in the 

industry and showcase the versatility in the 

roles on offer. 

For many students, the world of 

engineering seems one dimensional and the 

range of careers that are within the industry 

get overlooked as a result. Co-founder of 

Engineers Insight, Tom Flude, was keen to 

expand students’ understanding of the 

industry and provide them with the 

knowledge to seek out the career that is right 

for them. saying, “Engineering is not just 

toolboxes and overalls, it’s a fantastic career 

at the forefront of technology. And it pays 

more than the UK average wage…” 

Something that peaked the interests of the 

young listeners. 

igus® were keen to support the event and 

inspire the next generation, bringing a showstealing 

combination of products. Travelling 

Sales Engineer for igus®, Ashley Ward, 

engaged in conversations on 3D printed 

gears and the extensive range of industries 

where igus® products can be found. igus® 

have a product range in the thousands, 

catering to mainstream and niche industries 

alike. Sales Engineer Ashley Ward says, ‘If 

everyone knew everything igus® are capable 

of providing to improve people’s 

applications and address pain points, we 

could make no end of difference to their 

operations.’ 

The igus® team encouraged interactions 

with the irc (igus® Robot Control) system 

and fielded questions on where in industry it 

would be used. The igus® Robot Control 

system enables simple and intuitive robot 

programming and control and an easier 

entry into automation for businesses looking 

to implement automation into their 

processes. 

The focus was not only on robotics. 

Automation and Technical Sales Engineer, 

Ed Kucewiz noted, ‘It was a great 

opportunity for us to really make our mark in 

education,’ delivering a mixture of product 

knowledge with engaging activities that 

proved to the workforce of the future that the 

manufacturing and engineering industry is 

versatile, providing something for everyone. 

Giving their unique experiences within the 

industry, the igus® team discussed their 

career paths to get to marketing and sales 

and the education routes they took to get 

where they are. Demonstrating their 

commitment to the future of engineering, the 

igus® team discussed the ins and outs of the 

industry and the difference that can be made 

by working to fix the skills shortage in 

industry, all to help students to make an 

informed decision on their next steps within 

further education. 

“There will have been over four hundred 

children today that, even for a few minutes, 

will have thought about a future in 

Manufacturing. If we've managed to 

convince just one percent to do it, then it's 

been successful.” Tom Flude, Engineer’s 

Insight. 

As the horizon for education expands, the 

uptick in apprenticeships suggests a new 

way of gaining qualifications, an alternative 

to the university experience. At igus®, seven 

percent of the workforce is currently made 

up of apprentices and the recruitment 

process for further apprentices is always 

expanding. Gaining invaluable experience in 

any field while making a wage sets you 

ahead of a large proportion of university 

students that accumulate student debt and 

graduate knowledgeable but inexperienced 

in their field. By giving students the 

understanding of what they need to do to 

meet their goals, the younger generation are 

better equipped going forwards. 

www.igus.co.uk 

Students from the Academy engaging with igus® sales engineers and getting interactive with the range of products on display. 


MDJ MASTERS MANUFACTURING EFFICIENCY WITH 

PSL DATATRACK 

Success in the dynamic industry of 

subcontract precision engineering lies not 

only in cutting-edge technology but also in 

efficient management systems. For 

Derbyshire-based MDJ Manufacturing 

Limited, the journey towards operational 

excellence took a significant leap with the 

adoption of PSL Datatrack production 

control software. 

Prior to implementation of the modular 

system, staff at all levels were spending far 

too much time manually processing 

paperwork and checking component and 

material stock levels. “PSL Datatrack has 

totally improved our efficiency within the 

manufacturing process, enabling us to spend 

more time on customer communication and 

quality monitoring,” comments Dave Trow, 

owner of MDJ. 

Established in 1995, MDJ specialises in the 

production of high-quality metal fabrications 

catering to various industries. Its 

commitment to collaborative partnerships, 

understanding unique needs and delivering 

tailored solutions, has positioned the 

business as leaders in its field. The 

company’s impressive facility houses stateof-the-art 

fabrication technology with laser 

cutting, punching, press braking, welding, 

tube bending, section rolling and finishing 

services all offered. 

MDJ prides itself on establishing longterm 

partnerships with both customers and 

suppliers and its investment in PSL 

Datatrack reflects its dedication to staying 

ahead of the curve. Strong ties with suppliers 

ensure a seamless supply chain which allows 

MDJ to thrive on production/repeat work 

and absorb high-demand scenarios 

effectively. 

The decision to invest in PSL Datatrack 

came after a recommendation from an 

existing MDJ customer. After a thorough 

visit and product demonstration, MDJ 

recognised PSL Datatrack as the ideal 

solution to meet its production control 

requirements. “The modularity of the 

system, allowing users to start at a basic level 

and expand as needed, aligned perfectly with 

our commitment to adapt to evolving 

customer demands,” Dave says. 

MDJ utilises various PSL Datatrack 

modules covering administration, sales, 

purchasing and finance to monitor real-time 

progress. Detailed reports included as part of 

the standard PSL Datatrack package enable 

the business to meet customer cost, delivery 

and quality expectations with greater 

success. “Accurate and professional 

invoicing is much quicker than our previous 

method and ties in seamlessly with our 

accounting software,” continues Dave. 

As an ISO 9001:2015 accredited business, 

traceability is essential for MDJ. Dave 

remarks that PSL Datatrack has enabled the 

company to monitor material and 

component movements throughout the 

factory with greater precision. Receipt of 

purchased goods and works order 

progression is also monitored in more detail 

than was previously practical. 

Investment in PSL Datatrack has also 

meant that all documentation and 

paperwork is now presented in a clear and 

consistent format across the board. “This, 

coupled with constant investment in 

machinery and technology, help us to 

maintain a competitive edge with improved 

efficiency, accurate costs and precise lead 

times,” Dave comments. The result is a 

company that consistently delivers worldclass 

products which exceed industry 

standards. 

Expressing his satisfaction, Dave 

confirms: “We would be happy to 

recommend PSL Datatrack to any similar 

business seeking to improve business 

efficiency and manufacturing quality with 

production control software.” As an 

organisation that aims to never stand still, 

MDJ plans to utilise additional PSL Datatrack 

modules in future to further streamline its 

entire production process. 

The modular structure of PSL Datatrack 

stands out as a great benefit. The ease of use 

and remote training provided were praised 

by MDJ’s office staff, with many users 

requiring only basic understanding to get 

started with the system. The exemplary 

support provided by PSL Datatrack’s UKbased 

team ensures that any queries are 

resolved quickly and efficiently by email, 

phone or screen sharing. 

MDJ Manufacturing Limited therefore 

exemplifies how implementation of PSL 

Datatrack can result in substantial 

improvements to operational efficiency, 

traceability and overall customer satisfaction. 

For subcontract precision engineering 

companies seeking a competitive edge, this 

success story serves as a compelling 

testament to the transformative power of 

modern production control software. 

www.psldatatrack.com 


MASTERCAM 

APPOINTS NEW 

CHIEF REVENUE 

OFFICER TO THE 

ORGANIZATION 

Mastercam, the leading global provider of 

CAM software, is pleased to announce the 

appointment of Nicolas Le Moigne to the 

position of Chief Revenue Officer, effective 

June 4. Nicolas, who previously served as 

Vice President of Sales at Mastercam, will 

now lead sales, marketing, customer success, 

and commercial strategy teams to drive 

significant revenue growth and expand 

Mastercam’s market presence. 

Nicolas brings 24 years of experience in 

the CAD/CAM industry, spanning technical 

roles, sales, and management. Based in 

Brittany, France, he continues his journey 

with Mastercam, leveraging his deep 

industry knowledge and strategic vision to 

build on the company’s success. 

I’m honored to have been promoted to 

Chief Revenue Officer at such a pivotal time 

for Mastercam,” said Le Moigne. “I look 

forward to working with our talented team 

to tackle daily challenges, implement 

APPOINTMENTS 

forward-thinking strategies, and deliver 

exceptional value to our customers. As a 

leader in the CNC industry, it is also crucial 

for Mastercam to inspire the next generation 

of machinists, programmers, and engineers.” 

Susan Brandt, President of Mastercam, 

comments, “Nicolas’ exceptional leadership 

skills and extensive CAD/CAM experience 

are invaluable assets for Mastercam’s growth 

in the manufacturing industry. This strategic 

move will enhance our market leadership 

and propel Mastercam to new heights of 

success and innovation.” 

www.mastercam.com 

DUGARD STRENGTHENS TEAM WITH NEW APPOINTMENT 

Dugard has once again strengthened its team 

with the appointment of a new area sales 

manager. Paul Roberts has been appointed as 

the new Area Sales Manager for the South 

West and South Wales areas to enhance 

market presence in the region. 

Enjoying remarkable growth with its 

diverse brand portfolio and the 

strengthening of the team, the South Coast 

company expects the appointment of Paul to 

further underpin brand awareness and 

growth in the South West of the UK. Paul 

brings vast experience to the company, 

having entered the industry almost 25 years 

ago as an apprentice toolmaker. Since 2000, 

Paul has completed his apprenticeship, 

worked in manual and CNC machine shops 

and also spent over five years as an Area 

Sales Manager for a world-renowned cutting 

tool manufacturer. 

Following five successful years in cutting 

tool sales across the South West, Paul 

returned to a previous employer with the 

role of managing the machine shop. The 

career progression continued with Paul 

returning to sales with a role at a prestigious 

machine tool company that also has a 

portfolio of peripheral workholding 

solutions to accompany its range. Applying 

his experience in technical sales, identifying 

cycle time reductions and process 

improvements, Paul enjoyed significant 

success serving manufacturers across the 

South West. Now, with a desire to drive his 

career forward in machine tool sales, Paul 

has joined Dugard. 

Commenting upon joining the company, 

Paul says: “Dugard has a fantastic range of 

prestigious machine tool brands that stretch 

from the Hanwha sliding head series and 

Kitamura high-speed precision machining 

centres through to the SMEC, Ibarmia, Mylas 

and Chevalier brands of robust high-quality 

machines. These machines are some of the 

best in the industry with many being classleading 

brands – I am relishing the 

opportunity of presenting the process 

improvements and benefits that the Dugard 

range can offer manufacturers in the South 

West and Wales.” 

Commenting upon Paul joining the 

Dugard team, Sales Director Mr Colin 

Thomson says: “We are delighted to 

welcome Paul to the Dugard team. He has a 

proven track record with a technical 

understanding and ability to solve problems 

for customers that will be a genuine asset to 

Dugard. Paul has spent several years 

working with manufacturers in the South 

West region, so his local reputation and 

insight will be a huge benefit for Dugard and 

manufacturers in the area. Dugard has 

everything from cost-competitive machine 

tools and high-end solution-driven machine 

tools through to sliding head turning centres 

– the opportunity to service a wide customer 

base with this exciting and diverse range of 

machines and the fact that we are a family 

business was a factor in Paul wanting to join 

Dugard.” 

www.dugard.com 


CASE STUDY 

COMBINED STORAGE AND SAWING FACILITY FOR 

DRIVES MANUFACTURER 

SEW-Eurodrive, a leading global manufacturer and supplier of 

electric motors, gear units, gear motors and associated automation, 

has installed an advanced storage and sawing system in a new highbay 

warehouse integrated into a recently extended, 62,000 square 

metre production facility in Graben-Neudorf, southwest Germany. 

Both the automated store and the sawing equipment were supplied 

by German manufacturer Kasto, whose UK subsidiary in Milton 

Keynes describes the installation. 

The order placed by SEW was one of the largest ever received by 

Kasto in its 180-year history. Within the 4,000 square metre 

warehouse, the supplier has installed a Unicompact honeycomb 

storage system with 5,140 cassettes having a load capacity of three 

tonnes, as well as an integrated KASTOcenter sawing centre with 450 

locations for tube or bar. 

The Unicompact offers high-density 3D storage in a compact 

footprint to maximise the use of space. An overhead gantry crane 

transports material to seven KASTOpick split outfeed stations where 

it is separated by lifting mechanisms and transferred to the infeed 

roller conveyors of the saws. There is potential to connect three 

further outfeed stations if required. 

Eight automated KASTOvariospeed C 18 

production circular saws have been supplied 

to process stock up to 180 mm in diameter. 

The heavy-duty, CNC production saws cut 

solid material as well as tubes and profiles to 

length. 

The Kasto sawing centre comprises buffer 

storage for material and a KASTOtec SC 4 

high-performance, horizontal bandsaw with 

infinitely variable cutting speed. Stock 

including tool steel and difficult-to-cut 

materials such as titanium and nickel alloys 

from 22 to 260 mm in diameter is cut into 

individual pieces. 

A KASTOsort robot handling system sorts 

and stacks the cut pieces. The innovative 

solution independently selects grippers, 

containers and stacking patterns. Automated 

guided vehicles retrieve the boxes of cut 

pieces and transport them to their 

destinations in production. 

As steel can be magnetised by 

transportation and friction, which can cause 

issues during production, Kasto has 

implemented a demagnetisation system in 

the goods-in area. A crane unloads material 

from a lorry onto a buffer chain conveyor. A 

barcode reader determines if the material is 

ferrous and if it is not, it goes immediately 

into store. If it is, the stock is routed to a 

bypass area where the transport cassette 

moves through a coil carrying a 

demagnetising alternating current. 

A KASTOlogic warehouse management 

system (WMS) ensures seamless flow of 

material throughout the facility. The 

software optimises the travel paths and 

checks and evaluates system changes. Kasto 

integrated the sawing machines and material 

handling into the WMS to achieve full 

The new storage system at SEW is a combination of a Kasto 

Unicompact honeycomb storage facility with 5,140 cassettes and a 

KASTOcenter sawing centre with 450 storage locations. 

automation of the entire process. 

KASTOlogic communicates with the SEW’s 

SAP enterprise resource planning system 

through an interface to provide an end-toend, 

digitalised system. 

Max Schmitt, group production systems 

project manager at SEW said, “KASTO 

customised the storage and sawing systems 

to meet our specific needs. 

“The equipment supplies our new 

production facility at the Graben-Neudorf 

site with the correct materials, fully 

automatically, no matter whether the batch 

size is one or 10,000. 

“Only three to four people are needed to 

operate the warehouse, which at a time when 

there is a general shortage of qualified 

personnel is a tremendous advantage.” 

www.kasto.com 

Eight automated KASTOvariospeed C 18 production circular saws 

process stock up to 180 mm in diameter. 

At SEW, the KASTOtec SC 4 automatic bandsaw cuts material up 

to 260 mm in diameter, although the machine has a capacity of 430 

mm. 


CASE STUDY 

SUBCONTRACTOR AUTOMATES MILLING TO BOOST 

PRODUCTIVITY AND BEAT THE SKILLS SHORTAGE 

Machining contracts for the civil aviation, 

defence and space sectors make up about 60 

percent of turnover at Ingenieur Ltd, 

Chandlers Ford, with oil and gas accounting 

for much of the remainder. Turned parts 

production is only 30 percent of throughput, 

the rest being prismatic machining on seven 

vertical machining centres (VMCs), the latest 

two of which are German-built Hermle 

machines. Supplied in 2022 by sole UK sales 

agent Kingsbury, they are the subcontractor’s 

first 5-axis models. 

In 2015, Ingenieur moved to a larger, 

12,000 sq ft factory unit more suited to 

hosting visits from aerospace supply chain 

clients and their customers. At the time, the 

management considered automating some of 

the milling to complement bar-fed turning on 

site, but the volumes did not justify it. Six 

years later, when Covid-19 restrictions were 

being lifted, the company became part of the 

CTN group of five subcontractors across 

Hampshire, Kent, Cambridgeshire and 

Norfolk. New work was fed in initially by 

other group members and the Chandlers 

Ford operation swung quickly from being 

quiet, with some operators on furlough, to 

very busy. 

To alleviate a bottleneck in production, a 

refurbished Hermle C 40 U arrived at short 

notice in February 2022, on loan from 

Kingsbury’s showroom in Gosport. The 

machine was subsequently purchased. A 

new Hermle C 400 was delivered in June that 

year, linked to one of the machine 

manufacturer’s own HS Flex systems for 

exchanging 24 pallets automatically, 

allowing long periods of unattended 

The Hermle HS Flex pallet storage system in the foreground accommodates twelve 300 mm 

square pallets and the same number of 400 mm square pallets. 

running. The machining centre is equipped 

with an 18,000 rpm spindle, through-spindle 

coolant, an extended magazine to 

accommodate 90 tools, Blum tool 

measurement and breakage control, and a 

Renishaw touch probe for workpiece 

datuming. 

Ingenieur’s general manager Chris Barton 

explained, “Before the Hermles were 

installed, we were quoting and winning a lot 

of new business in a number of industry 

sectors. In a short space of time we gained 

four additional contracts, so extra milling 

capacity was needed really quickly, which 

thankfully Kingsbury was able to supply.” 

One of the contracts involved machining 

relatively large quantities, between 1,000 and 

1,500, of each of 20 different parts from 

aluminium billet for a US firm in the security 

sector. However, the subcontractor was 

operating only a single day shift, 39 hours 

over a five-day week, which was not enough 

to cope. Consideration was given to 

introducing a second shift, but automation 

was the favoured route to increasing 

capacity. Five different options were 

considered. 

The trunnion-type Hermle 5-axis VMCs 

were chosen due to their high quality build, 

the proximity of Kingsbury for providing 

Chris Barton, General Manager, Ingenieur Ltd. 

Cycles in the Hermle C 400 are mainly 

3+2, with the occasional requirement for 

full 5-axis interpolation. 


service and after-sales support, and also 

because the machines could be supplied with 

a Heidenhain 640 control to enable programs 

from the other VMCs on the shop floor, all of 

which are fitted with the same make of CNC, 

to be run with very little editing. 

Even after the machining platform had 

been decided upon, there was still debate 

concerning whether to use an HS Flex or a 

third-party pallet storage and retrieval 

system. The former was selected owing to 

seamless connection with the machine, as 

well as the flexibility of sequence planning 

and order management using the touchscreen 

interface of the pallet store control, 

which is linked into the Heidenhain CNC 

system. 

Once the new milling capacity was 

operational, the efficiency of production at 

Chandlers Ford was transformed. The 

security sector contract involved tens of 

thousands of parts requiring 30- to 90-minute 

cutting cycles to be delivered to the US over 

a 12-month period. Three months in and the 

work was already behind. After the Hermles 

came on-stream, Ingenieur quickly caught up 

and by the eleventh month, the subcontractor 

had not only eliminated the backlog but was 

well ahead of schedule. 

Mr Barton continued, “The HS Flex 

automation is very adaptable and easy to use. 

During the day when operators are present, 

we set it up to run components requiring 

fairly tight tolerances down to ± 0.01 mm. If a 

rush job comes along, it is a simple matter to 

load the parts into the pallet store, transfer 

the program and run off the parts. 

“At the end of each day shift, we load the 

pallets with work and leave the system to 

operate unattended overnight with total 

confidence. Generally, during ghost shifts we 

process components requiring a more open 

tolerance, typically ± 0.05 mm. 

“The machine works like that non-stop 

from first thing Monday morning until midmorning 

on Saturday. I estimate that an 

operator is in attendance for just three hours 

CASE STUDY 

Ingenieur's bespoke tower is able to present parts to the C 400 spindle by swivelling the 

trunnion through 90 degrees. 

a day, loading and unloading pallets and 

transferring programs. For the rest of the 

time, the production cell runs fully 

autonomously.” 

Production within the automated Hermle 

cell after the US contract had finished was 

significantly different. Stainless steel and 

Inconel were machined in addition to 

aluminium, batch sizes were smaller at 50 to 

500, and cycle times were considerably 

shorter at about five minutes. So Ingenieur 

bought an iron casting and machined it to a 

bespoke design to allow a mix of multiple 

jobs to be mounted on each pallet for 

overnight processing. Normally found on a 

horizontal machining centre, the tower is 

able to present parts to the VMC spindle by 

swivelling the trunnion through 90 degrees. 

The subcontractor has found that 

automation allows scarce setter-operator 

resources to be spread efficiently throughout 

the factory during the day. With the current 

difficulty in recruiting skilled staff, few 

manufacturers have the luxury of deploying 

one experienced person onto just one or two 

machines. Equipment like the HS Flex allows 

apprentices and less proficient staff to 

monitor production while it is running. It 

also maximises productivity, as idle times are 

short due to quick load / unload times. 

In conclusion, Mr Barton commented, 

“You couldn’t ask for a better automated 

production cell than the Hermle – it’s 

brilliant. The equipment is productive, 

accurate and user friendly, and if we have a 

difficulty or query, nine times out of 10 

Kingsbury sorts it out over the phone. We 

would have no hesitation in buying a second 

cell if production volumes warrant it.” 

www.kingsburyuk.com 

The touch-screen control on the Hermle store allows pallets to be 

moved around simply by swiping the numbered icons. 

Most programs are prepared off-line by Ingenieur from STEP files 

provided by customers using Autodesk Fusion and OneCNC 

CADCAM systems, although programming of some simple jobs is 

carried out on the shop floor. 


CASE STUDY 

THE CRITICAL ROLE OF SELECTING 

TOOLHOLDERS 

Tool holders play a critical role in 

connecting elements and maximising 

machining performance. However, several 

different types are available and the most 

suitable one will depend on the operation. 

Consider key characteristics as they will 

differentiate a standard tool holder from 

one that’s the right choice for precise, 

high-speed machining. Selecting a highspeed 

tool holder that will consistently 

produce high-quality and safe operation, 

machine shops need to focus on balance, 

taper contact and accuracy. Alan Miller, 

Senior Engineering Manager at BIG 

DAISHOWA, the world-leading brand 

available from Industrial Tooling 

Corporation (ITC) discusses why these 

three aspects are top priorities for medical 

manufacturers and reveals the attainable 

outcomes of each. 

TAPER CONSIDERATIONS 

For high-precision machining, the taper 

must be manufactured to extremely tight 

tolerances for the tool holder to be 

accurately positioned within the spindle to 

provide a rigid connection for the axial and 

radial loads. Good repeatability in and out 

of the machine must maintain consistency. 

The requirements will depend on the tool 

holder type used, such as the HSK, 

CAT/BT, and polygon styles. HSK are 

hollow shank tapers available types that 

include A, E, and F. These offer radial 

stiffness and high-speed precision. This type 

of taper is much shorter (25mm, 32, 40, 50, 

63, 80, 100, and 125mm) and includes an 

internal mechanism for radial and axial 

connection. 

“Since this is a hollow taper and is small, 

material selection is extremely important,” 

Miller says. “HSK is clamped by fingers 

reaching inside that hollow core and pulling 

and stretching the taper back into the 

spindle. The wall thickness is very thin, and 

it’s critical to have a very high-quality grade 

of steel, which is why we use die steel for 

the very small tapers.” 

Another important consideration for 

HSK types is the finishing of clamping 

features after heat treatment because the 

fingers reach inside and grab on a feature 

inside the hollow taper, so making sure it’s 

finished after heat treatment assures it’s in 

the correct location to provide more 

accurate repeatability in the spindle. 

CAT and BT style are steep taper tool 

holders with a more traditional style cone. 

Both have a 7:24 taper ratio and require a 

retention knob or pull stud to secure the 

holder within the machine spindle. As the 

machine grabs and pulls, the spindle 

expands to secure taper contact. With the 

larger size and the cone shape of the 

spindle, the taper will open as speeds 

increase significantly. As the spindle opens, 

the force of the clamping unit draws the 

holder deeper into the spindle, which causes 

the tool holder to lose some accuracy. 

To address this issue, BIG KAISER’s BIG- 

PLUS spindle system available from ITC 

allows the shank to contact the spindle taper 

and the spindle face simultaneously, 

allowing increased tool rigidity due to the 

larger contact diameter of the tool holder 

flange face. Larger face contact, combined 

with the taper contact, works together to 

resist deflection. 

The Polygon taper types put the face and 

taper of a machine spindle and tool holder 

in contact, ensuring high repeatability. The 

polygon design also allows for self-centring 

to improve accuracy. However, these types 

are more difficult to grind because of the 

slope, so it takes a high-end machine to 

achieve the desired accuracy. 

TOOL HOLDER BALANCE 

As spindle speeds increase, it becomes more 

important to obtain tool holder balance. 

Balanced tool holders allow users to run at 

the highest spindle speeds and feed rates 

while maximising tool life, surface finish 

and spindle life. Balancing ensures the 

cutting edge of the end mill consistently 

engages with the material to prevent chatter 

and poor surface finish quality. 

“For balance, we’re talking about side 

loads generated by that unbalanced mass 

running at high speeds,” Miller explains. 

“So, that can influence the bearings of the 

machine tool spindle to the actual cutting 


CASE STUDY 

performance on the business end of the 

cutting tool. It’s very important to consider, 

and there’s a new ISO toolholder balance 

standard that was released in 2017 to further 

help users meet requirements.” 

The updated ISO 16084 standard 

accounts for all variables for safe and 

productive machining. Miller says it also 

takes into consideration additional, more 

complex factors that can lead to imbalance. 

It focuses on the interaction between the 

spindle and tool by factoring in the 

allowable load on the spindle bearings 

generated by the tool’s imbalance. 

The best way to ensure balance is to 

measure the tool holder as a full assembly. 

Ultimately, this will result in a betterperforming 

tool. Although each part can be 

balanced individually, this will not 

guarantee the highest level of overall 

balance. 

The benefits of balancing include optimal 

surface finish, machine sustainability, better 

part geometry and extended spindle life. 

Miller also cautions: “When dealing with 

balance, there’s also a point that we can get 

to a plateau, where additional balancing 

won’t help anymore. The goal could be 

exact balancing, but we’re going to spend a 

lot of time on every tool, trying to achieve 

that same amount of balance, and it 

becomes more or less stable. No matter how 

much more balancing you do, it won’t 

change the way the tool performs.” 

ACCURACY 

Improved quality will depend on the 

accuracy of the tool, which is largely 

affected by tool runout. Very low runout of 

the tool holder will give users better quality 

and improved cutting for more consistency 

and lower costs. 

“Runout accuracy is a very important 

consideration. Low runout will give you 

better part quality and it will improve 

cutting tool life and allow you to get more 

consistency, longer run times, and fewer 

tool breakages,” Miller adds. 

BIG DAISHOWA designs and machine 

tool holders to reduce runout, by using 

precision materials, production processes 

and heat treatment selected for precision. 

This includes pull studs built with throughhardened 

H13 premium tool steel, all 

features are precision ground. Each collet is 

inspected for 100% concentricity, 

guaranteeing runout within 0.001mm at the 

nose. Most of the general customer base, as 

Miller has found, follows the guidelines of 

0.007mm to 0.0013mm to be a good runout. 

However, this may only give about 50% to 

60% of the potential cutting tool lifespan. 

“Our programs are down to 0.0002mm 

and 4x diameter to make sure you have 

accurate tool assemblies,” Miller says. “All 

of our collet chucks and finishing tool 

holders guarantee that runout accuracy is 

about 3 to 5 times better than what is 

considered good.” Runout can also impact 

cutting force, which can cause vibration and 

ultimately inhibit machining accuracy. 

“Vibration is challenging the function of the 

cutting parameters, mostly back to the 

cutting speed and rotational speed,” Miller 

explains. “The best tip that we have for 

anyone experiencing vibration is to adjust 

the speed in one direction or the other, 

change lanes and get into a harmonic 

situation.” 

COOLING SYSTEMS 

There are future developments that BIG 

DAISHOWA has developed, such as tool 

holders for CO2 cooling systems to 

eliminate liquid coolant for metal cutting. 

They reduce the amount of contamination 

that medical parts have within the 

machining process but still cool the cutting 

tools so users get a good tool life. These 

capabilities are built into Mega micro 

chucks, featuring a slim nut and taper 

design to prevent interference in 

applications with micro drills and end mills. 

The notch-free nut prevents vibration and 

noise and offers superior balance and 

concentricity. 

“The jet coolant nut was designed 

around those types of developments where 

we can offer unique components specifically 

for carbon dioxide cooling style machining 

that’s becoming more important to the 

medical community,” Miller concludes. 

www.itc-ltd.co.uk 


CASE STUDY 

GUHRING ‘POWERS-UP’ PRODUCTIVITY FOR 

EV MANUFACTURER 

As a machine tool builder that manufactures 

high-end 4 and 5-axis machines for the global 

market, Heller UK is frequently involved in 

turnkey projects for prestigious OEMs. On 

one of its more recent projects, the Redditch 

company enlisted the support of the cutting 

tool experts at Guhring. 

There has been a wide spectrum of tools 

used on this project for a leading 

manufacturer of Electric Vehicles (EVs), 

including the Guhring tool holders and the 

tool vending technology. As part of the 

package of toolholders to accompany the 

cutting tools, the EV manufacturer has 

selected a vast range of standard shrink 

chucks, hydraulic chucks and synchrotapping 

chucks. 

The cutting tools incorporated in this 

project included a huge range of standard 

products from the extensive portfolio of 

drills, taps and reamers. All products were 

carefully selected and tested to minimise 

cycle times while achieving tight tolerances 

on diameter, position and roundness. Whilst 

the standard range of Guhring products 

accounted for a significant element of the 

system integration project, it was the bespoke 

PCD combination tools that demonstrated 

Guhring UK’s expertise as a one-stop 

solution provider and valued partner for 

Turn Key projects. 

With the PCD combination tools 

manufactured at Guhring UK’s Birmingham 

manufacturing facility as well as at 

Guhring’s German manufacturing plant, the 

bespoke tooling solutions were developed to 

achieve ‘one shot’ plunging. The bespoke 

tooling aimed to reduce cycle times and 

adhere to the high surface finishes required – 


and maintain this over the life of the tool. 

Discussing the project for the leading 

manufacturer of EVs, Guhring UK’s National 

Sales Manager Chris Bush says: “With a new 

project like this for the electric vehicle 

industry, it is a project and industry that is at 

the very forefront of technology. The end 

user typically specifies a machine builder 

and cutting tool supplier - in this instance, it 

was Heller for the high-end machine tools 

and Guhring for the industry-leading cutting 

tool innovations.” 

Looking at how the process delivers a 

solution for the customer, Chris continues: 

“In Germany, we have a large project 

engineering team with over 200 employees. 

So, when we receive a CAD model of the 

customers’ component and the machine 

capabilities, we can develop the cutting tools 

and machining strategy from that and create 

an optimised solution in conjunction with 

Heller.” 

“This requires several meetings to discuss 

CASE STUDY 

the machining strategies and how we 

develop the tooling to create a seamless 

solution from machine tool to cutting tool. At 

Guhring, we supply everything from 

toolholder to the cutting-edge and that also 

entails all the speeds, feeds and cutting 

strategies in conjunction with the machine 

builder. Once we supply all the cutting data 

and tooling sheets, we will then visit Heller 

and do all the initial run-offs to ensure all the 

cutting data is optimised and the machining 

strategy is working well. From here, we then 

follow the process through to end-user 

production.” 

Alluding to the overall project, Chris 

adds: “It has been a great partnership 

between Guhring and Heller and the current 

EV project is the biggest project we have 

collaborated on in the UK. We have worked 

on several smaller projects in the past and the 

combined skill sets of both the Guhring and 

Heller engineers make a great partnership 

with impressive results for the end-user.” 

Discussing the project from a Heller 

perspective, Tad Forys from Heller Machine 

Tools UK says: “From the Heller side, we 

delivered 22 machines in this project. That 

includes eleven 5-axis machines and eleven 

4-axis machines - all of those machines were 

built in the UK. With this project, we have 

gone from a customer drawing to a fully 

automated production line. From the initial 

enquiry with the customer, our engineers 

here in the UK conducted comprehensive 

cycle time studies. Following on from that, 

we developed custom hydraulic fixtures to 

hold the parts; and we have used these 

fixtures because it is a high-volume electric 

vehicle application.” 

“At Heller, we pride ourselves on being a 

collaborative company and this recent project 

that we collaborated on with Guhring has 

been a perfect demonstration of that. When 

we talk about collaboration, it isn’t just about 

working together - it’s about aligning our 

values and expertise. The first two machines 

for the production line are here at Heller, so 

we can do the initial production ‘prove off’ 

before the machines land on the customers’ 

shop floor. Guhring has been with us for 

every step of the journey, clocking in tools, 

optimising speeds and feeds to make sure we 

have the most efficient process for the 

customer before the machines are delivered.” 

“From a Heller perspective, this project 

has been an outstanding success. Our end 

user is very happy. Everything has been 

delivered on time to a particularly 

demanding customer - and this has been 

made possible by a close working 

partnership with Guhring who have helped 

us every step of the way,” adds Tad. 

Discussing the tooling solution further, 

Guhring’s Chris Bush concludes: “Even 

though we are supplying the tools and tool 

holding for this project, we are also 

supplying the tool management vending 

solution. As this is a significant project with a 

large number of tools, we are supplying the 

vending machine with some add-on units. 

The proprietary software that Guhring 

programs and supplies with this can also be 

linked to the customer's ERP system. This 

provides complete synergy and automation 

for the end user from tool ordering with 

complete transparency of costing and cost 

centres by the operation, the individual 

machine and even by the operator. This 

system provides unparalleled transparency, 

so everyone can see the costs and where the 

costs are going. From a Guhring point of 

view, this project has been a great success 

and working together with Heller has been a 

true partnership, and a fantastic example of 

delivering a proven process to the customer 

on time.” 

www.guhring.co.uk 


CASE STUDY 

VALVE MANUFACTURER AUTOMATES PRISMATIC 

MACHINING TO COPE WITH INCREASED DEMAND 

In the five years from 2019 to the present, 

turnover at Oswaldtwistle-based Ross 

Pneumatrol doubled to £7 million due to 

growth across most industry sectors into 

which it supplies its pneumatic and electropneumatic 

valves, actuators and other 

products. The oil and gas industry is proving 

especially buoyant currently and sales 

growth in Asia has exceeded expectation, 

raising the proportion of exports to more 

than 60% of turnover. 

This level of success was putting pressure 

on the prismatic machining department, 

which was using six 40-taper, 3-axis vertical 

machining centres (VMCs) of various makes 

and three Brother 30-taper high efficiency 

machining centres with twin pallet change 

supplied by Whitehouse Machine Tools, 

Kenilworth (www.wmtcnc.com). To meet 

the increased demand for prismatically 

machined components, notably valve bodies 

and pilot end caps, Ross Pneumatrol 

returned to WMT CNC for two more Brother 

30-taper machines, this time with automated 

component handling. 

The first cell, installed in the aluminium 

machining section in September 2022, 

comprised a Brother Speedio S700X2 VMC 

equipped with a Feedio robotic system, 

including vision equipment, for handling 

components. Designed specifically to 

automate Speedio high efficiency machining 

centres, the plug-and-play unit 

communicates with the S700X2 via a 

Profibus interface and incorporates a 6-axis 

robot. A camera vision system and built-in 

PC allow the robot to detect where on an 

upper conveyor a workpiece has been 

placed. After machining, components are 

returned to an output conveyor positioned 

below the first. 

Tommy Cooney, Ross Pneumatrol's 

operations manager explained, "We 

considered several different machine 

tending alternatives but decided to reorder 

from Whitehouse Machine Tools. We have 

dealt with them for more than 20 years and 

value their after-sales service and 

engineering input. 

"In particular, we liked the ability of the 

Feedio unit to handle components in and out 

of a second Brother VMC when the need 

arises in the future. No other potential 

supplier was able to offer that facility." 

Encouraged by the success of the first 

automated cell, Ross Pneumatrol decided to 

install a second to produce similar 

components in stainless steel. Consideration 

was given at the outset to retrofitting a cobot 

to one of the existing 40-taper machines on 

the shop floor, as it was thought that cutting 

the tougher material would need a more 

Tommy Cooney, Operations Manager, Ross Pneumatrol, in front 

of the Brother Speedio / Feedio automated production cell in the 

aluminium machining department in Oswaldtwistle. 

robust VMC. This approach would have 

been expensive, however. 

Instead, Whitehouse Machine Tools 

proposed a Brother Speedio F600X1, which 

although being a 30-taper machine is 

nevertheless a high-torque production 

centre capable of cutting stainless steel 24 

The Feedio unit includes a 6-axis robot with 

double gripper to pick up a billet from the 

upper conveyor, transfer it to the VMC and 

return a completely machined component to 

the lower conveyor in one automatic cycle. 

hours a day. Rather than choosing another 

Feedio for automation, at Whitehouse 

Machine Tools' instigation the manufacturer 

chose a CubeBox from the Turkish OEM 

Tezmaksan, for which the machine supplier 

has recently been appointed a UK sales 

agent and integrator. 

As with the Feedio unit, CubeBox has a 6- 

axis robot to handle parts directly, rather 

than basing the automation on more 

expensive exchange of pallets with fixtured 

components. Moreover, as the 20 or so 

variants of stainless steel valve body and 

pilot end cap being machined are 

fundamentally cuboid in shape, as in the 

aluminium cell, the parts are easy and quick 

to grip for transfer to and from a machine 

tool. 

Tommy Cooney and his colleagues have 

no hesitation leaving the two automated 

Brother machines running unattended from 

the end of the second manned shift at 

midnight to the start of the first shift the 

following morning at 6.00 am. 

Mr Cooney commented "The F600X1 is a 

versatile machine, as it is able to cut not only 

stainless steel but also softer metals. 

"This fits well with our production 

pattern, as stainless steel products account 

for about 10% of throughput, so we are able 

to maximise the F600X1's utilisation by 

cutting aluminium as well. 

"The entire cell did not cost much more 

than fitting a cobot to a 40-taper machine 


CASE STUDY 

Ross Pneumatrol particularly values the 

engineering support from Whitehouse 

Machine Tools. The supplier has been 

closely involved in time studies, applications 

engineering, provision of mainly Ceratizit 

carbide tooling, and off-line programming 

strategies using Fusion 360 computer aided 

manufacturing software. These services 

continue indefinitely free of charge for as 

long as the user requires them. 

Feedio automation employs a vision system to allow the robot to locate billets on the upper 

conveyor, enabling them to be picked up unerringly for transfer to the Brother VMC. 

would have done, so we have gained an 

extra, highly productive spindle for just a 

small amount of extra expenditure." 

He advised that cycle times on the two 

latest Brother high efficiency machines with 

their higher specifications are about 40% 

shorter than on the older 30- and 40-taper 

machines on the shop floor. Aluminium 

pilot end caps and bodies take seven 

minutes and 10 minutes respectively to 

complete, while cycle times for the stainless 

steel versions are 15 minutes and 18 minutes. 

Drawing tolerances of ± 0.02 to 0.05 mm are 

easily held. 

SPECIFICATION OF THE 

CUBEBOX 

A Tezmaksan CubeBox increases production 

output by up to 50% compared with manual 

loading and unloading and additionally 

allows long periods of unattended machine 

running, including overnight. It is 20% less 

expensive than a company-specific robot 

integration system. The plug-and-play 

solution can be implemented on a shop floor 

the same day as it is delivered, without the 

need for robot programming knowledge. It 

is suitable for serving one or two CNC 

machines of any make and can be adapted to 

all brands of control system and robot. 

The unit installed at Ross Pneumatrol is a 

CubeBox Blues DR whose Fanuc M10ID12 

industrial robot has a maximum payload of 

12kg. The workpiece storage system 

includes five drawers for holding parts up to 

135 mm in height. A Fanuc R30IB Mate 

Plus control unit, RoboCAM smart 

automation software, collision avoidance 

and a safety light curtain are all standard 

equipment. 

www.pneumatrol.com 

www.wmtcnc.com 

Ross Pneumatrol manufacturing engineer Oliver Hall operating 

the Brother Speedio / CubeBox automated production cell in the 

stainless steel machining section at the Oswaldtwistle factory. Five 

trays for holding billets and machined components allow long 

periods of unattended running. 

Typical Ross Pneumatrol valves whose body and pilot end cap, 

either aluminium or stainless steel, are machined in the two 

automated Brother Speedio cells supplied by Whitehouse Machine 

Tools. 


CASE STUDY 

COLOSSAL SODICK MACHINE MEETS CHALLENGES 

OF MATERIAL MANUFACTURER 

When global materials engineering group, 

Wall Colmonoy needed to modernise and 

upgrade its EDM machining capacity, 

technical capability and productivity, the 

multi-national manufacturer instantly turned 

to Sodi-Tech UK and the Sodick brand of 

wire EDM technology for a solution. As the 

industry benchmark in the manufacture of 

Colmonoy® surfacing and Nicrobraz® 

brazing products, precision castings, coatings 

and engineered components, Wall Colmonoy 

had three key areas of concern in its wire 

EDM department. The installation of a 

Sodick ALC800G Premium wire EDM 

machine immediately resolved them all. 

As a company that manufactures 

components for quality critical industries 

such as the aerospace, automotive, oil & gas, 

mining and energy sectors; precision, 

repeatability and cut quality are a necessity 

for the Michigan-based company with 

European headquarters in Pontardawe, 

South Wales. It is this market position that 

led Wall Colmonoy to invest in the worldleading 

Sodick brand, a name synonymous 

with quality, performance and prestige that 

boasts an incredible reputation in all the 

sectors the Swansea company operates. 

THE CHALLENGES 

With two ageing EDM machines that both 

had table sizes of around 300 by 400mm, any 

large work outside this dimensional 

envelope either had to be subcontracted out 

or turned away. Secondly, like any 

prestigious manufacturer, Wall Colmonoy 

had deadlines and capacity challenges – it 

needed a more productive solution that 

could reliably re-thread wire, run unmanned 

and improve cutting times. The third 

challenge was overcoming poor precision 

levels. With its existing EDM machines over 

10 years old, Wall Colmonoy needed 

precision levels to tolerances within +/-5 

microns with impeccable levels of 

repeatability. It was Sodick that had the 

answer with its ALC800G Premium wire 

EDM machine. 

Looking at why the company invested in 

a Sodick ALC800G Premium wire EDM 

machine, Wall Colmonoy Process Engineer 

Kevin O’Connor recalls: “Our existing 

machines were ageing, and the programming 

side of manufacturing became very dated. 

We were also facing increasing maintenance 

costs and machine downtime.” 

Supporting this opinion, Aaron Patton, 

EDM machinist at Wall Colmonoy says: “The 

programming of our EDM machines was 

taking too long and the cutting process was 

extremely time-consuming. Our 

management was not particularly happy 

about this, as they wanted parts machined 

faster. Another issue was capacity, we 

needed to put large parts on the machine, 

and we couldn’t do this with our existing 

machines. We were invited to the Sodick 

facility in Warwick for a day to look at 

available options. We were ‘wowed’ by the 

showroom, the hospitality and the expertise 

on hand to answer all of our questions. 

Sodick gave us all the right answers and they 

certainly impressed us.” 

It was this visit and a longstanding 

relationship that were the foundation blocks 

to the acquisition of the new Sodick 

ALC800G Premium wire EDM machine. As 

Kevin O’Connor continues: “Sodick has had 

a relationship with Wall Colmonoy dating 

back 30 years. We went on a fact-finding tour 

of Sodick as well as other manufacturers to 

see if they could supply us with a suitable 

machine. As we produce our specialist 

alloys, we needed to know if they had a 

machine capable of cutting our materials. So, 

we took samples of our alloys to Sodick for 

them to prove that the machines could 

essentially do ‘exactly what they say on the 

tin’.” 

Adding to this, the Business Development 


Manager at Sodi-Tech, Mr Tony Berry says: 

“I’ve had a long-standing relationship with 

Wall Colmonoy that probably goes back over 

30 years. I received a phone call from the 

plant manager telling me that they were 

looking for a new machine. Because of our 

relationship, the plant manager came to me 

for recommendations. From there, I was 

invited to Wall Colmonoy to discuss options 

and specifications. They told us what size 

machine they wanted and stressed that the 

machine delivery date was also a critical 

factor. We had a machine coming into stock, 

so we could offer delivery in 4 to 5 weeks, 

which blew them away completely.” 

Tony adds: “Wall Colmonoy needed a 

machine with a capacity large enough to 

accept their ever-increasing diversity of parts 

in both dimensions and complexity. The 

existing machines were too small and the 

Sodick ALC800G Premium wire EDM 

machine has a worktable of 800 by 600mm, 

more than double the bed size of existing 

machines. By purchasing the Sodick 

ALC800G Premium wire EDM machine, 

Wall Colmonoy can manage larger parts, 

eliminating the need to subcontract work to 

external sources or alternately turn work 

away. This will undoubtedly see the 

company win more business in the future.” 

Another point of concern for Wall 

Colmonoy was productivity. As Tony 

continues: “The new ALC800G Premium has 

replaced one of the previous EDM machines 

and it is more productive than the two 

previous machines combined. This is a credit 

to both the productivity increase and the 

ability to run unmanned for extended 

periods overnight due to technology like the 

Smart Pulse electrical discharge power 

supply unit, Sodick’s Smart Linear 

technology, the fixed Jet AWT wire threading 

and the iGroove Plus wire rotation 

technology. From a programming and 

CASE STUDY 

operational perspective, Wall Colmonoy can 

now process up to four different parts 

simultaneously in a single set-up – and even 

multiples of those parts. The ALC800G can 

accept STEP, DXF and Parasolid models files 

and rapidly check, convert and manufacture 

the programmes, saving time for the 

machinist, especially as this can be 

undertaken whilst the machine is running.” 

Confirming these points, Sodi-Tech UK 

Technical Sales Manager, Mr Conor Plaskitt 

adds: “The reason Wall Colmonoy decided to 

invest in the Sodick ALC800G Premium 

supplied by Sodi-Tech is to increase the 

capacity of what they can cut on the machine 

and take on larger components. This is one of 

only two machines of its type in the UK and 

from a market perspective, it really gives 

Wall Colmonoy an edge over their 

competition with regards to the service they 

can offer. Couple that with the programming 

on the machine and the performance we can 

push out of it, it is a fantastic machine. We 

also have the technology to cut all of their 

exotic materials.” 

Commenting upon the installation of the 

Sodick machine, Tony continues: “They have 

now had the machine for almost a year and it 

has performed very well. I think Wall 

Colmonoy are now ready to progress. As 

part of the free packages that we provide, we 

can offer advanced training that incorporates 

things like angle cutting, cutting compound 

angles, machining unusual shapes and 

moving on to the machining of specialist 

alloys, which is exactly what they do here at 

Wall Colmonoy.” 

Looking back at the installation of the 

Sodick ALC800G Premium wire EDM, Aaron 

Patton, EDM machinist at Wall Colmonoy 

says: “When we took delivery of the machine 

there was quite a steep learning curve, but 

now we are running the machine 

confidently, the benefits are impressive. 

There is still an advanced course that we can 

undertake to further enhance our capabilities 

as well as maximise what we can get out of 

the machine.” 

Concluding on the purchase, Kevin 

O’Connor says: “The introduction of the 

Sodick ALC800G Premium machine means 

that we can wire EDM more complex parts 

than we were capable of before. This will 

benefit our company financially as we move 

forward. It was undoubtedly the correct 

machine to purchase. Technically, it can 

achieve everything we need it to do. We have 

had excellent backup from Sodi-Tech – if we 

ever need anything from them, they are at 

the end of the phone to support us.” 

www.sodick.eu 


CASE STUDY 

ETG GETS SPARK EROSION IN GEAR FOR 

SPECIALIST MANUFACTURER 

Since its inception in 1945, Northern Tool and Gear Ltd (NTG) have 

been producing high-quality gear at its facility in Arbroath. 

Nowadays, the company utilises a diverse range of high-end 

machine tools to manufacture everything from one-off to highvolume 

production of gears and transmission components – it is here 

that the company needed to invest in a Mitsubishi MV4800S wire 

EDM machine from the Engineering Technology Group (ETG). 

With a team of upward of 50 staff, NTG manufactures spur, 

helical, straight and spiral bevel gears, hypoid bevel gears, precision 

ground gears, specialist bespoke gears, shafts and bevels on the latest 

CNC machinery to the highest quality standards. Supplying virtually 

all facets of industry from the renewables, mining, marine, oil and 

gas, printing and motorsport sectors to name a few, NTG has full 

CNC gear-checking technology as well as an on-site heat treatment 

facility to guarantee complete quality control of all projects. 

However, when it came to EDM machining particular features, the 

Scottish manufacturer was subcontracting work to external vendors. 

This led to the arrival of the company’s first wire EDM machine in 

March 2024. 

Recalling the situation, Gordon Strachan 

from NTG says: “Previously, to produce 

things like keyways, we would use a broach 

which is a high-volume process or we would 

use an old-fashioned slotting machine, which 

was slow, laborious and it would have 

quality issues at times. Internal splines, 

external splines and external gears have 

dedicated machines for cutting the internal 

or external splines - these are fast and 

efficient but they require a lot of tooling and 

considerable set-up times. In fact, sometimes 

the tooling would cost more than the job. 

Now, if the customer needs something in a 

hurry, we can cut it on the new Mitsubishi 

wire EDM.” 

Looking at the diversity of the gear 

components that NTG is manufacturing, 

Gordon adds: “We get approached by major 

motorsport companies that require specific 

gears, diff pinions or diff gears for the start of 

the season with designs that are a change 

from the previous season. If we are lucky, we 

have the tooling already and if we are not, we 

have to source it. Sometimes, the time it takes 

to procure tooling is more than the time that 

we have to deliver the job. So, going down 

the wire-cutting road allows us to meet 

customers' expectations and it forewarns us 

of larger batch volumes that may be in the 

pipeline. This gives us time to manufacture 

the tooling in preparation for the pending 

work. This makes the wire EDM perfect for 

prototypes and small batches as it helps to 

get customers up and running quickly.” 

Discussing the selection of the Mitsubishi 

MV4800S wire EDM machine installed at 

NTG, Gordon continues: “When we first 

started looking at wire cutting, we were 

looking at four or five main manufacturers. I 

cut this list down to two, and we eventually 

through the graces of Ross from RAM 

Engineering & Tooling, the Scottish 

distribution partner for ETG – we selected 

the Mitsubishi. I had been impressed with 

the Mitsubishi machines from the start and 

from visiting machines on manufacturers’ 

sites, I could see the quality of the product 

and the technology involved. Everything is 

state-of-the-art and the control system is very 

user-friendly. I have had exceptional backup 

and support from Ross at RAM and the team 

at ETG from the very beginning, it’s been 

second to none.” 

The particularly large MV4800S machine 

was selected for its 1080 by 780mm table that 

can accommodate parts up to 1250 by 1020 by 

505mm with a weight of up to 3,000kg. This 

is perfect for the Scottish company that 

manufactures hobbed gear components from 

50mm to 1200mm. Additionally, the new 

arrival incorporates technology like 

automatic wire threading, linear shaft motors 

and an optical drive system for unparalleled 

precision and circular accuracy within 1µm. 

From a user-friendly perspective, the 19-inch 

screen and the ability for functions to be used 

in just one touch from the ‘home’ screen 

helps to reduce operations performed in the 

navigation menu from setup to machining by 

almost 40%. 

ooking to the future and the potential 

opportunities for the Mitsubishi MV4800S to 

make an impact at NTG, Gordon adds: “With 

the technology and the Mitsubishi control 

system, it’s very powerful and user-friendly. 

So, anything we can program on that control 

system, we can also wire on the part. It gives 

us immense flexibility, especially if there is a 

change in specification in any splines and 

gearing, which is very common. If you don’t 

have the correct standard of cutter, you can’t 

use it. You may have the correct pitch and the 

right size, but it may not have the right 

profile and this makes it a redundant cutter 

as far as that job is concerned. However, if we 

can wire cut it on the Mitsubishi machine, we 

then have a huge level of flexibility that can 

also help us to compress lead times.” 



S E R V I C E S D I R E C T O R Y 

ASSOCIATIONS 

THE MANUFACTURING TECHOLOGIES ASSOCIATION 

62 Bayswater Road, London WS 3PS 

Tel: 0207 7298 6400 

Web: www.mta.org.uk 

AUCTIONEERS 

APEX AUCTIONS LIMITED - ONLINE MACHINE TOOL AUCTIONS. 

PO Box 329, Brighton BN1 1TQ, United Kingdom. 

Tel: UK Office: +44 (0) 1273 224466 US Office: +1 630 718 9804 

Email: info@apexauctions.com 

Web: www.apexauctions.com 

AMS (UK) LTD 

Gloucester Auction Centre, Bristol Road, Gloucester, GL2 5DD. 

Tel: +44(0) 1452 207777 

Email: info@ams.uk 

Web: www.ams.uk 

PEAKER PATTINSON AUCTIONEERS Ltd. 

The Grange Offices, Aunby, Stamford, Lincs PE9 4EE, England 

Tel: 01778 590111 Fax: 01778 590730 

Email: info@ppauctions.com 

Web: www.ppauctions.com 

London Office: Tel: 0208 944 1898 Fax: 0208 879 7269 

Email: london@ppauctions.com 

AUCTIONS & VALUATIONS 

LAMBERT SMITH HAMPTON 

AuctionSales.AssetAdvisory@lsh.co.uk 

Valuations.AssetAdvisory@lsh.co.uk 

BARRELLING/SUPER FINISHING 

SHARMIC ENGINEERING LIMITED 

Vibratory/shotblast finishing. New & Used vibratory machines, repairs 

& consumables 

Baldwin Road, Stourport-on-Severn, Worcs. 

Tel: 01299 878123 Fax: 01299 879409 

Email: info@sharmic.co.uk 

Web: www.sharmic.co.uk 

BROACHING AND KEY WAY CUTTING 

ALCESTER BROACH & TOOL CO. LTD. 

Comprehensive sub-contracting broaching facilities, including own 

tooling. Broach manufacturing and re-grind & repair services. The total 

broaching service. 

Pipers Road, Park Farm South, Redditch, Worcs B98 OHU 

Tel: 01527 523107 Fax: 01527 526137 

Email: sales@alcesterbroach.com 

Web: www.alcesterbroach.com 

BROACHING AND KEY WAY CUTTING 

B & H GEARS LTD 

Spur, helical, bevel. racks and pinions, sprockets, timing pulleys, 

worms and wormwheels, gear crowning/barrelling/tapering, splining, 

serration, broaching, internal and external gears. 

Star Ironworks, Greenacres Road, Oldham, Lancs. OL4 2BT 

Tel: 0161 627 4610 

Fax: 0161 628 3141 

Email: sales@bandhgears.co.uk 

Web: www.bandhgears.co.uk 

CNC GRINDING 

CENTRAL GRINDING SERVICES LTD 

Precision Internal & External C.N.C. Grinding, 50 offs up to large qtys, 

all materials including Exotics, Carbide & Coatings. ISO 9001-2000. 

3A Pomery Drive, Oadby Industrial Estate, Oadby, Leicester LE2 5NE. 

Tel: 0116 271 8188 Fax: 0116 271 8199 

Email: info@centralgrinding.co.uk 

Web: www.centralgrindingservices.co.uk 

CNC MACHINE TOOLS SPARES AND 

SERVICE, REPAIRS 

CNC SYSTEMS LTD 

Fanuc Systems & Fuji AC and DC drive repairs, supply of spares and 

installation. 

40 Redwoods, Addlestone, Surrey KT15 1JN Tel: 07740 187341 Tel: 01932 

830492 

Email: offices@cncsystemsltd.co.uk 

Web: www.cncsystemsltd.co.uk 

CNC PROGRAMMING & TRAINING 

GARDNER CNC 

For Training: Programming: CAD/CAM Systems: Technical Assistance 

and more. Help is just a phone call away. 

1 Green Hill Farm, Bishop Itchington, Warwickshire CV4 72SS 

Tel: 01926 614882 Fax: 01926 614884 

Email: info@gardner-cnc.co.uk 

CNC RETROFITTING 

MACHINERY PLANT SERVICES LTD 

Specialists in Retrofitting all types of Press Brakes and Guillotines - 

App. UK Agent for CYBELEC Controls 

38a Doddington Road, Earls Barton, Northampton NN6 0NF 

Tel: 01604 811634 Fax: 01604 811123 

Web: www.cybelec.co.uk 

Email: info@machinery-plant-servs.com 

CNC TURNING / MILLING 






Tel: 0161 627 4610 Fax: 0161 628 3141 



N.A.B. PRECISION TOOLING LTD 

Up to 2 metres Diameter CNC Turning 900 Diameter x 4 meter BC. 

Knowl Piece, Wilbury Way, Hitchin, Herts SG4 0TY 

Tel: 01462 456565 Fax: 01462 420039 

Email: nab_sales@btconnect.com 

Web: www.nabprecisiontooling.com 

CNC VERTICAL BORING 

N.A.B. PRECISION TOOLING LTD 

Up to 2 metres Diameter CNC Turning 900 Diameter x 4 meter BC. 


Tel: 01462 456565 Fax: 01462 420039 

Email: nab_sales@btconnect.com Web: www.nabprecisiontooling.com 

DEEP HOLE BORING 

HONE-ALL PRECISION LTD 

Capacity Available – Call us today! 

AS9100D, ISO 9001:2015 & Rolls Royce approved supplier for: Deep 

Hole Boring, Deep Hole Drilling, CNC Honing & CNC Turning, ø2.5mm 

– 220mm internal diameter x over 3 metres long. Prototype to 

production batch, aluminium to aermet, for the highest levels of quality 

and service, contact us for a quote today! 

Cherrycourt Way, Leighton Buzzard, Beds. LU7 4UH. 

Tel: 01525 370666 

Email: sales@hone-all.co.uk 

Web: www.hone-all.co.uk 

SUBCON DRILLING LTD 

ISO 9001 : 2015 Quality Assured Company. The UK Leader in Ejector 

Drilling, Gun Drilling & Honing, fast response and turnaround. 

Subcon Drilling, Unit 6, The Heron Business Park, Eastman Way, 

Hemel Hempstead HP2 7FW. Tel: 01442 205960 

Email: ryan@subcondrilling.co.uk 

Web: www.subcondrilling.co.uk 

S E R V I C E P R O V I D E R S - I n c r e a s e y o u r c u s t o m e r b a s e f o r l e s s t h a n £ 2 a w e e k 



DEEP HOLE DRILLING 




Hole Boring, Deep Hole Drilling, CNC Honing & CNC Turning, ø2.5mm – 

220mm internal diameter x over 3 metres long. Prototype to production 

batch, aluminium to aermet, for the highest levels of quality and 

service, contact us for a quote today! 


Tel: 01525 370666 



DIGITAL READOUT EQUIPMENT 

MACHINE DRO 

DRO supplier of all major brands including M-DRO, Newall, Acu-rite, Mitutoyo. 

Linear and rotary encoders specialist. Install, repairs and spares. 

Machine DRO Dept, Pindar Road, Hoddesdon, Hertfordshire, EN11 0BZ, UK. 

Tel: +44 (0)1992 455921 

Email: sales@machine-dro.co.uk 

Web: www.machine-dro.co.uk 

WARREN MEASUREMENT SYSTEMS 

Independent DRO company offering sales & service 

on all makes of DRO. 

9 Woodford Road, Burton, Latimer, Northants, NN15 5UX 

Tel: 01536 722712 

Fax: 01536 609025 

Email heather@warrenmeasurement.co.uk 

FINANCE FOR MACHINERY 

CITY AND EUROPEAN ASSET FINANCE LIMITED 

Independent finance broker funding machinery of all types, new or 

used on Hire Purchase or Lease. 

Tel: 01483 280111 Mobile: 07866 266100 

Email: dmcphillips@leasingfinance.com 

Web: www.cityandeuropean.co.uk 

Contact Name: Duncan McPhillips.City and European Asset Finance Ltd is 

authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. 

LINDSAY FINANCE 

BUSINESS FINANCE SPECIALISTS 

Tel: 0115 931 4545 

Email: sales@lindsay.finance 

Web: www.lindsay.finance 

GEAR CUTTING 






Tel: 0161 627 4610 

Fax: 0161 628 3141 



GRINDING 

CENTRAL GRINDING SERVICES LTD. 

Precision grinding, 1 offs - batchwork, all materials, universal, surface, 

centreless and thread grinding universal up to 2 metres long 

3 Pomeroy Drive, Oadby Industrial Estate, Oadby, Leiceester, LE2 5NE 

Tel: 0116 2718188 

Fax: 0116 2718199 

Email:info@centralgrinding.co.uk 

Website: www.centralgrindingservices.co.uk 

GUARDING 

CRESCENT MACHINERY 

PUWER Inspections, all types of machinery guarding. Mechanical 

barriers or infra-red guarding, full perimeter interlock guarding. 

Group Rhodes Limited, Unit 21, Calder Vale Road, Wakefield WF1 9RD. 

Email: information@grouprhodes.co.uk 

Tel: +44 (0) 1924 371161 

GUILLOTINE BLADES 

CRESCENT MACHINERY 

Regrinding + Turning Service, same day regrinding if pre-booked. 

New blades any size or make of machine. 

To cut all materials. Onsite service all makes of Guillotines. 

Group Rhodes Limited, Unit 21, Calder Vale Road, Wakefield WF1 9RD. 

Email: information@grouprhodes.co.uk 

Tel:+44 (0) 1924 371161 

GUN DRILLING 









Tel: 01525 370666 





Drilling, Gundrilling & Honing, fast response and turnaround. 

Subcon Drilling, Unit 6, The Heron Business Park, Eastmman Way, Hemel 

Hempstead. 

Tel: 01442 205960 

Email: ryan@aol.com Web: www.subcondrilling.co.uk 

HONING 

APPERLEY HONING LTD 

Honing capacity available from 3.00mm to 750.00mm diameter and 

lengths up to 15metres. ISO 9002 

Contact: Michelle Sanders, 

Malmesbury Road, Kingsditch Trading Estate, Cheltenham GL51 9PL 

Tel: 01242 525868 Fax: 01242 224738 

Email: michelle@apperleyhoning.co.uk 

Web: www.apperleyhoning.co.uk 

HONING 









Tel: 01525 370666 





Drilling, Gun Drilling & Honing, fast response and turnaround. 

Subcon Drilling, Unit 6, The Heron Business Park, Eastmman Way, Hemel 

Hempstead. 

Tel: 01442 205960 

Email: ryan@subcondrilling.co.uk Web: www.subcondrilling.co.uk 

INSPECTION EQUIPMENT 

MIDLAND METROLOGY LTD 

Profile projectors, vision systems, hardness testers, granite plates/tables/squares – 

used inspection equipment, calibration laboratory. 

Unit G3, Little Heath Industrial Estate, Old Church Road, Coventry CV6 7ND 

Tel: +44 (0) 2476 638280 Fax: +44 (0)2476 638772 

Email: sales@midland-metrology.co.uk 




LAPPING 

KEMET INTERNATIONAL LTD 

70 years experience in Lapping and Polishing Systems and 

Consumables, fast and efficient contract Lapping service. 

Cuxton Road, Maidstone, Kent ME15 9NJ 

Tel: 01622 755287 Fax: 01622 670915 

Email: sales@kemet.co.uk 

Web: www.kemet-lapping.co.uk 

PRECISION LAPPING LTD. 

16 Marine Way, Hogwood Lane Industrial Estate, Finchampstead, 

Berks RG40 4RF 

Tel: 0118 973 5989 Fax: 0118 973 7241 

Web: www.precision-lapping.co.uk 

LASER CALIBRATION 

C.D. MEASUREMENTS LTD 

Specialists in laser calibration of machine tools & measuring 

equipment. UKAS accredited. No. 0344 for on site calibration. 

Chomlea House, Hadfield Road, Hadfield, Glossop, Derbys. SK13 2ER 

Tel: 01457 852929 Fax: 01457 860619 

Web: www.cdmeasurements.com 

MACHINE TOOL REBUILD 

BLUE DIAMOND MACHINE TOOLS LTD 

Suppliers of new and used machine tools, rebuilding and repairs, 

suppliers of new tooling and sub-contract slideway grinding, CNC 

retrofitting. 

Unit 6B, Hackworth Park Industrial Estate, Shildon, 

County Durham DL4 1HG 

Tel: 01388 776052 Fax: 01388 774770 

Email: sales@bdmtools.co.uk 

Web: www.bluediamondmachinetools.co.uk 

METROL 

CNC SYSTEMS LTD 

High accuracy sensors. Used on CNC Lathes, Machining Centres and Grinders. 

40 Redwoods, Addlestone, Surrey KT15 1JN 

Tel: 01932 830492 Mob: 07740 187341 

Email: offices@cncsystemsltd.co.uk Web: www.cncsystemsltd.co.uK 

PRESS SERVICING MAINTENANCE 

GROUP RHODES LTD 

(Competitive OEM Mechanical and Electrical repairs to Rhodes, HME, 

Bentley, Cowlishaw Walker and other makes. Full Spares service and 

free advice on CE/PUWER legislation. ISO 9001, ISO 14001 and CE 

(Lloyds) approved) 

PO Box 740, Calder Vale Road, Wakefield, WF1 5PE. 

Tel: +44 (0)1924 371161 Fax +44 (0)1924 370928 

Email: sales@grouprhodes.co.uk 

Website: www.grouprhodes.com 

T.M.A. ENGINEERING LTD 

Power Press Specialists, Service, Spares, Repairs, Insurance 

Inspections, Maintenance, Guards. 

95-111 Tyburn Road, Erdington, Birmingham B24 8NQ 

Tel: 0121 328 1908 Fax: 0121 322 2017 

Email: sales@TMAeng.co.uk 

Web: www.TMAeng.co.uk 

PRESSBRAKE TOOLING 

PK TOOLING 

New & Used Pressbrake Tooling supplier for most makes of machines 

282 Newton Road, Rushden, Northants, NN10 0SY. 

Tel: 01933 355726 

Email: sales@pktooling.com 

Web: www.pktooling.com 

PRODUCTION CONTROL SOFTWARE 

PSL DATATRACK 

Production control software for sub-contractors and precision engineers. 

Quotations, Sales & Works Orders, Process Layouts, Stock Control, Purchasing, 

Scheduling, Shop Floor Data Collection, Quality & Tooling, Traceability, Financial, 

CRM. 

Lily Hill House, Lily Hill Road, Bracknell, Berkshire RG12 2SJ 

Tel: 01344 827312 or 08456 345931 

Email: machworld@psldatatrack.com Web: www.psldatatrack.com 

ROLLFORMERS 

FORMIT LIMITED 

Design & supply of cold Rollform Equipment & Tooling, Press Feeding 

& Coil Processing Equipment. New & Used Machinery For Sale 

Unit 3, City Estate, Corngreaves Road, Cradley Heath, 

West Midlands B64 7EP. 

Tel: 01384 895150 

Email: sales@formit.co.uk Web: www.formit.co.uk 

ROLLING MILLS 

DURSTON ROLLING MILLS 

Rolling mills for all applications 

Progress House, Hospital Hill, Waterside, Chesham, Bucks, HP5 1PJ 

Tel: 01494 535388 Fax: 01494 792966 

Email: sales@durston.co.uk Web: www.durston.com 

ROTARY TABLES 

1st MACHINE TOOL ACCESSORIES 

4th & 5th Axis tables and custom-buillt solutions. 

1 The Headlands, Downton, Salisbury, Wilts SP5 3JJ 

Tel: 01725 514000 Email: enquiries@kitagawaeurope.com 

SAWING 

ACCURATE CUTTING SERVICES 

Saws and blades by Amada for optimum cutting performance. 

To find out more about Amada high speed cutting machines and blades, 

call us on 01527 527058 

Email: sales@accurate-cutting.co.uk Web: www.accurate-cutting.co.uk 

ADDISON SAWS LTD 

(Sawing machine and consumables specialists. Est. 55 years) 

Attwood Street, Lye, Stourbridge, West Midlands DY9 8RU 

Tel: 01384 264950 Fax: 01384 264955 

Email: sales@addisonsaws.co.uk Web: www.addisonsaws.co.uk 

BEHRINGER LTD 

(SAWING MACHINE SUPPLIER ESTABLISHED OVER 100 YEARS) 

Subsidiary of the parent company Behringer GmbH, in Germany. Behringer, 

Behringer Eisele and Vernet Behringer products 

Complete range of billet cutting and mitre cutting, band saws and circular 

cold saws and plate saws including Vernet Behringer structural fabrication 

processing equipment. 

Handling equipment to suit specific requirements 

After sales and service and support across the UK with next day delivery. 

Demonstrations available at our service centre 

Tel 01296 668259. Web: www.behringerltd.co.uk 

Email info@uk.behringer.net 

ADS PRECISION LTD 

For all your metal cutting needs. Suppliers of new & used metal sawing 

bandsaws & circular saws (from manual to automatic CNC), Bahco bimetal 

& carbide bandsaw blades, spare parts for a wide range of saws, 

breakdown, repairs & servicing, lubricants and in house subcontract 

cutting/sawing, CNC milling, turning and machining. 

Unit 1, Aspen Court, Centurion Business Park, Bessemer Way, 

Rotherham S60 1FB. Tel: 0114 2347352 Fax: 0114 2347362 

Email: sales@adsprecision.com Web: www.adsprecision.com 

JHP MACHINE SALES LTD 

UK agents for BEWO and RUSCH Sawing Machinery, Manual to 

Automatic and CNC Bandsaws, Automatic Tube Saws, Circular Saws, 

Blades, Breakdowns, Spares, Service and Repairs to a wide range of 

machinery. 

EchoENG: A wide range of Machine Tools i.e., Press Brakes, 

Guillotines, Machining Centers. Lathes, Mills and much much more. 

UK agents for DYNOBEND Bending and Tube end forming Machines. 

Unit 2 Phoenix Park Ind Est, Chickenhall Lane, Eastleigh SO50 6PQ 

Tel: 02381 942827 Email: sales@jhpengineeringservices.co.uk 

STARTRITE-MACHINE SPARES 

Machine Spares are specialists in the manufacture of spares for 

Startrite Saws. We manufacture our spares from original drawings in 

house, in the UK. We have extensive spares in our stock ready for 

immediate dispatch. 

Machine Spares Ltd, Garratt St., Brierley Hill DY5 1JU. 

Tel: 01384 489000 Web: www.machinespares.net 




SCRAP METAL RECYCLING 

H. A. MASON (METALS) LTD 

Buyers of all non-ferrous scrap metals 

Two Woods Lane, off Mill Street, Brierley Hill, West Midlands DY5 1TA 

Tel: 01384 79841 Fax: 01384 76414 

Email: info@masonmetals.co.uk Web: www.masonmetals.co.uk 

SERVO MOTOR & DRIVE REPAIRS 

EUROSERV LIMITED 

Specialist Repairs to all Manufactures of Servomotors, Spindle Motors 

and Drives + Associated Equipment. 

Unit 16 & 17, Whitworth Road, Armstrong Industrial Estate, Washington, 

Tyne & Wear 

NE37 1PP. Tel: +44 (0)1915 193344 Fax: +44 (0)1915 368707 

Email: enquiries@euroservltd.net Web: www.euroservltd.net 

SERVICE & REPAIR 

TPH MACHINE TOOLS 

Offer Service & Repair on most Metalworking & Fab Machines, 

both Electrical & Mechanical 

Tel: +44 (0)1708 523916 Email: miket@tphmachinetools.co.uk 

Web: www.tphmachinetools.co.uk. Established 1923 

SHOT BLAST MACHINE ENGINEERS 

DOUG BOOTH & SONS (SHOTBLAST) LTD. 

The largest UK stocks of new and re-conditioned shotblast machines 

of all types. 

Olympia Works, Church Street, Ossett, Wakefield, West Yorks WF5 9DG 

Tel: 01924 274887 Fax: 01924 262219 

Email: paul@dougbooth.co.uk Web: www.dougbooth.co.uk 

MNB PRECISION 

MNB offer precison services including CNC Milling and Turning, Jig 

Boring, Spark-Erosion, Wire-Erosion, Grinding and Shot Peening up 8M 

long. 

Units 3-5 Binns Close, Torrington Avenue, Coventry, CV4 9TB 

Tel: +44 (0) 2476 695 959 Fax: 08721116698 

Email: info@mnbprecision.com Web: www.mnbprecision.com 

SLIDEWAY GRINDING 

BLUE DIAMOND MACHINE TOOLS LTD 

Suppliers of new and used machine tools, rebuilding and repairs, 

suppliers of new tooling and sub-contract slideway grinding, CNC 

retrofitting. 

Unit 6, Hackworth Park Industrial Estate, Sheldon, County Durham. 

Tel: 01388 776052 Fax: 01388 774770 

Email: sales@bdmtools.co.uk Web: www.bluediamondmachinetools.co.uk 

SUB-CONTRACTING - GRINDING 

CENTRAL GRINDING SERVICES LTD 

Precision Internal & External C.N.C. Grinding, 50 offs up to large qtys, 

all materials including Exotics, Carbide & Coatings. ISO 9001-2000. 

3A Pomery Drive, Oadby Industrial Estate, Oadby, Leicester LE2 5NE. 

Tel: 0116 271 8188 Fax: 0116 271 8199 

Email: carl@centralgrinding.co.uk Web: www.centralgrindingservices.co.uk 

SUBCONTRACTING – HONING 

DELAPENA GROUP 

Delapena subcontract honing facility provides fast, efficient and cost 

effective superior honing service. 

With our comprehensive suite of delapena honing machines we are 

known for precise, controllable and repeatable honing. 

Request a quotation today. 

The Delapena GroupThe Runnings, Cheltenham, Gloucestershire. GL51 9NJ 

Email: t.elliott@delapena.co.uk Tel: 01242 516341 

SUB-CONTRACTING - SAWING, 

MACHINING, MILLING, TURNING & LATHE 

SERVICES 

ADS PRECISION LTD 

For all your metal cutting needs. Suppliers of new & used metal sawing 

bandsaws & circular saws (from manual to automatic CNC), Bahco bimetal 

& carbide bandsaw blades, spare parts for a wide range of saws, 

breakdown, repairs & servicing, lubricants and in house subcontract 

cutting/sawing, CNC milling, turning and machining. 

710a-716 Penistone Road, Hillsborough, Sheffield, South Yorkshire, S6 2DF 

Tel: 0114 2347352 Fax: 0114 2347362 

Email: sales@adsprecision.com Web: www.adsprecision.com 

THREAD CUTTING 

KINGSTON ENGINEERING Co (HULL) LTD 

Specialist manufacturers and producers of bespoke Power Screws. We 

offer a variety of specialised engineering services and based on using 

materials and specifications to suit customer's exact needs, we 

produce complimentary nuts and fittings. 

Pennington Street, Hull, HU8 7LD 

Tel: 01482 325676 Fax: 01482 216438 Mobile: 07901 857045 

www.kingston-engineering.co.uk Email : paul@kingston-engineering.co.uk 

TOOL MAKERS 

JCP SERVICES LIMITED 

Tooling For Tin Box & Bakeware Plus Precision Engineers. We 

specialise in the manufacture of tin box, bakeware and progressive 

tooling. Press work also undertaken. We also offer a large variety of 

precision engineering CNC machinery. 

Unit 50, Wakefield Commercial Park, Engine Lane, Bridge Road, 

Horbury Junction, Wakefield, West Yorkshire WF4 5NW. 

Tel: 01924 278585 Mobile: 07709 531317 

Email: jcpservicesltd@gmail.com Web: www.jcpservicesltd.org.uk/ 

TUBE MANIPULATION 

HLP TUBE FORMERS LTD 

Specialists in CNC Bending, Cutting, Welding & Fabrication 

Unit 17 Pant Glas Industrial Estate, Bedwas, Caerphilly, CF83 8DR 

Tel: 029 2086 2122 Fax: 029 2086 0823 

Email: bernice.page@hlptube.co.uk 

Web: www.hlptube.co.uk 

VALUATION PLANT & MACHINERY 

TPH MACHINE TOOLS 

Offer Service & Repair on most Metalworking & Fab Machines, 

both Electrical & Mechanical 

Tel: +44 (0)1708 523916 Email: miket@tphmachinetools.co.uk 

Web: www.tphmachinetools.co.uk. Established 1923 

VERTICAL BORING 

N.A.B. Precision tooling ltd 

Up to 2 metres Diameter CNC Turning. 


Tel: 01462 456565 Fax: 01462 420039 

Email: nab_sales@btconnect.com Web: www.nabprecisiontooling.com 

WATERJET CUTTING 

CROSS ENGINEERING SWANSEA LTD 

Specialists in Waterjet cutting. 2 number twin head Flow machines 

4mtr x 2mtr capacity, any material upto 200mm thickness also sub 

contract machining and fabrication capacity 

Garngoch Industrial Estate, Gorseinon, Swansea, SA4 9GE 

Web: www.crosswaterservices.co.uk www.crossengineering.co.uk 

Tel: 01792 893491 

WORKHOLDING 

1st MACHINE TOOL ACCESSORIES 

High quality work holding, fixturing, clamping, chucks & collets 

available from stock. 

1 The Headlands, Downton, Salisbury, Wilts SP5 3JJ 

Tel: 0800 783 0510 Email: enquiries@1stmta.com 



DO YOU WANT TO APPEAR IN THE 

SERVICES DIRECTORY? 

If you would like to be included in our SERVICES DIRECTORY (in print, and online at www.machinery.world), 

just enter your details below and return them together with payment of £75 for a full year’s insertion to: 

SHEEN PUBLISHING LTD, 50 Queens Road, Buckhurst Hill, Essex IG9 5DD, UK 

CATEGORY/HEADING.............................................................................................................................................................. 

COMPANY NAME..................................................................................................................................................................... 

Short Description of service(s) offered ..................................................................................................................................... 

.................................................................................................................................................................................................. 

................................................................................................................................................................................................ 

ADDRESS.................................................................................................................................................................................. 

................................................................................................................................................................................................. 

POSTCODE......................................................................... TEL........................................................................................... 

FAX................................................................................... 

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WEBSITE............................................................................. CONTACT NAME..................................................................... 

We accept 

e y 

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EXPIRY DATE CVC (3 DIGITS) SIGNED.............................................. 

OR Please enclose a cheque for £75 made payable to Sheen Publishing Ltd. 

Online Auction Sale 

Ex-Formula 1- Selection of GF Agie Charmilles Mikron 

Machining Centres, removed for convenience of sale and others 

Bidding Ends: Thursday 8th August 2024 at 3pm (UK Time) 

·GF Agie Charmilles HEM 500U 5-Axis (3+2) Machining Centre 

(2014) with Heidenhain iTNC 530 Control, 20,000rpm Step-Tec 

Spindle, 60 Position ATC, Spindle Taper HSK63A, 500mm dia 

Table, Laser Tool Setting, Spindle Chiller, Swarf Conveyor, 

Machine Weight 6,500Kgs 




Table, Laser Tool Setting, Spindle Chiller, 




Table, Laser Tool Setting, Spindle Chiller, Swarf Conveyor, 




Table, Laser Tool Setting, Spindle Chiller 

·GF Mikron Agie Charmilles XSM 800 Vertical Machining Centre 

(2009) 

·Mikron HSM 300 - M High Speed Mill with Heidenhain iTNC 

530 Control, 27 Station ATC, HSK E40 Tooling, Table Size 

360mm x 210mm (2008) 

·GF Agie Charmilles Mikron HEM 500U-5 with iTNC530 Control 

·XYZ VM3500 CNC Turret Mill with Prototrak VM Control (2003) 

·XYZ VM3500 CNC Turret Mill with Prototrak VM Control 

·Plus Many Others... 

For Full Information please visit our Website: www.cottandco.com 

Please Contact Our Office for Further Information: Cottrill & Co, 401—407 Tyburn Road, Erdington, Birmingham, B24 8HJ 

▪ Tel: + 44 (0) 121 328 2424 ▪ Email: info@cottandco.com ▪ Website: www.cottandco.com ▪ 

Cottrill & Co is a Trade Name of Cottrill & Associates Ltd 


FEATURES PROGRAMME 2024 

SEPTEMBER 

u CAD/CAM 

u Chains & Bearings 

u Laser, Plasma, Waterjet Cutting 

OCTOBER 

u Robotics & Automation 

u AeroSpace Engineering 

u Metrology inc Inspection & quality control 

u EUROBLECH 

NOVEMBER 

u Grinding Deburring & Surface Finishing, 

u Medical engineering 

u Drilling & Milling 

u Advanced Engineering 

DECEMBER 

u Welding, Laser, Plasma & Waterjet Cutting 

u Lubricants & Coolants 

u Autosport Engineering 

PRECISION SPINDLE 

REBUILDING 

We offer a complete rebuild service of CNC 

machining centre spindles, CNC lathe heads, 

Grinding spindles (both belt driven & high 

frequency types), Tailstocks, Fine boring spindles, 

Milling spindles, Centre-less grinding spindles, 

workheads, wheelheads etc. 

TECHNOVA PRECISION LTD 

Tel: 02476 366503 • Fax: 02476 361979 

Web: technovaprecision.com • Email: will@technovaprecision.com 

ON-LINE 


ADVERTISERS INDEX 

1st Machine Tool Accessories . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Inside Front Cover 

Amada (UK) Ltd . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9 

Ashmores Press Brakes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .13 

Blue Diamond Machine Tools Ltd . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11 

Cottrill & Co . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .37 

Euroblech . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .13 

IGUS (UK) Ltd . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Front Cover 

Kerf Developments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5 

MTA London . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Back Cover 

New Century Machinery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .15 

Penico Gauges . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5 

PPMA Show 2024 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Inside Back Cover 

Subcon Drilling . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .13 

Techno Precision Ltd . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .38 

Vollmer (UK) Ltd . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9 

Westermans International . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7 


www.ppmashow.co.uk 

VISIT 

PPMA SHOW 2024 

24-26 SEPTEMBER 

N E C • B I R M I N G H A M 

THE UK’S LARGEST EVENT FOR PROCESSING 

EQUIPMENT, PACKAGING MACHINERY, 

INDUSTRIAL ROBOTS AND MACHINE 

VISION SYSTEMS 

REGISTER 

NOW 

Join us to discover the most 

up to date, state-of-the-art 

solutions by leading brands, 

and much more... 

Featuring captivating live 

demonstrations, a thoughtprovoking 

seminar programme 

and great networking 

opportunities, PPMA Show 2024 

is not to be missed.

Manufacturing Machinery World August 2024

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