Purpose-designed CNC lathe supports fire-hit firm's recovery

PHC is a Cramlington, Northeast-based manufacturer of mechanical rams for the fork lift truck and earth moving machinery markets. The lathe is for the fully automated, high-precision, internal and external machining of large shafts and pipes, specifically for handling 240 mm diameter by 4,000 mm long hydraulic cylinders for earth moving machinery. Designated ‘SE’ (Special Equipment), the lathe incorporates a 4000 mm length bed, Fanuc 18i control, and fully automated chucking and steadying equipment for rapid loading and set-up. The delivery of the lathe in March 2006 marked a remarkable turn round for PHC, whose premises were levelled to the ground in a devastating fire in May 2003. “Because of the specialised nature of the application and our requirements for automated loading, the lathe was always going to be a ‘special’ – and we asked several major machine tool manufacturers to quote. Unfortunately, because the lathe was a virtual ‘one-off’, the quotes I received were, quite frankly, unrealistic and way beyond our budget," says industrial engineer David Smith. “The finished build standard rivals any machine tool on the market and most pleasing of all, it came in at a quarter of the price of some of its rivals,” he adds.