Product category:
Milling, boring and routing machines - manual and CNC
News Release from: XYZ Machine Tools | Subject: ProtoTRAK manual/CNC turret mill
Edited by the Manufacturingtalk Editorial
Team on 05 July 2005
Switch to CNC makes for an easier life
In addition to providing additional metal cutting capacity, first-time CNC installations compensate for lack of CNC experience by using simple English language prompts.
Like many smaller sub-contracting businesses much of Neeco Engineering's work, which embraces machining and fabrication, is one-offs or small batch quantities "We have around fifty regular customers," says Neil Coxhead, managing director, "Who use our services because we are reliable as well as good at what we do"
This article was originally published on Manufacturingtalk on 11 Jun 2001 at 8.00am (UK)
Related stories
Turret mills bolster production
Specialising in the sub-contract machining of precision components, Valco UK in Essex has invested heavily in a subtle blend of CNC machine tools over the last three years.
Large CNC lathes to be got for attractive prices
Value for money CNC machine tool specialist, XYZ Machine Tools in Devon, has expanded its range of CNC lathes with the introduction of the Vulcan series of turning centres.
"We have been in business for fifteen years, and our customers clearly prefer the certainty of knowing that their jobs will be ready by the agreed date to gambling on promises of achieving the impossible." It is not unusual, he adds, for customers to give the 'go-ahead' without waiting for a formal quotation because, in many instances, delivery is the top priority.
"That is why around half our workshop area is given over to material storage, typically steel, aluminium, phosphor bronze, stainless steel and nylon, as this means we can save three to four days on a rush order." However, in a competitive marketplace price remains a major factor, and it is this that has prompted Neeco Engineering's investment in CNC machining.
The Alfreton, Derbyshire company's first CNC purchase was a 3.75kW (5HP) ProtoTRAK manual/CNC turret mill supplied by XYZ Machine Tools, which proved so effective that it has since been joined by two XYZ ProTURN manual/CNC lathes and, earlier this year, by a XYZ VM 5000 manual/CNC bed mill.
Further reading
Airbus UK chooses new CNC machine tools
After a thorough analysis of the combination CNC/manual machine tool market, Airbus UK decided on a Proturn 350 lathe, a Proturn 420 lathe and a DPM 4000 bed mill
Affordable machines are easy to program
XYZ Machine Tools will be highlighting examples from its range of affordable and easy to program CNC machine tools at Tooling 2001 on Stand 1162.
As with the three existing machines, the new bed mill contributed an immediate productivity boost, described by Coxhead as a three to four fold increase in output compared to manual milling.
Equipped with the latest generation ProtoTRAK control, the XYZ VM 5000's 7.5 kW (10 hp) variable speed spindle motor drives a 40 ISO taper spindle from 200 to 6000 rev/min.
Maximum table load is 850kg and X, Y and Z (knee) axes travels are 1524mm, 596mm and 584mm.
In addition to providing additional metal cutting capacity, the installation at Neeco Engineering has again demonstrated ProtoTRAK's value in terms of compensating for lack of CNC experience.
With simple English language prompts and no codes to learn, operators can be up and running within a day, reassured by the fact that the machine can be operated at any time in manual, partial CNC or full CNC mode.
"Without CNC, and more specifically ProtoTRAK, we would find it very hard to be competitive," says Coxhead. Request a free brochure from XYZ Machine Tools ...
"The XYZ machines have made our lives much easier, not least because we no longer have to work so much overtime to meet those all-important delivery dates.".
• XYZ Machine Tools: contact details and other news
• Email this article to a colleague
• Register for the free Manufacturingtalk email newsletter
• Manufacturingtalk Home Page
Search the Pro-Talk network of sites
