Orders and contest success experienced at MACH

As well as recording a number of orders during MACH, workholding specialist Leader Chuck Systems also celebrated another success in the International Machine Tool Industry Awards.

As well as recording a number of orders during MACH, workholding specialist Leader Chuck Systems also celebrated another success in the International Machine Tool Industry Awards.

Managing director Mark Jones reports that the stand was very busy throughout the show - especially in the evening when the company hosted its 50th anniversary hospitality events - and, he says, "it is always gratifying to be able to report a clutch of orders".

A 100mm three-jaw MultiChuck MMY concentric clamping system - destined for a grinding operation - was purchased on behalf of Grundfos, Denmark, by Leader Chuck Systems' Danish agent Elbima A/S, while the Mordun Chuck Jaw Company purchased another MultiVice MMX vice system for use on a vertical machining centre.

In addition, a Hainbuch 65mm chuck being demonstrated by Yamazaki Machinery U K in the machining of test components on a Mazak Super Quick Turn 250 MS-Y CNC turning centre, was purchased as part of a turnkey machining package 'off the stand' by a major UK OEM.

Manufacturing a cost-competitive range of chuck jaws - mainly for chucks in the 160mm to 380mm capacity range, but also for varying "specials" - Leicester-based Mordun Chuck Jaw Company's initial investment in the MultiVice MMX two years ago led to dramatic savings in production cycle times and costs.

Managing director Tim Hare explains: "Not only did the system save the overhead of at least one person per machine per shift, but it also enabled us to minimise production dead times".

For these reasons Tim Hare didn't hesitate to choose MultiVice MMX again when he added a pallet shuttle system to one of his vertical machining centres, to increase productivity in response to a rising order book.

"Being involved in the manufacture of consumables, we are constantly under threat from third-world producers," he points out, "so we have to constantly look at ways to improve our cost-competitiveness." "By adding the pallet system we are able to keep the VMC constantly in cut, and thus minimise piece part costs.

But we needed a second workholding system - to complement the existing MultiVice MMX - to allow us to load/unload components within the machine's cycle time, otherwise the benefits of the second pallet would have been lost.

"With its quick and simple lock/unlock action, only Leader's MultiVice MMX could satisfy our demands compared with all the other systems we looked at," he declares.

During MACH, Leader Chuck Systems kept up its good record at the International Machine Tool Industry Awards by winning highly commended in the Best workholding/workhandling equipment category with the MultiVice MMCC vice system for long-run, large batch work on machining centres, milling machines and grinders.

This follows the company's outright win with its MultiChuck MMY concentric clamping system in the 2000 competition.

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