Numatic International is the
manufacturer of the worldfamous
Henry vacuum cleaner.
It has installed a Sodick AD55L
CNC die-sink EDM to support its
mould tool making needs
Numatic
toolroom gets a boost
The toolroom at one of the world’s leading manufacturers of domestic, commercial and industrial cleaning
equipment has received a boost in capability with the arrival of a Sodick AD55L CNC spark-erosion
machine from Sodi-Tech EDM
Chard-based Numatic International Ltd,
manufacturer of the world-famous
Henry vacuum cleaner, says its new
Sodick AD55L CNC die-sink EDM (Sodi-Tech
EDM, www.is.gd/zonehe ) has enhanced the
site’s mould tool repair, maintenance and
modi cation services.
Formed in 1969, Numatic employs
approximately 1,000 people at its Somerset,
facility. The factory produces the instantly
recognisable Henry vacuum cleaner, some
11 million of which have been sold since the
unit's introduction in 1981.
Around 21,000 Henry-type machines are
still manufactured at Chard every week.
Numatic also produces a wide range of other
domestic vacuum cleaners, as well as
professional vacuum appliances for
commercial, industrial and hazardous areas.
Further products include oor-care machines
for processes such as polishing, scrubbing,
stripping and abrading, along with a range of
janitorial cleaning systems.
With so many of its products comprising
plastic components, Numatic operates its
own mould shop. Supporting the mould shop
is a toolroom facility that has the task of
repairing, modifying and maintaining around
2,000 different mould tools, ranging in weight
from 100 kg to 15 tons.
“Obviously some tools become obsolete
over the course of time, but these are usually
countered by new arrivals – we’re expecting
EDM/ECM MOULD TOOL MANUFACTURE
96 new mould tools this year, for example,”
explains toolroom supervisor Scott Connett.
“Addressing issues such as tooling
modi cations and general wear and tear
are the most common tasks for our
toolroom team.”
The mould shop has around 40 injection
moulding machines, varying from 40 to 1,400
tons in capacity, that use tools made from
materials that include 2311 mould steel,
Product news
Two new wire EDM slug-related innovations from GF Machining Solutions make true
uninterrupted and unmanned operations a reality. Despite decades of effort, custom and
practice dictates that stopping the machine and manually removing slugs is still the norm.
But the developments from GF Machining Solutions for its latest wire-cut machines now
provide a reliable answer, it says. www.is.gd/uxojof
Sodick Europe has unveiled a new generation of high precision EDM die-sink machines
– the AL40G and AL60G – incorporating the latest electrical discharge control technology,
together with Arti cial Intelligence functions and a precision thermal compensation system
plus, of course, Sodick’s own market-leading linear motor technology. www.is.gd/lesecu
www.machinery.co.uk | MachineryMagazine | @MachineryTweets | November 2020 27
/zonehe
/uxojof
/lesecu
/www.machinery.co.uk