A step up: the new home of Star Micronics GB

The 16,000 ft² new-build unit combines showroom, training centre, offices, parts and barfeed unit warehouse, plus storage, pre-delivery inspection and prove-out space and toolroom, all in one.

Officially opened in October with an Open House event, the move comes after the lease on the previous unit, in nearby Melbourne, ran out. Clive Ashmore originally set up a UK agency for the Japanese-made sliding-head lathes in February 1992 (A&S Precision Machine Tools), following agent Brown & Sharpe’s decision to pull out of machine tools. Six years later, when Ashmore retired, the business became a wholly-owned subsidiary of Star Micronics Japan, the name change to Star Micronics GB Ltd following in September 2003.

The open house celebration

Star GB now employs 25, 16 of which are travelling sales and service personnel; of those at Derby, five are application engineers.

Sales have been way up over past performance in the last few years; 89 machines were sold in 2014, and 88 last year, although this year will be lower.

Two models account the majority of sales: the 32 mm bar capacity SR-32JI and 20 mm bar capacity SR-20RIV Type B that features up to 41 tools. A new variant of the former was shown at the Open House (details opposite). Five other models were present: a 12 mm B-12R Type G with C-axis on both the main and sub-spindles; a 12 mm SW-12RII that offers opposing toolposts for simultaneous machining; the triple-turret 38 mm ST-38 offering up to 70 tools; the 38 mm SR-38 Type B featuring programmable B-axis for angular machining on both spindles; and, in the prove-out area, a 20 mm SB-20R Type G, offering main spindle speed of 10,000 rpm and up to seven powered tools on the main spindle and up to four back-working tools.

Hiroshi Tanaka, managing director of the Star Micronics Co Ltd machine tools division in Japan, toasts the opening of the new facility

Sliding-head lathe accessories at the event included FMB barfeeds, JBS collets (a new guide bush system allowing the processing of inconsistent diameter bar) and three types of Pumps & Equipment high pressure coolant systems. In addition, there were exhibits from sliding-head tooling vendor Floyd Automatic Tooling, cooling mist extractor manufacturer Filtermist and swarf conveyor supplier LNS.Sliding-head lathe accessories at the event included FMB barfeeds, JBS collets (a new guide bush system allowing the processing of inconsistent diameter bar) and three types of Pumps & Equipment high pressure coolant systems. In addition, there were exhibits from sliding-head tooling vendor Floyd Automatic Tooling, cooling mist extractor manufacturer Filtermist and swarf conveyor supplier LNS.

Education, education, education: Steven Totty, Star GB managing director, explains that the company’s vision is to use the site to educate customers about the benefits of sliding-head lathes: “Going forward, we’re trying to look at using this facility on a weekly basis, and instead of doing Open Houses, trying to target sectors, doing a couple of day events on hydraulic couplings and fittings.” The showroom, which will be reconfigured in January with five machines across the range, will host demonstrations of different aspects of component cutting, whilst the training room (shown above) could host seminars covering the conversational programming software packages NCAssist and PU Junior.

A beefed-up alternative to one of the company’s most popular general-purpose machines, the 32 mm bar capacity SR-32JI, will be available from May 2017. A new motor results in increased spindle power and speed, up to 8,000 rpm on main and sub-spindles. Heavier than the previous model by 800 kg, now 3.9 tonne, the machine’s base casting features thicker internal webbing, from 20 to 25 mm. In support of tougher machining is a new clamping system on main and sub-spindle collets – hydraulic rather than pneumatic – that provides 40% more grip. Inside, there are double the number of back-working tools on the Y2-axis (now eight), all driven, and a fifth tool on the static drilling arm (boosting its tool total to 39). The use of scraped dovetail slideways for rigidity now features on three more axes: Y2, X1 and Z2, as well as Y1. Also new is the ability to switch between guide-bush and non-guide-bush modes, while headstock stroke has been increased by 10 mm to 320 mm.

This article was first published in the November 2016 issue of Machinery magazine.