Ajax announces 2015 launches as it ends 2014 with a bang

The AJCBM 720 bed-mill, built at the company's Lymington, Hants headquarters, will sell for under £20,000. It has axis travels of 720 by 380 by 500 mm and includes Fagor 8055M control, a fully conversational colour CNC system with ISO G-code. The AJCBM 720 can also be specified with Heidenhain TNC 320 or Siemens Sinumerik 828D controls for under £23,000. Each machine will be calibrated by Ajax during installation, using its Renishaw QC20-W ballbar and XL80 laser systems and will be sold with a two-year warranty. A four-machine range of V.550 to V.1000 vertical machining centres is also to be launched. The V.550 has a capacity of 550 by 400 by 500 mm and boasts 36 m/min rapid feedrates, and starts at under £34,000; the V.1000, with capacity of 1,000 by 500 by 500 mm, sells for under £44,000. Control options include Heidenhain TNC 320, Siemens 828D and Fanuc 0i /Mate-MD. The company reports that sales in the six months to September 2014 were double the same period in 2013, although exports have remained flat, at £1.5 million. A recent large order of note was the supply of one machine a month to a new toolroom of an automotive group. It expects to have record sales in 2014, and has recently hired two new engineers. A recent package supplied to Walsall College involved a machine plus 20 seats of Heidenhain's Interactive Training (HIT). The HIT system, working in conjunction with the programming station software, enables users to watch on-screen demonstrations. After each level, users can take interactive tests to measure their knowledge and understanding of the project.