HEAVY ENGINEERING MACHINE SHOPS PULL THEIR WEIGHT
Gilkes is using its investment to
bring manufacturing back to the UK
manufacturing base. Gilkes specialises in
the design and manufacture of hydro-electric
turbines and cooling pumps for high power
diesel engines, with parts sourced
worldwide. The company has installed a
Mazak Integrex e-1250V/8 vertical multitasking
machine, with the intention of
increasing capacity at its Kendal facility and
ultimately re-shoring the manufacture of vital
components back to the UK.
Speci cally, Gilkes currently sources fullymachined
turbine runners from an East
European supplier. The Mazak will enable
the rm to bring back 40% of this work.
Gilkes’ newly installed Integrex
e-1250V/8 is one of the largest machines in
the Mazak range (1,450 by 1,600 mm
capacity – diameter by height), designed for
the multi-axis machining of large, complex
workpieces. The machine is capable of
performing a variety of tasks that would
normally be completed by multiple
machines, including turning, milling, boring
and drilling operations. In addition, Mazak
will be supplying a complete tool
management system to reduce manual input
and set-up times.
“Our current machine tools in Kendal are
great workhorses, but we’ve gone about as
far as we can with them,” says Rebecca
Sandham, head of operations at Gilkes.
“With the Mazak, we’ll be able to
signi cantly increase our productivity levels,
which will enable us to continue being highly
competitive in global markets.”
She concludes: “The Integrex acquisition
forms part of a long-term plan to upgrade our
manufacturing capabilities. Ultimately, we
want this investment to be seen as proof of
our commitment to UK manufacturing
operations and our responsibility to provide
jobs for the local area.”
More CNC choice for large XYZ VMCs
XYZ Machine Tools (https://is.gd/kufaha) now offers the
Heidenhain TNC 620 as a standard option across its heavy duty
range of vertical machining centres. Customers ordering the XYZ
660 HD, XYZ 800 HD or XYZ 1100 HD VMCs can now choose
between the Siemens or Heidenhain control, as standard.
“We’ve provided a Heidenhain control option for many years,
but, due in part to the complexity and cost, found it to be a slow
seller,” says Nigel Atherton, managing director of XYZ Machine
Tools. “The arrival of the TNC 620, with its touchscreen user
interface and latest machine control technology, means the time
is right to offer it as a standard t on machines within our heavy
duty range.”
The TNC 620 is a successor to the iTNC530 control, which is
being phased out after 18 years of sales. XYZ’s addition of this
control as a standard t will help to future-proof its heavy duty
range and deliver the performance that customers, particularly in
the aerospace, mould and die, toolmaking and education sectors,
tend to demand.
“Thanks to our independence as a machine tool supplier, we
are free to adapt our range quickly,” says Atherton. “As a result,
we can offer the latest in control technology to meet the needs of
customers.” And with some machines featuring earlier
Heidenhain control systems that are now reaching the end of
their lifespans, the arrival of the TNC 620 provides a perfect
opportunity to open up new opportunities among existing
Heidenhain users.
“We recognise that customers tend to be loyal to a particular
CNC, due to their expertise and familiarity with it,” says Atherton.
“Therefore, extending our use of Heidenhain controls to the HD
series of machines – we already offer Heidenhain on our agship
UMC-5X machine – is a logical step. With prices starting at just
under £60,000 for the XYZ 660 HD featuring the Heidenhain TNC
620, we’re con dent that this will be attractive to both new and
existing customers.” https://is.gd/ofubos
54 September 2019 www.machinery.co.uk @MachineryTweets
/kufaha)
/ofubos
/www.machinery.co.uk