Product category:
Milling, boring and routing machines - manual and CNC
News Release from: XYZ Machine Tools | Subject: CNC millers and lathes
Edited by the Manufacturingtalk Editorial
Team on 09 July 2004
Efficient CNC machine tools back
traditional skill
Efficient CNC machine tools back traditional pattern making and tool making skills for the thermoforming industry, taking projects from concept through to manufacture.
Long-standing XYZ Machine Tools customers Paul and Tim Wilkins established their 23-employee, GBP1 million-plus turnover pattern and tooling manufacturing business in 1987 From the beginning the brothers set a high standard in terms of performance and customer service, and expected their suppliers to do the same
This article was originally published on Manufacturingtalk on 11 Jun 2001 at 8.00am (UK)
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More recently, their belief in partnerships as the best way to achieve this high standard has found another outlet in their enthusiastic sponsorship of the Pattern Forme powerboat racing team.
The team competes in Class 3 offshore powerboat racing with Slipstream, a 24ft winged mono hull powered by a 2 litre, 200BHP engine.
In its first full season last year the team finished second in the national championships and set a national speed record for its class with an average speed of 82.68 mph.
However, Pattern Forme's day-to-day activities, with its involvement in thermoforming for the packaging industry, take place in a less frenetic, although equally demanding, environment.
According to Paul Wilkins, the brief "is to work in complete partnership with clients from concept to design, realisation through to manufacture".
The 8000ft2 factory complex in Taunton is home to traditional pattern making and tool making skills as well as computer-aided design and computer controlled machining processes.
Reflecting this is an eclectic mix of machine tools in everyday use, which includes several XYZ machine tools ranging from a lathe and turret mills equipped with either a digital readout or the innovative Prototrak control to a 34 inch maximum grinding length manual surface grinder and a Fast Tap pantographic arm capable of tapping threads up to M24 in steel and aluminium.
While Slipstream is in the business of breaking records, Pattern Forme looks to these machines to perform reliably and consistently with the minimum of fuss and attention.
"We are currently manufacturing pressure form tooling that measures 800mm by 1200mm," says Wilkins, " and we are having to think carefully about how we fit this into our existing machining envelope. Request a free brochure from XYZ Machine Tools ...
It's at times like these that we find ourselves contemplating investing in new machines, and it gives us added confidence when we can see a supplier like XYZ Machine Tools that is as intent on improving its business as we are on improving our service to our customers.".
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